Nature Moncton Nature News: Aug 23 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, August 23, 2018 (Thursday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

** Suzanne Leblanc has spotted a small Heron wandering about the Cap Bimet area over the past few days. From her description it very much sounds like an adult LITTLE BLUE HERON [Aigrette bleue]. Suzanne has a cottage at 3 Colibris St. which is the first street to the left after turning left into the cottages at Paturel’s restaurant. The marsh is nearby but this bird could be anywhere in the Shediac area if it has remained. Bear in mind that this is an unconfirmed report but definitely an unexpected Heron.

** Uli and Ken Irlich went to Johnson’s Mills to see the SANDPIPER show on Wednesday and get some nice photos. They watched a flock of approximately 30,000 and saw a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] successfully capture a few. A mature BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] also made a low pass over them. They comment that the Sandpipers are getting nice and plump and many have left to carry on their southerly migration.

We reported yesterday that the Meadow Fritillary Butterfly was seen more commonly west of Fredericton, however Julie Singleton comments that there is a successful colony of this species on their property in Taymouth which just happens to have everything planted that a butterfly could ask for.

** Aldo Dorio got photos of an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER [Moucherolle à côtés olive] at Hay Island on Wednesday. The photos show the markings on the chest that make it look like it is wearing a “vest” and the distinctive white tufts on the sides of the rump. Unfortunately this flycatcher is having a population slide for some reason, and therefore we don’t get to see it very often.

** We have 85+ butterflies and several hundred moth species and each has a caterpillar larval stage. We are seeing many of these caterpillars now, some quite striking. Brian Stone got a photo of an AMERICAN DAGGER MOTH CATERPILLAR on Wednesday in Perth, Ont. as well as a young of the year EASTERN PHOEBE [Moucherolle phébi]. This could well be a second brood at this time of year for the Eastern Phoebe.

** A bit of a surprise to look out our camp window on Wednesday morning to see an EASTERN PHOEBE [Moucherolle phébi] enjoying the view perched on the mirror of my truck. I got a few photos through a screened window and some very old glass and surprisingly it turned out.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton