Nature Moncton Nature News: Sept 3 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Sept 3, 2022 (Saturday)

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com

Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Roger LeBlanc visited Bis Marsh on Friday morning to spot a Wilson’s Phalarope. It was mingling with the few and far between mostly Lesser Yellowlegs (with a few greater) also present.

Otherwise, it’s still pretty well a bust for shorebirds because of the very high water level that keeps them from feeding. Other than that, there are still maybe a few thousand ducks of 7 species, but mostly still in eclipse plumage.

**Yolande LeBlanc photographed a Black Swallowtail Butterfly caterpillar on carrot leaves in her Memramcook garden on Friday.

The common food plants of his butterfly are carrot, celery, dill, parsley, Queen Anne’s lace, and other members of the carrot family. As the females tend to lay just a few eggs in one place, there are usually not many seen on one plant.

**On Friday Brian Stone walked the trail around the Salisbury Highland Park Wetlands and sends some photos from the day. The Pied-billed Grebes are raising another round of young, and some photos show the adults feeding the chicks. (Editor's note: it would appear the fish Brown Bullhead is present in the pond and a popular forage item). A couple of Belted Kingfishers were perching and diving for small prey, and a few Wood Ducks showed muted plumage. There were several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds eagerly nectaring among the Jewelweed plants that were lining the sides of the ponds (Editor's note: a fall blooming is popular with hummingbirds as this plant sports nectar up to 40% sucrose) . A fall feathered Common Yellowthroat Warbler came close to check out the photographer and a Mud Dauber Wasp was examining a park information display. Bright red Meadowhawk Dragonflies rested on grasses and plants at many points in the wetland. Brian noticed that Least Skipper Butterflies were common along the trail as he has noted the same thing at a few other trails recently. It must be their season to thrive and reproduce.

**Nelson Poirier has an American Robin nesting on the roof of a Nature Moncton nest box, the style of which was designed as a small project to see if it would attract the Eastern Phoebe. The several boxes placed at several sites never attracted the Eastern Phoebe. However, American Robins and Mourning Doves have nested, every year for the past 5 years, on the roof of the 2 boxes which were placed at either end of the house.

Nelson wonders if this could be a 3rd brood at this late date as it would appear the nestlings may not fledge for another several days.

**Nelson Poirier shares some photos of lichens and a liverwort taken recently.

The Bitter Wart lichen is one fairly easy to recognize with small granules in the white patches. The Latin name amara refers to bitterness and apparently a tiny piece given the taste test can linger for up to an hour.

The Jelly Skin lichen is a fairly common lichen and one fairly easy to recognize/suspect.

The Peltigera (Pelt lichens) tend to have a recognizable look.

The Dust Lichen covered the rock ledges by the Mullen Stream Waterfalls.

Nelson has only been able to feel comfortable recognizing a few species of our numerous liverworts. The Frullania liverwort does have a recognizable appearance.

Thanks to Kendra Driscoll at the New Brunswick Museum for helping to identify and comment on the specimens.

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com