Nature Moncton Nature News: April 27 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

April 26, 2022 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Louise Nichols visited the Jolicure area by the Jolicure Lakes on Lake Rd. on Wednesday morning. Many of the newly arrived migrants were in full song, including White-throated Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. (Editors note: note the clear undertail markings of this warbler in Louise’s photo. Sometimes it’s all we see when we are looking up at birds and that detail can help establish/eliminate ID considerations)

Hermit Thrush were not yet singing, but Louise could hear their raspy call. Louise also heard Brown Creeper and Purple Finch among other regulars. She saw a cocoon on a branch that measured about 3/4 of an inch which she was hoping Nelson would be familiar with and able to identify. (Editors note: Nelson not sure and haven’t heard from experts yet. Comments would be very appreciated) Walking toward Big Jolicure Lake, Louise passed a wet area where Spring Peepers were loudly vocalizing along with some Wood Frogs and Leopard Frogs. Hearing the frogs was much easier than spotting them!

On the way back home, Louise drove along Parson Rd. to Hwy 16 where she saw just one Sandhill Crane. There have been as many as 4 present on other days.

**A few more examples on the road to becoming familiar with a few more lichens from photos taken on Nature Moncton visit to White Rock Recreation Area:

-Fructose (shrubby) Ramalina Lichen growing luxuriously on a tree branch. This is a common species and I would suggest to just refer to it as Ramalina as the species in this genus all look similar

- Peltigera lichen. I would suggest we just get to know this this genus is the Pelt Lichens. The different genera look similar and normally grow on the forest floor over musty boulders, or on tree bases.

- “Two species of Lungwort. The main lichen shown is Lobaria quercizans (Smooth Lungwort) and in the lower and upper right corner of the photo (arrows) is a bit of Lobaria pulmonaria (Lungwort). The arrangement of hollows and ridges in Lobaria pulmonaria are said to be reminiscent of lung tissue, and both species are sensitive to air pollution. Both of these contain two different kinds of “algae” – a green alga and smaller amounts of a “blue-green algae” which is actually cyanobacteria. Generally speaking, lichens with cyanobacteria (called “cyanolichens”) are sensitive to pollution and often to other habitat disruptions as well." (Editors note: as Kendra Driscoll notes, the underside of lungwort looks like lung tissue. Many years ago, when the Doctrine of Signatures was used in medicine, lungwort was used to treat maladies of the lung as it was then believed plants/lichens that looked like a particular organ or tissue were meant to be used in treatment of those organs)