Nature Moncton Nature News: April 9 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

April 9, 2024

Nature Moncton members as well as any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition of Nature News

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

Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

The live feed to the Peregrine Falcon nest box camera can be accessed at https://www.zoodemagnetichillzoo.ca/nest-cam

**The total solar eclipse of Monday afternoon will no doubt dominate the next few days’ news with many people in New Brunswick being able to witness it in a cloudless sky.

A group of very happy Nature Moncton members and friends were able to witness the experience from an abandoned bridge abutment in Miramichi with gasps of amazement shared. The very sudden onset of darkness was breathtaking, seeming to go from daylight to darkness in seconds. It made us all realize what a small sliver of the sun could light the earth! All were able to see the sun’s outer edge, the Corona, that ghostly white ring around its outer edge. The striking red spots known as Bailey’s beads were magnificent. These are seen as the moon makes its final move over the sun. This effect occurs when gaps in the moon's rugged terrain allow some light to pass through in some places just before the total phase of the eclipse. Possibly an experience of a lifetime that was witnessed with palpable camaraderie. Many photographs were taken and will be shared over the next few days.

**On Monday, April 08, a group of Nature Moncton members met at Nelson Poirier's Miramichi camp to view the rare and spectacular total eclipse of the Sun. Brian Stone shares a composite image showing the main stages of the eclipse and also some single photos of the highlights of the event. Everyone present was awed by the spectacle and now has so many memories of a special event that was so unlikely to have been visible due to the usual cloud cover at this time of year. Everyone who witnessed this event will feel as though nature has given them a special gift this April.

While waiting for the eclipse to begin Brian managed to get a few photos of a pair of vocal Evening Grosbeaks that were having a discussion in a large Cedar tree beside the eclipse viewing platform.

**The Nature Moncton group was also entertained by flying objects before the eclipse totality. A quite vocal Merlin made several fly passes and several Evening Grosbeaks beside the viewing platform were very present before totality and going quiet during totality.

David Cannon got a lucky documentary photo of the Merlin when it settled oh so briefly.

The other flying object was a drone that caught the group’s attention as it photographed some of them. Photos attached from the unexpected visitor from above.

Larry Sherrard and others photographed some of the group on the platform in bright light and then snapped a photo of them in total darkness less than one minute later.

**Louise and Glen Nichols were very fortunate to have watched the total solar eclipse from St.Thomas wharf near Bouctouche. It was a relatively quiet spot with just a few onlookers and about 2 1/2 minutes of totality. It was interesting to watch the change in light as the eclipse progressed, almost as though there were clouds in the sky although there were not. The moment totality hit came very suddenly with its darkness and bright horizons, and the appearance of the magnificent corona as though someone had hit a light switch. It was over all too soon, but it was an amazing phenomenon to witness.

**Nature Moncton led a great group of enthusiastic and keen budding birders at a Beginner Birder Workshop on Sunday morning. This group learned the basics of using field guides, the Merlin app, the top 10 birds they are likely to see, 4 suggested birding hot spots, and how to use binoculars.

Then they hit the trails to put their newfound skills to the test and correctly identified Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Mallard Ducks, and - the highlight - a Common Merganser!

Thank you to the Town of Riverview for inviting Nature Moncton to be part of MapleFest and to Cathy Simon, Susan Richards, and Maureen Girvan for leading and supporting this workshop.

Nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton