Nature Moncton Nature News: July 18 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 18, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**The write-up for this Wednesday’s Nature Moncton walk is at the end of this edition today and upfront on Wednesday morning.

**Marquerite Winsor in Salisbury continues to have Black Swallowtail Butterflies emerging from chrysalids, and his captured photos of the action which don’t get much fresher than this!

(Editor’s note: the Winsors kindly gave the editor 2 chrysalids to watch the emergence. The camera is waiting for the back of a chrysalis to split. The chrysalids make occasionally compulsive movements, so it must be close.)

**Susan Richards captured a great photo of the Yellow-necked Caterpillar Moth in its perched, curled-up cryptic resting position. The curled-up position is undoubtedly quite effective in having predators believe it’s not really a moth!

**Mac Wilmot photographed the striking bloom of Pipsissewa on a trail by his Lower Coverdale home on Monday.

Mac comments that he finds Pipsissewa is one of the most beautifully intricate flowers in the woods. The seed case, which appears later, is a wonder of geometric symmetry.

The leaf on which the photo was taken is from Virginia Creeper. Pipsissewa leaves are shiny, dark green, and evergreen, resembling Rhodora.

**The Great Ash Sphinx moth is one of our large sphinx moths that flies on mating flights this time of year, with its large larval caterpillars appearing later. These moths may not show some of the striking colour patterns of their sphinx kin, but their size makes them noticed.

Lynda LeClerc had one day perch on her screen door to be off on its nightly mission come dusk and not seen again. But it provided a photo op.

**Aldo Dorio photographed 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers at Hay Island on Monday. A southerly migration of females can be expected to arrive in number very soon.

Aldo also photographed Willet again, perching on the oyster aquaculture cages.

**Gordon Rattray’s photos from the Wednesday evening walk appeared in yesterday’s edition. The write-up was missing for the first two hours. If you are one that missed it, scrolling down to yesterday will pick it up.

**Brian Stone sends some very late photos taken during the last Nature Moncton Wednesday Walk, July 12th, at the Hillsborough Wetlands Trail led by Gordon Rattray. He started the walk with a photo of a Tree Swallow on a power line at the parking lot and followed that with a Gadwall Duck and family, an adult and young Pied-billed Grebe, an Eastern Phoebe, and a male Bobolink.

Smaller critters seen were a male Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly, a pair of mating Craneflies, a Meadowhawk Dragonfly, and a plant climbing Snail. Some of the many plants identified were Fireweed, Valerian, Bindweed, Joe Pye Weed, St. John's Wort, Viper's Bugloss, and ripening Serviceberry. Also noted were British Soldier Lichen and Amanita Mushrooms.

**NATURE MONCTON WEDNESDAY NIGHT WALK

JULY 19, 2023

OGDEN LOOP TRAIL, SACKVILLE at 7:00 pm, guided by Louise Nichols

This Wednesday’s walk will be at the Ogden Loop Trail in Sackville, part of the beautiful Walker Rd trail system which is maintained by the Tantramar Outdoor Club for snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter. The loop begins with a brook and then enters the woods, eventually coming out at what used to be the town’s water reservoir before going back into the woods. The loop is 2.6 kms, but there are ways of making the walk shorter if we wish. The walk is rated moderate, on fairly flat ground with some areas of tree roots.

To get there, take the Trans Canada highway toward Sackville and exit at Walker Rd. Turn right off the exit ramp and follow Walker Rd until it becomes a gravel road. Just after that happens, you will see a parking area on the right. Park there or on the road (not much traffic). The trail we will take is across the road from the parking area.

Lots of nature activity on this trail which passes through some different habitats. Hope to see a good number of you there!

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton