Nature Moncton Nature News: April 25 2015

**Dave Miller spotted an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL [Goéland brun]

at the farm on the Salisbury Road next to Ontario Drive. It was with a

group of four RING-BILLED GULLS [Goéland à bec cerclé] in a wet field. Dave said

there were four Lesser Black-backed Gulls in fields on the Old

Homestead Road last summer.

A Saturday report from Dave that he spotted 5 adults in the same area. I was able to check out the

site Saturday at noon and saw 5 as well where Dave had reported them. I wonder if this species is getting more

common in the Maritimes, or just more people are looking. Interesting

to note that Gilles Belliveau reported to Nature New Brunswick he saw

surprisingly large numbers of Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the

Maugerville-Fredericton area on Friday, and on Nature Nova Scotia on

Friday, Rick Whitman saw three Lesser Black-backed Gulls together in

one field in the Annapolis Valley.

**Brian Coyle had a BROWN CREEPER [Grimpereau brun] arrive to his

Upper Mountain Road yard off the Homestead Road on Friday. In true

Creeper fashion, it would fly to a big Spruce [Épinette] tree, land

near the bottom, make its way up to the top, then do it all over

again. The RAVEN's [Grand Corbeau] nest Brian is monitoring near his

home has become surprisingly quiet; he suspects a precious egg cargo

is being incubated.

**While on the rural Cherry Burton Road in Dorchester on Friday,

Marlene Hickman had a special treat to see an AMERICAN WOODCOCK

[Bécasse d'Amérique] do its hilarious shuffle across the chip-sealed

road. It was totally unconcerned with the nearby running vehicle, and

took all the time it needed to complete its performance.

**It doesn't seem often that we see Scoters [Macreuse] at close range.

Richard Blacquiere got that opportunity with a pair of SURF SCOTERS

[Macreuse à front blanc] at the Hampton Lagoon on Thursday, to capture

a nice photo of a male and female side by side.

**The BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS [Jaseur boréal] are obviously not departed

yet. Linda Banks had the return of a group of approximately 20 to

cut-up apples, but an extra bonus was given to them with the melting

snow that exposed fallen berries from a yard tree, to have the

Waxwings feasting on both. A male ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] spends most

of its time trying to chase other Robins and the Waxwings away. Linda

also shares a photo of a trio of a suspected pair of PINE SISKINS

[Tarin des pins] and a female PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] for

comparison side by side.

**Brian Stone got a few interesting photos of a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET

[Roitelet à couronne rubis] in Mapleton Park on Friday. The side view

shows how the eye-ring is really only broad white in front and behind

the eye. The photo also shows the lighter feet compared to the darker

leg. This view also shows the wider hind wing bar and narrower front

wing bar. The photo from above shows the faint retracted ruby spot on

the dorsum of the head; that top view shows the yellow on the side of

the tail as well. We don't get to see the Ruby-crowned Kinglet from a

top view very often. Brian also photographed Alder catkins [chatons

d'Aulne] breaking into flower, and RED-BERRIED ELDER [Sureau rouge]

bursting its seams.

**Jules Cormier reports that his SWAMP SPARROW [Bruant des marais] was

still present on Friday, being its tenth day. It has lots of Sparrow

[Bruant] accompaniment, with SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur], CHIPPING

SPARROW [Bruant familier] and SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés]. The

WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW [Bruant à couronne blanche] only made a one-day

visit; however, one appeared at nearby Francis LeBlanc's feeder yard,

which may be the same one. The PINE WARBLER [Paruline des pins] is

still present. Redpolls [Sizerin] and PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins]

are also still present, and many RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS [Carouge à

epaulettes] are present, as Jules' feeder yard is adjacent a marsh

with Cat-tails [Massette].

**This week's Sky at a Glance is attached. There surely have been few

clear sky nights this week, but forecasts suggest the upcoming days

may provide that, to make the evening skyward glances more productive.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, April 24 – May 2

On Saturday, April 25 the Moon goes into its First-quarter Phase meaning it will rise at noon and set at midnight.

After dark now the Big Dipper has turned to lie almost upside down; face east-northeast and look very high. Its handle arcs around toward Arcturus a little more than a Dipper-length to the Dipper's lower right.

Look very low in the northeast in twilight to catch the rising of Vega, the "Summer Star." By nightfall it's up in better view. Once Vega wins clear of the thick low air, it shines as the equal of Arcturus, the "Spring Star" high in the east very far to the upper right.

On Saturday, May 2, the Moon, one day from full, shines a few degrees above Spica that evening. Far off to their left or upper left is brighter Arcturus, pale yellow-orange.

As May arrives, Sirius still twinkles low in the southwest as twilight fades.

On Saturday, April 25, the sun rose at 6:14 a.m. and will set at 8:19 p.m. giving 14 hours 5 minutes of daylight. On Saturday, May 2, the sun will rise at 6:03 a.m. and will set at 8:28 p.m. to give 14 hours 25 minutes of daylight hours. (These values are for Moncton, New Brunswick).

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury (about magnitude –0.6) is having a fine apparition in evening twilight. Look for it very far to the lower right of Venus. Mercury gets a little higher every day, but it's also fading.

Venus (magnitude –4.1) blazes in the west during and after twilight — the brilliant "Evening Star." It doesn't set in the west-northwest until nearly two hours after dark.

Mars (magnitude +1.4) is disappearing deep in the sunset, to the lower right of much brighter Mercury. Use binoculars or a wide-field scope to say goodbye to it.

Jupiter (magnitude –2.1) shines high a little west of south as the stars come out and less high in the southwest after dark. It's the second-brightest point of light in the sky after Venus.

Saturn (magnitude +0.1) rises around the end of twilight and is highest in the south around 2 a.m. Below or lower left of Saturn by 9° is orange Antares, less bright.

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca