Nature Moncton Nature News: Dec 15 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, December 15, 2017 (Friday)

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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** Peter Gadd has advised the MISTLE THRUSH [Grive draine] is back Friday morning in its favourite Mountain Ash tree, ready to greet admirers. Peter also got some excellent video of this famous visitor. Take a look at the attached link.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pmgadd/38159967255/in/album-72157690935621485/

** Louise Nichols travelled the coastal area from Saint Thomas to Cap Bimet on Thursday to see COMMON MERGANSER [Grand Harle], RED-BREASTED MERGANSER [Harle huppé], lots of COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d'or], BLACK SCOTER [Macreuse noire], WHITE-WINGED SCOTER [Macreuse brune], RED-THROATED LOON [Plongeon catmarin] and HORNED GREBE [Grèbe esclavon]. Among Louise’s nice photos is one of a 2^nd-winter ICELAND GULL [Goéland arctique] at Saint Thomas. Note the Black-billed tip, bill less than half the length of the head, and a primary projection nicely beyond the tail to contrast with the less common GLAUCOUS GULL [Goéland bourgmestre]. There were also flocks of COMMON EIDER [Eider à duvet] in flight in various places. There was lots of open water, but maybe not for long after the cold temperatures we’re experiencing at the moment.

** It was great to be back to MISTLE THRUSH [Grive draine] headquarters on Thursday to find the thrush happy and healthy and being so enjoyed by folks from near and far. It was most amusing to see it putting the run to EUROPEAN STARLING [Étourneau sansonnet] in no uncertain terms. A flock of 50 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] took a look at its tree early on Thursday, but did not land in the fruit tree. I’m just not sure how the thrush would take to a flock of waxwings. Brian Stone tried hard to get photos, but most of them were branch-bombed until a few very lucky moments when he got it in the open on Starling guard. We came home by route 11 to stop at the Bouctouche lagoon to find a nice diversity of waterfowl that included a pair of BARROW'S GOLDENEYE [Garrot d'Islande], a male NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet], 4 NORTHERN SHOVELERS [Canard souchet], several scaup appearing to be all LESSER SCAUP [Petit Fuligule] as well as MALLARDS [Canard colvert], AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] and lots of CANADA GEESE [Bernache du Canada]. The 4 Shovellers did the behaviour sometimes noted of them, going around in a tight circle taking in food via their huge bill with sieve-like edging.

** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is added to this edition, courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 16 – December 23

This time of year many naturalists throughout the province are busy
performing Christmas bird counts. If you are on your toes and not too
worn out you can add four more between dusk and dawn. Start with the
easy ones around 6 pm by looking for the three bright stars of the
Summer Triangle above the western horizon. The lowest of the three is
Altair, the head of Aquila the Eagle, which is standing straight up on
the horizon. The highest of the trio is Deneb at the tail of Cygnus,
which is doing a swan dive. If it is cloudy you have a chance to catch
them in the east in the morning, although the eagle will be difficult
with Altair rising around 7 am.

Midnight is your best chance to spot the elusive and tiny Columba the
Dove, but you will need an unobstructed southern horizon. Look below
Orion for Lepus the Hare, and then try to see stars near the horizon
directly below. Very few bird counts will be missing the common crow
but, in case you did, look southward around 6:30 am for a distinct
quadrilateral of stars to the right of Jupiter and Mars. There you will
find Corvus the Crow hitching a ride on the tail of Hydra.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:55 am and sunset will occur at
4:34 pm, giving 8 hours, 39 minutes of daylight (7:57 am and 4:42 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:59 am and set at 4:37
pm, giving 8 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (8:01 am and 4:45 pm in Saint
John). The Sun reaches its most southerly position at 12:28 pm on
Thursday, giving us the longest night of stargazing for the year. Those
who like to celebrate Saturnalia have an extra reason to party: Saturn
is in conjunction with the Sun on that day, less than five hours after
the solstice. Friday will be a good vacation day.

The Moon is new on Monday, but Sunday morning offers the opportunity to
see a very slim crescent just 19 hours from new. You will need to do
some planning to determine where to look, and binoculars will be
necessary to locate it in twilight. Opportunities for observing the
brighter planets are restricted to the morning sky for much of the
winter. This week only Mars and Jupiter are visible. Mars yields a tiny
orange disc in a telescope, but Jupiter is high enough in early twilight
to give decent views of its cloud belts and four moons. The Ursid meteor
shower, emanating from near the North Star, peaks on the morning of
Friday, December 22. This is a minor shower; you might see a few per
hour, but sometimes it surprises.

RASC NB members in Moncton are hosting a public observing session at the
Moncton High School Observatory on Friday, December 15 from 6:30 to 8:30
pm. All are welcome.

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

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton