**Many folks will be in the Sackville area this weekend, but for those who
are not attending the Festival of Nature and are in Moncton, there will be a
Birding Hike in the Irishtown Nature Park tomorrow, Sunday, June 7th, at 9:45
a.m. This will be led by Nature Moncton member Eric Wilson, as part of a special
day at the park sponsored by the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance. Meet at the
waterfalls at 9:45 a.m. for an hour of birding along the Yellow Trail. Eric did
a dry run on Friday and was very pleased with the variety of Warblers
[Parulines] there; a nesting NORTHERN FLICKER [Pic flamboyant], Vireos [Viréos],
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE [Pioui de l'Est] and more. The entrance to the Irishtown
Nature Park parking lot is 1151 Elmwood Drive, and the main pathway from the
parking lot leads to the waterfall.
**Some of Brian Stone’s photos from Thursday got waylaid yesterday. The AMERICAN LADY Butterfly [Vanesse de Virginie], SIX-SPOTTED TIGER BEETLE [Cicindèle à six points], and MALLARD [Canard colvert] Duck and ducklings are added today. A Dragonfly [Libellule] Brian photographed in flight is a male BEAVERPOND BASKETTAIL [Épithèque canine], which Gilles Belliveau points out is readily identified from other Baskettails flying at the moment due to the uniquely shaped terminal appendage which has a turned-down appearance, as Brian was able to catch in the photo. This Dragonfly and the SPINY BASKETTAIL [Épithèque épineuse] fly late May to early July.
**Dave Christie noted two species new for him this spring on Friday. He spotted a male BLACKPOLL WARBLER [Paruline rayée] singing in a thicket close to his Mary’s Point home. Hearing the vocalization of the Blackpoll is special. It is not commonly seen on its migratory route to the north of us, but is not classed as rare, just not seen and heard as frequently as other Warblers. Dave also had a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER [Moucherolle à ventre jaune] in woods across from the Interpretive Centre, which is always a nice find. Dave saw a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] in pursuit of two Pigeons [Pigeons] in the area of the Shepody River dam on Friday, and comments that BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu] continue to move through, noting approximately 30 around his feeder yard on Friday.
**Lisa Morris shares photos of the common ASIAN MULTI-COLORED LADY BEETLE [Coccinelle asiatique multicolore]. This is an introduced Lady Beetle that has become very common, especially in homes. Lisa also noted DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT [Cormoran à aigrettes] in Centennial Park. There’s a lot of Minnows [Ménés] in the pond there for fish-eating birds.
**This week’s Sky at a Glance is added to today’s transcription courtesy of Curt Nason. Curt tends to point out what we will see at dusk and after, and adds some of the folklore associated with astronomy.
**Some of Brian Stone’s photos from Thursday got waylaid yesterday. The AMERICAN LADY Butterfly [Vanesse de Virginie], SIX-SPOTTED TIGER BEETLE [Cicindèle à six points], and MALLARD [Canard colvert] Duck and ducklings are added today. A Dragonfly [Libellule] Brian photographed in flight is a male BEAVERPOND BASKETTAIL [Épithèque canine], which Gilles Belliveau points out is readily identified from other Baskettails flying at the moment due to the uniquely shaped terminal appendage which has a turned-down appearance, as Brian was able to catch in the photo. This Dragonfly and the SPINY BASKETTAIL [Épithèque épineuse] fly late May to early July.
**Dave Christie noted two species new for him this spring on Friday. He spotted a male BLACKPOLL WARBLER [Paruline rayée] singing in a thicket close to his Mary’s Point home. Hearing the vocalization of the Blackpoll is special. It is not commonly seen on its migratory route to the north of us, but is not classed as rare, just not seen and heard as frequently as other Warblers. Dave also had a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER [Moucherolle à ventre jaune] in woods across from the Interpretive Centre, which is always a nice find. Dave saw a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] in pursuit of two Pigeons [Pigeons] in the area of the Shepody River dam on Friday, and comments that BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu] continue to move through, noting approximately 30 around his feeder yard on Friday.
**Lisa Morris shares photos of the common ASIAN MULTI-COLORED LADY BEETLE [Coccinelle asiatique multicolore]. This is an introduced Lady Beetle that has become very common, especially in homes. Lisa also noted DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT [Cormoran à aigrettes] in Centennial Park. There’s a lot of Minnows [Ménés] in the pond there for fish-eating birds.
**This week’s Sky at a Glance is added to today’s transcription courtesy of Curt Nason. Curt tends to point out what we will see at dusk and after, and adds some of the folklore associated with astronomy.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, June 6 – June
13
The Big Dipper forms the rear haunches and extraordinarily long tail of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The Dipper is seen easily high overhead around 10 pm. Follow the arc of the handle and you arrive at the bright star Arcturus in the kite-shaped constellation Boötes the Herdsman. Then, angle a line down to the star Spica in Virgo the Maiden. Follow the arc to Arcturus, drive a spike to Spica; a mnemonic that helps you find your way around the sky. One third of the way from Arcturus to equally bright Vega in the northeast is the semicircular Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown.
The Mi’gmaq and Iroquois First Nations have a tale of seven young bear hunters, all named for birds, that explains some sights in nature. The bowl of the Big Dipper is the bear, while the handle stars and four in Boötes are the hunters. In order from the bear are Robin, Chickadee, Moose Bird, Pigeon, Blue Jay, Owl and Saw Whet. In spring, when the bear’s den (Corona Borealis) rises, the bear emerges and is chased by the hunters. Over summer and into fall, the four stars in Arcturus dip below the horizon and are said to tire and drop out of the hunt. As the bear starts rising in the east in autumn, it is rising to confront its pursuers. Robin shoots an arrow into the bear’s heart, causing Robin’s chest and the maple trees to get splashed by blood. Robin and Chickadee carve up the bear and cook it in a pot that Chickadee had been toting on his shoulder, and only then does wily Moose Bird appear. Chickadee is Mizar, the middle star in the Dipper handle. If you look carefully you might see the fainter star Alcor very close by – Chickadee’s cooking pot.
The Big Dipper forms the rear haunches and extraordinarily long tail of the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The Dipper is seen easily high overhead around 10 pm. Follow the arc of the handle and you arrive at the bright star Arcturus in the kite-shaped constellation Boötes the Herdsman. Then, angle a line down to the star Spica in Virgo the Maiden. Follow the arc to Arcturus, drive a spike to Spica; a mnemonic that helps you find your way around the sky. One third of the way from Arcturus to equally bright Vega in the northeast is the semicircular Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown.
The Mi’gmaq and Iroquois First Nations have a tale of seven young bear hunters, all named for birds, that explains some sights in nature. The bowl of the Big Dipper is the bear, while the handle stars and four in Boötes are the hunters. In order from the bear are Robin, Chickadee, Moose Bird, Pigeon, Blue Jay, Owl and Saw Whet. In spring, when the bear’s den (Corona Borealis) rises, the bear emerges and is chased by the hunters. Over summer and into fall, the four stars in Arcturus dip below the horizon and are said to tire and drop out of the hunt. As the bear starts rising in the east in autumn, it is rising to confront its pursuers. Robin shoots an arrow into the bear’s heart, causing Robin’s chest and the maple trees to get splashed by blood. Robin and Chickadee carve up the bear and cook it in a pot that Chickadee had been toting on his shoulder, and only then does wily Moose Bird appear. Chickadee is Mizar, the middle star in the Dipper handle. If you look carefully you might see the fainter star Alcor very close by – Chickadee’s cooking pot.
This Week in the Solar System
Today sunrise in Moncton was at 5:29 am and sunset will occur at 9:05 pm, giving 15 hours, 36 minutes of daylight. Next Saturday the Sun will rise about two minutes earlier and set five minutes later, giving 15 hours, 43 minutes of daylight.
The Moon is at Third Quarter on Tuesday, June 19, rising around 1:25 am that day.
Mercury will visible in the morning sky later this month but you will have to be out before 5 am to see it.
Venus is at its greatest elongation from the Sun today, but it will not be at its highest above the horizon at sunset for this period of evening visibility. That occurred last month. Since that time, the angle the Sun’s path makes with the horizon has been decreasing from its maximum at the spring equinox. Although Venus continued to move farther from the Sun, it was in a more horizontal direction than vertical. Use binoculars to look for the Beehive star cluster near Venus late in the week.
Mars is too low to be seen in the evening, and it is in conjunction with the Sun on June 14.
Jupiter crosses the astronomical boundary from Cancer into Leo today. Venus has closed the gap to Jupiter to about 15 degrees, the width across your outstretched pinkie and forefinger at arm’s length. They are in a race to Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.
Saturn is due south around midnight this week, when it is highest in the sky and best for observing. Its rings are at their best viewing in a decade so give them a try with your spotting scope.
Today sunrise in Moncton was at 5:29 am and sunset will occur at 9:05 pm, giving 15 hours, 36 minutes of daylight. Next Saturday the Sun will rise about two minutes earlier and set five minutes later, giving 15 hours, 43 minutes of daylight.
The Moon is at Third Quarter on Tuesday, June 19, rising around 1:25 am that day.
Mercury will visible in the morning sky later this month but you will have to be out before 5 am to see it.
Venus is at its greatest elongation from the Sun today, but it will not be at its highest above the horizon at sunset for this period of evening visibility. That occurred last month. Since that time, the angle the Sun’s path makes with the horizon has been decreasing from its maximum at the spring equinox. Although Venus continued to move farther from the Sun, it was in a more horizontal direction than vertical. Use binoculars to look for the Beehive star cluster near Venus late in the week.
Mars is too low to be seen in the evening, and it is in conjunction with the Sun on June 14.
Jupiter crosses the astronomical boundary from Cancer into Leo today. Venus has closed the gap to Jupiter to about 15 degrees, the width across your outstretched pinkie and forefinger at arm’s length. They are in a race to Regulus, the brightest star in Leo.
Saturn is due south around midnight this week, when it is highest in the sky and best for observing. Its rings are at their best viewing in a decade so give them a try with your spotting scope.
Nelson
Poirier
Nature Moncton
AMERICAN LADY BUTTERFLY. JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
ASIAN MUTICOLORED LADY BEETLE.JUNE 4, 2015.LISA MORRIS
AZURE BUTTERFLY. JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
BEAVERPOND BASKETTAIL DRAGONFLY (MALE). JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
CALLIGRAPHY BEETLES 01. JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
CALLIGRAPHY BEETLES 01. JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS IN CENTENNIAL PARK.JUNE 4, 2015.LISA MORRIS
MALLARD DUCKLING. JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
MALLARD DUCKLINGS 01. JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
SIX SPOTTED TIGER BEETLE. JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
YELLOW WARBLER ( FEMALE ). JUNE 04, 2015. BRIAN STONE
Nature
Moncton
