Nature Moncton Nature News: December 20 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

Dec 20, 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

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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**Lisa Morris photographed an interesting scenario after the rain abated Thursday as water droplets hovered between falling off an invasive Multi-flora Rose shrub or freezing if temperatures dropped below zero. Very eye-catching ‘runways’ at Jones Lake.

**Pine Warblers appear to be enjoying the weather and suet at bird feeder yards this season. Bob Blake in Second North River had one visit his raw suet offering on Thursday.

**Nelson Poirier made a slow drive across a segment of the Tantramar Marsh on Wednesday, entering from the TransCanada Highway onto Coles Island Road, onto the High Marsh Road, and exiting via the Goose Lake Rd. The roadway was easily traveled, but the topsy-turvy weather forecast may change that.

Entry was greeted by a pair of adult Bald Eagles very obviously showing the gender size differential with the female significantly larger.

There was a very significant amount of raptor activity observed from Coles Island Road, which was dominated by immature Bald Eagles. Photos tend to show the diversity of age of the immatures by bill and eye colour. The number of Bald Eagles observed was estimated modestly at 15. One power structure had four eagles perched on it and others with the duo.

Some Red-tailed Hawks were observed but nowhere near the immature Bald Eagle number. One Northern Harrier glided past.

Photos are documentary due to distances being at the limit of the camera's zoom abilities.

One has to wonder why the significant number of Bald Eagles. It would have to be assumed abundant food is a factor but what is that food source?

No Rough-legged Hawks were photographed or identified, but with the similar size of the Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged hawk, and Raven at a distance, there may have been some, but suspect very few.

One flock of Snow Buntings was observed, and it was interesting to watch them disappearing under turned tufts of sod, assumedly after seeds, but it really looked like they were just having a fun day!

**This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2024 December 21 – December 28

This week, check out the eastern sky around 10 pm to hunt down four dogs, three cats, two bears, a hare, a snake and a crab. Oh, and a unicorn if you believe in them. Start looking toward the southeast where Orion is hunting. Below his feet is Lepus the Hare, staying immobile in hopes that Orion’s canine companions overlook him. Following Orion’s belt to the left brings you to sparkling Sirius at the heart of Canis Major the Big Dog, and it doesn’t take a great imagination to see a dog in this group of stars. Orion’s shoulders and head form an arrowhead that points toward bright Procyon, one of only a few visible stars in Canis Minor the Little Dog. Use your imagination to see Monoceros the Unicorn between the two dogs.

Now find the Big Dipper in the northeast. It forms the rear haunches and tail of Ursa Major the Big Bear, and from a rural area the legs and head of the bear can be seen easily. The two stars at the front of the bowl of the Dipper point northward to Polaris at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper, which is officially Ursa Minor the Little Bear. Below the handle of the Big Dipper are the two main stars and hounds of Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs, seemingly nipping at the big bear’s butt.

Well below the bowl of the Big Dipper is Leo the Lion, recognized by the stellar backwards question mark of its chest and mane, with Regulus as its foreleg and a triangle forming its tail and hind legs. A faint triangle of stars between Leo and the Big Dipper is Leo Minor, the Little Lion. The third cat is Lynx, a faint line of stars running from Little Leo and past the front of Ursa Major. Between Regulus and Procyon is the head of Hydra the Water Snake, which will take much of the night to rise completely; and faint, crabby Cancer is above Hydra’s head and currently hosting Mars.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:58 and sunset will occur at 4:36, giving 8 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (8:00 and 4:44 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 8:01 and set at 4:41, giving 8 hours, 40 minutes of daylight (8:03 and 4:49 in Saint John). The Sun reaches the Winter Solstice point around 5:21 this Saturday morning, the shortest daylight of the year (beating Friday by one second).

The Moon is at third quarter this Sunday. It near Spica on Christmas morning and the slim crescent rises near Antares next Saturday with Mercury a fist-width to their left. Mercury is at greatest elongation from the Sun on Wednesday, and that evening Venus sets after 8:30 pm followed by Saturn two hours later. Mars slowly edges westward against the background stars of Cancer over the week but remains within a binocular view of the Beehive star cluster (also called Praesepe, the Manger) until after Christmas. The minor Ursid shower is at its peak Sunday, with meteors emanating from between the Big Dipper and the North Star.

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