Nature Moncton Nature News: July 6 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 6, 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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**Georges Brun photographed a Great Blue Heron at the mouth of Hall’s Creek in Moncton on Friday morning that had captured an interesting species of fish, an Atlantic Menhaden.

This species is found in estuarine waters off our coastline. It is related to Gaspereau, but this species does not come to freshwater to spawn, normally living and breeding in salt water; therefore, it is uncommon to see it in the Petitcodiac River.

Both Edmund Redfield and Alyre Chiasson agree on the identification. It is similar in appearance to the Gaspereau but has a more ‘pushed in’ appearance at the mouth with one large black spot behind the gills and several smaller dark spots behind that.

**Maureen Girvan recently visited the Humphrey Brook Trail in Moncton and photographed a Chestnut-sided Warbler, Song Sparrow, and American Goldfinch.

(Editor’s note: The American Goldfinch photo will remind us that this species is just in the process of establishing territories and nesting at the moment. Therefore, it would not be unusual to note courting behaviour at this time. They time their nesting so their favoured food source of thistle will have bloomed and gone to seed to provide food for their fledglings.)

**Mac and Brenda Wilmot comment that their yard Carolina Wren sings very frequently; they think there is a nest and the singing is territorial. They heard some calls which sounded like alarm calls when Mac got too close. There are many variations in his efforts -- very clear, clean vocalization.

** Gordon Rattray with a group of Nature Moncton members and guests walked the wetland trail in Hillsborough. Gordon took some photographs of the observed flora. The group saw a patch of Phragmites beside the trail. These specimens could not be clearly identified at this time but the invasive type is suspected. In the photo, you can see last year's stalks and this is a characteristic of the invasive variety. The branch of a honeysuckle is unidentified and will need to be watched for developing characteristics. Gordon also includes a picture of an immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that is visiting his backyard.

Plants in this posting

Broad-leaved Arrowhead - Sagittaria latifolia

Bur Reed - Sparganium americanum

Honeysuckle, Morrow's perhaps Meadow

Norway Maple leaf - Acer platanoides

Tall Meadow-rue - Thalictrum polygamum

Yellow Sweet Clover - Melilotus officinalis

**As Christine Lever and Barbara Smith were leaving Mill Creek, there was a healthy-looking doe White-tailed Deer by the side of the road.

Christine had one of our many species of crane flies day perch on her home. Our native crane fly species can vary in colour and wing venation but all look like oversized mosquitoes but thankfully no interest in bothering humans.

Christine also had a Lesser Maple Spanworm moth day perch. This is a common small to medium-sized moth.

Christine reports that two of the four nestling Red-eyed Vireos left the nest in their yard. The two remaining nestlings are still being fed by the parents but are looking as if they will be making their way into the world by the end of the weekend.

**Aldo Dorio photographed a fresh Viceroy butterfly at Hay Island on Friday.

(Editor’s note: with observations of Monarch butterflies happening recently, it is important to differentiate them from the potentially similar Viceroy butterfly. As mentioned before, the Viceroy butterfly is smaller with a more orange tone, and the dark bar horizontally crossing the hind wing is easily seen.)

**Pat Gibbs took note of some plants along the Petitcodiac Riverfront Trail. With the help of Gart Bishop, we identified one as Yarrow about to bloom while the other is the last year's stalk of Queen Anne’s Lace showing the remnants of its final ‘bird’s nest ’ structure.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nature Moncton