Sept 2 2023

 

 

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

September 2, 2023

 

 

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

 

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

 

** Ed LeBlanc in St. Martins was helping a neighbour in West Quaco when he noticed the elusive Great Egrets behind the house he was working at. He called Jane, and she raced over to get some photos, one of all three of them. They have been in the area for a while but always seemed to fly as soon as Jane got near. This was a lucky day for Jane.
 
**Aldo Dorio reports he did not see the Great Egret on Friday morning at Hay Island.
 
**Rheal Vienneau photographed a Western Conifer Seed Bug. This bug has expanded its range from western North America to include New Brunswick.
They feed on conifer seeds and cones. We see them more this time of year as they like to move indoors to overwinter. These bugs do not bite or sting, nor do they cause damage to the home. They will, however, give off a pungent odor if you handle them. They also make a buzzing sound when flying.
The thick flattened tibia on its hind legs is a helpful clue to identification.
 
**Anna Tucker photographed a Fly Agaric mushroom in prime fresh condition. This is a very common member of the Amanita genus and does not seem very fussy about its habitat, growing anywhere from rich fertile lawns to woodland habitat.
It is not considered an edible mushroom due to its unpleasant hallucinogenic reaction.
With the onset of cool nights with lots of moisture in the ground, there is the potential for mushrooms to be abundant. However, the mushrooms will be deciding that!
 
**Brian and Annette Stone visited Louise Nichols' yard in Aulac on Friday as a prelude to a very successful ice cream outing, and Brian took the time to photograph some of the many Red Admiral Butterflies and at least one Painted Lady Butterfly that were nectaring on Glen's garden full of Purple Cone Flowers. One lone Mourning Cloak Butterfly was noted as well as the frantic activity of the hordes of Honeybees actively maintaining their hives at the edge of the yard.
(Editor’s note: Coneflowers are certainly a magnet for butterflies and other pollen/nectar-seeking pollinators)
 
**Nelson Poirier had a visit from a Canada Darner Dragonfly that posed very briefly for a photo. This is one of our large dragonflies.
Nelson’s moth light recently attracted the moths, Brown Angle Shades, Pale Enargia, and White-marked Tussock moths with identification help from Joanne Savage.
The White-marked Tussock Moth larval caterpillar can be problematic in numbers as it feeds on an extremely wide variety of trees, both deciduous and coniferous.
 
 

**Bob Blake keeps weather statistics from his Second North River home, including morning temperatures and daily high temperatures, along with monthly precipitation.
Bob’s tabular record is below, as he reports it, comparing August 2022 with August 2023.
It is interesting to note that there was more rainfall in August of 2022 than in August 2023, which I expect will surprise many!
There is also a suggestion that the overall temperature was higher in August 2022 than in August 2023.
 

2022		2023
morning temperatures	daily highs and rainfall	morning temperatures	daily highs and rainfall
+24-1 day 23-2 22-2 21-2 20-4 19-4 18-2 17-2 16-3 15-1 13-1 12-1  Away 6 days	+34-1 32-1 30-3 29-3 28-2 27-1 26-3 24-5 22-1 20-4 19-1 155 mms. rain	+22-1 day 21-1 20-1 19-2 18-5 17-1 16-4 15-5 13-2  Away 8 days	26-2 25-3 24-8 23-6 22-1 145 mms. rain

                   Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

 

 

GREAT EGRETS. SEPT. 1, 2023.  JANE LEBLANC

GREAT EGRETS. SEPT. 1, 2023.  JANE LEBLANC

RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY. SEPT. 01, 2023. BRIAN STONE

RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY. SEPT. 01, 2023. BRIAN STONE

RED ADMIRAL BUTTERFLY AND HONEYBEE. SEPT. 01, 2023. BRIAN STONE

PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY. SEPT. 01, 2023. BRIAN STONE

PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY. SEPT. 01, 2023. BRIAN STONE

MOURNING CLOAK BUTTERFLY. SEPT. 01, 2023. BRIAN STONE

FLY AGARIC MUSHROOM. AUG 31, 2023. ANNA TUCKER

CANADA DARNER DRAGONFLY. SEPT 1, 2023. NELSON POIRIER 

WESTERN CONIFER SEED BUG. SEPT 1, 2023. RHEAL VIENNEAU

HONEYBEES. SEPT. 01, 2023.. BRIAN STONE

 

WHITE-MARKED TUSSOCK MOTH (Orgyia leucostigma). AUG 27, 2023. NELSON POIRIER

BROWN ANGLE SHADES MOTH (Philogophora periculosa). AUG 27, 2023. NELSON POIRIER

PALE ENARGIA MOTH. AUG 27, 2023. NELSON POIRIER