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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** Stella Leblanc kept hearing a new
bird while doing yard work on Thursday in her Bouctouche yard and was
eventually able to find a male BOBOLINK [Goglu des prés] perched on top of her
hedge. Jean-Paul Leblanc was able to get a few photos on the very windy day
that kept the feathers in movement. Last year they had their first Bobolink on
May 13th and eventually they ended up with 13 of them in their yard.
This is an exceptional number to appear in one yard. One is usually lucky to
have one and normally only in spring when they first arrive. The female plumage
is very different and it is a good idea to check out the guides right now to
remind ourselves of the female’s rather bland plumage.
** Yvette Richard got some great photos
of PAINTED TURTLES [Tortue peinte] enjoying Thursday afternoon’s sunshine at
that reliable pond in Lower Jemseg en route to the former Gagetown ferry
landing. Yvette also got a photo of a male BLUE-WINED TEAL as well as a pair
lifting in flight.
** Ray Gauvin got another interesting
photo of the MOON on May 08th from his back deck in Shediac. Looking
through a few spruce trees makes the Moon look like it is on a pedestal. Ray
also sends photos of a MERRILL MAGNOLIA TREE blooming in his Shediac yard. This
tree is approximately 16 years old and starts to bloom in early May. It is just
about in full bloom in mid-May for about 2 weeks and is very striking and
aromatic and then all petals fall to the ground by the end of May. The nice
colour and aroma lasts approximately 2 to 3 weeks. By the end of May the nice
green leaves grow back in for the summer and come fall, the leaves are gone and
the buds stay for the winter. The tree likes warm feet in the spring so do not
remove the snow from underneath the tree but let the snow melt, don’t rush it.
Ray did that one year and the tree never bloomed.
** Louise Richard spotted a GARTER
SNAKE [Couleuvre rayée] out and about at her Acadieville cabin area on
Thursday. She felt it to be a young one due to the small size.
** Susan Richards had her first male ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAK [Cardinal à poitrine rose] of the season on Thursday, coming to black
oil sunflower seeds. It’s not uncommon for 1 or 2 males to appear first,
followed by the very differently plumaged female that looks like an oversized
female Purple Finch with a strong, white supercillium above the eye. This
species seems to be moving in fast the last few days.
** The Nature Moncton Activities
Committee has arranged for a field trip to Caledonia Gorge on May 30th,
taking Covid 19 restrictions into account. We have done this in fall before so
you can expect a very different experience in spring. Read the attached write-up
carefully and make sure to register ahead.
NATURE MONCTON FIELD TRIP TO CALEDONIA
GORGE
DATE: Saturday May 30th,
2020
MEETING PLACE: At the
Crooked Creek Lookout. Follow Rte 114
towards Alma from Moncton. In
Riverside-Albert by the Forest Dale Home and the Albert Medical Centre, Rte 114
takes a 90 degree turn. At this point,
turn right onto Forestdale Rd, and drive to the end.
TIME: 8:00 AM for those who want to come for some early stationary
birding in that area
9:00
AM for those who would prefer to arrive later
LEADER: Roger Leblanc
We have visited the Caledonia Gorge Protected Area
twice in the fall, but never in the spring when the birds are in full
song. Roger Leblanc will lead the group
through this special area full of natural beauty, concentrating on the birds of
spring which many of us appreciate now more than ever given the isolated
conditions we’ve experienced in the last couple of months due to Covid-19.
For those of you who are up early, Roger will be at
the site at 8:00 AM to lead the group in some birding on site. Those who wish to arrive later can join at
9:00 at which time, the hike will begin.
Because of regulations restricting the size of group
gatherings, we will take registrations for this trip. If we have a large number who are interested,
we may divide the participants into two groups.
We will also keep abreast of any new developments in provincial Covid-19
guidelines and will adjust accordingly while keeping participants informed.
So come join us for a day of birding in a beautiful
environment. Be prepared for a round
trip hike of 5 to 10 kms. Dress
accordingly for the weather with good waterproof footwear. Bring a lunch, water and snacks.
All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.
** An unexpected scenario happened
Wednesday night at our camp. I take in the bird pies at night because if a
Raccoon comes by that will be their prime target. I left one up that was
actually within the porch diameter which a Raccoon was not shy about tearing
apart, leaving bits all over the deck floor. The YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
[Paruline à croupion jaune] were impressed with the Raccoon’s leftovers. The
troupe is now down to 6 on Thursday and they took turns feasting on the
droppings.
Also on Thursday I came across a patch
of TROUT LILY in full, contented, beautiful bloom. Gart Bishop pointed out in
an earlier edition that it takes 7 years for a Trout Lily to bloom so this must
be a very old patch as approximately 40 + put on a dazzling show of blooms.
** It’s Friday already and this week’s
Sky-at-a-Glance is attached to this edition courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason.
This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2020 May 16 – May 23
In the second century BC the Greek astronomer Hipparchus of Nicaea ranked the stars according to their brightness in six categories called magnitudes (for greatness). The 20 brightest stars were rated first magnitude and the faintest stars were sixth magnitude. This system was retained for two millennia and standardized in the 19th century when much fainter stars were being detected by astrophotography. English astronomer Norman Pogson devised a logarithmic system whereby five magnitudes was a difference in star brightness of exactly 100 times. With this system, a magnitude 1 star is about 2.5 times brighter than a magnitude 2 star, and that one is 2.5 times brighter than a magnitude 3 star.
For many of us, the faintest star we can detect with the naked eye in a reasonably dark sky is sixth magnitude (commonly just called mag 6). Vega, the fifth brightest star, is mag 0, slightly dimmer than Arcturus and slightly brighter than Capella. With the ability to measure the exact brightness of stars, their magnitudes are often recorded to one or two decimal places, and negative values are used for very bright objects. Sirius is mag -1.4; Jupiter is currently mag -2.4 and Venus is -4.3. The full Moon is mag -12.6, approximately 400,000 times fainter than the Sun at -26.7. A first magnitude star is brighter than mag 1.5, a second magnitude star shines between mag 1.5 and 2.5, and so on.
These brightness values are for the apparent magnitude of a star, as we see them when they are highest in the sky. At lower altitudes the atmosphere will absorb some of the starlight, making them appear dimmer. Astronomers call this effect extinction. The apparent magnitude of a star depends on its size and temperature, and also on its distance from us. A doubling of distance reduces the brightness by a factor of four, and ten times the distance by a factor of 100. Therefore, if one star is ten times farther than a mag 3 star of equal size and temperature, it would be at mag 8 and we would require binoculars to see it. There is nothing like an astronomy lesson to brighten your day.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:45 am and sunset will occur at 8:46 pm, giving 15 hours, 1 minute of daylight (5:52 am and 8:49 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:37 am and set at 8:54 pm, giving 15 hours, 17 minutes of daylight (5:45 am and 8:56 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is new next Friday, a great time to take advantage of mostly contrail-free skies to hunt down distant galaxies with a telescope or binoculars. Mercury and Venus approach each other after sunset, being within a binocular view for the latter half of the week. Mercury is less than a thumb width below Venus on Thursday and to its left on Friday. Jupiter and Saturn are in great position for early morning observing, as they slowly start to move apart. Mars is starting to brighten as we are catching up to it, and by the end of the month it will be as bright as the stars Vega and Arcturus.
With astronomy meetings and outreach activities on hold, you can watch the local Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm, and view archived shows, on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAEHfOWyL-kNH7dBVHK8spg
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
In the second century BC the Greek astronomer Hipparchus of Nicaea ranked the stars according to their brightness in six categories called magnitudes (for greatness). The 20 brightest stars were rated first magnitude and the faintest stars were sixth magnitude. This system was retained for two millennia and standardized in the 19th century when much fainter stars were being detected by astrophotography. English astronomer Norman Pogson devised a logarithmic system whereby five magnitudes was a difference in star brightness of exactly 100 times. With this system, a magnitude 1 star is about 2.5 times brighter than a magnitude 2 star, and that one is 2.5 times brighter than a magnitude 3 star.
For many of us, the faintest star we can detect with the naked eye in a reasonably dark sky is sixth magnitude (commonly just called mag 6). Vega, the fifth brightest star, is mag 0, slightly dimmer than Arcturus and slightly brighter than Capella. With the ability to measure the exact brightness of stars, their magnitudes are often recorded to one or two decimal places, and negative values are used for very bright objects. Sirius is mag -1.4; Jupiter is currently mag -2.4 and Venus is -4.3. The full Moon is mag -12.6, approximately 400,000 times fainter than the Sun at -26.7. A first magnitude star is brighter than mag 1.5, a second magnitude star shines between mag 1.5 and 2.5, and so on.
These brightness values are for the apparent magnitude of a star, as we see them when they are highest in the sky. At lower altitudes the atmosphere will absorb some of the starlight, making them appear dimmer. Astronomers call this effect extinction. The apparent magnitude of a star depends on its size and temperature, and also on its distance from us. A doubling of distance reduces the brightness by a factor of four, and ten times the distance by a factor of 100. Therefore, if one star is ten times farther than a mag 3 star of equal size and temperature, it would be at mag 8 and we would require binoculars to see it. There is nothing like an astronomy lesson to brighten your day.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:45 am and sunset will occur at 8:46 pm, giving 15 hours, 1 minute of daylight (5:52 am and 8:49 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:37 am and set at 8:54 pm, giving 15 hours, 17 minutes of daylight (5:45 am and 8:56 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is new next Friday, a great time to take advantage of mostly contrail-free skies to hunt down distant galaxies with a telescope or binoculars. Mercury and Venus approach each other after sunset, being within a binocular view for the latter half of the week. Mercury is less than a thumb width below Venus on Thursday and to its left on Friday. Jupiter and Saturn are in great position for early morning observing, as they slowly start to move apart. Mars is starting to brighten as we are catching up to it, and by the end of the month it will be as bright as the stars Vega and Arcturus.
With astronomy meetings and outreach activities on hold, you can watch the local Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm, and view archived shows, on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAEHfOWyL-kNH7dBVHK8spg
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à
croupion jaune]
BOBOLINK (MALE). MAY 14,2020. JP LEBLANC
BOBOLINK (MALE). MAY 14,2020. JP LEBLANC
BLUE-WINGED TEAL (MALE). MAY 14, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD
BLUE-WINGED TEAL (PAIR). MAY 14, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD
PAINTED TURTLE. MAY 14, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD
PAINTED TURTLE. MAY 14, 2020. YVETTE RICHARD
MOON. MAY 8, 2020. RAY GAUVIN
ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. MAY 14, 2020. SUSAN RICHARDS
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (PAIR). MAY 14, 2020. NELSON POIRIER
TROUT LILY. MAY 14, 2020. NELSON POIRIER
TROUT LILY. MAY 14, 2020. NELSON POIRIER
MERRILL MAGNOLIA. MAY 14, 2020. RAY GAUVIN
MERRILL MAGNOLIA. MAY 14, 2020. RAY GAUVIN
MERRILL MAGNOLIA. MAY 14, 2020. RAY GAUVIN
GARTER SNAKE. MAY 14, 2020. LOUISE RICHARD
Mercury May 21
