Nature Moncton Nature News: July 23 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 23, 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

**This week’s Nature Moncton Wednesday walk on for tomorrow night is described below:

JULY 24^th WEDNESDAY EVENING WALK

Location: Salisbury Highland Park

Start time: 6:30

Hosts: David Miller and Lois Budd

Starting Location: Parking area on the not-paved section at the end of MacDonald Road. (There will be a Nature Moncton Event sign).

Directions: If you come in by the highway, take the Salisbury exit by the Big Stop, go left, and head down 112 to our Town of Salisbury. Take a right on Salisbury's Main Street. After the Pizza Mill, take the first left onto MacDonald; at the end of MacDonald is a short unpaved section.

Highland Park has something of interest in Nature for everyone. There is a wooden platform to view the water from, benches to sit on, and a well-groomed flat surface to enjoy our walkabout.

Some of the birds we may see are Pied-billed Grebe, Virginia Rails, Northern Cardinals, Cedar Waxwings, sometimes surprises such as Greater Yellowlegs, Least Bittern, or an Eastern Kingbird. There are many milkweed plants so we may see a Monarch Butterfly. Dragonflies are present, along with lots of different grasses and weeds, and sometimes the pond lilies are in bloom. Visitors in the past have noticed yellow Horned Bladderwort water plants along with Arrowroot water plants.

This is an open trail with trees on the far side, a pond, and water ponds in the middle, all raising mosquito larvae so remember your bug repellent. Don’t forget to wear your name tag!

All are welcome, Nature Moncton members or not.

**Lisa Morris photographed the colourful Twice-stabbed Stink bug. Just like its kin, this bug will excrete a foul-smelling liquid when disturbed. I am assuming that does not include photographers!

**Verica LeBlanc had a new visitor to her Coneflowers on Monday -- a Black Swallowtail butterfly. The Red Admiral butterflies were not too pleased as she witnessed a small one chase after it. The bees bother all of them, but this one is higher, so it can just about pass under it. This did not deter the swallowtail as it was still nectaring Monday evening at 6:30 pm. You can see the proboscis in one of the pictures, and the tail in the other.

**It’s that time of year when some of the colourful large spiders start appearing. Sterling Marsh has had a Black and Yellow Argiope spider set up shop in his yard and it allowed photographs over and under.

**The day- flying Hummingbird Clearwing moths appear to be enjoying a great summer.

Wayne Fairchild recorded a video of one enjoying his yard milkweed patch and you can check into the action at the link below. Wayne also had a visit from a Monarch Butterfly like so many more of us are enjoying this summer.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qjt4g1hvji6e9w79vub8y/Hummingbird-Moth-Wayne-Fairchild.MOV?rlkey=xj2o79l4opidfpdcbb6e75p4d&st=a5ks7af3&dl=0

**Oscar LeBlanc in Saint Marie has two artificial Cliff Swallow nests under the eave of his home. One of them is occupied by a Cliff Swallow family and another family has built their own mud nest on top of the two artificial nests.

Oscar also has many Tree Swallow boxes erected and has noted a sharp decline in occupied boxes compared with other years.

Oscar is also noting a pleasant number of Monarch butterflies around his Swamp milkweed.

**On Thursday and Friday, after their botany outing on Campobello Island, Nelson Poirier and Brian Stone continued to collect observations and photos of the plants, insects, and birds that they encountered as they checked out several areas of interest between the island ferries and Hampton (Black Beach trail and St, George Marsh trail). Many American Lady butterflies, Red Admiral butterflies, and Monarch butterflies were caught in action in several areas. At the Campobello ferry loading area Skullcap was growing.

At St. George Marsh a long list of interesting plants presented themselves to the observers, some of which included Moth Mullein, Pickerel Weed, Bur-reed, White Water Lilies, Arrowwood, Ninebark, Himalayan Balsam, and Common Snowberry.

On one lily pad, a frog posed in an iconic scene, likely a Mink frog. At Black Beach, photos were taken of Round-leaved Sundew in flower and Lady's Tresses, some past their best, in a quarry-like area. Long-dash Skippers were nectaring along the roadside along with many of the American Lady butterflies.

At Hampton by the lagoons, a Turkey Vulture flew overhead and some young Yellow-rumped warblers were collecting insects for lunch in the trees. One of the nest boxes alongside the trail was filled with a wasp's nest and will need servicing after the season ends.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nature Moncton