Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 23 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Oct 23, 2022

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

**Gordon Rattray visited a flower bed at his home that still has many flower blooms and found several visitors: A Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) and a Transverse-banded Flower Fly (Eristalis transversa). There was only one wasp spotted but very many of the flower fly. Gordon saw a Mustard White Butterfly, but it moved on before the camera was available. Gordon got two photos of Meadowhawk dragonflies. Meadowhawk dragonflies can sometimes be very difficult to separate to species with photos. A consult with Gilles Belliveau pointed out some field marks that helped him suspect identifications. The editor is paraphrasing Gilles' comments below as learning points for all of us:

“The dorsal view photo looks like an Autumn Meadowhawk with the bright red (orangy-red) and dark veins along the leading edge of the wings and dark brown legs.

The photo of the ode perched on a flower appears to be a Saffron-winged Meadowhawk. Note the darker red colour of the abdomen with a thin black line on the lower side of most abdominal segments, mix of black and brown on the legs and if you look carefully, you can see how the veins along the leading edge of the wings are a reddish-brown colour (they start off more golden earlier in the season and as they mature, the veins darken to this reddish-brown colour).”

A Common Eastern Bumble Bee made a visit and interesting to note that all visitors chose the yellow flowers. A Common Looper Moth (Edsall approved!) also chose to visit one of the yellow flowers. The warm weather was inviting for these hardy members; however, of note a Bald-faced Hornet nest is inactive on the top of the internet mast in Gordon’s yard.

**As reported yesterday, John Inman in Harvey, Albert County has had a Red- tailed Hawk coming to meat chunks he has been putting out for it each winter since January 2009. When it appeared then, there was a heavy layer of ice under the snow and no rodents coming up, so when John put out the meat the bird pounced right on it and has been back every winter since.

John looked through his archives of photos and found a photo of that first visit in 2009 which is attached today as well as a photo of a Red-tailed Hawk in his yard in 2008 which appears to be a juvenile bird (editor stands to be corrected). The possibility exists this may be the bird that chose the meat booty in 2009 and has been a regular winter visitor since then.

**The number of Horned Lark appearing at Hay Island swelled to 30 on Saturday. Aldo Dorio photographed 2 of them with one (butt photo!) showing the white side feather on each side of the tail that can be very visible in flight.

**Brian Stone drove over Caledonia Mountain on Saturday hoping to see and photograph loads of rare birds but had to be satisfied with just Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Golden-crowned Kinglets.

It was a pleasant drive though in very sweet-smelling nature and strong windy conditions. He stopped at Hillsborough on the way home and walked the wetlands trail looking for more photo subjects and came across a small Red-bellied Snake sunning itself on the trail. It was not unhappy to be picked up for a photo shoot. Brian set it down off the trail where walkers' feet would not find it. (Editor’s note: one of Brian’s photos shows the striking orange-red underbelly of this small snake that often appears to appreciate the warmth of human hands when picked up and handled)

In the pond Brian saw about a dozen Green-winged Teal Ducks, one Northern Pintail Duck, and a few Mallard Ducks. Alongside the trail he also got a few photos of a group of Shaggy Mane Mushrooms, some of which still looked fairly fresh.

**Nelson Poirier joined the Miramichi Naturalists group on Saturday on a field trip led by Brian Donovan to visit his many trail cameras set up in the hinterlands of New Brunswick off the Renous Highway.

It was an incredible day in an area of New Brunswick not often visited that hosts a community of wildlife we seldom get to see as well as interesting flora. The group took many photos that will be shared in an upcoming edition once assembled.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton