Nature Moncton Nature News: July 1 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 1, 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.

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Sybil Wentzell no sooner asked the parent Gray Catbird ( through her window) when it would bring its family for them to admire when a minute later ( no exaggeration! ), four of its young were lined up outside for the same offering of suet delivered to them countless times daily. What a treat to see the young! This was a first for them although catbirds have been nesting nearby for the last several years. Although they devour all of their Haskap berries along with the Cedar Waxwings they do look so forward to their arrival each spring and their lovely singing.

There’s a Northern Mockingbird in their Harvey neighbourhood. First clue was when Merlin AI identified several tanagers Sybil had never heard of and several other beauties that would never appear. She saw the Mockinbird atop a utility pole recently and neighbours have been awakened by it singing its heart out in the dark of night. It is also a return bird to their neighbourhood.

A while ago, a fun sighting was a Pileated Woodpecker hopping along on the golf practice green at Fundy National Park. It stayed on the green for quite a while and took no apparent notice of its surprised admirers.

**Gremlins again swallowed up a few photos in yesterday’s edition. They have now been added to yesterday’s edition and also in this edition today. They include Susan Richards's photo of the Teton Mountain Range in Wyoming, Tony Thomas’ photo of a developing Luna moth caterpillar, and a photo Louise Nichols contributed of a Northern Crescent butterfly beside a Long Dash Skipper.

**A few more photos taken by Brian Stone at the Botany Club outing at Crocks Point, that were held back yesterday to confirm identification, are also added today.

**Lisa Morris got a photo of a Flower Chafer beetle enjoying its visit to an Oxeye Daisy. This beetle is a bee mimic.

**Brian Stone and Nelson Poirier set out on a special mission on Sunday to locate the Elfin Skimmer Dragonfly, the smallest dragonfly in North America. They set their sights on a bog near the halfway house on the remote Renous Highway, now known as Stu’s bog as it was the 1^st spot in New Brunswick this species was found by Stu Tingley. It has since been found in a few other locations in New Brunswick and some in Nova Scotia.

This bog appears to be a unique bog. It is not large but oddly the orchids commonly found in most bogs were not present. Plants like Pod-grass, Horned Bladderwort, Leatherleaf and others were present.

It all started badly with severe thunderstorms but after an hour’s patient wait, the storms passed, with the sun emerging in a perfect cloudless sky.

The Elfin Skimmers were at their prime and once the lads got the hang of searching out such a small dragonfly, lots were located of both genders which are easily distinguishable.

A bonus to the odonata lineup was the very small Sedge Sprite damselfly and another unidentified damselfly. A few of the more commonly encountered Crimson-belted Whiteface dragonfly and Hudsonian Whiteface dragonfly joined the blend.

On the road home, a Ruffed Grouse female surprisingly stood her ground on the roadside, not moving to allow for unexpected cooperative photos. We soon realized that the reason for her remaining in place was her chicks on the other side of the road hiding to join her as soon as the intruders left.

A great day!

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nature Moncton