Nature Moncton Nature News: Aug 3 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, August 3, 2018 (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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** Aldo Dorio got some warbler photos that included a young-of-the-year NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier] and a young-of-the-year CAPE MAY WARBLER [Paruline tigrée] along with adult Cape May Warblers. The Cape May Warblers appear to be eating the ripe Serviceberries. In consultation with Gilles Belliveau, he expanded one of the photos to show a young-of-the-year Cape May Warbler very much appearing to be consuming a berry. Gilles comments that according to Birds of North America, Cape May Warblers are known to feed on berries, especially in the non-breeding season, and they’re also known to occasionally go to Hummingbird nectar. Phil Riebel got a photo of just that earlier in the summer in Miramichi.

** As Gilles comments, there are many insectivores that include fruit in their diet as many of us who have birdfeeders have seen. Many of us have experienced unexpected species to come to jam offerings and occasionally Hummingbird feeders. Serviceberries are a very sweet juicy berry out there right now for birds, mammals and human mammals to sample. I expect if we watch closely, as Gilles comments he has done, it would be a surprise to see just how many species are interested in more than the insects in fruit trees. It also seems to have been a great year for Cape May Warblers.

** Fred Richards got a nice photo of one of the male EASTERN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu de l'Est] that is travelling around their Taylor Village neighbourhood. From reports, it looks like the Eastern Bluebird has had a good season with some working on a second brood at the moment.

** Judy Marsh sends a photo of her PEANUT [Arachide] that has germinated and appears to be doing well. Judy comments they doubt their plantation will support a new mansion and possibly Planters Peanut Co. is simply not too worried!

** Brian Stone got a photo of a very recently fledged DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé] near his Moncton home on Thursday. A parent bird was nearby chirping loudly to make the identification easier. Note that very thick rubbery look at the base of the bill of recent fledglings.

** I’m adding again a few photos from the Nature Moncton field trip to Grand Lake Meadows. Attached are photos of the beautiful CANADA LILY [Lys des prés], a LADY BEETLE [Coccinellidés] in the pupa stage of development, blooming PICKEREL WEED [Pontédérie à feuilles en Coeur], the fern ally QUILLWORT that grows under the water surface with the white bulb-like structures at its base filled with reproductive spores. SNEEZEWEED that is a relatively common relative of Yarrow, and ST. JOHN’S WART [Millepertuis perforé]. St. John’s Wart has been used as a medicinal plant as it contains diazepam, the active ingredient of the trade name medicine, Valium.

** I often gather a plant and put it aside to identify later. We just got to our Little Southwest Miramichi camp on Wednesday after being away from it for a few weeks. Pat asked me why I had left a plant on the bed. I hadn’t! To our surprise, a vining VIRGINIA CREEPER [Vigne Vierge de Virginie] had come up through the floor boards and was vining across the top of the bed. A photo is attached. It is obviously suffering from lack of sunlight, but was definitely on a mission. Our dear old camp is approximately 70 years old, and there are probably lots of openings for a vining plant to venture inside, but the location of this one was a bit of a surprise.

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

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, August 4 – August 11

After twilight look for orange Antares in the heart of Scorpius between Jupiter and Saturn. High above the scorpion is a large house-shaped constellation called Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. If your area isn’t light polluted you can see two lines of stars rising up and outward from the bottom of the house. The line on the right is Serpens Caput and the one on the left is Serpens Cauda. Together they comprise Serpens the Serpent, the only constellation that is in separate parts. Globular clusters contain many tens of thousands of stars and orbit the centre of our galaxy, which is in the direction where Saturn currently resides. Therefore, these clusters abound in the Sagittarius-Scorpius-Ophiuchus region of our sky and many can be seen in binoculars as a fat, fuzzy star.

Ophiuchus represents Asclepius from mythology, who became interested in the healing arts after killing a snake and watching another snake bring it back to life with a leaf. Asclepius brought many people back from the dead, including Orion after he was killed by the scorpion. Hades, god of the Underworld, complained to Zeus about a decrease in business so Zeus sent his pet eagle to kill Asclepius with a thunderbolt. The constellation of Aquila the Eagle is east of Serpens Cauda.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:04 am and sunset will occur at 8:44 pm, giving 14 hours, 40 minutes of daylight (6:12 am and 8:47 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:13 am and set at 8:34 pm, giving 14 hours, 21 minutes of daylight (6:20 am and 8:37 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is at third quarter on Saturday, August 4 and it is new the following Saturday, giving a dark sky for meteor watching. Mercury is at inferior conjunction, between Earth and the Sun, on Tuesday and it will be well placed for morning observing toward the end of the month. Venus sets at 10:15 mid-week, when Saturn is at its highest in the south, and Jupiter sets around midnight. Mars looks brilliant to the naked eye but a global dust storm continues to obscure much of its telescopic treasures. The Perseid meteor shower peaks late next weekend but start watching a few nights before then.

The Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on August 4 at 7 pm. All are welcome. The RASC NB star party at Mactaquac Provincial Park takes place next weekend, August 10-11.

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

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton