Nature Moncton Nature News: July 15 2016

** Jamie and Karen Burris visited Hillsborough Wetland Park on Monday to share some photo observations that include BINDWEED [l'Impatiente du cap] and JEWELWEED [Liseron des champs], aka. Touch-Me-Not, in full bloom. A WOOD DUCK [Canard branchu] family quickly left from view, but Jamie did get a nice photo of one of the ducklings. A NORTHERN SHOVELER [Canard souchet] was not amused with Jamie and Karen's visit, and Jamie caught her thoughts in a photo as she advised him to be on their way in protection of her youngsters. Note the bristles in the Northern Shoveler's bill that act to sift out food items from the water. A YELLOW WARBLER [Paruline jaune] was also sunning itself in the warmth of the afternoon.

** Bob Grant in Cape Spear near Tormentine is pleased to report he had a pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu de l'Est] take a nest box in his yard this spring. He observed both parents feeding young on June 30th and noted the nest box was vacated on July 12th. On Tuesday, he spotted all four fledglings along with the two parents in a yard apple tree and on Wednesday saw them all again in another apple tree, parents feeding the young. The male put the run to a RED SQUIRREL [Écureuil roux] deemed as being too close to the family. There is a pair of TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] that took a box very near the Bluebirds that he suspects to fledge soon.

** John Filliter visited the Bird Island seabird colony near Englishtown on Bras d’or Lake on a boat cruise on July 13th in Cape Breton to capture some nice nature photography. This is an amazing place to visit for anyone going Cape Breton way. You don't actually land on the island, but get wonderful observations of the very active bird and seal colonies there. It's a great spot to visit at any time, but nesting time in June or early July is prime.

** The male wood warblers seem to be losing their shine of spring. Aldo Dorio got a photo of a NORTHERN PARULA [Paruline à collier] with a bit less of its spring tailored look.

** Brian Stone visited the bog area that is located between Twin Oaks Drive and Ryan Rd. in the middle of a very developed area in Moncton on Thursday. It is just off the North-west trail there. He found hundreds of NORTHERN WHITE-FRINGED orchids in bloom, plus CALOPOGAN and ROSE POGONIA orchids. The land just to the right of this area is being developed. There's a lot of activity in this bog/wet area with frogs, butterflies, dragonflies and more. WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] tracks were noted as well.

** This week's Sky-at-a-Glance is added to this transcription, courtesy of Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, July 16 – July 23
The bright stars Arcturus and Vega, fourth and fifth brightest of the
night sky and second and third brightest from New Brunswick, are seen
high above in twilight. I use them to locate the constellation Hercules,
which lies one third of the way from Vega to Arcturus. Another
constellation, the nominal crowning glory of the northern sky, lies one
third of the way from Arcturus to Vega. Corona Borealis, the Northern
Crown, does not stand out among its neighbours or contain any popular
telescopic treasures like Hercules does, but its semicircle of stars is
pretty to look at. It does contain a star, too dim for even binoculars,
which flared to naked eye brilliance in 1886 and 1946. T Cor Bor, as it
is commonly called, is showing signs that it might repeat this
brightening soon.

In mythology, Ariadne was the daughter of King Minos of Crete. She
helped Theseus slay the bull-headed Minotaur and escape from the
Labyrinth, and then accompanied him and his crew on a voyage home to
Athens. Along the way they stopped at the island home of Dionysus, the
god of wine. After a night of revelry the crew was made to leave without
Ariadne, and Dionysus presented her with a beautiful crown if she would
be his bride. The crown was placed in the sky to commemorate their
wedding. The constellation also represents a bear’s den in a local
aboriginal legend of the bear and seven hunters, which includes stars in
the Big Dipper and Boötes.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:44 am and sunset will occur at
9:06 pm, giving 15 hours, 22 minutes of daylight (5:52 am and 9:08 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:52 am and set at 8:59
pm, giving 15 hours, 7 minutes of daylight (5:59 am and 9:01 pm in Saint
John).

The full Thunder Moon occurs on Tuesday. Around 1:15 am next Saturday,
July 23, the waning gibbous Moon occults Neptune, with the planet
reappearing from behind the dark lunar limb about an hour later. Start
watching with binoculars or, preferably, a scope well before the
disappearance. Although Neptune is visible with optical aid as a
star-like point of light it could be lost in the Moon’s glow before the
occultation. You will have better luck with seeing the reappearance.
Jupiter is low in the west at twilight’s end and sets at 11:15 pm
midweek. Mars and Saturn make a colourful pair in the south, with yellow
Saturn being a little more than 15 degrees east of orange Mars. For a
binocular challenge this weekend, try to spot Venus and dimmer Mercury
close together above the WNW horizon a half hour after sunset.

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

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton