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>& Indeed ! I have been thinking this for several years now. Surely many of us can remember those windshields. It can't be all better air flow / design ? A phone message, may be brief! Rick On Aug 27, 2016, at 10:08 AM, Eleanor Lindsay <kelindsay135@gmail.com> wrote: For the past 30+ years I have made regular summer car trips from St Margarets Bay to Fredericton; in the early days I used to frequently have to stop to clear accumulations of dead insects from my front windshield. I am no longer sure about the exact time frame of this change, but yesterday on return home I was struck by the total lack - not one single insect on my windshield, which speaks such volumes about the enormity of change happening around us - and also how easy it can be not to be so quick to notice or object to the 'convenient' changes................... Eleanor Lindsay > On 2016-08-26 9:17 PM, Donna Crossland wrote: > It's very interesting to read of these various insect observations. > Creating awareness is valuable to those of us who haven't yet ventured into > this domain. > > > I could use some help from folks who are much more in-the-know on what they > might predict the potential effects of spraying bT for spruce budworm would > do to our butterfly populations and other insects. It's all potential bird > food in my mind, and that's a concern, but what of other non-target insect > populations here? Timing is everything, as I understand it. I haven't had > time to research this topic, but I would like some Nova Scotia-specific > observations/predictions on what that might mean to our insect populations > if spraying began next year, which may happen. Thoughts? > > > Donna Crossland (naive insect person) > > > From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] > On Behalf Of Mary Macaulay > Sent: August-26-16 9:09 AM > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Butterfly numbers > > > Sadly this is a global phenomenon. We are now very sophisticated with our > chemical strategies for indiscriminately killing all insects. > http://butterfly-conservation.org/48-10581/neonicotinoid-pesticides-linked-t > o-butterfly-declines.html > > > Those of us who notice need to wake those up who'd care IF they noticed. > Spread the word persistently. > > > With kindest regards > > > > > > Mary (Macaulay), P.Eng. > > > Owner, Remember Adventures & Caper Cafe > > Pedal Buggy & snowshoe rentals, great bird friendly coffee, breakfast & > pasta, pollinator meadow, games & more!! > > (Open Wed to Sunday: 8:30 am-7pm) > > HWY 6 & Station Road > > Trans-Canada Trail > > Tatamagouche > > RememberAdventures.ca & InsectRecovery.org > > 1-902-657-0054 > > Twitter @RememberTata & @InsectRecovery > > > On Aug 26, 2016, at 8:57 AM, Angus MacLean <cold_mac@hotmail.com> wrote: > > I spent 5 days in the field while visiting in northern Cape Breton, > returning yesterday. I saw three fritillaries in total, likely Great > Spangled, but I could not catch up to them. No other butterflies! > > In Kings County, virtually the same story but the lack of skippers is > particularly noticeable & troubling. > > Large numbers of moths coming to the lights, especially in Cape Breton, so > whatever is impacting the butterflies is not affecting the moth population. > > As for bumble bees, Bombus ternarius is always very common/numerous when > goldenrod is at its height. Goldenrod does not attract other nectaring > insects so its a mystery to me. This summer B. ternarius on the average > appears quite small indicating a lack of food for them in their larval > stage. > Angus > > _____ > > From: srshaw@Dal.Ca > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Butterfly numbers > Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2016 02:55:23 +0000 > > I was on the lower part of the drumlin in the Mt Uniacke House grounds for > about an hour in mid-afternoon with a net, looking for flies (not many). In > hot sunny conditions I saw only one butterfly in that time, a common > wood-nymph; also two dragonflies, the small red meadow hawks like those I > used to catch in Cape Cod, Sympetrum sp there. > > The only insects that were common were a small bumble bee, in hundreds > everywhere on goldenrod and asters, and a fair number of Virginia Ctenuca > moths. The small creek there has dried up completely. > > Steve (Hfx) > > On Aug 25, 2016, at 3:02 PM, Ron Wilson <solidago123@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I too noticed a noticeable lack of butterflies on my property this year, > that is until a couple of days ago. > > > While the flight time for many species has passed there has been an > emergence of adult Common Ringlet Butterflies here with approx 12 flitting > around at any given time. > > > Today marked the appearance of this year's second Red Admiral seen here > along with one Great-spangled Fritillary. > > > Clouded Sulphurs and Cabbage Whites are numerous now as well. > > > No sign of American or Painted Ladies this year whereas last year they were > a frequent visitor. > > > Ron Wilson > > Somerset NS > > > > > > > > > On Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 2:48 PM, Larry Bogan <larry@bogan.ca> wrote: > > Peter et al > Yes, I feel that there have been fewer butterflies this summer. Our field > used to hold lots of skippers and Wood Nymphs and there were sparse this > year. The mission-monarch blitz last weekend looked for Monarch evidence > and found some few and far between. > > The last rain has seemed to sparked butterflies. Since then I have