Nature Moncton Nature News: May 18 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 18, 2018 ( Friday)

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

Transcript by: Judy Marsh marshj@nbnet.nb.ca

Info Line # 506-384-397 (384-NEWS)

** Louise Nichols leaves a report from her Sackville yard. The biggest news is that they have a pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS (Cardinal rouge), that have been around their feeder area for several days now and she has seen them flying about their back yard pond together so hoping they will nest near by. Louise wonders if they may at last be getting more common in our area as others have been reported in the Sackville and Moncton areas. Louise also has PINE SISKINS (Tarin des pins) at her feeder yard now but, none all winter. Gordon Rattray has reported the same scenario. And the same thing at our Miramichi camp, we have 8 to 10 Pine Siskins. I don’t recall ever seeing this species before at our camp feeders in summer. Waterfowl at Louise and Glen’s pond includes AMERICAN WIGEON (Canard d’ Amerique), MALLARD DUCKS (Canard colvert), HOODED MERGANSER (Harle couronne) and GADWALL (Canard chipeau). A number of Warblers are appearing around their pond, new ones are BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Paruline a gorge noire) and a BLACKPOLL WARBLER (Paruline rayee). An EASTERN PHOBE (Moucherolle phebi), has been around the pond singing its heart out from time to time.

** Thursday, Gabriel Gallant’s eye locked on a bird flying towards his Ste. Marie-de- Kent home, to watch its wing span comparable to a hawk, its wing beat, body shape and plumage colours, he then realized it was an AMERICAN BITTERN (Butor d’ Amerique). For the last two summers he has heard one make its unique old fashioned pump vocalization from a wet area behind a neighbour’s farm. The American Bittern is always a treat to encounter, especially in the spring before the standing cattail foliage emerges, which they so successfully use as camouflage and even imitate.

** Clarence Cormier’s new arrivals on Thursday were, one shy WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Bruant à couronne blanche), two very energetic AMERICAN REDSTARTS (Paruline flamboyante), two WILSON’S WARBLERS (Paruline à calotte noire) chasing each other and a CANADA WARBLER (Paruline du Canada) in a Tamarack tree. Clarence watched a GRAY CATBIRD (Moqueur chat) doing a good imitation of a BOBOLINK (Goglu des prés). He has a dozen plus Bobolink present now. All the RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS (Roitelet à couronne rubis), he had seemed to have moved off, as well as a few Warblers, that he was seeing earlier. The RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS (Colibri à gorge rubis) were a little late for Clarence, seeing his first one on Tuesday, May 15. He still has twenty plus CEDAR WAXWINGS (Jaseur d’ Amérique) about.

** Jan Tingley saw her first YELLOW WARBLER (Paruline jaune) on Wednesday on the bush side of the Riverview marsh trail.

** Aldo Dorio captured a photo of the head of a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Corrmoran à aigrettes) that shows its double crest in breeding plumage, to give it, its common name.

** Brian Stone arrived in Perth, Ontario to visit relatives for a spell on Thursday and immediately began photographing nature on the beautiful sunny day there. Many of the things he immediately encountered are items that we will soon see here in New Brunswick, as their spring is obviously several days advanced than here. Several TURKEY VULTURES (Urubu à tête rouge) were flying about, a raptor sailing overhead and a GRAY TREEFROG (Rainette versicolore) were his first encounters. Bobolinks were on utility wires, an EASTERN KINGBIRD (Tyran tritri) was on an old plant stand and he heard a COMMON NIGHTHAWK (Engoulevent d’ Amérique), as the evening progressed and was able to get a photo of the Crescent Moon and Venus. The Dragon Flies are starting to move there as well an Ichneumon Wasp stopped by a screen door for a photo-op. Brian’s stay will probably produce many things that we will be seeing and hearing in New Brunswick a week to ten days later, by the sounds of things.

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

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, May 19 - May 26

The long weekend in May is usually the start of baseball season in New
Brunswick. It is also the harbinger of star party season for members of
RASC NB; the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, New Brunswick Centre.
RASC NB has more than 100 members across the province and astronomy
education through public outreach is a focal point of our activities.
Star parties are part of the outreach program, along with visits to
schools, youth and seniors groups, and general observing sessions.

Star parties are held in the larger parks of the province, usually when
the Moon is near the new or first quarter phase. Saturday afternoon
events could include solar observing, telescope clinics or children
activities, and Friday and Saturday evenings involve a “What’s Up”
presentation and telescope observing. This summer the four best planets
for observing – Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Venus – will be at or near
their best for viewing. Mars will be at its closest since 2003. The Moon
near looks astounding through a telescope, and those who stay up later
will be treated to star clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

Often, a dozen or more telescopes of various types and sizes are
operated by RASC NB members and guests for your enjoyment. There could
be line-ups at each scope so please be patient and respectful of the
equipment. All you need to do is place your eye up to, but not on, the
telescope eyepiece. Touching the scope could move it off the object you
want to observe. Please avoid using white or otherwise bright lights in
the observing area; allow your eyes to adjust to the dimmer light.
Supervise your young children and, if possible, leave the dogs at the
campsite or keep them at the periphery of the observing area.

This year’s star parties are at Kouchibouguac June 15-16, Mount Carleton
July 13-14, Mactaquac August 10-11, Fundy August 31-September 1, and
back to Kouchibouguac September 14-15. Play ball and party with the stars!

This Week in the Solar System

Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:42 am and sunset will occur at
8:49 pm, giving 15 hours, 7 minutes of daylight (5:50 am and 8:51 pm in
Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:35 am and set at 8:57
pm, giving 15 hours, 22 minutes of daylight (5:43 am and 8:59 pm in
Saint John).

The first quarter Moon will be near Regulus on Monday, and on Tuesday a
telescope could reveal Rupes Recta, a 110 km long fault line commonly
called the Straight Wall. Venus will be within a binocular view to the
right of the M35 star cluster on Sunday and above it on Monday. Their
low altitude by the time twilight ends could make this a difficult
observation. Late evening is prime time for observing Jupiter, with its
moons shifting positions nightly for binocular viewers and its Red Spot
facing telescope viewers on Sunday and Tuesday. Saturn is now rising
before midnight and teams up with Mars for those who like to get up very
early.

Local RASC NB members are hosting public observing at the Moncton High
School Observatory on Friday, May 18 at 9 pm, with a cloud date of May
19. RASC NB meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre in Saint
John on May 26 at 1 pm for astronomy talks. All are welcome.

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

Attachment: Jupiter on May 20 at 10:30 pm

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton