Nature Moncton Nature News: July 30 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 30, 2019 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** Chris Antle reports that there is a feeding frenzy of MONARCH BUTTERFLIES [Monarque] going on at her Maquapit Lake site. The poop (frass) left behind by the caterpillars as they get large is of surprising size as Chris’s photo shows. Chris also got a photo of a STREAM CRUISER DRAGONFLY in the same area as the caterpillars but it would not be problematic for her Monarch patrons.

** Jane Leblanc found some MONARCH BUTTERFLY [Monarque] caterpillars on her St. Martins milkweed patch. They were hardly big enough to see but the tiny lads were chewing their way through unopened and opened flower heads. Jane also had a LECONTE’S HAPLOA MOTH checking out her milkweed. This is a small to medium sized, fairly common moth on the wing at the moment along with its kin, the CONFUSED HAPLOA MOTH which looks similar.

What a year it is shaping up to be for Monarch Butterflies. Pam Watters is near Lake Huron, Ontario at the moment and comments she is seeing many Monarch Butterflies in the area. Many of these will all be destined to arrive in NB as they continue to circle their North American reproductive route.

Louise Nichols came across yet another bog inhabitant in full bloom in their Aulac property bog. The Cranberry plants were sporting their unique blooms. We have two cranberry species native to NB. Louise’s specimen appears to be the LARGE CRANBERRY which is actually the species of commerce.

** Kevin Balmer, John Goobie and Brian Stone visited Johnson’s Mills on Monday to see the large number of predominately SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS [Bécasseau semipalmé] that have arrived there. They did not give a numbers estimate, but judging from the photos the annual migration is in full swing. Brian comments that it was cold and foggy there on Monday in contrast to the heat wave elsewhere. Brian got a few videos of the action in the fog. Take a look at the attached links, but remember that conditions were foggy.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r5ylf69vvgv99va/Sandpipers%201.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wnq7ftjywsr10ai/Sandpipers%202.MOV?dl=0

They returned home via the Sackville Waterfowl Park where they saw a large string of AMERICAN WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique] ducks cruising about. They got some distant photos of some frolicking RIVER OTTERS [Loutre de rivière]. Many GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] and LESSER YELLOWLEGS [Petit Chevalier] were about. Note one photo that shows a Greater Yellowlegs and a Lesser Yellowlegs in a near perfect pose to see the different features to separate these two similar species. They saw a VIRGINIA RAIL [Râle de Virginie] and a young of the year YELLOW WARBLER [Paruline jaune] was still showing some down feathering. They also noted that the ALDER FLEA BEETLE larvae were really doing some serious skeletonizing of Alder leaves.

** I was surprised to see an adult, male LONG-TAILED DUCK [Harelde kakawi] in breeding plumage in the harbour at the Escuminac wharf on Monday. I guess only the duck knows why it was there in late July!

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton