NATURE
MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April 27, 2018 (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
For more information on Nature Moncton, check into the website at www.naturemoncton.com
Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca
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your message to the information line editor nelson@nb.sympatico.ca.
** Gabriel Gallant stepped out of his Sainte-Marie-de-Kent
home on Friday morning to find he had two SPRING PEEPERS [Rainette
crucifère] on his front door.
He also found a BLUE-SPOTTED SALAMANDER [Salamandre à points bleus] near the
foundation of his house. Gabriel
comments that they were so nice to see, given that he still had a foot of snow
in his yard last weekend and had his dog for a snowshoe walk last Sunday. Note the sucker footpads nicely shown on the
Spring Peeper photo that lets them so easily go up smooth surfaces.
** Ron Steeves spent 5 hours at the New Horton
church site on Thursday to monitor hawk migration and, Ron comments, he “did it
out of stubbornness,” as he did not spot one raptor that he felt might have
been in migration. He did record a group
of 14 CORMORANTS , also 150 GULLS
[Goéland] basically in 4
flocks of 25 to 60, and there surely was a movement of AMERICAN CROWS [Corneille
d'Amérique] coming inland.
He also comments that it had to be one of the windiest spots in the
world on Thursday!
** Lois Budd came across a number of NORTHERN FLICKERS [Pic
flamboyant] and AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique]
going about their foraging routine at Johnson’s
Point on Thursday. Two Northern Flickers
caught her attention with their display.As they were two males, some
competitive activity is assumed to establish the “king of the hill.”
** Sue Richards reports that she’s been hearing a
spring symphony of both WOOD FROGS [Grenouille des bois] and SPRING PEEPERS [Rainette
crucifère], and the chorus is getting louder every night this
week around her Taylor Village home.
** Ray Gauvin checked Highland Park in Salisbury on
Wednesday for the GREAT EGRET [Grande Aigrette]. It was not present so it can be assumed it
has changed locale. Ray did zoom in on a
female NORTHERN
SHOVELER [Canard souchet] that shows some
very close photos of that bill that gives it its name.
** Alain Clavette and Vanessa Blanch of CBC have
authored a great story of the Miramichi Mistle Thrush visit this past winter
and some very deserving accolades to Peter and Deana Gadd who were such
incredible hosts and kept the bird community so up to date on where it was each
day. Check it out at the attached
link. The podcast was posted on April 20th.
** I’m reattaching Brian Stone’s photos of the bee
carrying the mite load. Bug Guide has
come back with more specific information.
They have further identified this bee as the BLUE ORCHARD BEE, a
solitary Mason Bee. They are of great
interest as a native pollinator of fruit trees and blueberries and they can be
purchased for pollination. They make
their nests in reeds and natural holes.
Bug Guide has also identified the mite it is carrying as the scientific
name Chaetodactylus krombeini, with
no common name. It is indeed a parasite
of the bee and is specific to solitary bees.
A photo from Google is attached.
They’re very small, and when we put the bee into a container, the mites
all came off and could barely be seen by the naked eye as individuals.
** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is added to this
edition, courtesy of Curt Nason.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, April 28
- May 5
When people see an amateur astronomer’s telescope that doesn’t look like
it came from a department store, they often have two questions: “How
much did that baby cost?” and “How far can you see with that?” The
answer to the first is usually about ten times less than they guess, but
the answer to the second is difficult to explain and even more difficult
to comprehend. Sometimes I just say “way far” and hope they don’t press
for details.
On a clear evening this weekend just go outside and look up. The
brightest object will be the Moon and it will be about 380,000
kilometres away. Next Saturday it will be at its farthest (apogee) at
405,000 km. The next brightest object is Jupiter, which will be at
opposition on May 8 and hence closest to us at a distance of 660 million
kilometres. In the morning sky, Mars is currently 130 million km away
and Saturn is 1.4 billion km out there. Light travels at 300,000 km/s,
so at 150 million km the Sun is a distance 500 light seconds away. The
Moon is a tad more than a light second; Jupiter is 36 light minutes and
Saturn nearly 80 light minutes.
The brightest star we see in the evening now is still Sirius, the
closest star we can see from New Brunswick at 8.6 light years (ly). The
next brightest is Arcturus and it is 37 ly or 350 trillion km. Polaris,
the North Star, is about 400 ly away; and Alnilam, the middle star of
Orion’s belt, is 2000 ly, If you are under a dark sky well before
morning twilight you might get a naked eye glimpse of the Andromeda
Galaxy at a distance of 2.5 million light years. Yes, a small telescope
will reveal things even more distant, but at what point do these
distances become incomprehensible and “way far” is a reasonable answer?
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:10 am and sunset will occur at
8:23 pm, giving 14 hours, 13 minutes of daylight (6:17 am and 8:26 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:59 am and set at 8:32
pm, giving 14 hours, 33 minutes of daylight (6:07 am and 8:35 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is full on Sunday, the Mi’kmaq Birds Lay Eggs Moon, and it
passes near Jupiter on Monday. Mercury reaches its greatest elongation
from the Sun on Monday but it doesn’t get far above the horizon before
sunrise on spring mornings due to the shallow angle of the ecliptic.
Despite keeping a relatively low profile, Venus dominates the western
sky after sunset. Jupiter is now rising around 9 pm and will soon be in
the evening sky at sunset. With a small scope you might catch its moon
Europa disappearing into Jupiter’s shadow around 10:20 pm on Thursday.
Saturn and Mars offer great viewing in the morning sky, with Mars
getting much brighter by the week.
The provincial astronomy club, RASC NB, meets at the UNB Forestry /
Earth Sciences building in Fredericton this Saturday at 1 pm. The Saint
John Astronomy Club meets on May 5 at 7 pm in the Rockwood Park
Interpretation Cenre. All are welcome to attend either and there is no fee.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
When people see an amateur astronomer’s telescope that doesn’t look like
it came from a department store, they often have two questions: “How
much did that baby cost?” and “How far can you see with that?” The
answer to the first is usually about ten times less than they guess, but
the answer to the second is difficult to explain and even more difficult
to comprehend. Sometimes I just say “way far” and hope they don’t press
for details.
On a clear evening this weekend just go outside and look up. The
brightest object will be the Moon and it will be about 380,000
kilometres away. Next Saturday it will be at its farthest (apogee) at
405,000 km. The next brightest object is Jupiter, which will be at
opposition on May 8 and hence closest to us at a distance of 660 million
kilometres. In the morning sky, Mars is currently 130 million km away
and Saturn is 1.4 billion km out there. Light travels at 300,000 km/s,
so at 150 million km the Sun is a distance 500 light seconds away. The
Moon is a tad more than a light second; Jupiter is 36 light minutes and
Saturn nearly 80 light minutes.
The brightest star we see in the evening now is still Sirius, the
closest star we can see from New Brunswick at 8.6 light years (ly). The
next brightest is Arcturus and it is 37 ly or 350 trillion km. Polaris,
the North Star, is about 400 ly away; and Alnilam, the middle star of
Orion’s belt, is 2000 ly, If you are under a dark sky well before
morning twilight you might get a naked eye glimpse of the Andromeda
Galaxy at a distance of 2.5 million light years. Yes, a small telescope
will reveal things even more distant, but at what point do these
distances become incomprehensible and “way far” is a reasonable answer?
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:10 am and sunset will occur at
8:23 pm, giving 14 hours, 13 minutes of daylight (6:17 am and 8:26 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:59 am and set at 8:32
pm, giving 14 hours, 33 minutes of daylight (6:07 am and 8:35 pm in
Saint John).
The Moon is full on Sunday, the Mi’kmaq Birds Lay Eggs Moon, and it
passes near Jupiter on Monday. Mercury reaches its greatest elongation
from the Sun on Monday but it doesn’t get far above the horizon before
sunrise on spring mornings due to the shallow angle of the ecliptic.
Despite keeping a relatively low profile, Venus dominates the western
sky after sunset. Jupiter is now rising around 9 pm and will soon be in
the evening sky at sunset. With a small scope you might catch its moon
Europa disappearing into Jupiter’s shadow around 10:20 pm on Thursday.
Saturn and Mars offer great viewing in the morning sky, with Mars
getting much brighter by the week.
The provincial astronomy club, RASC NB, meets at the UNB Forestry /
Earth Sciences building in Fredericton this Saturday at 1 pm. The Saint
John Astronomy Club meets on May 5 at 7 pm in the Rockwood Park
Interpretation Cenre. All are welcome to attend either and there is no fee.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
BLUE ORCHARD BEE (OSMIA LIGNARIA) WITH MITES (CHAETODACTYLUS KROMBEINI). APRIL 25, 2018. BRIAN STONE
BLUE-SPOTTED SALAMANDER.APRIL 27, 2018, GABRIEL GALLANT
Chaetodactylus krombeini MITE UNDER MAGNIFICATION
NORTHERN FLICKERS DISPLAYING. APRIL 26, 2018. LOIS BUDD
NORTHERN FLICKERS DISPLAYING. APRIL 26, 2018. LOIS BUDD
NORTHERN SHOVELER (FEMALE).APRIL 26, 2018. RAY GAUVIN
NORTHERN SHOVELER (FEMALE).APRIL 26, 2018. RAY GAUVIN
Sirius Distance
SPRING PEEPER.APRIL 27, 2018, GABRIEL GALLANT
SPRING PEEPER.APRIL 27, 2018, GABRIEL GALLANT
