NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, January
22, 2021 (Friday)
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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)
** A few weeks ago, a REDWING [Grive mauvis] was reported to be in the Alma area,
but nothing more seemed to be heard of it.
On Thursday, John Inman at 225 Mary’s Pt. Rd. at Harvey, spotted a
Redwing, presumably the same bird, twice near his yard. It did not feed, but he was able to get a
photo to verify it. He was not sure if
it was just attracted to the sound of feeding birds and feeding somewhere else
or checking the menu. John has had
apples out for robins and has put out grapes, raisins and blueberries to see if
it may be interested in coming in to feed, and will keep us updated if he sees
more of it. Let’s hope it does find
John’s menu to its liking as John always welcomes visitors. The Redwing is a very uncommon visitor to New
Brunswick.
** John also shares a photo of a female
RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] that is a
regular as well as a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD [Carouge à épaulettes] that is thought to be a first-year
male.
** Thane and Jane Watts update on the BALTIMORE ORIOLE [Oriole
de Baltimore] that has
been visiting their feeders in Hopewell, Albert County since early
December. It was a daily visitor up
until last Saturday, January 16th.
They last saw it on the 15th prior to the rain that we had
that weekend. They assume that something
likely happened to it. It was a regular
every day until then. They had provided
black-oiled sunflower seed, suet with imbedded fruit, and bird pie, all of
which it was eating. They comment, “we
will miss seeing it, but we have lots of other feeder guests.”
** Moncton Christmas Bird Count
co-ordinator Roger Leblanc has what he feels may be
the final tally after some slow-to-get reports of the Moncton Christmas Bird
Count. Roger will be writing up a report
soon on his thoughts as to trends. Roger
reports that the 2020 count tallied 60 species which matches the highest ever
for total species. Twenty-one feeder
reports were submitted which were very helpful for the overall count. Roger’s tally is attached below.
Canada Goose 890
American Black Duck 28
Mallard 541
Ring-necked Pheasant 35
Rufffed Grouse 1
Bald Eagle 64
Northern Harrier 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
Herring Gull 1735
Iceland Gull 291
Lesser Black-backed Gull 2
Glaucous Gull 7
Great Black-backed Gull 1307
Rock Pigeon 1183
Mourning Dove 308
Great Horned Owl 2
Short-eared Owl 8
Downy Woodpecker 50
Hairy Woodpecker
53
Pileated Woodpecker 3
Canada Jay 2
Blue Jay 307
American Crow 1321
Common Raven 67
Black-caped Chickadee 753
Red-breasted Nuthatch 79
White-breasted Nuthatch 24
Brown Creeper 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 38
American Robin 20
European Starling 3378
Bohemian Waxwing 491
Cedar Waxwing 33
Pine Warbler 3
American Tree Sparrow 77
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 19
Swamp Sparrow 1
White-throat Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 76
Snow Bunting 15
Northern Cardinal
19
Common Grackle 2
Pine Grosbeak 63
Purple Finch 45
House Finch 62
Common Redpoll 1185
Pine Siskin 60
American Goldfinch 297
Evening Grosbeak 802
House Sparrow 13
Unusual species
American Wigeon 3
Hoary Redpoll 1
Spruce Grouse 2
Carolina Wren 1
Eastern Towhee 1
Hermit Trush 1
Total 60 speices 15780
individuals
** It’s
Friday and time to review what the sky may have in store for us this coming
week with a full moon to boot, all courtesy of sky-guru Curt Nason. And yes, it
for the last week of January!
This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2021 January 23 – 2021 January 30
“Cold wind on the harbour and rain on the road, wet promise of winter brings
recourse to coal.
There’s fire in the blood and a fog on Bras d’Or; the giant will rise with the
Moon.”
(Giant, by Stan Rogers)
On Sunday afternoon the constellation Orion, mythological giant son of
Poseidon, rises with the waxing gibbous Moon. We won’t see the constellation,
of course, until evening twilight dwindles; but over the evening watch him
become a New York Giant leaping to catch a lunar football.
When the Moon is full or nearly so amateur astronomers can get a little grumpy
because the moonlight washes out the faint galaxies, nebulae and comets. That
is also when the Moon gets less interesting to observe, but this time of year
the nearly full Moon can play a role in some imaginative stargazing. On Sunday
evening it is above Orion, looking like a football approaching his outstretched
right hand. Will he catch it in the end zone and be a hero like Perseus, or
miss it and be a goat like Capricornus? With the Moon in Taurus Sunday and in
the feet of Gemini on Monday, we also have a Chicago Bull passing the ball to a
Minnesota Twin for an all-star all-sport soccer game. Is that a lacrosse stick
in Orion’s hand?
What if it is cloudy? Do what Stan Rogers recommends in his song: “Light a
torch, bring a bottle and build the fire bright. The giant will rise with the
Moon.”
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:51 am and sunset will occur at 5:11 pm,
giving 9 hours, 20 minutes of daylight (7:53 am and 5:19 pm in Saint
John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:43 am and set at 5:21 pm,
giving 9 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (7:46 am and 5:28 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is near the M35 star cluster in Gemini on Monday and it is full on
Thursday. Mercury reaches greatest elongation from the Sun this Saturday,
setting 100 minutes after sunset and outshining every star except Sirius. Mars
is high in the south in early evening, with Uranus sitting half a binocular
field lower right it. Venus rises 50 minutes before sunrise this weekend,
shining easily through morning twilight. Saturn is in conjunction with the Sun
this Sunday, followed by Jupiter on Thursday.
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
