Nature Moncton Nature News

Sunday, 8 December 2024

December 8 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 8, 2024

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 proofreader Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**There are no actual reports today, assuming all of our reporters went into temporary hibernation with the cold and weather, so it is a good day to review some of our items.

1. The mail strike made Nature Moncton greeting cards a bit of a challenge, but rest assured they are very much available for distribution to friends by other means.

All photos are taken locally and submitted by local photographers. On the front is the photo; on the back is the Nature Moncton logo, the name of the subject, and the photographer. Inside will have “Seasons Greetings” but still lots of room for writing a message. The format is the same as the regular greeting cards (8.5” x 5.5”) with envelopes included. You can order a random set of the 6 cards available or select any combination. For instance, you can order 10 Northern Cardinal cards and 2 Black-capped Chickadee cards for $20. Make up your own package. President Fred will print to order.

These cards can be ordered by phone at 506-334-0100 or by email at fred.j.richards@gmail.com

Pricing is 5 cards for $10, 12 cards for $20, and 20 cards for $30.

There have been some special requests for 2 photos that appeared recently on the blog, and these are reattached today.

2. Nature Moncton members and any folks wishing to become members are very much encouraged to join/renew memberships at this time. Funds from membership fees are what keep Nature Moncton operating with the many projects ongoing at the moment, including such items as replacing the Peregrine Falcon nest box and ongoing life camera viewing, bird box distribution, and lots more everyday expenses.

Memberships can be made online via e-transfer by going to the Nature Moncton website or the completed forms can be printed and mailed to the Nature Moncton address on the form attached. If the form is not clear below, email the editor and the form will be sent to you.

3. The December Nature Moncton meeting is coming up this coming Tuesday evening, December 10.

The greeting cards and membership forms will be available at the meeting.

Alain Clavette will give the monthly presentation with the write-up below:

DECEMBER MONTHLY MEETING PRESENTATION

Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 7 PM

Mapleton Park Rotary Lodge

Presenter: Alain Clavette

Topic: “The ‘Ducks Unlimited Effect’ and the Importance of their Treasured Wetland Program”

Naturalists don’t need to be convinced that wetlands are important, but it is surprising to learn just how important they are! This presentation will look at data that will show how over 50 years of work conserving wetlands has made a crucial difference, not only in terms of species abundance but also through the contribution made by wetlands to carbon sequestration. The Ducks Unlimited “Treasured Wetland Program” is directed toward people who might not otherwise be inclined to protect nature, and Alain will explain elements of the program which are geared to bring people on board in an understanding of how wetlands work.

As Outreach Coordinator for Ducks Unlimited Canada, Alain has been able to share his lifelong passion for birds with others. Familiar to many through his weekly birding column on CBC radio, Alain studied Biology at the Université de Moncton and taught the ornithology course there in the winter sessions from 2017 to 2021. Throughout the years, Alain has inspired others with his love of birds through field outings, presentations, and annual pelagic excursions in the Bay of Fundy off Grand Manan.

Come out and enjoy Alain’s enthusiasm as he shares with us his knowledge of wetlands. This will be an in-person presentation at the Rotary Lodge, but anyone can join via Zoom at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81499074961?pwd=z6BmYCjeA9az8sE7ASlP2J7WWIOozZ.1

All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

4. Details of The Christmas Bird Count for the Moncton area will be available at this Tuesday night’s meeting, and assumedly, coordinator Mitch Doucet will be present to speak on that.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

NORTHERN CARDINAL (MALE). DEC 6, 2024. NORBERT DUPUIS

NASHVILLE WARBLER. DEC. 04, 2024. BRIAN STONE

Saturday, 7 December 2024

December 7 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 7, 2024

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 proofreader Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Norbert Dupuis shares another wow moment photograph of the brilliant male of his Northern Cardinal pair, tail feathers fully flared!

**Aldo Dorio’s camera caught the eye of a Red Fox in very prime winter pelage, ready for what lies ahead.

Aldo also photographed a male Long-tailed Duck, one of the many that seem to be enjoying their winter vacation in New Brunswick.

**There are several good reasons to bird-watch and record what you see in December.

The annual Christmas Bird Counts are starting this coming week in many areas of New Brunswick and the tally of species on the chosen day in your area is only one part of it. The tally also runs for three days before and three days after the official day in your area, and birds seen during this time and not on count day are included as count week birds.

Counts at birdfeeders are very important as that is where some species will appear that are not tallied in the field. If you maintain a birdfeeder yard, it would be very helpful and appreciated if you contact the coordinator in your zone to add your observations to the tally. Hopefully we will be able to provide a list of coordinators and Bird Count dates in the different areas soon. Stay tuned!

The annual winter NB Bird Count (Dec 1-Feb 28) so faithfully maintained by Gilles Belliveau is yet another reason to watch and report any new or unexpected/uncommon species to Gilles at gilles.belliveau@gmail.com, and one can check if the species has already been recorded at https://nbwinter.gbnature.com

Peter Gadd also maintains a similar list for Northumberland County (the largest county in New Brunswick) and Peter can be reached at gadd1313@nb.sympatico.ca

Many birdfeeder folk are also part of Project Feeder Watch and periodically report what they are seeing at their feeders.

Lots of reasons to birdwatch in December!!!

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

NORTHERN CARDINAL (MALE). DEC 6, 2024. NORBERT DUPUIS

LONG-TAILED DUCK (MALE). DEC 6, 2024. ALDO DORIO

RED FOX. DEC 6, 2024. ALDO DORIO

Friday, 6 December 2024

December 6 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 6, 2024

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 proofreader Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Suzanne Rousseau had a visit from a Fox Sparrow to her Sussex feeder yard on Thursday. It would seem Fox Sparrow visits to feeders have been lower in number this year possibly due to the lack of snow up to this point.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker that arrived at Suzanne’s yard on November 17 is still present, so it's looking good for a winter’s stay.

Suzanne’s pair of Northern Cardinals continue to be regulars as they have been for some years now.

(Editor’s note: note the difference in the red highlights that are much more prominent in Suzanne’s photo of a female Northern Cardinal, whereas the red highlights in the female Northern Cardinal photographed in Nelson’s Poirier’s yard on Thursday are much more muted. A second female in the yard appears brighter and has not consented to a suitable photograph as of yet.

I am assuming this may be a feature to identify different individuals.)

**John Inman photographed a Grey Squirrel enjoying a grape and a walnut on Thursday.

He also had a new immature male Red-winged Blackbird arrive to enjoy a suet block.

**We have a report from the lively feeder yard of Doreen Rossiter in Alma.

In the sparrow department, there have been six White-throated Sparrows, five Dark-eyed Juncos, two American Tree Sparrows (Monday), three Song Sparrows, and one Fox Sparrow (Tuesday). The Red- bellied Woodpecker is still hiding seeds in the cracks of the trees. The White-winged Dove hasn't been seen since Saturday when the temperature dropped to -5 overnight. Also, one Common Grackle, six Red-winged Blackbirds (all males, only one mature) last seen Dec. 4th, upwards of 20 European Starlings, and four American Robins (Tuesday) have been present. The pair of Northern Cardinals are regular visitors, as are five Morning Doves.

American Goldfinch are often seen in the yard, but only one individual visits the feeder. The rest fill up on alder seed catkins. As many as 42 Rock Pigeons have been present. Both White-breasted Nuthatch and Red-breasted Nuthatch have disappeared. One fairly tame male Ring-necked Pheasant named Tom has both residents very well trained. Three American crows (two that have been coming for years and have brought gifts twice) have visited. They come when called and walk along the deck railing (both upper & lower), looking in the windows to see where home residents are. One pair of Downy Woodpeckers and one female Hairy Woodpecker have been seen, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk swoops through occasionally.

There are many Herring gulls and one Ring-billed Gull that come for scraps thrown out to them. Eight Blue Jays, numerous Black- capped Chickadees, and two or three Red Squirrels make for a lively feeding area.

**The Lincoln’s Sparrow continues to be present at the feeder yard of Nelson Poirier. Northern Cardinals appear to have given it the stamp of approval, whereas other sparrows are shown the door! The Lincoln’s Sparrow is an early bird, seemingly the first bird around a ground feeder at dawn.

**This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2024 December 7 – December 14
The most inconspicuous of the zodiac constellations is faint Cancer the Crab, which is nestled between Gemini and Leo. In mythology, the crab was sent by the goddess queen Hera to distract Hercules while he was battling the Hydra. The crab was no match for the strongman’s stomp. Ancient Egyptians saw it as their sacred dung beetle, the scarab. In the first millennium BCE the Sun was in Cancer at the summer solstice, the time when it halts its northward motion and slowly starts heading south. This back and forth motion of the rising and setting Sun on the horizon was perhaps reminiscent of a crab sidling on a beach.

The constellation is recognized by a trapezoid of dim but naked eye stars as the crab’s body, with other stars representing the claws and legs. The trapezoid was also seen as a manger flanked by a pair of donkeys, Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australus. On a clear dark night we can see a hazy patch of hay within the manger, and binoculars reveal it as a beautiful star cluster called the Beehive, Praesepe (manger) or M44. Being near the ecliptic, the Moon and planets often pass through or near this cluster, and Mars will spend most of this month nearby. The Beehive was once used to forecast storms, for if it could not be seen it was hidden by light clouds at the front of a weather system. Binoculars reveal another star cluster, M67, less than a fist-width south of M44.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:48 and sunset will occur at 4:33, giving 8 hours, 45 minutes of daylight (7:50 and 4:41 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:54 and set at 4:33, giving 8 hours, 39 minutes of daylight (7:50 and 4:41 in Saint John). We are into an approximate two-week period of the earliest sunsets for the year.

The Moon at first quarter below Saturn on Sunday and it is just east of the Pleiades next Friday. Brilliant Venus can be seen in the southwest soon after sunset, slowly gaining altitude nightly and setting around 8 pm. Saturn is at its highest and best for observing by 6 pm, showing its rings nearly edge on. Jupiter is at opposition on Saturday, lording over the sky all night and attracting attention in the west-northwest an hour or two before sunrise. On Tuesday evening between 6:30 and 8:30 telescope users might see Jupiter’s Red Spot, its moon Io and Io’s shadow transiting the planet. Mars begins its retrograde motion this week and remains within a binocular view of the Beehive star cluster. I have been starting my day with views of this and Jupiter’s moons every clear morning. The Geminid meteor shower is at its peak over December 13/14, a worthy view despite the bright moonlight.

Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm on the YouTube channel and Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay. The Fredericton Astronomy Club meets in the UNB Forestry-Earth Sciences building on Tuesday at 7 pm.

Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.