Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 4 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 04, 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)

** Yvette Richard visited the Johnson’s Mills Shorebird site on Monday and was surprised to find at least two thousand peeps there. The flock consisted of a mixture of SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS [Bécasseau semipalmé] and SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS [Pluvier semipalmé] but she did get a documentary photo of a DUNLIN [Bécasseau variable] among them. She stopped at the McManus Pond in Memramcook and was able to photograph two dragonflies. One was a LAKE DARNER DRAGONFLY, which we have received no photos of this season. Gilles Belliveau helped in the identification to point out the combination of the very deep indentation in the front thoracic stripe combined with the dark line across the face where the arrow is pointing to make it diagnostic of a Lake Darner. The second one is a SAFFRON-WINGED MEADOWHAWK DRAGONFLY. The normally saffron colored veins along the front of the wings often become darker later in the season to make them less obvious.

** John Filliter shares some photos of SNOW GEESE [Oie des neiges] that he spotted in a farmer’s field before entering the national capital region of Quebec City on Sunday, September 30. We seldom see these flocks in migration in New Brunswick but it does occasionally occur if something makes them veer from their migration corridor south.

** The HORSE MUSHROOM [Boule de neige] is fruiting with abandon at the moment in green grassy areas. Jean Paul Leblanc sends some photos of some that he gathered that shows the pink gills when fresh and the white topside. The spore print of this mushroom is black. Another that is popping up on lawns, but not as common, is the SMOOTH LEPIOTA MUSHROOM, described a few editions ago. The gills of this mushroom are white with a white spore print. It is actually an edible as well, but is not used as such simply because it is a lookalike to the deadly Destroying Angel which would be unlikely to appear on open, grassy areas as it prefers wooded areas.

** Stella Leblanc also sends a photo of an emerged NETTED STINKHORN MUSHROOM showing its lacy, netted veil.

** Aldo Dorio got more photos of birds in their late season plumage to include a young of the year RUDDY TURNSTONE [Tournepierre à collier], a first winter BONAPARTE'S GULL [Mouette de Bonaparte] with a GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] for comparison, a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER [Pluvier argenté] in basic plumage and a COMMON TERN [Sterne pierregarin]. These were most all adjacent to the Neguac wharf with some at nearby Hay Island.

Danny Sullivan and Brian Stone took a hike behind Crandall University on Wednesday to come across a big variety of mushrooms, including the LOBSTER MUSHROOM and SWOLLEN-STALKED CAT. Both of these are edible mushrooms. A WHOOLLY BEAR caterpillar was happily motoring about which it will continue to do for some time yet as it will overwinter as the larval caterpillar. Brian also captured some of the beautiful fall colours we are experiencing at the moment. They were checking a bird house when got quite a surprise when a mouse that had taken up residence for the winter came zooming out not at all amused with snoopy naturalists.

** The official name of Canada Jay has returned to what it should be. We have gotten used to the name change Gray Jay but it has been renamed to what it should have stayed as. Check out the official site below that details the change.

https://www.audubon.org/news/the-gray-jay-will-officially-be-called-canada-jay-again

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton