NATURE
MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE, Oct. 16, 2021 (Saturday)
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Edited by:
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
**The
comment on yesterday’s edition about surprise berry/fruit bird connoisseurs
reminded Richard Blacquiere of the Pileated Woodpecker he saw enjoying Mountain
Ash berries on October 2 which was a surprise to him as he was not aware fruit
was part of their diet. Richard did some literature sleuthing to find berries
can be a significant part of the Pileated Woodpecker diet in fall and winter.
I have had them enjoy peanut butter and suet blends but never had them to the grapevine or mountain ash berries put out in the winter.
**Anita
Cannon found an insect that caught her attention walking across a lawn chair at
their Irishtown home earlier this week. It appears to be one of our many
species of Ichneumon Wasps, most of which don’t have a common name.
Their larger size and markings often attract attention as the one the Cannons
noted does with the eye-catching markings. This species having the noticeable
white patches on the long antennae, white leg bands, and white thoracic spot.
The Ichneumon Wasps vary in their markings, but the long abdomens and long
antennae are suggestive clues to ID. They are nonaggressive to humans but
forage on other insects and non-insect arthropods.
Am
attaching a photo of one I took several years ago similar to the one Anita took
note of.
**Aldo
Dorio reports the Horned Lark numbers at Hay Island are slowly swelling
noting a group of 10 there on Friday. Aldo also got a photo of the Dunlin
going into winter plumage again, this time a side view that nicely shows
the bill decurved at the tip and the short black primary wing projection.
**It’s the
time when most caterpillars will be thinking about winter plans. Fred and Sue
Richards came across the striking Bedstraw Hawk-moth caterpillar a.k.a. Gallium
Sphinx Moth caterpillar on a bit of earth very likely planning to pupate to
a cocoon for the winter. Hopefully it will wait one day until Fred and Sue drop
it off to go into an aquarium with some earth bottom in pupate being held in a
cold area for the winter to see the very beautiful adult moth emerge in the
spring. If the caterpillar has not been parasitized, that will indeed happen
and hopefully photos to follow it through before release.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
