NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October
25, 2020 (Sunday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Louise Richard got a quick video of
a cow MOOSE
[Orignal] and a
young-of-the-year with it. The young one
is already a good size, but still staying near mamma. They saw this pair on Rte. 126 and made it a
double whammy seeing a BLACK BEAR [Ours noir] cross the highway on the same day. The noise in the background is Fricot, their
miniature poodle, quite excited about the action. Take a look at the action at the link below.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/94cnstr2k88abk6/Moose%20Video.mov?dl=0
Louise also noted a very colourful
plant near a cabin. Gart Bishop is
confident it is a garden escapee, CYPRESS SPURGE, that takes on this striking
colour in the fall. It is again Fricot
in costume competing with the colour show!
** It’s prime time for SHAGGY MANE
MUSHROOMS [Coprin chevelu] at the moment, especially as weather is holding
moderate. These are an excellent edible
when properly prepared and can be dried if done when fresh. They usually appear in groups of sometimes
many individuals, usually in rich soil of lawns or fertile fields. John Massey really enjoys this mushroom and
sends a photo of a large one he was particularly taken with among the group. Lynda Leclerc also comments that she recently
spotted Shaggy Manes happily appearing on a lawn in their subdivision off
Shediac Rd.
**Mac Wilmot recently came across a
clump of Fly Agaric mushrooms. They usually do not grow in a clump like this
but can grow as a grouping. Mac’s photo nicely shows the typical top of the cap
that makes it easy to identify with that ‘candy apple with dandruff’ look. It
is usually yellow but can sometimes be red. This mushroom is not an edible as
it contains muscarine which can cause ‘bad trips’ but is not deadly. It is as
common on lawns as it is in the woods.
** Susan Linkletter is noting larvae
seemingly liking to be on her parsley.
BugGuide has confidently identified this as the larvae of the SYRPHID
FLY, aka Flower Fly; aka Hover Fly.
There are several different species and we often see them earlier in the
season. Some are surprisingly colourful,
or even wasp mimics. The adult fly feeds
on nectar at the blooming flowers. The
larval form that Susan is noting normally feed on aphids, thus in the majority
of cases are actually beneficial. They do
not feed on the foliage as many other larval forms of insects do.
Aldo Dorio spotted two adult BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à
tête blanche] sharing a
dead fish they found at Hay Island on Saturday.
They rather look like they’re not about to share.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
