Nature Moncton Nature News: June 23 2017

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, June 23, 2017 (Friday)

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

For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com

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 weather forecast has again challenged the Nature Moncton field trip to Cocagne Island. It will go ahead on this coming Sunday, June 25^th, with all plans remaining the same except the date. The write-up is attached.

Cocagne Island Aventure

Ocean Islands -- there are surely lots of them around the coasts of New Brunswick! If you are a naturalist or nature photographer, you probably have seen several which made you think: Hum, I wonder what it is like on there… and what might I see if I could get on. One such intriguing place is Cocagne Island, which sits near the village of the same name. It sure is beautiful from afar but one wonders what might be found on it nature wise. If you want to find out or are just interested in an early summer island adventure here is your chance!

On June 17 Nature Moncton is organizing a day trip to Cocagne Island. The island has quite a bit of history having been used by the Mi’gmaq people for a very long time and later having been settled by the Acadians, some of whose descendants actually lived there till about 50 years ago. On the natural history side it should offer nice bird sightseeing and botanical discoveries. Cocagne Island is not very big at 2 square kilometers and relatively easy to get to, just about 10 minutes by boat from the Comiervville wharf. So if you are up for a great day of exploration, come and join our guide Roger Leblanc for this island day of discovery. As an added bonus Fernand Robichaud, a local oyster producer who will bring us on the island, will at the same time give us a hands on presentation of his aquaculture work.

Date & time: June 25 from 8:30 am to 3 pm

Meeting place: Comierville wharf (5 minutes north of Cocagne on route 535)

Cost: $8

Rain date: The trip will go on June 17th if winds and weather are good; otherwise Sunday June 18th will be our rain date.

Dress details: Dress for the weather and bring adequate footwear.

Registration: Please register with Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca or 939-5054. We would like to have an accurate number of participants.

NB Pack a lunch -- and if you have a life jacket or life jackets you don’t mind sharing, please bring them as Fernand has a limited number at his disposal.

** Louise Nichols points out that a great area to visit at the moment is the dirt road behind the Town of Sackville garage, aside the lagoon there. There are three different sparrow species there: SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur], SAVANNAH SPARROWS [Bruant des prés] and NELSON'S SPARROWS [Bruant de Nelson]. The population of Nelson’s Sparrows seems very good there this year, and it’s easy to hear them in song – and a great spot to compare Savannah and Nelson’s Sparrows songs together. There’s a good showing of BOBOLINKS [Goglu des prés] there, and a NORTHERN HARRIER [Busard Saint-Martin] flew over appearing to be molting some wing feathers. Louise notes that all three photos of the Nelson’s sparrows are different to suggest just how many there must be at that site.

** Georges Brun saw a COMMON NIGHTHAWK [Engoulevent d'Amérique] hawking insects in the area of the Moncton City Hospital on Thursday evening. He was alerted to it by its call, something he has not heard for some years. He wondered if it may be nesting atop the hospital.

** Louise Richard reports on the six TREE SWALLOW [Hirondelle bicolore] nest boxes Maurice had replaced on the north side of Jones Lake along Hillcrest Drive two years ago. Three are swallow-occupied and young being fed at the moment. One was damaged to leave a large entrance hole that EUROPEAN STARLINGS [Étourneau sansonnet] took over. Two don’t show activity that they can detect; they are near bushes and Louise was wondering if that may not be a deterrent.

** Beth MacMillan reports her family of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à tête noire] in her urban yard have fledged. On Wednesday, one of the young struck a neighbour’s window, but the homeowners put the bird in a covered box and later brought it back to the nest box and it promptly flew off, seemingly recovered. The last one to go made its first landing in Beth’s lap, then off.

** Brian Stone visited the Twin Oaks trail and bog in Moncton on Thursday to find an amazing variety of Mother Nature’s community active. Brian’s photos show why this intercity trail and bog is a site to use as a nature destination. He was able to photograph the butterflies NORTHERN CRESCENT [Croissant nordique], DREAMY DUSKYWING [Hespérie givrée], HOBOMOK SKIPPER [Hespérie hobomok], SILVERY BLUE [Bleu argenté],HARRIS’S CHECKERSPOT, and COMMON RINGLET [Satyre fauve]. Blooming plants noted were BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL, SHEEP LAUREL and BUNCH BERRY. Two day-flying moths were seen: the VIRGINIA CTENUCHA and FALSE CROCUS GEOMETER, as well as the SIX-SPOTTED TIGER BEETLE, nicely showing its emerald green body and 6 white spots. Dragonflies DOT-TAILED WHITEFACE [Leucorrhine mouchetée] and FOUR-SPOTTED SKIMMER [La quadrimaculée] were photographed. Brian found a few of the orchids CALOPOGON (aka Grass Pink) in fresh bloom, and WHITE-FRINGED ORCHID was just starting to open up, with some PINK LADY SLIPPERS still blooming. Lots of Mother Nature’s community at that site on our doorsteps.

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

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, June 24 – July 1

With Canada’s 150th birthday just around the corner, I will highlight once again my idea of our National Constellation. Although Lyra the Lyre (Harp) is not circumpolar in New Brunswick, it is circumpolar in NB West (aka Edmonton). For us it is below the northern horizon for about five hours daily, so it is in either the morning sky or evening sky every day. It is a rather modest constellation but it stands out thanks to its lucida Vega, the fifth brightest star in the sky and third brightest as seen from Canada. You will need a moderately-sized telescope, a steady sky and perhaps a coffee to see my point.

Near Vega is a fifth magnitude (too dim to see from urban or overly lit suburban areas) star called Epsilon Lyrae. Binoculars will easily show this as two stars, and a good quality telescope under steady skies (minimal star twinkling) can just distinguish each of those as a pair. Naturally, Epsilon Lyrae has been dubbed the Double-Double. The body of the harp is marked by a parallelogram of stars. Approximately midway between the two stars forming the short side of the parallelogram farther from Vega are the gaseous remnants of a dead star, a planetary nebula called M57 or the Ring Nebula. Ultraviolet radiation from the dead but very hot white dwarf star makes the expelled gases glow. In a small telescope this might look like a fat star, but a larger scope will show it as a smoke ring or doughnut. And if you need another clue, half the parallelogram forms a 7, the number worn by Tim Horton in a Leafs sweater.

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:28 am and sunset will occur at 9:14 pm, giving 15 hours, 46 minutes of daylight (5:36 am and 9:15 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:32 am and set at 9:13 pm, giving 15 hours, 41 minutes of daylight (5:40 am and 9:15 pm in Saint John). The nights are getting longer!

The Moon is new just before midnight on June 23, less than a day after perigee, so expect higher than usual tides this weekend. It is at first quarter and near Jupiter next Friday, well placed for observing during the holiday fireworks. On Wednesday, as darkness sets in, Jupiter’s stormy Red Spot may be visible through a telescope at high magnification. Also that evening, a small telescope could reveal its moon Europa emerging from the planet’s shadow at 10:35, and 13 minutes later Ganymede reappearing from behind the planet. Saturn’s rings are on display in a scope all evening, and in steady binoculars it will look somewhat elongated. Venus rises two and a half hours before the Sun and dominates the morning sky with its brilliance.

The next meeting of the Saint John Astronomy Club will be on Saturday, July 8 at 7 pm in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre. All are welcome.

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

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton