[NatureNS] Tupperville Nature Walk - notes and observations for

From: FrancesLourie <fm.lourie@EastLink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Sun, 15 May 2016 13:21:31 -0300
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HI=2C



Just a couple of questions-how long was the hike and how difficult was t=
he hike=3F


Frances Lourie
On 05/15/16 11=3A40 AM=2C Bev Wigney  =3Cbkwigney=40gmail=2Ecom=3E wrote=
=3A


=3E =

=3E Hello all=2C
=3E =

=3E The following are notes and observations from yesterday=27s walk=2E =
I
=3E hope they will be of interest to some of you=3A
=3E =

=3E -------------------
=3E Tupperville Nature Walk - notes and observation for May 14=2C 2016=2E=

=3E =

=3E Yesterday=2C Donna Crossland and I set out on the first of what we h=
ope
=3E will be occasional nature walks in the general area of Annapolis
=3E Royal=2E We were hoping for a couple of more participants=2C but the=

=3E drizzle may have dampened some spirits -- but not ours! We set out
=3E regardless=2E
=3E =

=3E Our plan was to walk along the forest trails south of the Tuppervill=
e
=3E Hall=2E I had never hiked there=2C so it was all new territory=2E I =
will
=3E definitely return=2E
=3E =

=3E Donna focussed on keeping a migratory bird count and pointing out wi=
ld
=3E plants=2C while I spent most of my time looking downward for ground
=3E dwelling creatures=2E I=27m appending Donna=27s detailed bird counts=
 and
=3E other notes=2E If you don=27t want to read about slugs and beetles=2C=
 just
=3E skip on down to the BIRDS section below=2E
=3E =

=3E The highlights of my observations are as follows=3A
=3E =

=3E SLUGS=3A We saw many slugs moving along the trail - no doubt encoura=
ged
=3E by the warm drizzle=2E An American Toad crossed our path=2C probably=

=3E enjoying the good slug-hunting conditions=2E Most slugs that we saw
=3E were yellowish-orange and a few were quite orange in colour=2E I=27m=
 very
=3E accustomed to seeing these around my own place at Round Hill=2E They=

=3E are Arion slugs - I consulted with Aleta Karstad=2C sending her a ph=
oto=2C
=3E and she replied=3A =22The yellow slug is probably the introduced Ari=
on
=3E vulgaris - not usually as strongly striped like A=2E subfuscus=2E Of=
ten
=3E with no visible stripe=2C and usually with dark tentacles=2C as this=
 one
=3E has=2E We were finding them in New Brunswick=2C at the Jacquet River=

=3E BioBlitz (Mary=27s Point area)=2E They were either quite variable=2C=
 or
=3E hybridizing with something striped=2C like subfuscus=2E I have a lot=
 more
=3E dissecting to do=2E=22
=3E =

=3E Here at my place at Round Hill=2C the orange slugs tend to get to be=

=3E about 6 or 7 cm=2E long and have black eye stalks=2E Very striking a=
nd
=3E easily seen=2E Here is a photo of one of the orange slugs from
=3E yesterday=27s hike=2E I apologize for the poor photos - due to low l=
ight
=3E and water splashes on my camera lens!
=3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224673
=3E =

=3E The other slug was what I was quite sure was a native forest slug=2E=
 It
=3E was brown-speckled and found on a bracket fungus on a fallen tree=2E=

=3E Aleta had this to say about it=3A =22The speckled slug is the native=

=3E forest slug=2C Philomycus (genus)=2E Not sure of the species=2E Ther=
e are
=3E only two native forest slugs - Philomycus and Pallifera=2C which is =
very
=3E small and gray=2E Both of these natives have their mantle covering t=
he
=3E entire body=2C from neck to tip of tail=2E=22
=3E Yes=2C another blurry=2C raindrop splashed photo=2E This slug was ab=
out 6
=3E or so cm=2E long=2E
=3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224674
=3E =

=3E INSECTS=3A Apart from the numerous black flies=2C the only insect of=
 note
=3E turned out to be the big thrill of the day for me -- as you can see=2C=

=3E it doesn=27t take much to thrill me -- and that was finding a male a=
nd
=3E two female Forked Fungus Beetles (Bolitotherus cornutus) on the
=3E underside of a bracket fungus=2E These are among my favourite of all=

=3E beetles=2E They are difficult to see - being dark and dull and havin=
g
=3E the habit of =22playing dead=22 and rolling off onto the ground when=

=3E disturbed from their spot on a bracket fungus=2E They=27re rarely se=
en by
=3E those who don=27t know to watch for them=2E However=2C I took a few =
photos=2C
=3E so you will get to see them for yourself The males have curving
=3E =22horns=22 (this is a male)=2E I=27m putting up a top and side view=
=2C as well
=3E as a view from beneath - as this is how you will often find them=2E =
I
=3E see a few small parasitic mites on this fellow=2E
=3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224665
=3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224666
=3E http=3A//www=2Epbase=2Ecom/crocodile/image/163224667
=3E =

=3E Now=2C over to the BIRD report=2E
=3E =

=3E -----
=3E BIRDS=2C PLANTS and more - notes by Donna Crossland=3A
=3E =

=3E Despite the showers=2C birds were singing nearly everywhere=2C and a=
 wide
=3E range of species were vocalizing=2E I haven=92t doubled-checked spel=
lings
=3E on my list=2C and some of the numbers are rough estimates=2C but her=
e
=3E goes=3A
=3E =

=3E In the more open landscape of the intervale=2C including pasture and=
 orchards=3A
=3E =

=3E =B7 Eastern phoebe-1
=3E =

=3E =B7 Black-capped chickadee- 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 American goldfinch-=7E6
=3E =

=3E =B7 Black and white warbler- 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 Northern parula- 2
=3E =

=3E =B7 Yellow-rumped warbler- 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 White throated sparrow- 2
=3E =

=3E =B7 Song sparrow- 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 Oven bird- 4
=3E =

=3E =B7 Least flycatcher- 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 Ring-necked pheasant- 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 Black throated green warbler- 3
=3E =

=3E =B7 Blue jay-1
=3E =

=3E =B7 American robin 2
=3E =

=3E =B7 Yellow warbler 1
=3E =

=3E =

=3E No activity seemed to come from newly installed wood duck nest boxes=

=3E and one barred owl nest box=2E
=3E =

=3E =

=3E =

=3E As we ascended the wooded trail to the Tupperville Brook hemlock
=3E ravine and falls=2C many more birds=2C though the rain came down a b=
it
=3E harder at that point and there were fewer vocalizations=2E We had a
=3E nice look at Northern parula perched close by the trail on nude
=3E branches=2E
=3E =

=3E =B7 Blue headed vireo 6 (we heard a couple on top of the mountain=2C=

=3E but then hit a pocket of male BHVI singing below the falls=2C very n=
ice
=3E to listen to)
=3E =

=3E =B7 Northern parula- 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 American redstart- 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 Black throated Green warbler- 3
=3E =

=3E =B7 Black capped chickadee- 3
=3E =

=3E =B7 White throated sparrow 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 Golden crowned kinglet 2
=3E =

=3E =B7 Black throated blue warbler 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 Blackburnian warbler 1
=3E =

=3E =B7 American redstart 2
=3E =

=3E =B7 Chestnut-sided warbler 2 (disturbed woods nearer the valley bott=
om land)
=3E =

=3E =B7 Oven bird 3
=3E =

=3E =B7 American robin 2
=3E =

=3E =B7 Nashville warbler (1)=2C probable=2E Checked its song on return=2C=

=3E and it would appear to have b