Nature Moncton Nature News: July 13 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, JULY 13,2020 (MONDAY)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

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

** A lot of us are wondering where the Monarch Butterflies are. On checking with Jim Wilson, he advised after checking his records that the first female Monarch Butterfly arrived to his Swamp Milkweed on July 20 in 2019 although a few other sightings had been reported. Jim comments there seemed to be a movement of Monarch butterflies into New Brunswick from July 10 to July 20, 2019 and suspects we are right on the cusp of repeating that this year.

Thanks for reminding those of us who did not keep records that we may be being a bit impatient and worry not!

**As another encouraging note Rheal Vienneau caught his first female Monarch Butterfly Saturday for collecting eggs and rearing caterpillars.This is only the fourth Monarch Butterfly that Rheal has seen this year, two on July 2 and two Saturday.

Rheal is of the view that 2019 was really a banner year for Monarch Buterflies in our region; they came early and in large numbers. The predictions for 2020 was for many less. So folks should lower their expectations for seeing a lot of them this year. But who knows what the future years will look like.

**Yvette Richard shares a photo she took in June of a female Hooded Merganser with her brood at a local golf course pond in Cocagne.
Yvette also photographed a Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly which are flying at the moment as well as a White-ribboned Carpet Moth day perching.

**Elaine Gallant was walking through the parking lot at Parlee Beach aside the toll booth on Sunday and was surprised to see a Peregrine Falcon feasting on a gull in the middle of the parking lot.
On Saturday, Elaine paid a visit to the old ferry terminal at Tormentine and noted what appears to be a Common Tern colony on the wharf remnants. She noted chicks and adults intermingling.

**A native Common Elder shrub appeared in Lois Budd’s yard. She has let it grow into a striking blooming bush as we are seeing in the wild at the moment. Lois comments the bees are very much enjoying visiting the abundant flowers. They will develop purple black berries by fall and some folks use them in jams and winemaking. The Red-berried Elder is already forming berries but is not edible.

**With all the young of the year Common Grackles fledged, one has to remember the juvenile birds have not developed the yellow iris as yet and the tail not as we see in adults. Aldo Dorio got a photo of just that on Sunday to remind us.
**Brian Stone was back to his favourite milkweed patch on Sunday and one very pleasant surprise was a Striped Hairstreak butterfly, always a great catch. An Atlantis Butterfly joined in. Brian also photographed the plants St. John’s Wort and Birdsfoot Trefoil as a patch and close-up.

**We have several Sphinx moth species in New Brunswick and many of them have already had their photos in past additions.
The less colourful medium to large Canadian Sphinx Moth visited my moth light. It has similarities to some other grey sphinx moths and identifying it may take second looks.

**I find separating some Comma Butterflies can be a challenge. I seem to find predominantly Green Commas but Sunday gave the opportunity to come across an Eastern Comma.
The Maritimes Butterfly Atlas points out the summer Eastern Comma can have very dark hind wings which this specimen has and some yellow spotting on the hind wing pointed out by the arrows.
Jim Edsall gave confirmation of the species.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton