Nature Moncton Nature News: May 14 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

May 14, 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

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The live feed to the Peregrine Falcon nest box camera can be accessed at https://www.zoodemagnetichillzoo.ca/nest-cam

**Magda Kuhn and Grant Ramsey had a great day warbler sleuthing at their Richibucto cottage on Monday. The warblers were a challenge to capture in photographs, as warblers often are, but they were able to get a cooperative male Black-throated Blue Warbler, a male Yellow-rumped Warbler, and a Blue-headed Vireo that joined them.

The ‘Merlin’ app identified several other calls including Blackburnian, Nashville, Black-throated Green, Pine Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Brown Creepers, and Northern Parulas.

A great birding day!

**Lisa Morris was able to capture a photo of a Shrew. We do not very often see this little mammal as they are so nocturnal.

Note the very sharp nose that is a quick clue to ID.

**The Baltimore Oriole will appear in a variety of plumages depending on age and gender. Shannon Inman got a photo of what would appear to be a first-spring male working on its striking adult male plumage.

Shannon got photos of some of the many species of Flower Flies a.k.a. Hover Flies (Syrphidae) that can tend to look like bees and play an equally important role in pollination.

Shannon was also able to photograph an American Lady Butterfly flashing its beautifully marked wings.

John Inman noted 3 Bobolinks that went through to the fields. Bobolinks occasionally make brief stops at birdfeeders in the spring. The genders sport very different plumages (dimorphic) and if fortunate, someone will get a few photos.

**Aldo Dorio was able to get a photograph of a female Baltimore Oriole that is colourful as well and easier to identify as the female gender in the spring. Fall plumages are a very different story!

**Norbert Dupuis was again able to photograph his faithful Northern Cardinal pair as well as some of his other yard patrons including Dark-eyed Juncos, and an American Goldfinch in serious discussion with a White-throated Sparrow.

**On Saturday Brian Stone visited Haut-du-Ruisseau Nature Park in Memramcook to see if the Red Trilliums were flowering and he found that they were. He also saw Painted Trilliums that had not opened their flowers yet. Brian heard Northern Parula Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Black and White Warblers, and Northern Flickers but none were kind enough to show for the camera. A few American Robins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker did pose for photos and Brian hopes they told their fellow avian park residents that it was a painless process, and they should try it next time.

Brian photographed a small cluster of Red-belted Polypore mushrooms on the side of a tree. He wandered down a side trail that took him down to the river, or creek (possibly Breau Creek?) that flows alongside the edge of the park and followed it along back in the direction of the park entrance. He found many patches of flowering Dutchman's Breeches and Ostrich Ferns unfolding for their spring debut. The scenic creek also got the photo treatment showing the beauty of the area.