Nature Moncton Nature News: 2023-11-05

Saturday, 11 November 2023

November 11 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 11, 2023

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise both the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

** Bohemian Waxwings are moving in in numbers.

Norbert Dupuis in Memramcook East was able to get nice photos of a flock he spotted and photographed from his home.

Norbert is also pleased to have a male and female Northern Cardinal perching on his deck to provide pleasant photos.

He also photographed a female Hairy Woodpecker in the trees near his home.

On Friday evening, Brian Stone braved the cool temperatures and spent an hour trying to create a photo of the recently bright (binocular bright) Comet C/2023 H2 (Lemmon) which is presently moving through the constellations of Hercules and Aquila. He ended up with a small, blurry, grainy, green blob ... which means success! While waiting for some pesky clouds to move out of the area, he also tried for an image of the nearby (sort of) Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and managed to capture two of its smaller companion galaxies, M32 and M110, as well.

Brian also photographed the Moon and Venus. Venus was in its first quarter phase, moving into gibbous. It never gets full from our point of view as it is between us and the Sun.

(Editor’s note: the enlarged photo within the main photo shows that.)

Brian also shares a link below that explains a lot more about the comet.

https://www.astronomy.com/observing/see-comet-lemmon-at-its-brightest-this-week/

**It’s that time of year when we get more serious about feeding the birds that choose to visit our yards to check out the menu.

Nelson Poirier shares a few photographs of some of the interesting patrons. The Dickcissel previously mentioned continues to be a daily patron.

Nelson has 3 Northern Cardinals -- two females and one male -- checking out the feeders several times daily but, for some reason, hesitant to use the feeders, occasionally taking ground fallen food tidbits. Some photographs are added today that suggest to Nelson one of the females is a young-of-the-year as the bill and plumage is much more muted than the other.

Two female Red-winged Blackbirds are regular as is a White-breasted Nuthatch that will not stay still long enough for a photo. A single Pine Siskin has joined the American Goldfinch, and House Finch are becoming regular patrons. One Chipping Sparrow is also a regular patron and shows its change to winter plumage with the bill losing its black colour as well as the cap going from brilliant rufous to brown.

Several other expected regulars are in attendance as well.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS. NOV 10, 2023. NORBERT DUPUIS

NORTHERN CARDINAL (MALE). NOV 10, 2023. NORBERT DUPUIS

NORTHERN CARDINAL (FEMALE). NOV 10, 2023. NORBERT DUPUIS

NORTHERN CARDINAL (MALE). NOV 9. 2023. NELSON POIRIER

NORTHERN CARDINAL (FEMALE). NOV 9. 2023. NELSON POIRIER

HAIRY WOODPECKER (FEMALE). NOV 10, 2023. NORBERT DUPUIS

CHIPPING SPARROW. NOV 9. 2023. NELSON POIRIER

PINE SISKIN. NOV 10, 2023. NELSON POIRIER

RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (FEMALE). OCT 31, 2023. NELSON POIRIER

HOUSE FINCH (MALE). NOV 10, 2023. NELSON POIRIER

MOON AND VENUS. NOV. 09, 2023. BRIAN STONE

COMET C-2023 H2 (LEMMON). NOV. 10, 2023.. BRIAN STONE

ANDROMEDA GALAXY. NOV. 10, 2023. BRIAN STONE

ANDROMEDA GALAXY. NOV. 10, 2023.. BRIAN STONE

COMET C-2023 H2 (LEMMON) SKY CHART. NOV. 10, 2023.

Friday, 10 November 2023

November 10 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November `10, 2023

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise both the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

** Louise Nichols plans to get out and survey High Marsh Rd. on the Tantramar Marsh more regularly this winter, at least as long as the road conditions allow. She was out there on Thursday afternoon, scanning often, and reports some raptor activity with 6 Northern Harriers, 4 Bald Eagles, and 4 Rough-legged Hawks. Most of the action was distant, with scope views only, so no photographs. She did witness a Northern Harrier nab something that looked like a vole, so fingers crossed there are a few voles out there for raptors.

Louise also saw various flocks of Snow Buntings and a group of 13 Hooded Mergansers in the stream to the south of Carter Cross Rd. The only bird that was close enough (sort of) for a photo was a lone Snow Bunting sitting on top of a hay bale.

(Editor’s note: these will be valuable reports to hear what birds will patronize this potential hotspot over the next months.)

**The nomadic Bohemian Waxwings are starting to arrive to join us in New Brunswick for their winter visit to enjoy the abundant Mountain Ash and berry crop we are blessed with this season.

Aldo Dorio found a flock of approximately 50 Bohemian Waxwings at Hay Island on Friday morning.

** Jane LeBlanc in St. Martins had a pair of Purple Finches show up in her yard Thursday. Rather than compete at the feeders, they were enjoying the flowers of the Witch Hazel.

**Anna Tucker did a walkabout of the Sackville Waterfowl Park this week and commented that the diversity of waterfowl continues to enjoy the open water of the park.

Gadwall and American Wigeon were notably plentiful.

**It’s Friday and our day to get a sneak preview of what next week’s night sky may have in store for us courtesy of Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023 November 11 – November 18
Jupiter is like a miniature version of the solar system, having four large satellites or moons that we can see with binoculars – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto in order of distance – and four smaller moons orbiting closer but beyond the reach of most amateur telescopes. Just as other large bodies are being discovered in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune, the tally of moons beyond Jupiter’s large ones keeps increasing (87 at the moment for a total of 95).

When a moon passes behind Jupiter and comes into view on the other side hours later, these events are called an occultation disappearance and reappearance. Often they also pass into and out of Jupiter’s shadow, called an eclipse disappearance and reappearance. They can be seen with mounted binoculars but a telescope will show them better. A telescope, preferably a larger one and with high magnification, is required to see the moons transit or cross in front of Jupiter, and then with difficulty unless they are just entering or exiting (called ingress and egress). Easier to see is the shadow of a moon transiting as a small black circle, preceding the moon before Jupiter reaches opposition and trailing after opposition. The two outer moons, Ganymede and especially Callisto, sometimes pass above and below Jupiter when the planet appears tilted to our point of view.

The Red Spot is a large storm in Jupiter’s atmosphere, perhaps looking reddish or salmon-coloured in a larger telescope at high power. Jupiter has two brownish gas belts above and below the equator, and the Red Spot is on the outer edge of the southern belt (which could appear above the equator, depending on the type of telescope). The Red Spot transits, or appears in the middle of Jupiter, every ten hours as the planet rotates. A monthly calendar is posted on the websites or Facebook pages of the local astronomy clubs, showing the types and times of Jupiter’s visible moon action and the Red Spot transits up to 1 am.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:13 and sunset will occur at 4:51, giving 9 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (7:16 and 4:59 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:23 and set at 4:44, giving 9 hours, 21 minutes of daylight (7:26 and 4:51 in Saint John).

The Moon is new on Monday, so this weekend and early in the week will be opportune times for observing those faint objects such as galaxies and comets. Jupiter and Saturn are optimal telescope targets all evening throughout the week. On Sunday you can observe the moon Europa disappear behind Jupiter at 5:41, reappear at 8:30, and later see the moon Io disappear at 11:56 while the Red Spot is visible. Around 6 am this weekend Venus and the bright stars Arcturus, Sirius and Rigel will be at nearly the same altitude stretching from east to southwest, with Jupiter sinking in the west. Uranus reaches opposition on Monday, and next weekend Mars will be in conjunction far behind the Sun. The north Taurid meteor shower peaks this weekend while the Leonids peak next weekend, providing a few extra shooting stars for our viewing pleasure.

The Fredericton Astronomy Club meets on Tuesday at 7 pm in the UNB Forestry-Earth Sciences building. There will be public observing at the Irving Nature Park in Saint John next Friday from 6:30 - 9 pm.

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

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

BOHEMIAN WAXWING. NOV 10, 2023.ALDO DORIO

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS. NOV 10, 2023.ALDO DORIO

PURPLE FINCH (PAIR). NOV 9, 2023. JANE LeBLANC

SNOW BUNTING. NOV. 9, 2023. LOUISE NICHOLS

GADWALL DUCKS (PAIR). NOV 8, 2023. ANNA TUCKER

AMERICAN WIGEON (MALE). NOV 8, 2023. ANNA TUCKER

Io & shadow transit

Thursday, 9 November 2023

November 9 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 9, 2023

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise both the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Aldo Dorio is continuing to see Horned Larks at Hay Island.

**Georges Brun glanced toward the horizon in the East on Thursday morning (this morning) in the twilight before sunrise. He was able to witness a beautiful clear view of the thin waxing crescent Moon with Venus rising aside it and get a photograph.
If the sky is clear, this striking site should be available for folks arising to greet the day for the next few days.

**When Brian Stone and Nelson Poirier were visiting Rue Niles wharf in the Cap-Pelé area on Sunday, 3 ducks were noted at a distance which were suspected to be Harlequin Ducks. Fortunately, they gradually swam closer to confirm their identity as 3 female Harlequin Ducks and allowed nice photographs.

**A very interesting observation by Barbara Smith. Barbara was walking along a beach in October and noted an approximately 8-inch accumulation of something she was not familiar with.

A consult with Alyre Chiasson and the mystery was solved (as it often is!)

Alyre’s explanation is quoted below:

“You have the remains of a fish. The round disks, the vertebrae, and the small pile of toothpick-like bones are the bacheostegal rays (the bones that form the floor of the gill chamber in the back of the brain case, see image below). The bracheostgal rays are more abundant in primitive fish (of ancient lineage) than in recent origin. So, it is probably in the Salmonidae family or the Cupeadae family (herring and relatives).”

Alyre’s illustrations appear below Barbara’s photo in the photo lineup of the day.

(Editor’s note: the editor was ready to write this off as an accumulation of human garbage. The day's surprise!)

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

FISH BONES. SEPT 2023. BARBARA SMITH

FISH BONE ILLUSTRATION. VIA ALYRE CHIASSON

HARLEQUIN DUCKS (FEMALE). NOV. 05, 2023. BRIAN STONE

HARLEQUIN DUCK (FEMALE). NOV. 05, 2023. BRIAN STONE

HORNED LARK. NOV 8, 2023. ALDO DORIO

MOON AND VENUS. NOV. 9, 2023. GEORGES BRUN

Wednesday, 8 November 2023

November 8 2023

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 8, 2023

To respond by e-mail, please address your message to the information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .

Please advise both the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com and the proofreader nicholsl@eastlink.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

For more information on Nature Moncton, check the website at www.naturemoncton.com .

Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Jamie Burris has had some active bird life in his Riverview yard. After the Carolina Wren left, they had a male Pileated Woodpecker arrive. Jamie is fairly certain it is the same male that was a regular in his yard last year. It flew down to where he had a suet feeder near the deck last year, but it was not there because it was not set out yet! Three photos give a good observation of this bird: head-on, profile, and underwing.

**Nelson Poirier and Brian Stone had outings on Friday and Sunday, and Brian sends his late photos to illustrate the observed nature. On the Harrisville Trail on Friday, they noted that Norway Maple Tree leaves were still green and Multiflora Rose bushes were proliferating (at both Harrisville and Wilson Marsh). At the Wilson Marsh trail, they saw a Bald Eagle perching in a tree and keeping a close eye on them. At the far end of the trail, they found that a Beaver had been working diligently to chew down trees along the trail in significant numbers.

On Sunday, Nelson and Brian drove to Cap-Lumiere and later Cap-Pelé to find a few interesting sea birds and gulls photographed well in the unexpected bright sunlight. Several varieties of gulls were seen, including large numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls at Rue Niles in Cap-Pelé, Great Black-backed Gulls, and a few other types. Red-necked Loons were visible in the dozens in several spots, and surprisingly, there were large numbers of Sanderlings along the shore at Rue Niles. Also, at Rue Niles, a group of 3 female Harlequin Ducks were diving for food near the shore. Other birds noted were a Red-breasted Merganser, several female Common Eider Ducks, Double-crested Cormorants, and a female Long-tailed Duck.

At the lagoons in Bouctouche, many Scaup were present as expected, but no special visitors were seen.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton