NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE for July 20, 2020 (Sunday)
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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)
** Bill and Marguerite
Winsor visited the beach at St-Edouard on Thursday and they found a lone COMMON
TERN [Sterne pierregarin] . It was very cooperative for photo-taking to refresh
us on how photogenic the Common Tern really is.
Saturday morning while
Marguerite was trimming her Lovage plant, she came across a Black Swallowtail
caterpillar. She was very surprised to find it on her Lovage plant, a first for
her. The Lovage plant is a herb that can be used to replace celery
and parsley in cooking. On July 14 she collected 8 Black Swallowtail
caterpillars from her patch of dill. It has been a while since she collected
some in early summer for a total of 9. A photo of this colourful larval
caterpillar is attached.
**The sky
cleared enough for me to get a good view of the comet NEOWISE Saturday evening.
It was very nice in binoculars with a long, misty tail. Both Yvette Richard (from
her Cocagne home) and Brian Stone (from Indian Mountain Road) captured it in photos.
Brian photographed the sunset while waiting for the sky to darken enough to see
the comet.
** The MONARCH
[Monarque] butterflies are trickling in. Jim Wilson had their first arrival, an
ovipositing female that arrived on Monday and Wednesday to be joined by a
second on Wednesday afternoon. There was some friction between the two, with
the original female trying to drive the new arrival off. That makes two females
competing to lay eggs in the Wilsons' Swamp Milkweed patch. Some very hot sunny
days coming up may provide lots of solar energy for butterflies.
** Penny and Ray Gauvin
were out cruising the back roads last Sunday, from the Cornhill Nurseries to
Portage Vale area, heading for Elgin Four Corners. Just before getting to the
four corners, about 3 miles, there is a bit of a valley. They noticed a few TURKEY
VULTURES [Urubu a tete rouge] in flight, so turned around and went back to find
approximately 13 flying around on the air currents. They stopped at a nearby
house and spoke to a lady who said that she had one in her yard that same week.
She also indicated that there were more on Gowland Mountain. Apparently, that
is where the Dept. of Natural Resources takes road kill to provide an
attraction to these recyclers.
** Yvette Richard
got some great photos of a family of RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule a
collier], as well as a family of GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d'hiver]. RUDDY
DUCKS [Erismature rousse ] also provided a nice show for Yvette. Apparently
photos were all taken at the Memramcook Arthur Street lagoon.
** John Hamer
visited the newly open ROBICHAUD wharf, east of Shediac about 5-6 km. It opened
last week. He spent several hours watching a pair of OSPREY [Balbuzard pecheur]
teaching their young ones to fish and very close up, perhaps 100 feet or so.
Also, there were 20+ GREAT BLUE HERONS [Grand Heron]. There is also a boat
launch there and many people will be glad to hear that this wharf
re-construction is finally completed.
** The weather
cooperated perfectly on Saturday for a great Nature Moncton field trip to the
White Birch Ducks Unlimited impoundment. A dozen pair of eyes missed little and
many photos will likely follow over the next few days. No Black Terns were
spotted as was hoped but there were surely lots of other great observations to
be had.
Shorebirds were moving
in, with numbers small, but this type of impoundment is not a shorebird magnet,
but drier conditions may make it more attractive. GREATER [Grand Chevalier] and
LESSER YELLOWLEGS [Petit Chevalier] were present, and an elusive WILSON'S SNIPE
[Becassine de WIlson] and a KILLDEER [Pluvier kildir].
The botanical side of
things caught the attention of many, with many plants in peak bloom. A large
portion of the impoundment was blanketed in water, and the water-plant
WATER-SHIELD [Brasenie de Schreber] was showing its red blooms that many of us
had not seen before. WATER ARUM [Calla des Maria's] put on a splendid display, BULLHEAD
LILY, BUR-REED [Rubanier], BLADDERWORT [utriculaire] and many others caught
attention.
One shrub of the
invasive plant, GLOSSY BUCKTHORN [Nerprun cathartique] was noted, showing
berries and flowers on the same branch that is characteristic of this plant.
The small bog was a
world of its own. FRINGED ORCHID [Habenaire lacera] was in peak bloom, as
well as CALOPOGON [Calopogon], a.k.a GRASS-PINK ORCHID. A few ROSE-POGONIA
[Pogonie langue-de-serpents] were found, but just past prime bloom. DWARF HUCKLEBERRY
[Gueueles] was in bloom, CRANBERRIES [Airelles], SUNDEW [Rossolis] were
shooting up their tall but tiny flowers, COTTON-GRASS [Linaigrette] and more.
The bird of the day
was an unconcerned COMMON NIGHTHAWK [Engoulevent d'Amerique], day-perched
horizontally on a branch near the pathway for an excellent observation. It was
only seen by one participant, Louise Nichols, who had to leave early and
spotted it on leaving. Louise alerted the group, but in moving forward to see
it, it only had eyes for Louise. She also saw a juvenile CANADA JAY [Mesangeai
du Canada], and an adult, near that site. Note the dark juvenile plumage of the
young-of-the-year bird. Several expected warbler species were seen and
heard.
What a great day, with
all appreciation to leaders Roger LeBlanc and Louise Nichols, who had scouted
everything out the day before.
Nature Moncton
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