Nature Moncton Nature News: April 21 2016

** The Nature Moncton day field trip to Albert County is scheduled for this coming Saturday ( April 23 ) led by Norm Belliveau. The meeting spot will be the Petro-Can station on the Hillsborough Rd. across from Point Park at 8:00 am. There has been some great activity being reported in Albert County this week so timing should be excellent to get lots of new arrivals. A message just in advises this Field Trip may be rescheduled if the predicted rain forecasted for Saturday continues to be forecast. A decision that it is going ahead or will be rescheduled will be sent out tomorrow, Friday.

** Jamie and Karen Burris share some nice findings at the Grey Brook Marsh in Hillsborough on Tuesday. This is certain to be an area carefully looked at on the Nature Moncton field trip to Albert County this coming Saturday. They got some nice photos of a PALM WARBLER [Paruline à couronne rousse], a GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d'hiver] male and female in flight, a RUSTY BLACKBIRD [Quiscale rouilleux] which is special to see due to its drastically declining numbers, a male YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune], NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet], RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier], NORTHERN PINTAIL [Canard pilet], AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir], MALLARDS [Canard colvert], and AMERICAN WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique]. A definite hot spot at the moment.

** Georges Brun is noting a mature BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à tête blanche] that is very faithfully sitting on a rock at the mouth of Hall's Creek especially approximately an hour before the arrival of the Bore, and in any case just before sunset. Smelt are running and Gaspereau should not be far behind. That surely will be of great interest.

** David Christie comments on approximately 25 TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] flying over the Lars Larsen Marsh on Wednesday. He also checked out Calhoun Marsh to note approximately 200 RING-NECKED DUCKS [Fuligule à collier] where it had been predominantly AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir] and CANADA GEESE [Bernaches du Canada] earlier. He also noted a RAVEN [Grand corbeau] very aggressively tearing apart prey on the shore of the Shepody River, appearing to be a small mammal approximately the size of a Snowshoe Hare.

** The photo that Jamie Burris contributed today shows a Goose behavior that most of us have probably seen and wondered what the reason for it is. David Christie comments that males frequently extend their head and neck low as a threat while moving in on a rival. On the other hand females will hold their head low as an indicator that they are ready to copulate. A source of waterfowl behavior can be found at the attached link. I'm adding a photo of a similar scenario I ran into last summer in Jolicure when a pair of Geese acted similarly with a brood.

A source of information on waterfowl behaviour can be found at

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1010&context=bioscihandwaterfowl

** Aldo Dorio photographed a MERLIN [Faucon émerillon] with a watchful eye on the songbirds moving in to Hay Island area for the summer. The Merlin is a species increasing in number on its own after being affected by DDT in the 70's and 80's. Aldo also photographed a female BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD [Vacher à tête brune] at his feeders that fools many of us with her bland plumage compared to the male.

** A few folks mentioned on Tuesday evening that they were not receiving the electronically mailed Nature Moncton newsletter, which seems odd since it is mailed out to the same contact list as the daily information line. The last newsletter was sent out on April 11. It may be an idea to check to see if it may have gone to the junk box or trash box to see if it is going there for some reason. If that is not the case it may be the format that the newsletter is sent out in that a few people's email system might not accept. If it is one of these two reasons we should be able to accommodate that problem with some changes. It is necessary to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to open PDF files which the newsletter is prepared with. Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free and easily downloaded program that can be put on most computers. If you are not getting the newsletter let me know so we can work on the reason why.

** Also to remind anyone who is aware of new members interested in joining Nature Moncton at this point ... their payment at this point includes the 2016/2017 year in complete.

** This weeks Sky-at-a-Glance is added to this transcription courtesy of Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, April 23 – April 30
While the Moncton Wildcats are flying high on ice this season, the
celestial wildcats are also flying high in the evening. As darkness
settles Leo the Lion is due south at its highest in the sky. The king of
beasts is king of the hill, surveying its starry domain. Northward, even
higher but not nearly as prominent, is the triangular Leo Minor the
Little Lion. Running from just west of Leo Minor and across the path of
Ursa Major is faint and elusive Lynx, the new king of the Fredericton
Market.

It is rare to see a lynx anywhere but especially so within a city. With
urban lighting robbing our views of the night sky it is also rare to see
the stars of Lynx. A trip to the northwest of city suburbs is
recommended to pick out this zigzag constellation. It was created by the
17th century Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius to fill in that open
section of sky, and he claimed you would need the eyes of a lynx to see it.

Proponents of modern sports astrology in Moncton can take heart that the
wildcats are at their best this time of year. Meanwhile, two of the
celestial dog constellations are heading into the sunset and a third,
the pair of hunting dogs, is trailing (or putting the run to?) the
wildcats. Will people of Saint John be barking their praises of the
Seadogs, or drowning their sorrows in the middle of the night when
Capricornus the Seagoat is rising? Only time, not space, will tell.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:18 am and sunset will occur at
8:18 pm, giving 14 hours of daylight (6:25 am and 8:21 pm in Saint
John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:07 am and set at 8:27 pm,
giving 14 hours, 20 minutes of daylight (6:14 am and 8:30 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is at third quarter a little past midnight on Friday evening,
April 29; rising a couple of hours later and setting at 1 pm Saturday.
It will make an attractive grouping with Saturn, Mars and Antares for
early risers this Monday. Jupiter dominates the evening sky, being at
its highest for best observing around 10 pm. Use a scope to watch its
moon Europa emerge from the planet’s shadow at 10:19 pm Sunday. This
moon has a salt water ocean beneath its icy exterior, and scientists
have hopes for exploring it in a few decades to look for life. Mercury
is well placed for spotting in the evening, slowly moving toward a rare
passage across the face of the Sun on May 9. Mars is brightening as it
nears its opposition on May 22, and Saturn is thrilling telescope users
with views of its rings, which are almost at their maximum tilt toward us.

Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca