Nature Moncton Nature News: June 30 224

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

June 30, 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

**As he often does, Brian Coyle captured some amazing moments on his trail camera.

He got an interesting video of a Bobcat and a Mink spotting each other at the same time. The Mink appears to have some food item dangling from its mouth. Then the Mink carries on, until the Bobcat begins to stalk and then pounce, with the Mink narrowly escaping into the Beaver pond. Check out the dramatic action at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2kfde9akyozg8ij7axcdy/STC_0097_x264.mp4?rlkey=dj7y03t83o6dtxb00kzqr6m8m&st=8y5v0jwq&dl=0

Brian also got a video of a Black Bear sauntering around a large granite erratic boulder that seems to have attracted a variety of wildlife which Brian has been able to get on his video camera. That action is at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vy3xwwilo8c6iy9oa6f95/STC_0005-Copy-2-_x264_001.mp4?rlkey=nlzl23pqr35tp601nb1cffjbt&st=i0hpmh5w&dl=0

**Gremlins removed some excellent photos yesterday of Peter Gadd's Short-tailed Swallowtail butterfly as well as Louise Nichols' photo of a Twice-stabbed Stink bug that are reattached today.

**Louise Nichols visited the marsh behind the Beaubassin Research Station in Aulac on Friday evening. It was a beautiful evening, calm and warm -- conditions that normally exist there only if the breeze is coming from the north and not off the bay from the southwest. Birds were singing and flying about, mostly Song Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Common Yellowthroat and Yellow Warblers. A number of darner dragonflies were in flight over the field which Louise recognized to be Common Green Darners. One finally landed on some greenery and Louise was able to get a photo. Along the edge of the salt marsh close to the Cumberland Basin, many Nelson's Sparrows were up and singing. Although it was bright and warm (still early in the evening), Louise caught a lucky sighting of a Short-eared Owl flying over the marsh along the water's edge, and she was able to get a distant documentary photo. She also photographed a Northern Crescent butterfly perched close by a Long Dash Skipper. Louise includes one last photo of a Harris's Checkerspot butterfly that she got earlier in the day in a field alongside High Marsh Rd.

**Jim Johnson in Scotch settlement reports the Cliff Swallows are still in the clay nest and two pairs are occupying a nearby self-made nest.

Jim has never had so many Purple Finches to his yard, 20 to 30, but only a fraction of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds he normally gets. He also has a few Cedar Waxwings and a pair of Eastern bluebirds and quite a few Tree Swallows.

Jim’s nearby brother's farm has dozens of Barn Swallows.

**Deana and Peter Gadd were at Wilkins Field, Fredericton, late morning June 29^th for a couple of hours and were able to record 26 species of birds, but there are more species seen/heard there regularly according to eBird records. The trail is a “tractor track” leading to a hay field, about 600m in length. Initially, there were wet spots with ankle-deep water. For them, the most interesting bird species were Marsh Wrens, a Great-crested Flycatcher, a Northern Waterthrush and in the hay field, Bobolinks.

The Fredericton Nature Club has information about this site at Fredericton Nature Club - Home.

**The Luna caterpillars Tony Thomas was rearing, posted June 12, 2024, are now about one-third grown. They are being reared in a glass jam jar and given fresh twigs of birch, with leaves, every morning and evening.
It is important not to touch the caterpillars, simply cut the twig they are on and place it in the jar with the fresh twig/leaves. The caterpillar will make its own way onto the new twig.
If anyone would like to rear a caterpillar to the adult moth, one (or 2) can be picked up in Fredericton: at 5535587@gmail.com.

**John Massey photographed a Large Yellow Underwing moth. This moth may appear drab from the top but when it flashes its bright yellow underwing with a dark band in flight, things change. This is a non-native moth that arrived from Europe that is becoming populous in North America.

**Nature Moncton contributed a handful of nest boxes to nature Miramichi earlier in the spring and Frank McFarlane sends photos of the Tree Swallow family who promptly moved in. Sonya Hinds also is enjoying a family feeding youngsters at the moment.
Fred Richards is the building engineer behind the 500+ nest boxes that have been donated to various locations. Thank you engineer Richards and you deserve the holiday you are on before you start a replacement Peregrine Falcon box when you return!

**Susan and Fred Richards just went through Wyoming on their return to be back with us from their Western trip. Susan sends a photo of their visit to the famous Teton Ridge Mountain range. I am assuming that is snow in the peaks but Susan reports it was a testy 38° C at ground level!