NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, June 29, 2021 (Tuesday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by Susan Richards susan_richards@rogers.com
Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
**The regular Tuesday night Nature Moncton Outing is on for tonight with all details below:
Nature Moncton Tuesday evening hike, Tuesday, June 29, 2021. 6:30 PM
Tuesday’s walk will be from Point Park area of Riverview across the
marsh trail towards the Petitcodiac River. The walk will be about 3 Km in
distance on level groomed trails, easy walking.
Start is 6:30 PM so come early so we have time to do the Covid protocols
before we leave. The walkway is wide so separation will not be an issue.
Directions: On route 114 (Hillsborough Rd.) just
before the Petro-Canada station turn down Point Park Drive, go to end then turn
left on Avondale. At end of Avondale go right along Hawthorne Drive to
Hawthorne Park where there is parking.
**
The WHITE-SPOTTED SAWYER BEETLE is a common wood boring beetle in New Brunswick. Cynthia MacKenzie photographed some in her
Moncton yard and noted one to be carrying mites on the pronotum. These mites are not necessarily harmful to
the beetle but maybe hitch-hiking from one place to another, a mite tactic
called phoresis, to travel about.
Cynthia
also comments that they have had more SNOWSHOE HARE sightings in the
past 2 weeks than they have in the past 2 years; a good sign for this species.
**Lisa
Morris submitted a nice photo of a GOLDEN-ROD CRAB SPIDER on an Oxeye Daisy. These spiders prey on insects that come to
pollinate the flowers, but do so by attacking, not using a web. Lisa also
photographed a HAIRY FLOWER SCAREB BEETLE (Trichiotinus assimilis) on
another daisy.
**Margie
Scott-Rogers photographed a DRYAD’S SADDLE AKA PHEASANT BACK POLYPORE
MUSHROOM from two views growing on a dead deciduous tree as a shelf
mushroom. Note the angulated pores on
the underside view. This is a tough mushroom,
but guides point out tender growing edges are edible and can be pickled,
sauteed or fried. I have personally not
partaken.
**Yvette
Richard sends a few photos of her EASTERN BLUEBIRD occupied nest box in
Cocagne now with a family of nestlings showing their insatiable appetite and
keeping parents very busy. All the feeding activity seemed to start on Sunday
along with two TREE SWALLOW families that seemed to start the same
action as well.
**Eric
Wilson saw BLUE-HEADED VIREO above his backyard bird bath on Monday
afternoon. He sees them only 1-2 times per year so supposing he may be on an
outer edge of their traditional annual breeding habitat. Eric wonders if where his
house is now is where a Blue-headed Vireo nested in previous years.
Eric is also noticing his HERMIT
THRUSH calling into early evening. But at a point just before dusk they
stop singing and start moving and feeding, scooting along the ground, perching
on low branches near his daughter’s goalie net acting like a submarine turning
off its pinging sonar. They will feed and hunt bugs into the dark until he cannot
see them.
**Aldo
Dorio got a photo of a BROWN THRASHER at Malpec in Tabusintac on Monday
getting it from a few different angles. He saw it at the same location on
Tuesday morning to leave the possibility of a nesting pair. Aldo also got a
photo of a WILLET in flight when it goes from a drab perched bird to the
flash of broad white patches on the wing.
Aldo also photographed BUTTER AND EGGS AKA YELLOW TOADFLAX in
bloom.
**Andrew
Darcy and Brian Stone got more great photos from the Nature Moncton’s Saturday
field trip to Prosser Mountain to include, in bullet form below
· CHAGA MUSHROOM - which is very sought
after as a natural medicine. It tends to
look like burnt charcoal on the outside and is parasitic on birch, most
frequently YELLOW BIRCH but also WHITE BIRCH.
· COLLEMA LICHEN – an indicator species of rich soil
in tolerant hardwood forests.
· COMFRY – a roadside escapee used medicinally
· LONG-BRACT ORCHID, ROUND-LEAFED
ORCHID (ONE OF 3 SPECIES), SPOTTED CORAL ROOT, FALSE SOLOMON SEAL, RATTLESNAKE
FERN, RED BANEBERRY and
WHITE BANEBERRY all indicator
species.
· HEAL-ALL and HELLEBORINE ORCHID were photographed as
well but are not considered indicator species.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
