NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, June 30, 2021 (Wednesday)
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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)
** A big thank you to Gordon Rattray
for leading the Nature Moncton Tuesday night hike to the Riverview Marsh Trail.
As usual many eyes saw and heard lots of things of interest. There will be many
photos coming in over the next few days as tired participants process and share
them. Some highlights were lots of plant identifications, NELSON’S SPARROWS
were heard by all and one persistent participant got a beautiful photo that
will be coming out, at least 4 MONARCH BUTTERFLIES were seen around small
MILKWEED patches, and 1 BRONZE COPPER BUTTEEFLY was observed and photographed,
plus lots more.
Brian Stone was able to get sole BRONZE
COPPER and one of several MONARCH BUTTERFIES in for today and Susan Richards
sent in a few photos of participants.(these added to end of photo line-up as
just came in)
**On Monday Gordon Rattray made a
scouting trip to the Riverview trail for the visit on Tuesday night. There was
lots of interesting vegetation including MILKWEED. A NELSON’S SPARROW was
singing but there was no visual. A lot of waterfowl were present. When he saw
the Milkweed he came up slow and there was a female MONARCH BUTTERFLY on a
leaf. She flew but stayed in the area both near and far from the plants. She
joined Gordon later and flew around several times to photograph her on the
wing. As Gordon is leading this Tuesday night outing he is sending some photos
ahead as will not have the opportunity for photos.
Other butterflies included HARRISE’S CHECKERSPOT, NORTHERN CRESCENT, and LONG DASH SKIPPER.
** Louise Nichols spent Tuesday morning
walking about the White Birch Impoundment near Sackville. She found it to be
quite lively with bird life despite the hot weather. There was evidence of TREE
SWALLOW occupation in several of the 7 Nature Moncton boxes installed there and
she suspected that they all have been taken as there were lots of swallows
around. She heard a MARSH WREN in the cattails and saw it briefly as it flew
from one cattail clump to another but it was not at all interested in having
its photo taken. A single BLACK TERN appeared and seemed quite unhappy with her
presence, giving evidence perhaps that there is a nest nearby but she did not
see any other terns or juvenile terns around.
Louise got a photo of the one tern that
was flying above her head vocalizing loudly. A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT WARBLER, a
KILLDEER, and a YELLOW WARBLER also caught the camera’s attention. Lots of
dragonflies were about, mainly DOT-TAILED WHITEFACE, BELTED WHITEFACE, and
CHALK-FRONTED CORPORAL
** Jane Leblanc got some great photos
of 2 different RED EFTS, the initial 2 to 3 year land phase of the EASTERN
NEWT. There are lots of them about but we just don’t see them very often. Jane
was definitely in the right place at the right time. Jane also had 3 MONARCH
BUTTERFLIES visit her St. Martins yard on Tuesday. One was a very pale looking
female ovipositing, another a male (note the 2 dark spots on the wing), and a
third fresher looking female also ovipositing.
** Aldo Dorio is starting to see a
buildup of shorebirds at Hay Island, noting GREATER YELLOWLEGS and SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHERS swelling in numbers each day. It does seem early and these could be
non-breeders or females starting to begin their southerly migration.
** For the last few days Leigh Eaton
has noted the presence of RING-NECKED PHEASANTS has dramatically increased
noting that he will see a couple of males visit his yard but Monday and Tuesday
the females have been bringing their young for the first time. On Monday there
were 5 or 6 but on Tuesday he counted 12 juveniles, all following the hen and
capable of moving very fast with extreme caution.
** Georges Brun notes that the
PEREGRINE FALCONS on Assumption Place are growing fast. He got a documentary
photo of one roosting on the bar of the nest box and the other just to the side
assuming it to be a day or so older than the other.
He also spotted a SAVANNAH SPARROW along the
edge of the Petitcodiac River with a beak full of delicious and nutritious
insects heading south to the Riverview Marsh.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
