NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
April 3, 2024
Nature Moncton members as well as
any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and
descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition
of Nature News
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 .
Proofreading
courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
The live feed to the Peregrine Falcon
nest box camera can be accessed at https://www.zoodemagnetichillzoo.ca/nest-cam
**Barbara Smith took note of a low-growing moss that formed
a light-green shag carpet under many of the trees at Mill Creek on Sunday. It almost looks like something you'd see under the ocean as part of a coral reef.
Bruce Bagnall made some interesting comments on
Barbara’s photo commenting:
” The moss in the photo is Hylocomium splendens the ‘Stair-Step Moss’.
(Editor’s note: what a unique way to describe this moss is a shag carpet on the forest floor!)
Barbara also saw a mushroom in a heavily mulched
area. It looks like a slice of agate dressed in the colours of a Mourning Dove.
This mushroom appears to be a weathered version of the Violet- Toothed Polypore (Trichaptum biforme) but still
retains some of the pleasant colours that it had when it was fresh.
(Editor’s note: it is always helpful when taking
photos of mushrooms to cut one so the bottom side can be seen which is very
helpful for identification.)
**There have been many White-winged Crossbills
on the Plaster Rock Highway, especially on the half of the highway closest to
Plaster Rock.
Unfortunately, they are getting hit by cars
because people are not avoiding them and the birds lift off too late. This can be avoided by driving slower or just
honking to scare the birds. The birds are on the road eating grit to aid in digestion.
(Editor’s note: crossbills are a species that often feed on roadside
gravel seemingly oblivious to oncoming traffic, possibly thinking it is just
another moose going by! Phil’s suggestion of sounding the car horn is surely a
good one.)
**The Compton Tortoiseshell Butterfly is not common
in New Brunswick. It is one of the butterflies that overwinters as an adult due
to its amazing biological antifreeze and is ready to boogie at the first spring
warmth.
Phil Riebel was
very fortunate to have a Compton Tortoiseshell Butterfly perch on his Miramichi
garage door and allow beautiful photos of a contrasting bright top view of the
wing as well as the very cryptic lower view that allows it to remain out of the
view of predators as it overwinters.
We will
know Spring is here for sure when we hear the Spring Peepers in a few
days. Sue Richards sends a photo of Fred cleaning out one of the 30 nest boxes
he has erected in his local area.
(Editor’s
note: Fred Richards has built a whopping 600+ nest boxes over the past years that
have been distributed to Nature Moncton members and friends.)
**Georges Brun spotted a flock of Common
Eiders at the bend of the Petitcodiac River which then flew upriver and around Chateau
Moncton, eventually taking route along the Veterans Highway towards
Shediac and wherever! A rough calculation estimates 200+ birds.
**Bob Blake maintains daily weather
statistics from his Second North River home to include morning low
temperatures, daily high temperatures, and monthly precipitation. Bob submits a
table that compares those statistics for March 2023 and March 2024.
It is interesting to note the dramatic
difference in precipitation in that March of 2023 was completely snow whereas
March of 2024 had much more precipitation as rain. Bob’s table, as he submits it, is below:
|
2023 |
2024 |
||
|
morning temperatures |
daily highs and rainfall |
morning temperatures |
daily highs and rainfall |
|
-14-1 day -11-1 -8-1 -7-1 -6-2 -5-1 -4-4 3-2 -2-2 -1-5 0-7 +1-2 +2-2 |
+7-3 +6-1 +5-6 +4-4 +3-4 +2-3 +1-4 78cms. snow |
-14-1 -9-1 -7-1 -6-1 -5-1 -4-4 -3-1 -2-1 -1-3 0-5 +1-1 +2-4 +4-2 +7-2 |
+13-1 +11-1 +10-1 +8-2 +7-5 +4-1 +3-5 +2-4 21cms. snow 183 mms. r |
**The New Brunswick Environmental Network publishes a list of events they are aware of for the coming month. That list is attached below and one can get all the details and registration if indicated by clicking on the event.
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Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
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