NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
February 1, 2025
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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information line editor, nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com .
Please advise the editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
and proofreader Louise Nichols at Nicholsl@eastlink.ca if
any errors are noted in wording or photo labelling.
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Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols
**Shannon Inman spotted one of their resident Common Grackles feeding on a dead American
Tree Sparrow under the cedar trees in their Harvey yard. The Common Grackles have
been feeding all winter with the other variety of birds. Other than
bullying other birds off certain foods, they have not seen one try and grab
another smaller bird, so they think the sparrow was already deceased. They have
also seen Red Squirrels eat dead small birds but not attack them either.
John also had a third Fox Sparrow drop by their feeder yard on Friday to get a photo of
them together.
**Curt Nason comments that the clouds thinned in Saint John in mid-afternoon on Friday while he was making his daily sketch of sunspots and other solar features. While doing so, Curt happened to look overhead and saw a bright circumzenithal arc, a "Rainbow Smile." Sharon Nason came out for a look, saying it was one of the most spectacular things she had seen in the sky!
For one to occur, the Sun must
be less than 32 degrees altitude with cirrus clouds at a bit more than 46
degrees above it, and with sunlight refracting through the same type of ice
crystals that give us sundogs. Curt estimated the Sun to be about 25 degrees
altitude. All too soon, the cirrus clouds moved on, and the arc disappeared.
Sorry, no photo!
**With the recent cold weather, it is surprising how much
of the Little Southwest Miramichi River still has open running ice-free
water at the end of January.
Nelson Poirier took a few photos of this from the
Redstone Look-off on Friday.
**Bob Blake comments that he has had a Pine Warbler
feeding at a suet feeder in his yard since Christmas.
Bob Blake maintains daily weather statistics from his
Second North River home including morning low temperatures, daily high
temperatures, and monthly precipitation. Bob sends a table comparing his
statistics for January 2024 with January 2025
It is interesting to note January 2025 had twice the
snowfall of January 2024 and also colder temperatures, as no doubt most of us
have noticed.
|
2024 |
2025 |
||
|
morning
temperatures |
daily
highs and rainfall |
morning
temperatures |
daily
highs and rainfall |
|
+1-2 days -1-3 -2-2 -3-2 -4-3 -5-1 -6-2 -7-1 -8-2 -9-1 -11-1 -12-3 -13-1 -14-3 -15-1 -16-1 -18-1 |
Hi’s +6-1 +5-2 +3-1 +2-2 24mms. rain 36cm. snow |
+5-2 +3-1 +1-1 0-1 -1-1 -3-2 -4-2 -5-1 -6-2 -7-2 -8-2 -10-1 -11-2 -14-3 -15-2 -16-2 -19-2 -23-1 -28-1 |
+6-1 +5-1 +4-2 +3-1 +2-2 +1-2 25mms .rain 62cms. snow |
Nelson
Poirier
Nature Moncton
