NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
August 6, 2024
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**The details on this Wednesday evening;s Nature Moncton walk to the very popular Clancy woodlot are below:
AUGUST 7th WEDNESDAY EVENING WALK
Location: 356 Steeves Settlement Rd
The start time is 6:00 pm
We will be hosted by Trevor and Elaine Clancy, at
their Steeves Settlement property, a beautiful 60+ acres of mostly old-growth
forest.
Trevor and Elaine’s woods are easily accessed by a
network of mowed walking trails. Trevor enjoys having folks walk his trails and
is looking forward to our visit. There are water features scattered
around the property, and we will enjoy seeing many different tree species,
flowering plants, and various bird species.
Directions:
Trevor and Elaine’s property is located at 356 Steeves Settlement Road.
Steeves Settlement is behind Killams Mills, between Petitcodiac and Salisbury.
Elaine suggests the Trans-Canada Highway to the Havelock exit # 414,
then from the exit ramp turn right onto Route 885, then the first right
on to Beckwith Road (Kinnear Sett. Church is at that corner). Travel up
the Beckwith Road approximately 5 km … past Harvey Cross Rd., past Wilson Rd.,
the 3rd road on the right is the Steeves Settlement Rd. Your destination
is the first driveway on the right: #356. Their phone
number, if lost or need help getting there, is 506-756-8267. If cell
phone assistance is needed, use 506-866-2752
For those meeting up for carpooling, the Coliseum is
approximately 30 minutes drive from Steeves Settlement.
Bug control is always a good idea. Everyone is
welcome, Nature Moncton member or not!
Don’t forget your name tag!
**Aldo Dorio photographed a Short-tailed Swallowtail
butterfly at Hay Island on Monday. This butterfly has a limited worldwide
distribution that includes sites along the Gulf Coast of New Brunswick and
Québec.
** Lance
Harris shares lucky photos of a male Pileated Woodpecker tending to his young son.
Lance
comments he has had the pleasure this summer of seeing Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers,
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and Pileated Woodpeckers raise their young in his
backyard. (Wow!). He has noticed one thing in common among all -- it is
the adolescent young who are definitely the most vocal and demanding. He
admires the patience of the parents.
**It is so great to see all the photos of Monarch
Butterfly caterpillars coming in after the disastrous season of 2023.
Norbert Dupuis sent some nice photos of several feasting on his
yard milkweed that appear to have successfully already gone through a few
instars on their way to pupation.
**Wayne
Fairchild had a Monarch butterfly come to his yard on Monday and laid multiple
eggs on one of his Swamp milkweed plants, and in 10-12 days he will be checking for
larval caterpillars. Wayne’s grandchildren had just arrived and were delighted
to see it all happen.
**Yolande
LeBlanc saw a flock of approximately 100 birds flying over Memramcook Valley on
Monday. They seemed to be mostly black, with white back patch to make Yolande
wonder if they may have been Common Eiders.
**On Sunday, several folks from the New Brunswick
Botany Club headed for Shea Lake near Plaster Rock on a mission to have an
audience with some of the rarest plants in New Brunswick. This lake is
difficult to access but the incredible compass/GPS abilities of David Mazerolle
made for the least bushwhacking necessary to reach the goal.
It turned out to be an incredible day of observations
in a truly unique habitat that included lots of interesting flora,
caterpillars, few birds, and rewarding vistas not often traveled in the
province.
A lot of photos were taken and are being shared, some
with a brief explanation.
-A single Milkweed Tussock moth caterpillar was
found on Common Milkweed. The only other time the editor has seen this
caterpillar was near Oromocto where hundreds of these caterpillars were
completely demolishing a large stand of Common Milkweed.
A large caterpillar was encountered with approximately
40 Brachonid wasp cocoons attached. When the cocoons hatch, the adult
wasps will bore into the caterpillar and consume it.
Rheal Vienneau reviewed the photo and suspects it was
a Luna moth caterpillar being targeted. Rheal commented these wasps tend to
favour Luna, Polyphemus, and Cecropia moth caterpillars among others.
A
Fingered Dagger moth caterpillar was encountered.
A
Virginia Ctenucha moth caterpillar was encountered.
The
colourful Goldenrod Soldier Beetle was photographed on goldenrod as expected.
This colourful insect forages on pollen, nectar, aphids, small insects, and
plant juices.
Moose
scat was frequent.
Crested
Wood fern, which prefers wet habitat, was photographed
showing both the vegetative frond and the underside of a fertile frond with the kidney-shaped sori in irregular rows.
Broadleaf
Helleborine orchid was in prime bloom showing its
greenish-white flowers with a violet tint.
Green
Adder's-mouth orchid was found. This is a very small uncommon orchid and easily overlooked.
Bog
Rosemary was photographed showing the alternate leaves
with rolled-in edges and the underside whitened by tiny hairs.
Snowberry
(native) was photographed showing the sparse pillowy white berries that can persist into winter and have a wintergreen favour.
Alderleaf
Buckthorn, a native buckthorn, was found. This
buckthorn species is not commonly found but favours wet habitat.
The
number of fresh Viceroy butterflies observed was surprising. It was assumed
this would be a second brood on its mission.
Andrea
Flemming got a nice photograph of a grasshopper out sunning itself on
a Pitcher plant.
Spurred
Gentian was found and photographed.
It
was great to arrive back at the campyard to find several Monarch Butterfly
caterpillars in various instars on the Common Milkweed.
Many
more plant species were observed but are not listed to avoid competition with a
National Geographic issue!
Nature Moncton
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