NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 18, 2021 (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)
** Gordon Rattray used Saturday’s
sunshine on a drive through Hillsborough to photograph some of the roadside
botany in progress. There is so much to
appreciate when we take a moment to look.
Gordon got BLACK-EYED SUSAN in full bloom, EVENING PRIMROSE
in full bloom, CLINTONIA that is just starting to show some of its blue
berries, FALSE SOLOMON’S SEAL with berries yet to become mature red, a ROSE-TWISTED
STALK with some mature red berries, and the plant MONEYWORT which we
don’t very often get to see. A male YELLOW
WARBLER was there with its thick reddish breast streaking. A CHIPPING SPARROW and a SAVANNAH
SPARROW joined the show.
** A heads up to this Tuesday night’s
Nature Moncton outing: It will be to
Mapleton Park Trail and led by Andrew Darcy.
Andrew will be sending out a write-up with meeting site shortly.
** Brian Stone joined Louise Nichols and Wendy
Sullivan on a walk in Baie Verte on Friday, July 16, along the Siddall Rd.
trail. It was quite warm and humid but a very nice walk in spite of the
temperature. Several fritillary butterflies were continually active along the
trail but only one GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY was kind enough
to land for a photo. Some NORTHERN AZURE BUTTERFLIES were more
accommodating and posed for the camera including one that was ovipositing. The NORTHERN
PEARLY-EYE BUTTERFLIES split the difference and tried to camouflage
themselves on tree trunks and branches but were easy subjects once located. A
worn and damaged RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY was the only one of its kind seen
that day.
Newly minted MEADOWHAWK
DRAGONFLIES were abundant all along the length of the road and trail and
one pair of BELTED WHITEFACE DRAGONFLIES were noted in a mating wheel.
Darner dragonflies were cruising the airspace above the trail but seemed to
have enough gas to stay airborne and out of camera reach. LONGHORN
FLOWER BEETLES and VIRGINIA CTENUTCHA MOTHS were active on the
plentiful WHITE MEADOWSWEET flowers and other blooms lining the way. One
LEAST SKIPPER BUTTERFLY managed to get photographed while many other
possible varieties avoided that fate.
An AMERICAN ROBIN nest was
noted to have one chick present in it but was left un-photographed to make the
parent happy. Near the end of the trail an OSPREY nest was so close to
the trail that the parent Ospreys were agitated at our presence and put on a
aggressive aerial display designed to hasten us along the trail. After some
quick close-up photography, that is what we did. One was noted carrying a fish
back from a successful hunting trip.
BUNCHBERRY and COMMON HEMP-NETTLE
were identified by phone along with many others that were searched for. The
Merlin Bird ID sound app was used successfully at several spots to list the
birds heard singing there.
A second stop at the Port Elgin
lagoon produced photos of one of the many CEDAR WAXWINGS hawking insects
there and a female BELTED KINGFISHER plus a distant SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
Back at Louise Nichol's property Brian photographed more GREAT SPANGLED
FRITILLARY BUTTERFLIES plus an ATLANTIS FRITILLARY BUTTERFLY and saw
several more NORTHERN PEARLY-EYE BUTTERFLIES. He noted a BUMBLEBEE
digging in the ground under a root, some PIXIE CUP LICHEN, BRITISH
SOLDIER LICHEN, and many mushrooms. In Louise's bog area he photographed GRASS
PINK ORCHIDS (CALOPOGON), a PLUME MOTH, some INDIAN PIPE, and
a very distant WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL perched on a treetop. He also
found a small white bird's egg on the soft needle covered path that he was not
sure of its origin.
At home, the next morning Brian
took pictures of some of the 12 plus immature AMERICAN ROBIN fledglings
foraging on his back lawn.
** We have several IRONWOOD (Ostrya
virginiana) trees near our Miramichi camp, and the female seed clusters and
seed enclosed in a cluster of hanging inflated sacs. The cluster of sacs look like hops grown for
brewing purposes that led to its other common name of “Hop Hornbeam,” where
“hornbeam” refers to its historical use of making the yokes for harnessing
oxen. The wood is extremely hard. Kelly Honeyman explained to us on a recent
field trip that this tree was considered a scrap tree and left unharvested as
cutting it was very damaging to saws due to its density. Kelly also pointed out that it is an
indicator species and to look for different or rare plants in the
vicinity. The bark is quite distinctive being
very shaggy, similar to White Cedar, but the leaves are so different they
wouldn’t be confused. Trees in Canada
by Farrar states there are several species in the genus Ostrya, but only
one of them, Ironwood, is native to Canada.
** We have lost most of our large
majestic ELM TREES to Dutch Elm Disease, but elms still proliferate, but
they get to only 6 to 8 feet tall before they are stricken with the
disease. There are lots of elms
shrub-sized and I noted the similarity between the Elm leaf and the Ironwood. A look at the underside quickly distinguishes
them. Elm has a very offset insertion of
each half of the leaf which Ironwood does not.
As well, Ironwood would have usually 12 veins whereas elm has noticeably
more than 12. Probably more than anyone
wants to know about these trees, but I could not resist!
**I have been made aware that Chrome
opens the Special Botany Edition on Chance Harbour recently sent out more completely
than Microsoft Edge.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
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