Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 13 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 13, 2018 (Saturday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcribed by:johnson2@xplornet.com

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

**Aldo Dorio sends another photo of a juvenile BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. Plumage changes our shorebird visitors have gone through the past month makes them look like different species of birds!

Aldo also sends a photo of a DARK-EYED JUNCO that we can expect to see more of coming to feeder yards soon, as a portion of this species does overwinter here and have a tendency to enjoy feeder yards. Most will migrate south, but not that far.

**On the subject of fall plumage changes, I am attaching a photo of a EUROPEAN STARLING, I am assuming to be its transition from juvenile plumage to adult winter plumage. When it comes to starlings I usually spend most of my starling viewing time chasing them away but some of the visitors attempting visits this week caught my eye with their plumage variations. I suspect it is a species we spend little time looking closely at.

**I placed a GALIUM SPHINX MOTH CATERPILLAR in a terrarium on earth a few weeks ago. After several days it gradually turned into its pupal cocoon. A photo is attached. I'm hoping the caterpillar was not parasitized by anything and will emerge as a beautiful moth to be released next spring.

I am attaching a photo of Dave Christie's from late fall to show what the caterpillar looked like before they pupate.

**Dave Cannon came across a HICKORY TUSSOCK MOTH caterpillar a few weeks ago. He saved it in a container for me but by the time I got it only a few days later it had very promptly spun its cocoon pupal stage which is in the terrarium with the Galium Sphinx moth for a hopeful emerged adult next spring. Am reattaching the photo of David Cannon’s Hickory Tussock moth caterpillar and the cocoon stage that it is in at the moment.

The terrarium also has two chrysalids of BLACK SWALLOWTAIL butterflies, donated by Marguerite Windsor. So, it could be a lively spot next spring providing of course the original caterpillars were not parasitized as often happens in nature.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton

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