Nature Moncton Nature News: June 13 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

June 13, 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 both the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca 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

**As a heads up, there are two Nature Moncton events coming up, one where preregistration is needed. For the end-of-the-year barbecue next Tuesday night, to help get an idea of how much food will be needed, please let Louise Nichols know if you plan to attend the barbeque at nicholsl@eastlink.ca.

The field trip to the Clancy woods is scheduled for this coming Saturday.

The write-ups for both events are at the end of this edition.

** Shelley Murphy shares a few photos she took Tuesday morning during a visit to the Miramichi marsh.

Shelley was treated to a pair of Pied-billed Grebes, who were taking turns on their nest floating in the water. You can see from the photos how the birds were sharing the parenting duties. Very interesting to watch!

(Editor’s note: the editor has no hesitation about showing bird nests when taken with today’s excellent cameras that allow photos at a distance that do not disturb the birds.)

** Gordon Rattray visited the Dobson Trail in Riverview to scout the area for the upcoming first-of-the-summer Nature Moncton Wednesday night walk on June 19. Gordon took a few photos of some flora that he saw along the trail. Gordon says this is a teaser for next week:

Cinnamon Fern - Osmunda cinnamomea showing early stage of spore spike

Indian Cucumber Root - Medeola virginiana picture of the flower and whole plant

New York Fern - Thelypteris noveboracensis

Pink Lady’s Slipper - Cypripedium acaule pictures of the flower and whole plant

Royal Fern - Osmunda regalis

Wintergreen - Gaultheria procumbens

Gordon also includes a photo of the scenic Mill Creek which the trail follows for the first half of the walk.

**Louise Nichols sends some photos of a few dragonflies she has taken in the last couple of weeks, either on their Aulac property or in Jolicure. She enlisted Gilles Belliveau's help for the IDs. One of them is a Petite Emerald which Louise had not heard of before and Gilles said he has seen only a couple of times. Louise found this one in Jolicure, close to Big Jolicure Lake. At the same location, Louise photographed an American Emerald. Gilles points to the "thin ring around the base of the abdomen" and the "slightly swollen end of the abdomen" as clues to its ID. The second ring on the abdomen is more unusual but not out of the question. The third photo is of a Racket-tailed Emerald seen from the side. The swollen abdomen is not visible at this angle, but Gilles points to the "amount of yellow at the base of the abdomen" as contributing to the ID. The last dragonfly is a Belted Whiteface. Particular patterns in the wing venation are important in separating this species from similar-looking Crimson-ringed and Frosted Whitefaces. Louise comments that there is much to learn about how to ID these complex creatures.

**Pat Gibbs noticed this deep purple flower on the traffic island in front of her house. It is definitely not planted and, in 5 years, she has never seen it before. Pat wonders “Is it a weed with a pretty flower or some garden flower that self-seeded from a neighbour's lot?"

And then there is also a yellow flower growing up in the clump where Pat’s narcissis used to bloom.

Gart Bishop looked at both photos and responded:

“The purple flower is almost certainly Blue Flag (Iris versicolor), but can’t see the leaves in the photo.

The yellow flower is, as Pat suggested, a buttercup, again cannot see the leaves well but I suspect it is the Tall Buttercup, (Ranunculus acris).”

**Lisa Morris updates on the American Robin nests she reported on yesterday.

“The nest with one American Robin’s egg appears to have been abandoned by its mama. She was last seen briefly on Monday of this week and sporadically the past few weeks. The other empty nest contained two chicks; the second one fledged at 6:30 am Wednesday (first one Tuesday night at 9pm). However, its flightpath ran into a neighbour’s glass door and then it fell through the deck where it could not be reached. After a ‘frantic’ moment the neighbour, who had a small hatch door at the far end of the deck, opened it and with the help of Mama Robin calling out, the chick eventually found her way out and spent some time bouncing around the yard. When Lisa returned to the yard afterward, all was quiet so hopefully, that was a good sign. Nature is ‘stressful’, lol. Now all focus is on the Peregrines! Will be a sad/glad moment once all are fledged. Hoping for successful flights.”

**Two interesting plants observed during the Festival of Nature that are found along the Meduxnekeag River are Wild Coffee and Wild Ginger.

A photo is shown of the whole plant of Wild Ginger but the business end is the flower at the very base against the ground. Ants get into the flower after a chemical they search out and in the process pollinate the single flower.

A photo is shown of the whole plant of Wild Coffee with the two flowers that will form an orange berry tucked at the base of each leaf on the stem.

**NATURE MONCTON JUNE MEETING

Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 6:30 PM

Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge

END-OF-THE-YEAR BARBEQUE!

Our June meeting will continue the tradition started last year of a fun social event with good food to celebrate the success of another fantastic fall/winter series of meeting presentations, outings and workshops! Members and non-members are invited to the Rotary Pavilion at Mapleton Park, where we will serve some delicious beef and veggie hamburgers and enjoy a picnic outdoors. All food will be provided as a thank you from the executive for all your help and participation, which has made our club so successful throughout the past year.

After we feast on hamburgers, we’ll go inside and watch a presentation of photos taken by participants of the Haut-du-Ruisseau Nature Park warbler excursion held on May 25^th and guided by Gordon Rattray. If you were present on that outing, choose your best 10 photos and bring them on a USB stick. Photos of birds, plants and insects, as well as photos of participants, are all welcome as a way to share great memories of the day.

To help us get an idea of how much food will be needed, please let Louise Nichols know if you plan to attend the barbeque at nicholsl@eastlink.ca.

Hope to see you there. All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

** Nature Moncton invites you to join us for an early summer outing, on Saturday, June 15th. We will be hosted by Trevor and Elaine Clancy, at their Steeves Settlement property, a beautiful 60+ acres of mostly old-growth forest. The start time is 10:00 a.m., ending mid-afternoon, and we encourage you to bring a picnic lunch.

Trevor and Elaine’s woods are easily accessed by a network of mowed walking trails. There are also water features scattered around the property. We will enjoy seeing many different tree species, and as well the site also abounds with spring flowers, and at this time of the year many bird species will be in the area.

Trevor enjoys having folks walk his trails and is looking forward to our visit. Dress for the season; you may need footwear for wet areas, and bug control is always a good idea. Don't forget your Nature Moncton name tag too.

Trevor and Elaine’s property is located at 356 Steeves Settlement Road. Steeves Settlement is behind Killams Mills, between Petitcodiac and Salisbury. Elaine suggests the Trans-Canada Highway to the Havelock exit # 414, then from the exit ramp turn right onto Route 885, then another right at the Beckwith Road (Kinnear Sett. Church is at that corner). Travel up the Beckwith Road approximately 5 km... the 3rd road on the right is the Steeves Settlement Rd. Your destination is the first driveway on the right: #356. Their phone number, if lost or need help getting there, is 506-756-8267.

Everyone is welcome, Nature Moncton member or not!

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nature Moncton