Nature Moncton Nature News: October 18 2023

Nature Moncton Nature News

October 18, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**The Nature Moncton October meeting will take place tonight, Tuesday, October 17, with Alyre Chiasson at the Rotary Lodge in person. The presentation is also available virtually so anyone anywhere can join in. The write-up is below:

Nature Moncton October Meeting

Oct 17, 2023, at 7:00 PM

Rotary Pavilion, Mapleton Park

“Life Under Ice: Where do Fish Go in the Winter?”

Presenter: Alyre Chiasson

Somewhat like us, we have always assumed that fish simply hunkered down during the winter. However, smaller and more powerful radio tags have suggested that activity does occur during those cold months. So what exactly are fish doing under the ice and in the dark? We will be taking a trip into their world to see how tough conditions really are in the winter and how they manage to survive.

This will be an in-person presentation at the Mapleton Lodge; however, anyone can join in from anywhere via Zoom using the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85621733250?pwd=a0l5TUxnMjAvWllkZW1YZnRBNmwwUT09

All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

**Yves Poussart visited Memramcook on Sunday to check if he could spot the HORNED GREBE photographed on October 14 by Brian Stone. Upon arrival close to the lagoon (via Arthur St.), he got the chance to watch and photograph a group of 4 White-tailed Deer walking towards him along the side of the lagoon. Just after this sighting, he met Normand Belliveau, who also came to check for the presence of the Grebe but it was not seen. As they were both leaving the site, Normand Belliveau spotted a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and showed it to Yves with his scope who was then able to catch a few photos. It really was quite a special moment as this species was new to Yves. Many thanks to Norm. This was an excellent addition to the sight and photos from a great distance of the American Avocet at the Bis Marsh in Dieppe the day before.

**Grant Ramsey and Magda Kuhn were around the 32 km marker on the Dobson Trail and saw what to them was a very odd mushroom. It appears to be a mushroom of the genus Pholiota quite happily fruiting directly from the tree.

We have several Pholiota species in New Brunswick that grow on trees, stumps, and roots. They have a brown spore print and are not used as edibles but are very attractive.

It could be expected the tree on which they were growing may be dying as the mushroom is on its mission of recycling.

**Shannon Inman came across a Bullfrog on the road. She felt she may have startled him as it flattened right out as Shannon’s photo shows.

(Editor’s note: Shannon’s photo clearly shows the ridge to identify a Bullfrog. The Bullfrog has no dorsolateral ridges; instead, a ridge runs from the eye past the eardrum then drops down to the shoulder. This also happens to be a male as the male’s tympanum (eardrum) is larger than the eye; the female is the same size as the eye or smaller.)

Shannon’s photo of a suspected Turkey Tail Mushroom cluster did not appear in yesterday’s edition, but it is re-entered today.

(Editor’s note: gremlins appear to do this from time to time with photos!)

**Recently, Nelson Poirier spotted a few large clusters of mushrooms growing on a lawn that looked very interesting. The identity of the mushrooms was confirmed with the help of Alfredo Justo at the New Brunswick Museum as Brick-top Mushrooms (Hypholoma lateritium).

The photos show them as a brick-red colour in the center of the cap with a pale margin. The gills under the cap start off yellow but become greyish as they mature. They grow in dense clusters, saprophytic on stumps or roots, as was the case here as they were growing from the roots remaining from a removed tree. The curved stalk appeared to have brown spores dropping on them from the caps above; however, a spore print produced an interesting purple-grey colour which is an uncommon spore print colour. The spore print was done on white and black paper taped together to better define the spore print colour. This is a very helpful feature in identifying mushrooms.

Although this is a sought-after edible in some areas, it is not a suggested edible as it has toxic look-alikes.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

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