Nature Moncton Nature News: July 7 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 7, 2022 (Thursday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Susan Linkletter had the large striking giant silk moth, the Polyphemus Moth, trying to get into her greenhouse Wednesday night, the biggest moth she has ever seen.

This large moth will only live for a few weeks at the adult stage during which they go on making flights to produce eggs that will become large green caterpillars. The adults do not eat but the large caterpillars surely do.

Susan got photographs but the light from the greenhouse does distort the true colour of this giant moth.

**Aldo Dorio got photographs of a few of the Eastern Bluebird fledglings as they started to leave the nest in his Neguac yard. They have lots of molting to do but the process will take place surprisingly quickly.

** On Tuesday Brian Stone went for a longer walk than usual along the road, then trail, then ATV trails behind Irishtown Park. The road and trail were nice and easily walkable, but the ATV trails were mostly tall vegetation interspersed with many long, deep, muddy puddles that required portaging around. Brian had seen a bog on the Google map and was trying to make it to that but only got close enough to see the edge of it before the going got too tough for him. There was a lot of life and nature present along the way though and so it was not a wasted trip.

In the puddles along the ATV trails were Tadpoles and Green Frogs and Damselflies were everywhere. As Brian walked close to the target bog he startled a Hermit Thrush from some grass in the center of the tire ruts and he thought that was unusual but gave it no more thought. On his way back he startled the thrush again from the same spot and then it came to him ... a nest. Brian spread the grass apart at that spot and found a nest with 3 eggs. It seems like a dangerous spot for a delicate nest but hopefully it will weather the ATV storms and be successful. This second encounter resulted in a photo of the thrush as it waited for Brian to continue on.

Not far from the nest spot Brian got photos of a Brown Creeper that was foraging up along some older trees and a White-throated Sparrow that was possibly guarding a nest judging by its alertness. Dragonflies seen were a Chalk-fronted Corporal and many Dusky Clubtails. Butterflies were abundant with Harris's Checkerspots, Common Ringlets, Northern Pearly-eyes, Northern Azures, and Long Dash Skippers being photographed. A beautiful yellow Flower Longhorn Beetle posed on a Daisy and a Lace Border Moth was seen along with others not identified. One moth blended in on the side of a tree to the point of vanishing, its camouflage was so complete.

Some Mushrooms, Fungus, and Slime Molds were photographed, and a plant inflicted with some type of spots of unknown ID. Blueberries were on the way to ripeness but not there yet. Brian also noted a large, 14 inch funnel Web of some industrious spider that looked almost strong enough to rest in.