Nature Moncton Nature News: July 14 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 14, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**A Nature Moncton foray to Gagetown Island and Nevers Island on Thursday was a very appreciated experience for all participants which unfortunately had to be limited due to boat capacity.

There were many special moments that were captured in photographs that are not available for today’s edition, which need processing and some research before sharing.

David Cannon (who was kayaking) photographed one of the 3 boatloads of participants and a resident family of Raccoons on the shoreline.

A very sincere thank you to Ducks Unlimited folk Frank Merrill, Pat Pellerin, Sheamus, and volunteer John Johnston, who so kindly gave their day to share all the magic moments participants experienced visiting this special portion of New Brunswick.

Lots will be gradually shared over upcoming editions.

**Rheal Vienneau spotted his first Monarch Butterfly of the year sighted around 3 pm Wednesday, in his Dieppe backyard. It was a female ovipositing nonstop.

**Bev Christie and family feel fortunate to have a family of American Kestrels in a tree just off their back deck. The young birds are out of their nest and hanging out on branches though they are flying a bit. Very noisy, especially at 5 am, but still glad to have them share their yard.

**Leon Gagnon shares some observations he has made from his summer place at Wilson Point on Miscou Island.
He noticed approximately 15 Whimbrels near the southern La Malbaie lagoon and got a photo.
For the past few days, several groups of Northern Gannets have been circulating about the area from the Bonaventure Island nesting colony.
Leon has seen approximately 40 White-winged Crossbills visiting the woods of Miscou Island. It would appear the cone crop is good.
At least 2 pair of Osprey have nests in the Wilson Point area.
Leon photographed a male Bobolink entertaining them with its trills for several minutes as it visited an old farm nearby.
The Tree Swallows seemed to survive the cold days of early spring and began to nest. Five of the eight nest boxes which Leon cares for were occupied successfully, and he is pleased to see several of his neighbours have also set up nest boxes.
Leon also noted that at least 3 pairs of American Black Ducks nested in the Wilson Point area and a pair of American Wigeon.

**Michelle Tan from the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance sends a message that many may want to take note of so they can participate. Michelle’s message is below:

“SUMMER GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Celebrating our 25th anniversary, the Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance will highlight 25 important sites within the Petitcodiac watershed every Thursday on their blog this summer. To enter the #25WatershedMoments giveaway, all you have to do is 1.) post a picture of one of the 25 sites on Facebook or Instagram 2.) tag us in the post 3.) use #25watershedmoments. Some of the awesome prizes include a 400$ guided Fundy walking tour for a group of 4-6, 200$ vouchers for the Moncton La Station workspace, PWA merch, and more!!”

For more information, to see the eligible sites and to get directions: https://www.petitcodiacwatershed.org/2023/07/11/25-contest-site-coordinates-25-coordonnees-du-site-du-concours/

**It’s Friday and time for a review of what we may expect to see on clear nights in the night sky this coming week courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023 July 15 – July 22
Serpens the Serpent is unique among the 88 constellations in that it is split in two by another constellation, Ophiuchus. As the name suggests, Ophiuchus is the Serpent Bearer, and he is often depicted holding a large snake. The two constellations are also intertwined in mythology.

Ophiuchus represents Asclepius, a renowned healer who could raise the dead. After killing a snake one day, he watched as another snake placed a herb on its dead companion and revived it. After this, Asclepius learned the healing arts, and his success at reviving people drew the ire of Hades, a brother of Zeus and ruler of the Underworld. Receiving a complaint from Hades that he was being robbed of subjects, Zeus killed Asclepius with a thunderbolt.

The part of Serpens west of Ophiuchus is called Serpens Caput (meaning head); to the east is Serpens Cauda (for tail). M16 is a star cluster with a rather faint cloud, the Eagle Nebula, within Serpens Cauda. It gained fame as the iconic Pillars of Creation photo from the early years of the Hubble Space Telescope. The delightful globular cluster M5 is found in Serpens Caput, and several other globular clusters reside within the borders of Ophiuchus.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:42 am, and sunset will occur at 9:07 pm, giving 15 hours, 25 minutes of daylight (5:50 am and 9:09 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday, the Sun will rise at 5:49 am and set at 9:00 pm, giving 15 hours and 11 minutes of daylight (5:57 am and 9:03 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is new on Monday; the crescent forms the peak of a wide triangle with Venus and Mercury on Wednesday, and it passes near Mars on Thursday. Venus is stationary on Thursday, after which it moves toward inferior conjunction with the Sun in mid-August. Mercury is near the Beehive star cluster this Saturday, although seeing the cluster’s stars in twilight with binoculars will be difficult, and by next Friday, Mercury will be a fist-width to the right of Venus. Saturn and Jupiter are well-placed for observing in the early morning hours.

There will be public observing at the ball field in St. Martins on Thursday evening, beginning at 9:30 pm, as part of Old Home Week festivities. If cloudy, we will try again on Friday, July 21.

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