Nature Moncton Nature News: September 16 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Sept 16, 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 the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com 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 September Nature Moncton meeting takes place tomorrow night Tuesday, Sept. 17, with the write-up below.

A photo of the Lions Mane jellyfish is attached today. These are high on the menu of the Leatherback Sea turtle and I suspect April Nason will be telling us why.

New technology is going to be used as a trial to share this presentation with participants who cannot be there in person. It is a trial effort which may work well or maybe not!

** SEPTEMBER MONTHLY MEETING PRESENTATION

Topic: Sea Turtles in Atlantic Canada

Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 7:00 pm

Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge

Presenter: April Nason

Did you know there are four species of sea turtles present in Atlantic Canada? This presentation will focus particularly on the unique anatomy of the most common sea turtle in Canadian waters, the Leatherback Sea Turtle, and the historic work of the Canadian Sea Turtle Network.

Presenter April Nason developed a life-long interest in turtles from the pet turtles she received as a child. She completed 3 years of her marine biology degree at UNBSJ and then swerved into dental school and a career in dentistry until she rediscovered her love for sea turtles. Eventually, she enrolled in the Lifelong Learning Education program at MSVU where her thesis focused on finding the love between people and turtles. She is now the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Canadian Sea Turtle Network, spending the past two years talking turtles throughout Canada and beyond.

April will also discuss cold-stunned hard-shell sea turtles, a phenomenon that is on the rise in our region, and what you can do to help save the lives of these turtles.

This will be an in-person presentation at the Rotary Lodge with a Zoom link for those who want to join in from anywhere.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87409118455?pwd=OjwKXLitsSWY9MNjOYlworVZz8aVZ4.1

All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

**In yesterday’s edition, it was mentioned that a White Shark was found beached at Pointe Sapin. Some very interesting information on that incident and what followed can be found at the link below:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/great-white-shark-washed-up-on-n-b-beach-1.6620353

**Pat Gibbs photographed some interesting moments as her yard resident female Ring-necked Pheasant laid down in the dirt to take a dust bath; then one of her youngsters came waddling over and started imitating momma. Pat assumed she was teaching her young one how to take a dust bath.

**Brian Stone visited Fundy National Park over four days last week and finished processing his photos over the weekend.

He walked several trails and found many interesting natural subjects to enjoy and photograph. A variety of mushrooms were enjoying the autumn weather along with some Canada Mayflower berries and Hobblebush displaying its own berries. A special clump of Comb Tooth fungus was found hiding under an old, rotting log. Spiky Bog Myrtle seeds were all along the shore at Wolfe Lake.

(Editor’s note: The Comb Tooth mushroom in Brian's photo appears to be a young specimen. This species is considered a choice edible when fresh.)

At Wolfe Lake a "swarm" of a dozen or more fresh-looking Red Admiral butterflies were nectaring vigorously along with a single, worn-looking White Admiral butterfly. At a different spot an American Lady butterfly posed nicely on some Goldenrod flowers. Several Monarch butterflies were seen at different spots throughout the park and one of them had a damaged wing that left it flying awkwardly. Not many birds were seen. A small Green Cloverworm Moth was an interesting newcomer to Brian's camera.

A special dragonfly was seen and photographed at Wolfe Lake -- the Lake Emerald Dragonfly. A Variable Darner dragonfly was caught in flight, a Familiar Bluet damselfly perched, and many Meadowhawk dragonflies were spotted, including a Saffron-winged Meadowhawk dragonfly. Tiny Pickerel frogs hopped along the water's edge at Wolfe Lake. Some other life seen were a Bald-faced Hornet, an American Dagger moth caterpillar, and a Longhorn beetle. Hanging happily outside Brian's chalet window was a large female orb weaver commonly called a Cross Spider that kept him company all night long.