NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 14, 2021 (Wednesday)
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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)
** All thanks to Lynda Leclerc for
leading another successful Tuesday evening Nature Moncton outing to the
Humphrey Brook Trail. Lots of eyes saw
lots of things. An EASTERN KINGBIRD
greeted us at the entrance that Maureen Girvan captured on a photo. Maureen also got a photo of a YELLOW-BELLIED
SAPSUCKER enjoying its sapholes on an alder, a photo of the ALDER TONGUE
GALL (Taphrina alni), aka Alder Cone Gall Fungus that causes a
chemically-induced distortion of female alder cones. This is a fungus. Fred Richards also got a nice photo of this
gall fungus as well as blooming VIRGIN’S BOWER.
** Brian Stone spent the day editing
photos of recent days and shares many great photos for his effort. Brian paid a visit to Susan and Fred
Richards’ Taylor Village property on Sunday that hosts a diversity of Mother
Nature’s community. This included an EASTERN
BLUEBIRD pair, BALD EAGLES, TURKEY VULTURES, lots of
butterflies, many CANADA GEESE gathering on the Memramcook River
shoreline, a diversity of plants, dragonflies and a sedentary frog (that is
undoubtedly new science!). The Richards’
property is a very nature-friendly site and will be one of the regular Tuesday
night outings over the summer.
** Brian did a walk behind Crandall
University and came across a NORTHERN CRESCENT BUTTERFLY fighting for
its life from a CRAB SPIDER attack on a daisy. It was a mighty battle, but the butterfly
managed to get away with some damage to its wings from the scuffle. It looks quite badly damaged from the
photos. Brian also got a beautiful photo
of a STRIPED HAIRSTREAK BUTTERFLY.
This is a hard butterfly to find and its unique markings show
perfectly. It is seemingly a very fresh
specimen, right to the undamaged tails which seem to be the first to get nipped
off, just behind the false eyes.
He also got a PAPER WASP. These are relatively non-aggressive wasps
that build the open-celled umbrella-shaped nests. A CEDAR WAXWING caught the camera
lens, showing the yellow blush on the belly and the ‘waxy’ red wing
markings. Brian also got a plant with a
heavy APHID infestation, and I suspect it would be great fodder for lady
beetles; a CLOUDED SULPHUR BUTTERFLY showing the two rings on the hind
wing and the faint three spots; a COMMON RINGLET BUTTERFLY; the plant FIREWEED that is at its peak
bloom at the moment; a patch of COMMON MILKWEED that looks very inviting
to Monarch Butterflies; the fruiting berries of ALTERNATE LEAF DOGWOOD; PURPLE
LOOSESTRIFE in bloom; a striking photo of the often day-flying VIRGINIA
CTENUCHA MOTH showing its blue inflorescence and orange head area; a
QUEEN ANNE’S LACE umbel in bloom with the one central purple bloom that
folklore says Queen Anne pricked her finger when knitting lace, but suspect its
really meant to attract pollinators to the centre of the plant; blooming MEADOWSWEET;
one of the very cryptic grasshoppers we tend to start seeing at the moment; a
perfectly positioned male EBONY JEWELWING DAMSELFLY; a domestic HONEY
BEE on milkweed blooms; a NORTHERN AZURE butterfly; a female TWELVE-SPOTTED
SKIMMER DRAGONFLY; and a posing WHITE-THROATED SPARROW to top off
the series.
Thank you Brian for sharing his nature
photographic efforts.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
