NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, August 16, 2021 (Monday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by Fred Richards fredrichards@rogers.com
Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
**Tomorrow
night’s Tuesday Nature Moncton outing is at the end of this edition, up front
tomorrow.
**Suzanne
Rousseau from Sussex sends some great action photos of some MONARCH
BUTTERFLY action she has had in her gazebo she is using to raise, protect
and release Monarch butterflies.
Suzanne’s photo series shows a chrysalis with an adult inside ready to
emerge (flag in a bag!), a photo of an adult just emerged, a photo of one
emerged a little longer and a beautiful adult female ready for release. Suzanne
has released 12 adult Monarch butterflies and still has eight chrysalids and
two adult caterpillars in progress. A
major success for Suzanne which must be very rewarding!
**Jane
Leblanc got a lucky photo of a WANDERING GLIDER DRAGON FLY in flight
which it virtually always is. This
species is almost constantly in flight, conserving flight energy with its long
wings, similar to the behavior of the Turkey Vulture.
Jane also got a nice photo of a BELTED
KINGFISHER she suspected to be a young-of-the-year bird as she was able to
approach it quite closely. There were 3
in the vicinity to suggest a family.
**Debbie
Batog’s daughter found a SPRING PEEPER day perched on her window. The
sucker feet on this species allow it to attach easily to upright smooth
surfaces. This specimen appears to be very light in colour but has the ability
to vary its colour according on its surroundings.
**Leon
Gagnon sends some photos of what he is noting on Miscou Island. Several groups
of CANADA GEESE have been flying over Miscou since the beginning of
August some travelling 50 km per hour aside him driving his car. For the
past week 20 CEDAR WAXWINGS have been circulating in his Wilson Point
neighborhood. Many feed on insects found in the grass of lawns and meadows.
Erosion has destroyed several cliff banks.
BANK SWALLOW colonies have occupied them. On July 24, several Bank Swallows were
circulating in the vicinity of a cliff near his Wilson Point summer home.
**Aldo
Dorio got a photo of a 1st year BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT- HERON at Hay Island
on Sunday. This would probably be a bird
starting its southerly migration from the established Inkerman rookery. An OSPREY and a Bald EAGLE also
kept an eye on things.
Aldo
also had a visit from a young of the year CHIPPING SPARROW to his Negauc
yard. Note the breast streaking still
present on the immature plumage. Thanks
to Gilles Belliveau for confirming the stages of some of these birds.
Aldo also photographed to two SHORT-TAILED
SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLIES on Sunday.
One at Hay Island and one at Malpec.
They look to be the same with damaged left tail but were at two
different locations. Note the shorter
tail with adjoining yellow spot same length as the tail, and lack of extra
yellow spot in the central band spotting to distinguish it from a BLACK
SWALLOWTAIL.
Aldo
also photographed a BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER at Hay Island on Tuesday
morning still showing breeding plumage remnants.
**Brian
Stone went to the Hillsborough Wetlands park on Saturday, in the wonderfully
intense heat, and arrived just as the resident GREAT EGRET circled in
for a landing in the pond. The egret circled the pond several times and gave
Brian many flight poses to photograph. It did not stay long though and flew off
to new areas after just a few minutes foraging. Maybe all the food was hiding
from the heat. (Editor’s note: This may be part of the same duo Gordon Rattray
photographed recently on Gray Brook marsh) Note the very expanded crop area in some photos to suggest a sizable meal. Brian has a few more images to share
from that outing that will be sent for the next edition.
**The
first ad has been placed in the BUY AND SELL slot of the Nature Moncton
Website. Karen McDermott would like to
purchase a used birding scope. If you
have one to part with contact Karen at kemcd@outlook.com.
**Nature Moncton's tomorrow night's outing is below:
Sackville Waterfowl Park
Tuesday August 17th
This week’s walk will explore the Sackville Waterfowl
Park, a favourite spot that most are familiar with. Louise Nichols will lead this walk around the
trails and boardwalks, looking for songbirds, waterfowl, plants and
insects. If we have time, we may drive
to the other side of the highway and take a walk around the extension to the
Sackville Waterfowl Park, known as the Tantramar Wetlands, behind the Tantramar
High School.
Meet in the parking lot at the end of Mallard Drive, Sackville, beside the Tourism Centre at 6:15 for departure at 6:30.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
