Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 3 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 3, 2017 (Friday)

Please advise editor at nelson@nb.sympatico.ca if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca

Info Line # 506-384-6397 (384-NEWS)

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** The TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE [Solitaire de Townsend] appeared again to its berry stash in a wooded area in the backyard of 120 Carrington St. in Riverview on Thursday. Mitch Doucet saw it mid-morning. It stayed for up to 30 minutes; however, its appearance is spotty and infrequent.

** Carmella Melanson has been with husband Leo-Paul who was in Halifax on a course so Carmella took the opportunity to take in some of the birding highlights in the Halifax area, and Carmella shares some birds that we can or sometimes see in New Brunswick. A photo shows the very unique feet of the AMERICAN COOT [Foulque d'Amérique]. Another shows a few DOVEKIES [Mergule nain] several of which have been in the Halifax area overwintering this year that we have not been quite so lucky to have in New Brunswick yet. Some excellent photos show the female AMERICAN WIGEON [Canard d'Amérique] and female EURASIAN WIGEON [Canard siffleur] to compare these look-alike birds. Carmella points out that the field marks to look for that show up well in the photos are

1) the warmer brown tones of the head of the Eurasian Wigeon female;

2) the less contrast between the head and breast of the Eurasian Wigeon female;

3) the lack of black edge where the bill meets the face.

** The GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL [Goéland marin] is the only winter gull to show a clean white head with the rest, like the HERRING GULL [Goéland argenté], showing a streaked head in winter plumage. Carmella got a Herring Gull with a clean white head to suggest it is already starting to molt out of its winter plumage.

** Dave Christie reports that he had some new visitors to his Mary’s Point feeder yard on Thursday when a flock of 20 PINE SISKINS [Tarin des pins] arrived to compete with the AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] for black-oil sunflower seed and nyjer seed. They seemed to prefer nyjer seed, staying for approximately 20 minutes, so Dave is not sure if they were passing through or potential repeat guests.

** Gary Capson shows a nice photo of a RED SQUIRREL [Écureuil roux] enjoying his new squirrel-proof bird feeder. He wonders if these squirrels are just a bit smarter than most. Maybe the designers were thinking more of Gray Squirrels than Red Squirrels.

** The photo Brian Stone got of a photo of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien] and a few DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé] at Ralph Eldridge’s feeder on Wednesday had an extra unnoted surprise with an obvious CHIPPING SPARROW [Bruant familier] in their midst that we missed at the time. All thanks to Dave Christie and Stu Tingley for pointing it out, commenting to note the smaller size, big black post-orbital line, somewhat dusky line on the lower side of the cheek, cleaner looking breast, lacking orangey-brown wash on the flanks, less rusty on the wings and the difference in the bill colour. We don’t have many Chipping Sparrows that overwinter with us. These notes remind me of wise words Rob Walker said to me many years ago when looking at a flock of birds: “ Always check every one of them.”

** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is added below, courtesy of Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, February 4 – February 11

Looking at a constellation it is easy to imagine its component stars as being fairly close together in space, as if it is an actual body. Let us look at two prominent winter constellations to see if that is true. Surely the three stars of Orion’s Belt are almost equidistant; at first glance they appear to be almost equally bright. Alnitak, the left star, is 820 light years (ly) away, 100 ly closer than Mintaka on the right. Alnilam, the middle star, is about 50% farther at 1300 ly. Orion must have a lumpy belly. Saiph and bright Rigel, marking Orion’s feet or knees, are reasonably equidistant at 770 ly and 720 ly, respectively. In the giant hunter’s shoulders orange Betelgeuse is 430 ly and Bellatrix is 245 ly.

Following the belt to the lower left we arrive at Canis Major, the Big Dog, with brilliant Sirius at its heart. Sirius is the brightest star of the night sky and the closest naked-eye star we can see in New Brunswick at 8.6 ly (only 82 trillion kilometres), which is the main reason it is the brightest. If Rigel were that close it would be more than four times brighter than Venus. Adhara, in the dog’s rear leg, is the 23rd brightest star and at the same distance as Betelgeuse (tenth brightest). Wezen in the dog’s butt is 1800 ly, and the tail star Aludra is 3200 ly distant. Obviously, the constellations are just chance alignments of stars from our viewpoint.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:38 am and sunset will occur at 5:29 pm, giving 9 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (7:41 am and 5:36 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:28 am and set at 5:40 pm, giving 10 hours, 12 minutes of daylight (7:31 am and 5:46 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is full on Friday, February 10, with the added attraction of a subtle penumbral eclipse. A light gray shading could be detectable between 8 and 9:30 pm. For a total lunar eclipse, this is the shading you see before the Moon enters Earth’s shadow and after it leaves. This time, the Moon is passing just below the shadow. If you happen to be staying at the Luna Hilton that day you would see a partial eclipse of the Sun. This Sunday, as twilight darkens, look for the Moon passing near Aldebaran, the fiery eye star of Taurus the Bull.

Venus moves a couple of degrees further westward of Mars over the week, heading toward inferior conjunction in late March. Saturn is high enough in the southeast for decent observing by morning twilight, as is Jupiter in the southwest. On Monday Jupiter ceases its normal eastward motion relative to the stars and begins four months of retrograde motion that will carry it a fist-width west of Spica. It doesn’t really back up; that is our perspective as Earth laps Jupiter in their racetrack orbits.

The Saint John Astronomy Club meets on February 4 at 7 pm in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre. All are welcome. The annual Irving Nature Park snowshoe hike and telescope observing occurs Friday, February 10 at the Sheldon’s Point barn in Saint John. Visit the park Web site for details.

Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton