Nature Moncton Nature News: May 31 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

May 31, 2022 (Tuesday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

** The same day Jane LeBlanc had her Monarch Butterfly, she also had an American Lady Butterfly, a nice early visitor as well for May 30.

**David Cannon often rescues salamanders from his yard swimming pool. David was able to photograph a Yellow-spotted Salamander aside a Red-backed Salamander to nicely demonstrate size and markings difference.

**Rheal Vienneau forwards an interesting comment from Monarch Watch which is quoted below:

“Greetings: The area occupied by overwintering monarchs was announced in Mexico City this morning. A commentary and link can be found on the Monarch Watch Blog along with a graphic that shows the numbers from 1994 to the present.

Briefly, 10 colonies were found and measured. The total area occupied was 2.84 hectares. The number represents an increase from the previous year (2.01hectares) of 35%. The area occupied at El Rosario, the site most commonly visited by tourists, had the largest colony, 1.2hectares.

Chip Taylor

Director,

Monarch Watch,”

** Gordon Rattray joined the Nature Moncton outing on Sunday to Baie Verte and like many others he captured some of the sightings. Gordon was happy to get a first ever look at a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and his first chance to photograph an Alder Flycatcher. Other birds that Gordon got pictures of were the Chestnut-sided Warbler, female Northern Parula Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo and an Osprey. Gordon also captured shots of a Dreamy Duskywing Butterfly, a Northern Azure Butterfly and a suspected capture of Dot-tailed Whiteface Dragonfly. Gordon also photographed a damselfly that may be a female Familiar Bluet. There were ferns emerged and Gordon collected what he feels is a New York Fern.

** Brian Stone sends a few more pictures from the Baie Verte field trip on Sunday. When approaching the Osprey nest the adult became aware and flew around close overhead to try and discourage any close approach so the field trip participants kept their distance and left after snapping a few photos. A Pileated Woodpecker was spotted along with male and female American Redstarts, male and female Black and White Warblers, male and female Northern Parula Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, and male and female Blackburnian Warblers.

Notable insects encountered (other than the darn little biting ones) were Canadian Swallowtail Butterflies, female Dot-tailed Whiteface and Hudsonian Whiteface Dragonflies, many Bluet Damselflies, Northern Azure Butterflies, Flower Flies, Mourning Cloak Butterflies, White Spring Moths. One Leopard Frog thought it was hiding from the camera but was wrong, and a large Earthworm temporarily fooled Brian into thinking he had spotted a small snake.

Further along at the Port Elgin lagoon and other spots a family of Black Ducks with Ducklings was seen in the lagoon along with many others reported in the previous edition. Eastern Kingbirds, Hermit Thrush, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Yellow Warbler, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and a Turkey Vulture also made appearances along the way.