Observations : June 8, 2006 Time: 8:30 am Weather: Morning fog with sun burning through

Trailside Greeter  As I left the picnic canopy at Sheldon Point, a familiar park visitor was amongst the stunted white spruce singing out its greeting “ very very pleased to meetcha”. This is how the song of the Chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica) is interpreted in the Audubon guide. As if the song isn’t distinctive enough, this 11.5-14cm adult male has a yellow cap ,wide yellow bars on its wings, a black and white streaked back and a very conspicuous chestnut stripe along its side. This warblers diet is very much like other warblers, eating mostly insects taken from the air or gleaned off leaves, but can also eat berries when insects are scarce. This male is flitting from the spruce to the south side of the nearby washrooms, picking up the still dazed flies emerging from under the shingles to gather some warmth. I don’t see the female anywhere (her chestnut streak is more muted and sometimes shorter in length). She is likely on the nest, incubating the eggs. Once hatched, both the males and females will look after the young. It only takes about 12 days or so for the birds to begin leaving the nest. The large area of alders to the west of the Point provides plenty of habitat for this bird as it prefers thickets and shrubby growth for nest cover and is host to a large number of delicious insects.

"Signs" of Aging Of the 800 or more different types of lichen in New Brunswick there are at least 3 different species on this Sheldon Point way-marker sign, the most abundant being Hypogymnia physodes. Lichens are two separate organisms that live together in a mutually beneficial way. The majority partner is a type of fungus, but as most mushroomer’s know, a fungus can’t make its own food and must rely its ability to decompose dead or dying organic material, or steal its food from other plants. The other partner in this relationship is an algae. Algae gathers nutrients collected in rainwater (or fog), and through the process of photosynthesis, creates simple sugars much the same way a tree produces sugary sap. In exchange for some of these sugars, the fungus provides a stable place for the algae to live. Hypogymnia physodes is light grey that looks similar to flattened miniature coral lying on its side. Looking at the lichen backward through my binoculars to achieve magnification, I can see very tiny black dots near the tips of the fan-like lobes. This is where small, self-contained pieces of the lichen break off and through the help of wind and or rain transportation, move to other areas to establish a new lichen colony. The accepted common name for H. physodes is Monk’s-hood lichen. This likely comes from the brown dye made from the lichen and used in the robes of Scottish monks. Monk’s-hood lichen has also been used to monitor air quality near steel mills in the United Kingdom. Lichens receive majority of their nutrients in the form of airborn pollens and dust and thus are very sensitive to air pollutants. Poor air quality in an area tends to reduce or kill off lichen populations. If you see lots of Old Man’s Beard hanging from the trees, yellow and orange crusty lichens on the rocks, and leafy lichens attached to the bark of the parks trees, you can be sure that your lungs are getting a clean treat. Enjoy it!

The Naturalist's Notebook is a regular publication. If you have any questions or topics that you would like to see addressed, please call John Gilbert, Manager, Fish and Wildlife, J.D. Irving, Limited, (506) 632-7777 or email honeyman.kelly@jdirving.com