NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, September 20, 2021 (Monday)
To respond by email, please address your message to
the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording
or photo labelling.
For more information on Nature Moncton, check the
website at www.naturemoncton.com
Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by Susan Richards susan_richards@rogers.com
Info Line #: 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
**The
sea stack off Pokeshaw Park near Grande-Anse is very heavily used by nesting
birds. Frank Branch photographed a PEREGRINE
FALCON with the site all to itself, with the many birds that roost there
all off to a safer spot. The sea stack
seems to be eroding in Frank’s photo which would be expected off sea stacks as
that is how they formed in the first place being eroded from land contact. A great
photo of the falcon and the sea stack. A very recommended NB site to visit.
**Georges
Brun got photos of LESSER BACKED BLACK GULLS on a visit to the tidal
flats on the north-west side of the newly minted bridge replacing the
Petitcodiac River causeway. It is
interesting how we see this gull species in groups in spring and fall. I don’t think their actual flight pattern is
worked out yet.
Georges
also got an excellent photo of a KILLDEER in the same area. One photo shows the reddish-orange rump that
we usually see only in flight.
** On Sunday, Brian Coyle came
across a patch of SHAGGY PARASOL MUSHROOMS (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) very near his Lower Mountain
Road home in abundance. He estimated at least 200 specimens. Last year, almost
to the day, he had noticed that they were up and planned on coming back in a
couple of days to harvest some. There was a Black Bear mom with triplets using
the area as a home base that Brian had caught on a trail camera the week
before. This hungry family beat him to it. There wasn’t a single mushroom left
when he arrived two days later. But there were plenty of bear droppings that
were grey in colour without any seeds adjacent to the mushroom patch, which
gave away the culprits.
Upon
slicing these mushrooms, the edges instantly turn a saffron yellow and then to
a red colour which is a great ID feature, and a white spore print is a second
important ID feature.
The
general appearance of this mushroom is notable as well which Brian captured
beautifully showing some just emerged and not opened yet and others opened
showing the prominent partial veil.
Brian
also got a photo of the rapid colour change when cut to saffron yellow which
then turns a reddish colour. It also has a pungent odour. This mushroom is
praised as an edible but some reports mention possible gastric upsets which may be due
to confusing it with the similar Green-spored Lepiota (Chlorophyllum
molybdites) that grows to the south of us (at the moment). The white spore
print Brian took immediately eliminates that inedible species.
We seldom
get such great photographic detail of a mushroom species to provide confident
identification.
Jamie
Burris found this species several years ago and brought earth around that patch
(containing the mycelium) to his Riverview yard, placing it under a conifer
tree. In some years, a nice crop appears, and Jamie and Karen have attested to
its haute cuisine.
This is
not a commonly found species so definitely one to record for future years
collection if found.
**Jane
and Ed Leblanc were walking the St. Martin’s beach on Sunday morning to count
12 SANDPIPERS, 6 of which were SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS, 2
SANDERLINGS and the rest uncertain.
Jane got a great photo of a juvenile SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER showing
the solid dark bill and legs less bright than the adult.
Jane
also got a nice photo of a SANDERLING and a LEAST SANDPIPER (both
juvenile side by side that shows the size differential of these two
species). A duo of SAVANNAH SPARROWS
was enjoying the fresh water running into the bay.
**Donna
Thomas at telephone number 372-9266 has had a WHITE PIGEON arrive
to their yard with a leg band. It is
very tame so assuming it is domesticated and belongs to someone.
**Bis
Marsh in Dieppe accessed by Louis Street in Dieppe to the Riverfront Trail and
then going right on the trail to a woods path to the marsh has become a
shorebird/waterfowl checkpoint. Elaine
Gallant photographed a PECTORAL SANDPIPER there on September 15th.
**Aldo
Dorio photographed a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW which appears to be a
young-of-the-year bird still showing some breast streaking remnants of the
juvenile.
**Our
several PUFFBALL species are non-toxic except for the PIGSKIN POISON
PUFFBALL. It is easily distinguished
from the others by its thick brown warty skin and almost always dark grey to
black when cut fresh in cross-section as a photograph shows.
**After
some heavy rains created high water levels in the Little Southwest Miramichi
River by our camp a new object appeared just showing a tip as it emerged from
the water. However now, several days
later with water level receding it has revealed itself as an aquatic monster with large mouth open ready for lunch. Yeah, it was really a large log
that the flood state brought down river to make for a good tale!
**Another
heads-up to slot-off Saturday October 2nd to participate in a Nature
Moncton field trip visit to the unique Sussex bluff with its stunning panoramic
view of the valley below in fall as well as being calcitic with a special plant community.
We
are very lucky to have Gart Bishop to lead the group. The write-up for the event is posted below.
NATURE
MONCTON FIELD TRIP TO SUSSEX BLUFF
OCTOBER
2, 2021 (Saturday) DEPARTING 1:00 PM
LEADER:
GART BISHOP
On October
2, enjoy an early fall walk through mixed forest and hemlock stands out to
Sussex’s ‘Big Bluff’. The somewhat hilly
trail, while well-established is full of roots, and in places is narrow along
rocky ridges. Round trip it is about 4
km. There are many treats in store such
as Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi),
Rock Spike-moss (Selaginella rupestris), and Douglas’
Knotweed (Polygonum douglasii), newly discovered by Jim
Goltz in 2018 during a Botany Club outing.
Other plants we will see are Three-toothed Cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis
tridentata) and Prince’s Pine (Chimaphila umbellata). Plus, once at the Bluff, participants are
treated to a panoramic view of Trout Creek (see photo below) winding its way
through ‘Dutch Valley’. Walk will start
at 1 pm, and participants will meet at the Sussex Corner water tower as
indicated on the map below.
Take exit 198 off Hwy 1. Turn left onto Hwy 111, continue 350 m to
stop sign, turn left to follow Hwy 111 (also called St. Martins Road). Continue 1 km, turn right to follow Hwy 111
(now also called Post Rd). Continue 1.5
km then turn left onto Sullivan Dr.
which will change to Pugsley St after a sharp right turn. Continue a couple hundred meters then turn
left onto Rockridge Dr. Continue 900 meters and park by the water tower.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
