Nature Moncton Nature News: Oct 20 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, October 20, 2017 (Friday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

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** Les amis de nature sud-est have a regular weekly birding outing on Thursdays which has turned out to be a major success. They had a great rare visitor on Thursday when they found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE [Oie rieuse] with CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada] at the Shediac Big Lobster Park. Carmella Melanson captured a very lucky photo of the Greater White-fronted Goose in flight with a Canada Goose. Note the orange legs, slightly smaller size and – when looking closely – you can pick up the white band at the base of the bill that gives the bird its name.

**We usually notice the large BLANCK AND YELLOW ARGIOPE SPIDER in August and September, but Blake SHERRARD took a photo of one in early July that is attached. The Sheerrards also had a successful nesting of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu de l'Est] in their yard nest box. I’m attaching photos of the way that they have their bird house erected. Photo A shows a pipe driven into the ground approximately a few feet; then Photo B and C show a slightly less-in-diameter longer pole that slides into it; the nest box is attached to the top of the pole with straps as Photo D shows. There is the advantage of being able to lift out the pole with the nest box attached to clean it and quickly replace it with no ladder needed. This set-up seems very solid as it has been there for more than several years.

** Aldo Dorio is still seeing HUDSONIAN GODWITS [Barge hudsonienne] at Hay Island. He saw 6 there on Thursday morning. He again got a photo of a female NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet].

** Brian Stone cruised the area between Gorge Rd and Mapleton Rd on Thursday, along Gorge Brook. There was an area of a large pond near Mapleton Rd, and Brian was surprised at the several BEAVER [Castor] dams along the course of the brook, going from the pond. No Beaver were at them during the day, but he did see lots of evidence of their nocturnal work from the dams, lodges, and tree harvesting. There were also bushes loaded with fruit WINTER BERRY HOLLY. He came across an AUTUMN MEADOWHAWK DRAGONFLY [Sympétrum Tardif] and one of the large fall spiders in its web.

** As many are noticing, there are still lots of shorebirds with us. On a drop by to the river near the Bouctouche lagoon on Tuesday, I noted a basic-plumaged BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER [Pluvier argenté] resting on a rock in the river with a GREATER YELLOWLEGS [Grand Chevalier] near it that shows just how large the Black-bellied Plover is, averaging 1 ½ inches less than the often seemingly large Greater Yellowlegs.

** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is included in this edition, courtesy of Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, October 21 – October 28

With an early-setting Moon this weekend it might be a good time for some good old fashioned giraffe hunting. No guns allowed, just find a place where the sky is not tainted by light pollution, and bring binoculars for an added treat.

The large constellation Camelopardalis (try ka-mellow-par'-da-lis) is somewhat easier to pronounce than it is to locate in the sky. Look below Cassiopeia, and between Perseus and Ursa Minor (the Little Dipper, which has the North Star at the end of the handle). Any stars you can see in this area compose the not-so-stellar giraffe. The constellation was imagined and charted on a globe by Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius in 1612 and later adopted by other prominent makers of star charts. The name derives from how the Greeks regarded giraffes as camel leopards, with their long neck and spots.

An interesting binocular object called Kemble’s Cascade is an observing highlight within Camelopardalis. This asterism, forming a line of about 20 stars, was noticed by Canadian amateur astronomer Father Lucien Kemble, who reported it to a columnist at Sky and Telescope magazine. One method of finding your way there is to imagine a line across the top stars of Cassiopeia’s W shape, right to left, and extend it an equal distance. Near one end of this asterism a telescope will reveal the open star cluster NGC 1502. Happy hunting.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:44 am and sunset will occur at 6:22 pm, giving 10 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (7:48 am and 6:28 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:54 am and set at 6:10 pm, giving 10 hours, 16 minutes of daylight (7:58 am and 6:17 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is at first quarter on Friday, October 27; a great target for telescopes later in the week. Saturn continues to awe observers with views of its rings in early evening. Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun on Thursday, while Mercury sets about 20 minutes after them. Mars is nine degrees above Venus this weekend in the morning sky, and they increase that spread by a few degrees over the week. Look for meteors springing from Orion’s club early in the morning this weekend. This minor meteor shower is one of two arising from Halley’s Comet.

International Observe the Moon Night is on Saturday, October 28. Members and guests of RASC NB will have telescopes and binoculars set up at the Irving Nature Park in Saint John for this event on Friday, October 27 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, with a back-up date of Saturday.

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

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton