Nature Moncton Nature News: September 2 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Sept 2, 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.

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**It’s not unusual for curious naturalists to come across a colourful feather and wonder what species may have dropped it.

Maureen Girvan came across such a feather showing a brilliant yellow to suspect it belonged to a Northern Flicker. This species has lots of brilliant yellow plumage that we just don’t see unless the bird opens its wings, or we see it in flight from below.

(Editor’s note: one has to wonder why they changed the name from Yellow-shafted Flicker to Northern Flicker?)

**It got down to a surprising 7 °C one morning this past week. Vivian Beale spotted some unusual activity of a bird on their front deck as the sun rose. A bird was acting seemingly very strangely but knew exactly what it was doing, mantling on their front deck to soak up some solar warmth then off on its daily mission. It turned out to be a juvenile European Starling.

Vivian was able to capture a video clip of the action. Check it out at the link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3gpmclb9jfzt94tzcm4kg/Immature-European-Starling.mp4?rlkey=q6ycxeawia64kmpozylqpfylg&st=rli4xzs7&dl=0

**Brian Stone recently noted a wasp working the nectar-rich blooming-at-the-moment plant, Jewelweed and was surprised to notice it was covered with white pollen grains instead of the expected yellow.

A Google search did comment that the pollen of Jewelweed is white.

**On a visit to the Miramichi Marsh recently, Nelson Poirier noticed what he felt to be Virginia Creeper but it looked different, especially in the way the fruit was presenting itself. A consult with Gart Bishop answered the query as he responded below to explain:

“As for the Virginia Creeper, two species are recognized in the province. I'll quote the distinction as presented in the Flora of NB:

1a Plants often high-climbing by means of tendrils with adhesive disks; cyme with definite central axis; leaves dull above. Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper).

1b Tendrils rarely with adhesive disks; plants usually not high-climbing, cymes dichotomously branched, the central axis poorly defined; leaves glossy above Parthenocissus vitacea (Thicket Creeper).

Both are found scattered throughout the province and both are considered introduced. In your photos, I do not see adhesive disks at the ends of the tendrils, and the cyme (branched inflorescence) does not seem to have an obvious central axis. So, I think you have Thicket Creeper.”

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton