Nature Moncton Nature News: August 7, 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

August 7, 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

**The details on tonight’s Wednesday evening Nature Moncton walk to the very popular Clancy woodlot is below:

AUGUST 7^th 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!

**Georges Brun photographed two flocks of shorebirds Tuesday afternoon at the mouth of Halls Creek and over the Petitcodiac River. They flew in just after the tidal bore. He photographed a smaller flock on July 28, 2024 as the bore was moving upriver from the Bend of the Petitcodiac.

At Bis Marsh in Dieppe water levels were still high but Georges managed to photograph a flock of shorebirds, not close enough for species identification.

**Jane LeBlanc spends time watching her milkweed patch daily, just to see what she can find. One find was a Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle. Another was several Monarch butterfly caterpillars. She notes that for the number of females she saw laying eggs, there seems to be a shortage of caterpillars unless they are hiding well until they get to be a larger size. The caterpillar in the one photograph was less than an inch long.

(Editor’s note: note the distinct ‘M’ on the pronotum of Jane’s photo of the Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle that is helpful to determine its identity even though its colouring and spotting can vary.)

**Ron Arsenault leaves a very helpful comment on the suspected flock of Common Eiders Yolande LeBlanc spotted on Monday. I am going to quote Ron’s helpful comments below:

” I have little doubt that Yolande is correct. At this time of year, male Common Eiders leave their breeding grounds and head towards staging sites where they will moult their flight feathers, staying until they regain their ability to fly. Eiders, like all ducks, have a synchronous moult of their flight feathers and lose the ability to fly until the feathers grow back. As the female eiders are still busy with this year's ducklings, their moult occurs later in the year. In the past, I have noted moulting male Common Eiders at Johnson's Mills, so perhaps Shepody Bay is a traditional staging site for male Common Eiders?”

**Aldo Dorio photographed what is suspected to be a Short-tailed Swallowtail butterfly at Wishart Point on Tuesday which would be in the geographical area where this butterfly could be found.

Some features do not show well in the photograph but the yellow spot beside the tail (arrowed) being the same length as the tail is a clue as well as the lack of a single cell in the row of yellow dots. The editor stands to be corrected.

**As we all are noticing, the clock is ticking through summer and species which appear later in the season are on schedule.

Nelson Poirier has noted the underwing moths are starting to appear. The adults can appear very drab when perched, but brilliantly coloured underwings appear when they take flight. A photo is attached of an Ultronia Underwing moth perched with an uncooperative second photo showing its flashy red and black striped underwing to frighten predators when it lifts off.

**To add to the information Tony Thomas shared yesterday on the Indian Meal moth, Nelson Poirier photographed an adult Larder Beetle which can appear in human dwellings as frequently as outside due to its galloping gourmet diet.

This small 5 mm beetle is easy to recognize as an adult with its dark ends and pale central band with dots.

They forage on dried meats, cheese, carrion, dried animal skins, wool products, grains, and uncovered dried foodstuffs in cupboards. They can consume an entire carcass to the bone, a process used in museums to clean specimens.

They are harmless to humans except for the ‘yuk’ effect!

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nature Moncton