** Rhi Edwards made a birding run of the Tantramar Marsh, Cape Tormentine
and Cape Jourimain on Thursday. Each cape location gave nice views of waterfowl
and songbirds, but a juvenile RED-TAILED HAWK [Buse à queue rousse] gave a great
show on the Tantramar Marsh to provide a nice portrait and then entertained with
a bit of calisthenics. Rhi recorded the show with 3 photos.
** Marguerite Winsor had a large female ICHNEUMON WASP visit her Salisbury
yard on Wednesday. Note the very long ovipositor of this specimen. We have
several species of Ichneumon wasps in New Brunswick. Some are surprisingly
large, but none are a threat to humans.
** Ray Gauvin submits a photo of one of two RUDDY TURNSTONES [Tournepierre
à collier] that have become very friendly with one of a fisherman at the
Pointe-du-Chêne wharf. The fisherman has dubbed them “Bert and Ernie”. This is
an interesting scenario with Ruddy Turnstones as I have seen the same thing at
the two Neguac wharves. One day 7 Ruddy Turnstones were moving among the
fishermen there, taking tidbits of bait the fishermen were using to fish Striped
Bass. I thought the Ruddy Turnstone was an insect and invertebrate eater, but
obviously that can be expanded when appropriate.
** This week's Sky-at-a-Glance is added to today's transcription, courtesy
of Curt Nason.
This Week’s
Sky at a Glance, October 8 – October 15
This is a good time of year to double your sky observing time. For the
next few weeks, before we revert to Standard Time, the sky is dark and
the stars are blazing when most people are up to start their day. And it
is not bitterly cold or snowbound. Orion and his dogs are prominent to
the south, with Taurus, Auriga and Gemini arching over them.
In early evening you can see the 4th, 5th and 6th brightest stars. Look
for yellow Arcturus sinking to the west, blue-white Vega overhead and
Capella in Auriga rising in the northeast. Later, notice the positions
of the circumpolar Big Dipper, Little Dipper and Cassiopeia. The next
morning go outside and see how they have changed. Sometimes it is nice
to have a little assurance that the world keeps right on turning.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:27 am and sunset will occur at
6:45 pm, giving 11 hours, 18 minutes of daylight (7:32 am and 6:51 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:37 am and set at 6:32
pm, giving 10 hours, 55 minutes of daylight (7:41 am and 6:38 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is at first quarter after midnight on Saturday night, October 8
and, not coincidentally, Saturday is International Observe the Moon
Night. Mercury is still well placed for morning viewing but heading
sunward. On Tuesday it and Jupiter rise together one degree apart an
hour before the Sun. Venus remains low in the west in twilight, setting
around 8 pm. In a few weeks it will pass between Saturn and Antares,
just as Mars did not so long ago. Over the week Mars moves from the lid
of the Sagittarius Teapot asterism to just above the handle. The
International Space Station (ISS) will be making a pass or two every
evening this week, with the best being around 8 pm on Thursday. Check
the Heavens-Above Web site for times and locations in your area, which
you can set from Configuration on the home page.
There will be public observing at the Irving Nature Park in Saint John
on Friday, October 7, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. The Fredericton astronomy
club meets on Tuesday at 7 pm in the UNB Forestry/Earth Sciences
Building, and the provincial astronomy club (RASC NB) meets at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre in Saint John on October 15 at 1 pm.
Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
This is a good time of year to double your sky observing time. For the
next few weeks, before we revert to Standard Time, the sky is dark and
the stars are blazing when most people are up to start their day. And it
is not bitterly cold or snowbound. Orion and his dogs are prominent to
the south, with Taurus, Auriga and Gemini arching over them.
In early evening you can see the 4th, 5th and 6th brightest stars. Look
for yellow Arcturus sinking to the west, blue-white Vega overhead and
Capella in Auriga rising in the northeast. Later, notice the positions
of the circumpolar Big Dipper, Little Dipper and Cassiopeia. The next
morning go outside and see how they have changed. Sometimes it is nice
to have a little assurance that the world keeps right on turning.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:27 am and sunset will occur at
6:45 pm, giving 11 hours, 18 minutes of daylight (7:32 am and 6:51 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:37 am and set at 6:32
pm, giving 10 hours, 55 minutes of daylight (7:41 am and 6:38 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is at first quarter after midnight on Saturday night, October 8
and, not coincidentally, Saturday is International Observe the Moon
Night. Mercury is still well placed for morning viewing but heading
sunward. On Tuesday it and Jupiter rise together one degree apart an
hour before the Sun. Venus remains low in the west in twilight, setting
around 8 pm. In a few weeks it will pass between Saturn and Antares,
just as Mars did not so long ago. Over the week Mars moves from the lid
of the Sagittarius Teapot asterism to just above the handle. The
International Space Station (ISS) will be making a pass or two every
evening this week, with the best being around 8 pm on Thursday. Check
the Heavens-Above Web site for times and locations in your area, which
you can set from Configuration on the home page.
There will be public observing at the Irving Nature Park in Saint John
on Friday, October 7, from 7:00 to 9:30 pm. The Fredericton astronomy
club meets on Tuesday at 7 pm in the UNB Forestry/Earth Sciences
Building, and the provincial astronomy club (RASC NB) meets at the
Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre in Saint John on October 15 at 1 pm.
Questions? Contact me at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
Autumn Morning
RED-TAILED HAWK.OCT 6, 2016.RHI EDWARDS,
RED-TAILED HAWK.OCT 6, 2016.RHI EDWARDS,
RED-TAILED HAWK.OCT 6, 2016.RHI EDWARDS,
RUDDY TURNSTONE.OCT 6, 2016.RAY GAVIN
