NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, June
10, 2021 (Thursday)
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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)
** Jane Leblanc certainly had some very special visitors to her St. Martins yard on Wednesday. A female MONARCH BUTTERFLY [Monarque] arrived and immediately went to her young COMMON MILKWEED [Asclépiade commune] plants and started ovipositing. Note the deposited eggs in Jane's photo. It was a very special early event for June 9th. Jane’s previous records indicate arrival on July 20th to the 30th, more than a month later. Jane reports that her sister in Ontario also had a Monarch Butterfly visit her yard.
Also very special was a visit from a NESSUS SPHINX MOTH visiting Lilac blooms. The diagnostic white rear abdominal bands show beautifully.
Jane also came across a large grouping
of CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES [Papillon tigré du Canada] puddling
at the St. Martins harbour on Wednesday. Puddling is a behavior in which
butterflies will seek out nutrients on certain moist substrates such as rotting
plant material, feces, mud, carrion, etc. where they suck up the nutrients they
seek. I have seen this frequently with different species of butterflies
attracted to fish scale and offal. It can be quite a display of colour. I noted
a similar thing on Wednesday morning with approximately 40 Canadian Tiger
Swallowtail Butterflies flying about a landing area where fishermen come in
with fish.
** Following the reports made by Gordon
Rattray and Brian Stone earlier this week Yves and Suzette Poussart visited the
Hopewell Rocks looking to see and photograph the PEREGRINE
FALCONS [Faucon pèlerin] and the chicks. Upon arrival the 3 chicks were present
and moving around and vocalizing. Half an hour later one adult arrived bringing
some food which seemed to be much appreciated. On one of the numerous photos
taken it could be seen that the prey was a CEDAR WAXWING [Jaseur d'Amérique].
The adult falcon was clearly supervising the scene with great attention until
it left the site. Yves was able to get a rewarding set of photos showing the
chicks and one adult. Yves said that this visit had been a most interesting one
and he plans to follow this family during the rest of the summer.
** Leigh Eaton got a nice photo of an AMERICAN
ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] that shows white patches especially in the head area.
This is a form of albinism that some refer to as partial albino, which would be
my preference in this case, but some refer to as leucistic. There seems to be
no adverse effect to this genetic quirk, but every one is a unique individual
copy.
** On Tuesday Brian Stone went behind Crandall University to see if the Pink Lady's Slipper Orchids were fully in bloom. On his way to their location he got photos of a BLUISH SPRING MOTH hiding from the camera (Editor’s note: Take note of the Bluish Spring Moth, it can easily be mistaken for one of our Blue species of butterfly), a CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY [Papillon tigré du Canada], a couple COMMON RINGLET BUTTERFLIES [Satyre fauve], a DREAMY DUSKYWING BUTTERFLY [Hespérie givrée], and an EASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR.
While he was walking a METALLIC WOOD BORING BEETLE
flew into his shoulder with a noticeable impact. It immediately seemed to play
dead, maybe a survival adaptation.
He checked out the puddle on the
road/trail and it was half the size that it was the time he was there before.
The same tadpoles and beetle larvae were present and 3 salamander larvae were
actively swimming near the surface looking like their development was
progressing nicely. He may have to rescue them soon, but rain is scheduled to
occur in the next few days so hopefully that might come to the rescue.
In the woods the Lady's Slippers were
finally in their full pink bloom and he took photos. A RED-EYED VIREO [Viréo
aux yeux rouges] presented itself for a photo further along the trail and OVENBIRDS
[Paruline couronnée], ALDER FLYCATCHERS [Moucherolle des aulnes], and BLACK-THROATED
GREEN WARBLERS [Paruline à gorge noire] were heard frequently. A fledgling RAVEN
[Grand corbeau] was heard calling and being called by one or maybe more adults
in a loud cacophony of sound.
This area behind Crandall University
has treated Brian very well with a surprising diversity.
** The COMMON BLACKBERRY is a common
and attractive blooming berry and it is so humbling each spring to forget recognizing it
from photos, Gart Bishop to the memory rescue!
** Daryl Doucet was driving on Highway
15 on Wednesday and there was a dead male COMMON EIDER [Eider à duvet] on the
side of the road and coming back 2 hours later saw another dead male Common
Eider on the Trans Canada near the Shediac Rd. There was a large, brown duck
sitting on the road on the side of the highway which may have been an immature
male. It is that time of year when the male eiders enter their eclipse plumage
and become near flightless for a period and casualties are often noted. Daryl
also wondered about them mistaking the road for water and not easily being able
to take flight. Both factors are a rule out.
**I was feeling a bit left out with the
LUNA MOTH reports yet none had chosen to visit my less than elaborate moth
attractor set-up. That all changed on the regular morning check on Thursday
morning when 2 had arrived during the night. A bit surprising as it was a very
cool night after some very warm nights. One had a very heavy feathered antennae
to indicate a male and was in perfect fresh condition as it tried to peer into
a window (yeah, needing paint) while the female with much smaller antennae was
huddled into a warmer corner with a ROSY MAPLE MOTH. Note she is a bit more
tattered suggesting she has been out on her mating mission for a few/several
nights.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
