**John Massey visited the Tantramar Marsh on Friday. He spotted a
BALD
EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] taking a MUSKAT [Rat musqué] as prey,
and further on in a BLUEBERRY [Bleuets] field noted two adult
WHITE-TAILED DEER [Chevreuil] and two predominantly white (a.k.a.
piebald) yearlings with them. He was able to get documentary photos
of
the Deer.
**Three of us paid a visit to Roger LeBlanc's feeder yard at 3764
Route 115 near Notre Dame on Friday for an audience with the VESPER
SPARROW [Bruant vespéral] that cooperated beautifully in the bright
sunshine, with photos attached. We went to Riverview after to check
in
on the LARK SPARROW [Bruant à joues marron] from the playground off
Trider Court. Eight folks were in waiting but left by 4:45 p.m. with
a
no-show. Jamie Burris left a message at 5:00 p.m. that it was
contentedly feeding, so a slightly longer wait would have indeed
brought the reward.
**Our NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD [Moqueur polyglotte] has finally decided
to
add some laid-out MOUNTAIN ASH [Sorbier des oiseaux] berries to its
so-far mostly peanut butter and shelled peanut diet. I also saw it
taking some clinging BITTERSWEET NIGHTSHADE [Morelle douce-amère]
berries on a fence.
This Week’s Sky
at a Glance, January 23 – 31
Comet
Lovejoy
is now fading somewhat, and the Moon increasingly brightens the night sky this
week for comet viewers. Even so, the comet is still a nice sight in binoculars
at magnitude 4½ or so. And it's high overhead.
The waxing crescent Moon on the 23rd
guides the way down to twilight planets.
On Friday, January 23, the Moon, dim
Mars, and bright Venus form a big diagonal line in the west in
twilight.
Brilliant Sirius, the Dog Star, glitters
in the southeast after dusk. Look high above it for Betelgeuse in Orion's
shoulder, shining reddish-orange. To their left is Procyon, the Little Dog Star.
It forms the equilateral Winter Triangle with them. Here's some starwatching you
can do through even the worst city light pollution.
Orion shines high in the southeast in
early evening now.
On Tuesday, January 26, the Moon will go
into its First Quarter Phase meaning it will rise at noon and set at midnight.
On Wednesday, January 28, look for the
Pleiades cluster over the Moon at nightfall. The scene rotates clockwise as the
evening advances.
On Saturday, January 24, the sun
rose at 7:49 a.m. and will set at 5:12 p.m. giving 9 hours 22 minutes of
daylight hours. On Saturday, January 31,
the sun will rise at 7:43 a.m. and set at 5:23 p.m. to give 9 hours 40 minutes
of daylight hours (These values are for Moncton, New Brunswick).
This Week's Planet
Roundup
Mercury
disappears deep into the glow of sunset.
Venus
(magnitude –3.9) shines in the west-southwest during evening twilight. It's
getting a little higher each week, on its way into a grand apparition as the
high "Evening Star" this spring.
Mars
(magnitude +1.2) still glows in the southwest at dusk, to the upper left of
bright Venus. It continues to set around 9 p.m.
Jupiter
(magnitude –2.6) comes to opposition next week, so it's big and bright. It rises
in the east-northeast in twilight, and by 10 p.m. it's shining good and high in
the east, with fainter Regulus (magnitude +1.4) down below it. Jupiter and
Regulus pass highest in the south around the middle of the
night.
Saturn
(magnitude +0.5) is well up in the southeast before and during dawn.
Nelson
Poirier
Nature
Moncton
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD TO MOUNTAIN ASH BERRIES.JAN 23, 2015.NELSON POIRIER
VESPER SPARROW.JAN 23, 2015.NELSON POIRIER
VESPER SPARROW.JAN 23, 2015.NELSON POIRIER
.JAN%2B23%2C%2B2015.JOHN%2BMASSEY.jpg)
WHITE-TAILED DEER( TWO PIEBALD YEARLINGS WITH DOE).JAN 23, 2015.JOHN MASSEY
.JAN%2B23%2C%2B2015.JOHN%2BMASSEY.jpg)
WHITE-TAILED DEER (PIEBALD YEARLING).JAN 23, 2015.JOHN MASSEY
WHITE-TAILED DEER.JAN 23, 2015.JOHN MASSEY
