Nature Moncton Nature News: September 11 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Sept 11, 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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**Jim Wilson did an excellent informative interview a few days ago on the afternoon program CBC Shift on the Monarch Butterfly and its migration.

For those who heard it once, it’s so worth listening to again and for those who didn’t hear it the first time, it’s a must!

You ‘may’ have to select the Sept 9 Monarch Migration, then select ‘Play Segment’.

Check it out at the link below:

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-83-shift-nb/clip/16093228-monarch-migration

**John Inman had a quick visit from a male Dickcissel to his Harvey feeder yard on Tuesday and was able to get four excellent photographs. All are being shared as are captured at different angles to show the yellowish eyebrow, thick bill, and chestnut wing coverts distinctive to this species, as well as the black bib under the white chin with bright yellow breast to indicate a male. This species is an uncommon visitor but regular to our area and occasionally will overwinter here.

**Common Nighthawks are early migrators and have been migrating the past few weeks which is often the only time we get good observations of them as their activity in the earlier season is normally nocturnal. Lucky observers have been seeing them in small groups cavorting about and feeding on insects, more so near dusk and on cloudy days.

Phil Riebel got three great flight photos showing the long pointed wings, tail slightly forked, and bold white bar across the primaries.

**Jane LeBlanc has had the opportunity to go whale watching several times lately with guests from the cruise ships that dock in Saint John. Monday night (sunset whale watching) was very rough on the water, but Gray Seals and two Finback whales were seen.

**Tony Thomas has been operating his moth trap for the past two nights (8 & 9 Sept. 2024) and captured nine species. All are attractive (to an entomologist), but the two attached photos are perhaps the most attractive: Chickweed Geometer (Haematopis grataria) with pink stripes, and a Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis) mostly white.
With much of nature slowing down, moths are still active well into October; it is worth building a simple trap to catch them alive, photographing them, and then releasing them. A cardboard box works as well as this wooden box.
https://the-shed-and-beyond.blogspot.com/2016/08/homemade-moth-trap.html