Nature Moncton Nature News: April 12 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 12, 2019 (Friday)

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca

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On Thursday (April 11), Yves Poussart joined other members of les ''Ami.e.s de la Nature du Sud-Est'' to look for birds along the coast between Shediac and Cape Tormentine. A total of 40 species were observed and the nice weather offered good conditions for observations and photography. All three species of SCOTERS were seen. For several participants, two GREAT BLUE HERON (Grand héron bleu) were seen for the first time this season, one flying overhead at Bas Cap-Pelé and another one in the Murry Beach area. RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Harle huppé) were seen in addition to the more numerous COMMON MERGANSER (Grand harle) on several locations. COMMON GOLDENEYE (Garrot à oeil d'or) are still present in good numbers joined by a few BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (Garrot d'Islande). Small groups of COMMON EIDER (Eider à duvet) were spotted and it was interesting to watch two big flocks of several hundreds of individuals flying overhead in the Cap-Pelé area. Having the opportunity to watch LONG-TAILED DUCK (Harelde kakawi) at a reasonable distance is always a treat and one individual offered an interesting display at Cape Tormentine. A picture of an adult RING-BILLED GULL (Goéland à bec cerclé) in flight is also included.

** More FOX SPARROWS [Bruant fauve] passing through. Gordon Rattray had 2 arrive to his Weldon feeder yard on Thursday, as well as COMMON GRACKLE [Quiscale bronzé] and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à épaulettes]. Gordon got a nice photo of a first spring male Red-winged Blackbird. At Gray Brook Marsh on Thursday, there was a pair of COMMON MERGANSERS [Grand Harle], 3 NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet] and a pair of AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir]. The pond was mostly refrozen with only an area of open water at the top end.

** The COMMON REDPOLLS [Sizerin flammé] are obviously roaming about. Clarence Cormier had 50+ coming to his Grande-Digue yard on Thursday for mixed seed. Clarence still has a surprising number of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien] at 13 in the company of 3 SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur]. A MERLIN [Faucon émerillon] reduced the American Tree Sparrow population by one on Wednesday, but failed on a retry on Thursday.

** It is appearing that the EASTERN MEADOWLARK(S) [Sturnelle des prés] are settling in at Century Farm Campground in St. Martins. Jane LeBlanc got a nice photo of one in a Spruce Tree, basking in the sunshine of Thursday.

** Aldo Dorio photographed a lone male COMMON GOLDENEYE [Garrot à oeil d'or] at Hay Island. It still seems to have the white smudge of a 1^st-winter bird at the base of the beak. The white ‘full moon’ seems a bit flattened and the forehead slope is very abrupt for a Common Goldeneye, but all else says it’s a Common Goldeneye.

** Brian Stone got a very distant photo of what he himself thought from a distance was a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT [Cormoran à aigrettes], but to find it was a GREAT CORMORANT [Grand Cormoran] upon reviewing the photos. The white flank patches and white throat pouch area of breeding plumage show well even though the photo is distant. Brian is also still seeing Midges, aka Lake Flies, but not the swarms he saw earlier.

** 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, 2019 April 13 – April 20
As the Sun is setting this week, Spica is rising in the east. This blue giant star is the brightest in the constellation Virgo the Maiden, and the 14th brightest star of the night sky. It is usually located by following the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle to Arcturus and driving a spike to Spica. With Arcturus in Boötes and Regulus (or dimmer Denebola) in Leo, it forms the Spring Triangle. If you toss in Cor Coroli in Canes Venatici, below the handle of the Big Dipper, you get the Spring Diamond.

Spica represents an ear of wheat in the hand of Virgo. In Greek mythology she was Demeter, the goddess of wheat or agriculture (Ceres in Roman mythology). The Sun passes through this constellation in harvest time, and it is in the head of Virgo at the autumnal equinox. Virgo is the second largest of the 88 constellations in terms of area of sky, trailing only Hydra the Water Snake. Coincidentally, it also trails Hydra in the sky, which can be seen stretching below Leo.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:37 am and sunset will occur at 8:03 pm, giving 13 hours, 26minutes of daylight (6:43 am and 8:07 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:24 am and set at 8:12 pm, giving 13 hours, 48 minutes of daylight (6:30 am and 8:16 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is at its best for April observing this weekend and it is full on Good Friday, April 19. Mars is near Aldebaran, the brightest star in Taurus and which marks the Bull’s eye. This gives us a good opportunity to compare their brightness and colour. Jupiter rises by 1 am and is at its best for observing before dawn. Saturn is a hand span to Jupiter’s lower left, while Venus and Mercury are about a binocular width apart rising less than an hour before sunrise.

There will be public observing in Hampton at the Dutch Point Road entrance to Dutch Point Park on Friday, April 12 at sunset, with a cloud date of April 13. RASC NB, the provincial astronomy club, meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on Saturday, April 13 at 1 pm. All are welcome.

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

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton