Nature Moncton Nature
News
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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.
If you would like to share
observations/photos with Nature News, contact the editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Please advise the editor
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labelling.
Proofreading courtesy of
Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca
**Jane
LeBlanc was enjoying the sunshine in her St. Martins yard when she noticed a
yellow-bellied sapsucker enjoying her red oak trees. She notes that in the
spring, they seem to prefer the maples. After the bird was gone, she noticed a
red squirrel seeming to suck from the holes made by the bird. Notice in the one
photo how well the bird blends with the tree when looking straight on.
She also had
not one, but two monarch butterflies hatch...one male and one female. This makes numbers
15 and 16 so far in her yard.
(Editor’s
note: we are reaching that time in the season where we will see very few monarch
butterfly adults until next season.)
** John
Inman is noticing a number of fairy ring mushrooms in his Harvey yard.
(Editor’s
note: this species of mushroom does tend to grow in a ring, which indicates the
mycelium mass is in the center and the fruiting bodies pop up at the periphery.
Other species do this occasionally as well, but the fairy ring mushroom does it
consistently.)
John also
noticed a taller species of mushroom scattered among them with a very
dark spore print that is hard to put a handle on, as has been the case with so many
mushroom species this year.
John also noticed a very high circling juvenile
bald eagle that seemed to be following a group of nine turkey vultures, as if
it knew they had a food source of mutual interest.
**John
Massey is an active mushroom forager who enjoys oyster mushrooms. Usually
(all the time), he finds these mushrooms on standing trees, but recently he found
over a dozen growing on old dead branches he had piled behind his home, so basically
growing on the ground.
Out of
caution, it is best not to use mushrooms normally used as edibles if they are
growing in an unexpected habitat.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
