NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, July 25, 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)
** Gabriel Gallant sends a report from
his Ste-Marie-de-Kent yard and field. He
spent a couple of hours to search for butterflies in a patch of recently
blossomed Spreading Dogbane. Butterflies
were low in number, but Gabriel still managed to get some photos of a few
uncommon species, including an ACADIAN HAIRSTREAK. There were at least a half a dozen APHRODITE
FRITILLARIES, and a smaller fritillary was a MEADOW FRITILLARY. We sure do not often see the Acadian
Hairstreak Butterfly. The blue spot (arrowed)
is a quick clue if a hairstreak is suspected, as well as the black wing spots ringed
with white. The Aphrodite Fritillary is
easily confused with the Great-spangled Fritillary at first but note the deep
orange basal area (arrowed) and the thin tawny band compared to the same band,
much thicker, in the Great-spangled Fritillary Butterfly. The orange band in the forewing margin is
always there in the Aphrodite Fritillary.
Both have brown eyes. As male and female have subtle differences in
both, identification is again challenged. Am looking forward to the arrival of
Rick Cavasin’s newly minted guide which suspect could be helpful.
A Meadow Fritillary is smaller than the latter
two mentioned, at mid-size, and all the black spotting is round in the two rows
of marginal spots.
** Aldo Dorio photographed an AMERICAN
KESTREL in Neguac on Saturday on a branch with a small bird prey. It was on its way to a nest it had built in a
building that had a section of soffit missing as its cavity entrance hole. Seems like an unusual nesting site for a
kestrel, but obviously it’s worked as it appears to be taking food to
nestlings.
**This week’s
Tuesday Nature Moncton outing will be walking at Johnsons Mills. Meet at
the Interpretative Center parking lot at 6:30 PM. We will look for birds
at the center and then take a walk along the road or drive to the other viewing
site to see what we can see. The tide will be on the way out so it might
be a good idea to come early to see the sandpipers. Leader will be Fred
Richards.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
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