Nature Moncton Nature News: FEB 8 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 08, 2018 ( Thursday )

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

Transcript by: Brian Stone bjpstone@gmail.com

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

** The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW [Bruant des plaines] continued to adhere to its Hydrangea bush territory in the feeder yard of Jules Cormier on Wednesday in Memramcook and was admired by several over the day. The bush is near the corner of Jules's Memramcook home, not far from a fire hydrant. It is often in the bush and can be elusive as it pops in, out and around it. Jules yard surely attracts a tremendous number and variety of patrons. Rose-Alma Maillet made a comment that should be shared . I never thought of Hydrangea as a shrub attractive to sparrows due to its seeds. Rose Alma said she stopped deadheading her own Hydrangea plants in her yard, letting the flowers go to seed and therefore becoming attractive to seed eaters like sparrows which is very obvious in this case. An idea to consider. A photo is attached of the sparrow deep in the bush as it often is.

** Carmella Melanson got a frontal view of the CLAY-COLORED SPARROW [Bruant des plaines] that shows more of its features. Carmella also got a great photo of a male SPRUCE GROUSE [Tétras du Canada] in the Upper Rockport area. Spruce Grouse are always such a treat.

** Georges Brun comments on the many spiders that he sees walking on the snow in the Riverview Marsh at the moment. He photographed some on Wednesday but suspects that they will probably go into hiding with the new snowfall and will be back out and reappear when the sunshine heats the snow in the coming days. They rise from the stems of marsh grass. Georges comments that he has seen them earlier this year than in other years. We will hopefully get a macro photo to submit to BugGuide for species identification and learn more about them.

** Brian Stone got photos of some spectacular solar halo activity on Wednesday morning. Brian explains it and gives sites to go for anyone who wants to learn more about it. I am going to quote Brian's words as editing might get errors inserted. The quote is attached below. I hope that the photos come out in the correct order to make the series meaningful.

Quoting .......

A good day today for solar halos on Wednesday.

I first noticed the light, even while inside the house. I could tell that the light coming in from outside was suggestive of solar halo potential. I took my camera outside and yes, the common 22 deg. halo was very visible. I took a few test shots and while checking them inside the house I noticed the more rare 9 deg. halo was also present. To me this was equivalent of a rare bird sighting.
Also visible, but showing very poorly in photos, was a possible Supralateral Arc further out from the 22 deg. halo. Another possibility for this dim halo was the 46 deg. halo, but that one is very rare and so most likely it was the Supralateral Arc. Just too dim to be 100% sure.

There is also a faint Upper Tangent Arc sitting on top of the 22 deg. halo. There are hints of other halos and arcs but nothing definite enough to name.

These halos are formed by sunlight refracting through, and reflecting from, tiny ice crystals high in the atmosphere. Different shapes and sizes of ice crystals make different halos.

Here are links to more detailed explanations of the displays mentioned above.http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halosim.htm

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/common.htm

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/pyredens.htm

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/supinf.htm

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/46orsup.htm

Brian
End of quote