Nature Moncton Nature News: June 6 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, June 06, 2019 (Thursday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Yvette Richard reports that Nature Moncton nest box number 241 at Cocagne Cape has a family moving in. They have been working all day Wednesday, going in and out with small twigs and such. Yvette got a photo of the happy couple of TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] taking a break.

I am noting that most of the houses that I have up are late getting started this year. I have seen activity around the nest boxes but in most cases not nest preparation. These are mostly in the Miramichi area. No doubt due to the cold start to the season with more emphasis on getting something to eat than serious housekeeping, however the good times have arrived with lots of insects. Bless those mosquitoes and black flies!

** Louise Nichols got several interesting photos around her Aulac home. That property has a bog area with all the special possibilities that can appear in that habitat. Louise photographed the early blooming plant of bogs, LEATHERLEAF with its drooping cascade of blooms, THREE-LEAVED SOLOMON'S SEAL, and a HONEYSUCKLE shrub. The PAINTED TRILLIUMS that Louise submitted photos of just emerging a few days ago have now burst into their spectacular blooms. Glen Nichols found a patch of approximately 30 in full bloom. Louise photographed a YELLOW-SPOTTED SALAMANDER egg with the young developing inside, also only a few days ago, which has now hatched and is clearly showing the gills on the side of the head that will disappear as it heads to land.

** Brian Stone visited the Irishtown Nature Park on Wednesday to find lots of signs of the progressing season, including mosquitoes. Plants like CLINTONIA, aka BLUE BEAD LILY were in full bloom, a FLY HONEYSUCKLE about to bloom, OSTRITCH FERNS were fully unfurled and a SENSITIVE FERN was unfurled as well. RED MAPLE samara have formed, yet it seems like Red Maple was just in bloom recently. They surely develop their seeds quickly. STARFLOWER was also in bloom and EASTERN TENT CATERPILARS have their tents in place.

Brian still has his GRAY CATBIRDS [Moqueur chat] enjoying oranges and it may just continue all summer … if the orange budget can hold out. He noticed a tapping at his kitchen window Wednesday evening and ventured outside to find several busy JUNE BEETLES trying to figure out why they couldn’t pass through the invisible barrier blocking their way into his kitchen. After many attempts at breaking the glass followed by flipping over on their backs they gave up and went wandering elsewhere.

** I came across a spectacular floral display on the bank of the Miramichi River on Wednesday morning and was surprised at the large area it covered. It turns out to be the cultivar escapee that Newcomb calls MOSS PHLOX, citing it as a spring flower that has escaped cultivation. It surely was content in the wild at this site.

I also noted massive accumulations of pollen at the river’s edge, especially at low tide. Am assuming the pollen would be all from conifer trees, especially spruce.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton