Nature Moncton Nature News: July 29 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 29, 2019 (Monday)

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Edited by Nelson Poirier, <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>

Transcript by David Christie, <maryspt@mac.com>

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

** Brian Donovan shares a video of a CANADA LYNX [Lynx du Canada] he got on his trail camera, north of Route 108, the Renous Highway. This is one of 4 Lynx that Brian has videotaped: 2 just north of Miramichi in the winter and 2 this summer north of Route 108. The long legs and heavy footpads give it away as a lynx and not a Bobcat [Lynx roux]. Brian comments that a SNOWSHOE HARE [Lièvre d’Amérique] showed up at the same location about three hours later. A lucky bunny! Take a look at the attached link to see the action.

https://youtu.be/fT9g-V9oZcc

** Lois Budd was wondering about a tall shrub growing in her yard. Gart Bishop confirmed it as COMMON ELDERBERRY [Sureau du Canada]. Gart’s comment was interesting, “at this time of year this isn’t anything else in flower with that type of blossom.”

Bob Blake comments everyone should visit the new Interpretation Center at Mary’s Point. Sharon and Bob dropped by on Sunday and talked with the Interpreter, who happened to be Denis Doucet. It is an awesome building and a great addition for Mary’s Point. It just opened July 16th. There were approximately 5000 shorebirds there on Sunday.

** Aldo Dorio is seeing more SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS [Bécassin roux] arriving at Hay Island, and now LEAST SANDPIPERS are being spotted as well. With the Least Sandpiper photos, Gilles Belliveau points out the legs have a yellowish tone, definitely not black, and the bill appears to have a downward curve and comes to a fairly fine point. These points are consistent with Least Sandpiper to help differentiate from Semipalmated Sandpiper in photos.

Aldo leaves an interesting comment on YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune]. He says that he saw them very frequently in the past, but this season he has not seen any of this normally common warbler species. An interesting comment as this is in sharp contrast to the high number coming to suet feeders in southern New Brunswick in the spring, presumably due to lengthy cool spring.

It was a pleasant surprise to have a first-time-ever moth come visit my moth sheet on Saturday night. It was an ELM SPHINX [Sphinx quadricorne]. Jim Edsall confirmed it and stated that we just don’t see it very often any more. It’s a fairly large moth with an approximately 4-inch wing span. A POPLAR LONGHORNED BEETLE also dropped by the moth sheet, a much more common insect.

I planted COMMON MILKWEED [Asclépiade commune] rhizomes at our Little Southwest Miramichi camp 3 years ago. Some plants sprung up last year but saw no MONARCH [Monarque] Butterfly activity. This year the patches have expanded considerably and the first female Monarch that I’m aware of arrived on Sunday for what I suspect is a first-time visit and she laid many eggs. HUMMINGBIRD CLEARWING [Sphinx colibri] moths were also visiting the Milkweed flowers, the first time that we have noted. Again, note that very long proboscis sucking up the sweet nectar.

SPREADING DOGBANE [Apocyn à feuilles d'Androsème] is an incredibly attractive plant to many butterflies, bees and other nectaring insects. It can spread to become very large patches or hedges that are very interesting sleuthing sites for naturalists. I transplanted groups of rhizomes from a large patch to our camp area, and plants are presently in bloom in the yard. I hope they spread into large patches, similar to what Common Milkweed does.

Nelson Poirier, <nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com>,

Nature Moncton