NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 20, 2020 (Monday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Susan Richards photographed a very
brightly adorned CATERPILLAR in roadside grass near her Taylor Village home. It
turns out to be the larval stage of the TOADFLAX BROCADE MOTH which I assume
most of us are unfamiliar with. One of its host plants is Yellow Toadflax, aka
Butter and Eggs, which may account for its bright colouration to act as
camouflage. It was introduced into Canada in1962 in Ontario and has spread.
** When Bill and Marguerite Winsor were
in Bouctouche on July 16th they saw 6 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS
[Bécassin roux] still with breeding plumage remnants. A photo is attached
showing 5 of them. She also got a photo of a large LION’S MANE JELLYFISH on the
beach in Saint-Edouard with lots of smaller ones lying about the beach.
On July 08th they were lucky
to see the rare GREY HERON that is visiting the Miner’s Marsh area near
Kentville, N.S. This was quite a thrill for them to see this life bird that has
been in that area for some time but is sometimes difficult to locate. Note how
it lacks the burgundy patch on the thigh that the Great Blue Heron has.
** Georges Brun got a photo of a HERRING
GULL [Goéland argenté] recently in the Petitcodiac River near Hall’s Creek that
has a critter of some type protruding from its neck. It does not seem to be
bothering the gull. There is a remnant of black on the tail in one photo to
suggest a not fully mature yet bird. Georges’ photos have been reviewed by some
very experienced wildlife pathologists at the Atlantic Veterinary College and
they have no idea what the protruding critter is. More will be reviewing it so
more comments may come to solve the mystery critter. If anyone has any thoughts
on what this may be those comments would be very welcome. There appears to be
granulation tissue around the hole opening to suggest that it has been there
for a while. Very strange indeed!
Georges also got another seal photo in
the Petitcodiac River out from Chateau Moncton. This one appears to be a HARBOUR
SEAL [Phoque commun]. Laurie Murison viewed the photo and commented that the
nostril shape and slight depression in the rostrum makes it most likely to be a
young Harbour Seal.
** Gordon Rattray shares some of the
botany observations from Nature Moncton’s Saturday visit to the White Birch
Estates Ducks Unlimited Impoundment to include BLADDERWORT, whose roots are
submerged underwater, SHEEP LAUREL with filaments ready to snap over a visiting
insect to shed its pollen, CALOPOGON aka GRASS PINK ORCHID with the upright
floral lip to identify it, MARSH CINQUEFOIL that spreads via rhizomes, a fading
ROSE POGONIA aka SNAKE MOUTH ORCHID, WATER ARUM both in bloom and gone to seed,
blooming WATER SHIELD, YELLOW RATTLE, and WHITE-FRINGED ORCHID.
** Daryl Doucet photographed a road
killed BOBCAT [Lynx roux] on the Shediac Rd. that he felt was an adult male. It
is unusual to find the stealthy Bobcat as a road kill. Daryl comments that he
can count on one hand the number of road killed Bobcats that he has seen or
heard about in his 59 years. Note the black tip on the tail on the top only, a
Lynx tail tip would be black over and under.
** Aldo Dorio has noted the large,
single ASPARAGUS plant at Hay Island has now developed green berries that will
later end up red. He photographed an AMERICAN WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique] family
at Tabusintac as well as a NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet]. The Shoveler is
showing just a bit of the blue patch that we see in front of the green speculum
in flight.
** Brian Stone visited the Gorge Rd.
Milkweed patches on Sunday with visions of Monarchs dancing in his head but he
had to make do with a GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY [Argynne cybéle], a
WHITE ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY [Amiral], and a MOURNING CLOAK BUTTERFLY [Morio] at
that spot. After an hour waiting with no other reward he drove to the New
Scotland Rd. area to search for nature's gifts there and a real gift was given
to a lucky SMOOTH GREEN SNAKE [Couleuvre verte] at that spot. As Brian's car
pulled over to the side of the road to park it passed safely over the snake and
Brian found it still happily sunning itself on the road just behind his car. It
was picked up and examined for injury but happily it was unharmed and seemed
relaxed and content to be held for photos.
Brian briefly investigated a small bog
area at that spot and found little of interest only to find on his way out that
all the BOG COPPER BUTTERFLIES [Cuivré des tourbières] were out along the side
of the road enjoying the tall White Sweet Clover plants lining the roadside.
** An AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique]
fledgling that appears to have just fledged arrived to a deck chair in our yard
on Sunday morning looking like it was not able to fly as yet. It patiently
remained on the chair as its parents brought food to it every several minutes.
It looks like there is a lot of finishing off to happen to its plumage which
will no doubt happen very quickly.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
