NATURE
MONCTON NATURE NEWS
July 24, 2025
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 and the proofreader
Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if
any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
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Proofreading
courtesy of Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**A very appreciated thank you to Marbeth
Wilson for leading the Nature Moncton Wednesday evening walk on a well-groomed
trail in the Pointe-du-Chene area that was a conversion in part from an old
rail bed of many years ago. This trail is very diverse, having views over
marshland that let the group hear savannah sparrows, Nelson’s sparrows, and
song sparrows in the same spot. A significant portion of the trail is lined with a diverse
array of berry-bearing bushes, as well as a variety of tree and bush species.
This is a very recommended trail!
It was also noted that Marbeth must
have the proper connections with the weather maker to provide pleasant
temperatures and sunshine for a mid-July evening!
A highlight of the evening, but no
doubt one of the most unwelcome, was the observation of a Japanese beetle
by Louise Nichols. A lone individual was initially spotted, then suddenly, up to a dozen were observed in a small area. This is a non-native, highly invasive
beetle that, to date, has not been a problem in New Brunswick; however, this may soon
change. This beetle is not selective about its menu and eats everything in its
path, and is a very unwelcome guest. The appearance of this beetle, with its
distinctive white side fringes and chestnut-coloured elytra, is readily
identifiable.
**Elaine Gallant reports she saw two great
egrets in the marsh between Parlee Beach and Cap Brûle on Wednesday morning.
**Rheal Vienneau had his first
monarch butterfly of the year arrive Wednesday, which happened to be a worn
female. Rheal comments that this is the worst year in the past 20 years for him. Not one egg or larva has been found yet.
(Editor’s note: this is unexpected for Rheal as he provides everything a monarch butterfly would look for, yet there have been numerous reports of monarch butterfly arrivals elsewhere. Chances are it’s only a matter of timing.)
Rheal did find a wild cherry
sphinx moth (Sphinx drupiferatum) caterpillar on a pin cherry tree in his backyard in Dieppe.
**Although a common eastern bumblebee
doesn’t appear large in Lisa Morris’s photo, it’s the largest she has seen
this time of year. The bee has been hanging out between two neighbours' gardens
for several weeks. Although checking out squash and cucumber flowers, she seems
to favour landing on the marigold ‘pillows’ frequently for long periods,
perhaps sleeping on the job!
**Katie Girvan got a photo of what is
assumed to be one of the looper moth species. Their modus operandi is to
take on the appearance of a stick, which is often a successful tactic.
**Brian Stone took some photos at the
Nature Moncton Wednesday Night Walk at Shediac to share with the group. It was a very
nice walk around the trails in Pointe-du-Chene near the wharf in pleasant
weather and minimal mosquito interference. Some wildlife in the area noted, besides
the walk participants, were a great blue heron that just grabbed a
snack from a pond, a muskrat that swam under the estuary bridge, a very
distant willet that only barely gave a documentary photo, and a spikey beaked
hazelnut in fruit.
**Brian Stone and Nelson Poirier
visited the outstanding Butterfly Way Project in Riverview, which has been
developed into several pollinator gardens created through the exceptional efforts of Pamela O’Brien and Karen Rogers. This visit was truly an eye-opener, and it will be described with exact location in tomorrow’s blog, as photos were not available yet for today’s edition.
Stay tuned. This is a must-visit destination.
Nelson Poirier.
Nature Moncton
