Nature Moncton Nature News: July 28 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 28, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Louise Nichols sends a few photos from the Wednesday Night Walk behind the Beaubassin Research Station. She includes a photo of a large group of sandpipers resting on the mudflats as the tide began to recede. She also shares a photo of some of the participants walking on the dyke road and a photo of the beautiful sunset. The previous Friday, July 21st, Louise went on this walk on her own to check things out. That night was very still and hot, without a breath of wind, unlike the windy, cool conditions of Wednesday night. The downside of the still weather was the number of mosquitoes on the attack, which were not at all present for the Wednesday night windy walk. On the 21st, more birds were actively moving about and singing, including Swamp Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Nelson's Sparrows. Louise saw a Caspian Tern flying above the impoundments, a bird she would not expect to see there. There was a flock of shorebirds over the water that night too, but not as big a flock as this past Wednesday.

On her way back to the car, Louise saw a skunk coming toward her on the road, and it did not seem to have any intention of moving off. Louise did not want to risk passing it and started to move off the road into the long grasses -- but then finally, the skunk thought it safer to take cover and moved off in the grass on the opposite side of the road. Louise did take its photo, though, and was surprised by the long claws visible on the front paws.

On Thursday afternoon, Louise visited the Sackville retention ponds looking for shorebirds. There was a small flock of about 25 Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs present. Among them was a lone Short-billed Dowitcher. She also saw a Killdeer and a single Semipalmated Plover. The shorebirds have begun to arrive at that popular spot.

**On Tuesday, July 26, Suzanne and Yves Poussart visited the Dune de Bouctouche (Irving Eco-Center) with friends.

As Yves was walking from the parking area, he noticed a Monarch Butterfly flying around close to the milkweed patches along the road. It was, of course, an occasion for getting photos that Yves did not want to miss, and it was visiting different plants on both sides of the road.

The patience paid off, and Yves was finally able to get a good series of photos. It is clear from the photos that this individual was a female. No eggs or caterpillars were seen on the plants. Meanwhile, while Yves was taking the photos, a second Monarch Butterfly came close, sometimes interacting with the first one before flying away.

It was a very nice experience to see these first Monarch Butterfly individuals of this season and photograph one of them.

Hopefully, others will soon follow.

(Editor's note: note the proboscis of the butterfly that is arrowed, deeply inserted into a bloom taking nectar in one photo.)

**Jane LeBlanc had a Common Whitetail Dragonfly in her yard in St. Martins on Thursday that cooperated for an excellent photo.

**As we are all aware, sparrow ID can sometimes be challenging.

Barb Curlew shares a photo of a sparrow she took on July 24 at Waterside that she found hard to put a handle on. No doubt the time of year is not helping with associated plumage changes.

One opinion suggests it may be a Savannah Sparrow, but just labelling it ‘sparrow’ for now.

Comments are welcomed.

**Shannon Inman photographed a Pin Cherry cluster noting the 'pin cushion' style of the berry cluster versus the cone-shaped cluster of Chokecherry.

Shannon also saw approximately 200 Semipalmated Sandpipers and a Spotted Sandpiper below the Harvey Dam.

Surprisingly, Shannon saw another/the same Atlantic Sturgeon jump below the Harvey Dam.

(Editor’s note: one has to wonder how many Atlantic Sturgeon may actually be present in that area and why they jump? The Atlantic Sturgeon is a benthic feeder.

**Sea Lavender is a saltmarsh-loving plant with pleasant blooms at the moment. Maureen Girvan photographed a Sea Lavender plant in full bloom on the Wednesday evening walk.

**Georges Brun captured photos on July 17 of an adult Eagle trying to make a meal of a gull. For over 5 minutes, the chase was on, and the result was almost attained. The eagle hit the gull near the water surface of the Petitcodiac River near what is known to locals as The Bend. The eagle forgot about the water and landed in the brown chocolate. Being exhausted, it actually had its head below water for quite a time. Then the gull got its wits together and, with a few flaps, was off to safer grounds. Eventually, the eagle made its way back to shore after flapping its wings for 50-plus feet.

Once on shore, it opened its wings and let the breeze help in drying off.

Georges termed his photos the chase and recovery!

**Aldo Dorio photographed a large group of young-of-the-year Tree Swallows using the newly minted boardwalk system at Hay Island as a perch to forage for the abundant insects this wetland provides. Aldo comments there appear to be 50 +.

Moths play a major role in pollination, as a photo shows 4 Virginia Ctenucha Moths clustered on what appears to be Meadowsweet.

** Nature NB is asking for participants to contribute to the International Monarch Monitoring Blitz to take place from July 28th to August 6th. People with milkweed or who are near a milkweed patch are asked to survey the patch sometime during this period and record the number of caterpillars/eggs/Monarch Butterflies seen. If it is not possible to do the survey during the blitz week, data will still be accepted throughout the rest of the summer. An information session on how to collect data (for those who need it) will be given online on July 31st from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM. Those interested can register for this session at the following link:

https://bulletin.ville.montreal.qc.ca/T/WF/21194/cdwq8e/Optin/fr-CA/Form.ofsys

Observation forms for recording data can be accessed at this link:

https://www.mission-monarch.org/en/content/mission-kit%C2%A0

**It’s Friday and time to review what next week’s night sky will have in store for us courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023 July 29 – August 5
After twilight the bright star Altair is halfway up in the southeastern sky, forming the lower peak of the Summer Triangle with Vega and Deneb. It is flanked by two somewhat dimmer stars, Tarazed and Alshain, and the trio forms the head of Aquila the Eagle. The eagle’s body and tail stretch southward while the wings reach forward to propel it up the Milky Way. In Greek mythology, the eagle was the pet of Zeus and the bearer of his deadly thunderbolts. In Chinese mythology Tchi-Niu (Lyra) was a princess and royal weaver, and Kien-Niou (Aquila) tended the king’s cows. The two fell in love and were married, but they subsequently neglected their chores. Angered, the king placed the herder on the opposite side of the river, represented by the Milky Way. On the seventh day of the seventh month, all of the magpies in the country form a bridge to allow the lovers to be together for one day.

Following a string of stars beyond the eagle’s tail, over the constellation border into Scutum the Shield, a binocular search will pick up a smudge of light which is a cluster of stars called M11 or the Wild Duck Cluster. From the eagle’s head toward Cygnus or Lyra is a tiny constellation called Sagitta the Arrow. Look to the upper right of the arrow’s fletching with binoculars to see a popular asterism of about a dozen stars. Although it is upside down, you will recognize the Coat Hanger Cluster, also known as Collinder 399 or Brocchi’s Cluster.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:57 am, and sunset will occur at 8:53 pm, giving 14 hours, 56 minutes of daylight (6:05 am and 8:55 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday, the Sun will rise at 6:05 am and set at 8:43 pm, giving 14 hours and 38 minutes of daylight (6:13 am and 8:46 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is full and near perigee on Tuesday, resulting in more extreme tidal ranges mid-week, and it passes below Saturn on Thursday morning. This weekend Venus sets less than half an hour after sunset, followed by Mercury half an hour later and Mars a half-hour after that. Binoculars are needed to see them. Just before Mars sets Saturn will be rising in Aquarius to the east-southeast, giving good telescopic views of its rings around midnight. Jupiter rises shortly after 12:30 am to lord over the night sky. The minor South Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks this weekend with shooting stars seemingly emanating from Saturn.

The Saint John Astronomy Club meets at the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre at 7 pm on August 5.

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