** Brian Stone has been closely watching his visiting COMMON REDPOLLS
[Sizerin flamé] for a possible HOARY REDPOLL [Sizerin blanchâtre]. A series of
four photos of an individual that visited his feeder yard with a very large
group of Redpolls and PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] on Thursday seems to meet
the criteria for a Hoary Redpoll. It was the busiest day Brian has had around
his feeders. Well-stocked feeders must be a very welcome sight for the
abundance of birds we are enjoying this winter.
** The poster for the winter event at the Atlantic Wildlife Institute did
not attach properly on Thursday. We'll try that again today as I may have
inserted it incorrectly.
We will also try to get this week's Sky at a Glance ready for today as
there are some nice antics of the moon with Venus and Mars going on tonight and
tomorrow night if skies are clear and those lengthening hours of daylight are so
nice to see.
This Week’s Sky
at a Glance, February 20 – 28
On
Friday night, February 20, Venus, the thin crescent Moon, and little Mars form a
tight bunch
in the west-southwest during and after dusk. They fit in a circle just 2° across
at dusk. Think photo opportunities. (Brian!)
On
Saturday night, February 21, Venus and Mars are in conjunction
0.4° apart at dusk, with the Moon now looking on from above at
dusk.
Jupiter blazes in the east after dark
this week. High above it are Pollux and Castor.
On Wednesday February 25, the Moon will
go into its First Quarter Phase meaning it will rise at noon and set at
midnight.
On Wednesday, February 25, Look for
Aldebaran shining near the first-quarter Moon at dusk.
On Friday, February 27, Venus and Mars in
the western twilight have widened to be 2.7° apart. Find faint little Mars
beneath Venus.
On Saturday, February 21, the sun rose at 7:13 a.m.
and will set at 5:52 p.m. giving 10 hours 39 minutes of daylight. On Saturday, February 28, the sun will rise at
7:01 a.m. and set at 6:02 p.m. to give 11 hours 1 minute of daylight hours
(These values are for Moncton, New Brunswick).
The days
are getting longer!
This Week's Planet
Roundup
Mercury
(magnitude 0.0) glimmers just above the east-southeast horizon in early dawn. As
the sky brightens toward sunrise, you'll need
binoculars.
Venus
(magnitude –3.9) and Mars (less than 1% as bright, at magnitude +1.3)
appear very close together in the west-southwest during evening
twilight.
On Friday the 20th the crescent Moon
joins them to make a beautiful bunch-up. On Saturday the 21st Venus and Mars are
in conjunction, 0.4° apart with Mars just to Venus's upper right. In the
following days, Mars moves down and away from Venus.
Jupiter
(magnitude –2.6) is two weeks past opposition. Watch for it coming into view in
the eastern sky early in evening twilight. As night falls, look to its left and
lower left for the Sickle of Leo. By 10 p.m. Jupiter is nearly as high as it
will get.
Saturn (magnitude +0.5) rises around 3
a.m. It's best placed in the south as dawn begins. Below Saturn by 8° or 9° is
orange Antares.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
HOARY REDPOLL 01. FEB. 19, 2015. BRIAN STONE
HOARY REDPOLL (IN MIDDLE). FEB. 19, 2015. BRIAN STONE
HOARY REDPOLL 01. FEB. 19, 2015. BRIAN STONE
HOARY REDPOLL 01. FEB. 19, 2015. BRIAN STONE
%2BFEB.%2B19%2C%2B2015.%2BBRIAN%2BSTONE.jpg)
PINE SISKINS (MOSTLY). FEB. 19, 2015. BRIAN STONE
