Nature Moncton Nature News: October 7 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

October 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

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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

**John Inman got a real quick glimpse of a Yellow-breasted Chat in the back of a fruit tree in his Harvey yard before it went down into the shrubs as the two Sharp-shinned Hawks showed for their daily yard hunt.

(Editor’s note: this is a very interesting casual visitor to New Brunswick. It breeds over a large portion of the US and overwinters in Central America and the tip of Florida.

This large songbird was once considered a member of New World warblers, but in 2017, the American Ornithological Society moved it into its own family.

This 7 inch/18 cm bird has a long tail, big head, and heavy bill. It is very skulky, hiding in brambles and shrubs.

Nelson Poirier had a very interesting scenario with a Yellow-breasted Chat several years ago when one arrived at his feeder yard in late fall and stayed into winter until it was startled by activity in a neighbour’s yard and left. It promptly surfaced again in the nearby feeder yard of Rosemary McAuley and stayed there until March.)

**On Friday Brian Stone went to the Salisbury Wetlands ponds looking for the Pink-footed Goose seen and reported by Rhonda and Paul Langelaan earlier. A few hundred Canada Geese were present and with great difficulty, Brian was trying to pick out the goose at a distance with just binoculars. Brian was unsuccessful until fellow birder Carmella Melanson pointed out the goose for him through her scope. It's always greatly appreciated to have help like that. Brian then managed to get some distant photos of the goose as it never came any closer that day.

(Editor’s note: it sure is that time of year to be monitoring Canada goose flocks closely for that one goose that may be a rare one of great interest to birders.)

**Since the Sunday field trip was canceled, Brian Stone went out on his own to photograph some of the fall colours painting the trees in the Caledonia Mountain area. Between rain showers and dark clouds, Brian managed to get some usable photos to process and send for the blog. The colours are close to their peak, and if some sunny weather occurs later in the week it would be a good time to go out and get some extra special images.

**Leon Gagnon shares some butterfly photos he took around his Miscou Island cottage over the summer to remind us of those summer days.

Leon experienced an interesting scenario where a dozen Short-tailed Swallowtail butterflies stayed around his cottage for approximately a week nectaring on what appears to be blooming common milkweed.

He also enjoyed visits from White Admiral and Monarch butterflies over the season.

**The algal component of lichens is in sheer ecstasy at the moment with the moisture having them go brilliant green and photosensitizing.

Nelson Poirier noted a Lungwort lichen blazing its greenery but noted fruiting bodies (apothecia) that he had not noted before on this species.

Kendra Driscoll at the New Brunswick Museum pointed out this was uncommon but occurs.

**Nelson Poirier photographed some Honey mushrooms which are very abundant at the moment.

This is considered a choice edible mushroom and a few points make it relatively easy to recognize. The partial veil is ‘Elizabethan collar’ style and often a very faint blush of yellow can be seen on the top of the veil as a result of it catching the spore print of pale yellow. The cap is pale brown with a pebbly/scaly feature. This mushroom appears on wood at the base of usually deciduous trees, but not always.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton