Editor & Proofreader

Editor: Nelson Poirier    Proofreader: Louise Nichols

Sunday, 26 December 2021

Dec 26 2021

NATURE MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE

 Dec 26, 2021 (Saturday)

 

 

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

 

 

 

**Ed and Jane LeBlanc went for a walk on the St. Martins beach Christmas morning, to walk off breakfast and make room for supper. They dressed for the brisk wind and low temperatures. Jane nearly stepped on a SNOW BUNTING before she saw it. It flew a short distance away and posed for great photos. Then a piece of plastic garbage flew by, startling both bird and photographer, bird flew and was not relocated.

 

**We have had a Pileated Woodpecker coming to our urban yard seemingly every day for the past 10 days. It seems like an unexpected habitat for the species and only a male is being seen coming. It fed on peanut butter once at the feeders and cleaning the winter grapes on the vine as well as insect gleaning a duo of Red Maple that were dying in our front yard. One of those trees has been removed but the City left an 8 foot stump which have seen other woodpeckers at, but not the big guy yet. It would appear to have the area as a territory but may be popping over from Centennial Park which is not that far away.

 

 

 

 

**Richard Perron shares a photo of a caterpillar he photographed on the Morrison Cove trail in Miramichi he photographed in September of 2019. Caterpillar season has passed but this is an interesting one to know for the future as it is common and problematic to humans if handled. It is the caterpillar (larval) stage of the American Dagger Moth. It is often confused with the tussock moth group.

The common adult American Dagger Moth is medium to large sized with dull grey markings. The sizable caterpillar at approximately 2 inches in length is completely covered in bright hairs (setae) that may be pale yellow or white. It is the long bunches of black bristles, like long eyelashes, that extend from the body in 4 bunches and extra long black bristle at the rear of the caterpillar that are problematic. These bristles can break off and embed themselves into skin when the caterpillars are handled and the toxins stored inside the hairs have a stinging sensation if touched and can leave a burning, itching sensation on the skin which can develop into a rash, which usually subsides on its own.

All this to leave the suggestion that this caterpillar not be picked up by curious naturalists!

 

 

 

Nelsonpoi willrier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

SNOW BUNTING. DEC. 25, 2021. JANE LEBLANC

PILEATED WOODPECKER. DEC 25,2021. NELSON POIRIER

AMERICAN DAGGER MOTH CATERPILLAR. SEPT 2019. RICHARD PERRON