Nature Moncton Nature News: August 1 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

August 1, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**This Wednesday evening's Nature Moncton walk (August 2) write-up is at the end of this edition. Upfront tomorrow.

**For some unknown reason, cyberspace removed 2 photos from yesterday’s edition that are reinserted today. Both are excellent photos.

These are photos were contributed by David Cannon and Peter Gadd.

David Cannon’s photo shows an Eastern Newt (Red Eft Phase) and Peter Gadd shares a photo of a newly hatched clutch of Pied-billed Grebes.

Scroll back to yesterday’s edition for the complete write-up.

** Louise Nichols did a shorebird count at Ann's Acres beach on Sunday afternoon. She did not find great numbers of shorebirds, but she did find 9 species which were Semipalmated, White-rumped and Least Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers, Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, and Willet. Louise also noted many snails in the shallow water of low tide. In the vegetation along the beach, she was surprised to see so many Black Swallowtail Butterflies, most of which were flying too fast for a photo, but Louise managed barely to catch one of them. She also found a Painted Lady Butterfly near the beach.

**Rheal Vienneau got lucky and found a few dozen Red Admiral Butterfly caterpillars on his Stinging Nettle.

In the photos, you can see the rolled up/closed leaf shelter and a caterpillar starting to build a new shelter.
Rheal purposely plants Stinging Nettle to attract this butterfly as it is their host plant species.

**BugGuide has provided an identification for the unusually marked grasshopper Lisa Morris recently photographed.

It is the Pine Tree Spur-throat Grasshopper. It lists it as not

uncommon but not commonly seen as it is normally present high in

trees. It had a very different colour pattern to the grasshoppers

we are accustomed to seeing.

**Mac and Brenda Wilmot comment that their resident White-

tailed Deer family seem to like everything they try to grow in

their Lower Coverdale home garden: green tomatoes, potato

tops, bean leaves, apple and cherry leaves, corn leaves,

blueberries, and just about anything they can reach.

The bottom line is, however, that all is well worth the price of admission!

** Brian Stone sends a few more photos from his outing on Sunday to the Salisbury area. A Viceroy Butterfly was resting on the Taylor Road, Ants were farming Woolly Alder Aphids, Meadowhawk Dragonflies were plentiful, small Leopard Frogs were in every pond alongside large Bullfrogs, Water Striders were mating on a tiny pond, and Spreadwing Damselflies were doing their own thing. Other photographic subjects included a Paper Wasp, an Atlantis Fritillary Butterfly, a male Common Whitetail Dragonfly, a female Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly, a Flower Chafer Beetle, and Jewelweed Plants. The big Beaver Dam out on Taylor Rd. had breached further, and the pond behind was draining noticeably.

(Editor's note: note in the Water Strider photo how the leg tips do not break the water surface tension to walk on the water.)

Brian also includes 2 low-quality cell phone photos of the Lightning accompanying the heavy rains passing over Moncton on Monday late afternoon and early evening.

**Michelle Tan with the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance reminds folks of the 25th anniversary celebrations going on so anyone interested can participate. See all details below:

“GIVEAWAY INFORMATION: in Celebration of the PWA’s 25th anniversary, they have been running the 25 Watershed Moments blog series, which will be highlighting 25 important or interesting places within the watershed. Alongside this series, they are also running a giveaway!

Some of the prizes include a 400$ guided Fundy walking tour for a group of 4-6, 200$ vouchers for the Moncton La Station workspace, a free pottery lesson from Starving Artist Cafe, and gift cards from Off the Wall Eyewear ($100), the Tide and Bore (50$), and more!!"

To enter, all you have to do is 1.) post a picture of one of the 25 sites on Facebook or Instagram 2.) tag us 3.) use #25watershedmoments.

For more information email communications@petitcodiacwatershed.org

To see the 25 sites go here https://www.petitcodiacwatershed.org/2023/07/11/25-contest-site-coordinates-25-coordonnees-du-site-du-concours/

** The Wednesday, August 2nd, Nature Moncton walk will be in Salisbury around our beautiful nature wetlands and a short stroll down to the river from the path if desired.

Start time is at 7:00 with parking on the not-paved section at the end of McDonald Road. If you come in by the highway, take the Salisbury exit by the Big Stop, go left, and head down 112 to our Town of Salisbury.

Take a right on Salisbury's main street and continue on to the first road on the left past the Pizza Mill. Parking is available in a designated area. David Miller will take the lead on this outing with help from Lois Budd.

Some of the birds we may see are Pied-billed Grebe, Virginia Rails, Northern Cardinals, and surprises. Dragonflies are present, along with lots of different grasses and weeds, and perhaps the pond lily will be blooming.

We also have an invasive plant called Wild Cucumber Vine that many spend hours pulling up before the seeds burst out.

There are many milkweed plants so we may see a Monarch Butterfly. It will be a delight to all with something of interest in Nature for everyone. We also have a wooden platform to view the water from, benches to sit on and a well-groomed flat surface to enjoy our walkabout. This is an open trail with trees on the far side, a pond, water ponds in the middle all raising mosquito larvae so remember your bug stuff. Interesting at all times of the year.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton