Nature Moncton Nature News: July 15 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 15, 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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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

**As a heads up on this week’s Nature Moncton Wednesday walk, the destination and write up is below:

JULY 17^th WEDNESDAY EVENING WALK

Location: Victoria Park

Start time: 6:30

Host: Dan Hicks

Starting Location: The Cenotaph, Victoria Park, 223 Weldon St.

Join us on a guided tour of trees planted by the City of Moncton, seeing interesting trees in Victoria Park. Trees may be interesting due to form, species and cultivar or just simply great specimens in the right location. There are also a few trees that have interesting stories behind them as well.

Don’t forget to wear your name tag! All are welcome, Nature Moncton members or not.

**More Monarch butterflies!

Rheal Vienneau reports a female Monarch butterfly was resting on Common Milkweed in his Dieppe backyard Sunday afternoon. It is the first one to visit his yard since July 1st.

**Every morning, Verica Leblanc peruses her garden to see what visitors she may have. She had a visit from the Virginia Ctenucha Moth.

She noticed an increase in activity yesterday from the Red Admiral Butterflies, and Sunday morning saw several in all of her various flower beds. She came across a beige one and upon one photo that shows both Red Admirals with the worn one just visible below the yellow pedals on the left side bottom of the photo.

**Brian Stone sends more photos from the Bog Trail outing in Kouchibouguac Park on Saturday. He photographed some distant damselflies basking on lily leaves at a wet section of the bog and perching on low vegetation. A male Crimson-ringed dragonfly stopped by briefly, and a male Chalk-fronted Corporal dragonfly frequently stopped on the boardwalk for a rest in the hot sunlight. An Eyed Brown butterfly was seen on the Marsh Trail section, and a White-spotted Sawyer beetle joined the group at their picnic table during lunch break.

Some flora seen and photographed were White-fringed Orchid, Rose Pogonia Orchid, Cloudberry (Bakeapple), Bladderwort, Fireweed, Lung Lichen, Pyrola, Ghost Pipe, Pinesap, Leatherleaf, Painted Trillium (gone to seed), Pitcher Plants with their tall flowers, Round-leaved Sundew, Sheep Laurel, Tawny Cotton Grass, and a small patch of yellow Slime Mold. A few Cedar Waxwings were keeping an eye on the group as they passed along the trail.

**There are many small fish that make our rivers and creeks home that we may seldom or never see.

Byron Boucher caught one of the small 8-23 cm members of the Sunfish family, the colourful Pumpkinseed, while trout fishing in a local brook and shares a photograph.

**The Willow Pinecone Gall is appearing at its prime at the moment found at the tips of branches of some willow shrubs and can be so numerous to look like ornaments.

The galls are produced by the Willow Pinecone Gall Midge to house, nourish, and protect a single fly larva (maggot) located deep within the gall (arrowed). These elaborate structures are a striking resemblance to a pinecone complete with fake scales. These galls cause no appreciable harm to the overhaul health of their willow host.

The beautiful Canada Lily is also at its prime at the moment and Nelson Poirier photographed a plant on Friday.

It is also that time of year when berry-producing species of plants are forming their fruit. Nelson photographed Red Baneberry and Red Osier Dogwood with their fruit clusters.

Nelson also photographed the Question Mark Butterfly on Friday. It appears to be a quite worn individual so possibly laying eggs and soon to pass on to the next generation of its cycle of life.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nature Moncton