Nature Moncton Nature News: Sept 6 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Sept 6, 2022

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

**Lois Budd is enjoying the abundant white Turtlehead blooming at this time of year along a brook by her home and is also enjoying some cultivated Turtlehead blooming in her yard which are pink. (Editor’s note: a close look at the bloom will quickly reveal how this plant got its name)

The Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly chooses to lay its eggs on the blooms of Turtlehead, so the time is right to watch for colourful larval caterpillars of this butterfly.

**Cathy and Isabelle Simon joined other volunteers from the Saint John Naturalist Club to assist with the catching, tagging, and releasing of Monarch Butterflies during the past 2 Saturdays at the Point Lepreau Bird Observatory. On the first Saturday, a total of 47 butterflies were tagged and a total of 35 were tagged on the second Saturday. Volunteers will continue tagging and releasing until mid-September.

(Editor’s note: it has been a banner year for tagging Monarch Butterflies. Nelson Poirier tried to get tags for his small contingent of 14 and no one had any tags to spare. Disappointing but a good problem to have!)

**Nelson Poirier photographed a flowering plant that he was not able to identify in Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia and consulted Gart Bishop for assistance. Gart did a beautiful job, using Photoshop, to tease out the plant from Nelson’s photo to show the plant better for identification which it surely did. Nelson’s original photo plus Gart’s remake of it is attached to realize Gart‘s method is a learning must!

Gart was able to recognize it as Yellow Hedge-hyssop (Gratiola aurea)

This plant doesn’t occur in New Brunswick. In the Flora of Nova Scotia is says:

Habitat: Beaches, boggy savannas, and wet depressions.

Distribution: Scattered in south and southwestern Nova Scotia with fewer records from east of Halifax to Boularderie Island and elsewhere in Cape Breton.

Range: Atlantic provinces, south to Florida and west to Kansas and Texas; Cuba.

Nature Moncton

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