Nature Moncton Nature News: Dec 14 2018

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, December 14, 2018 (Friday)

To view the photos mentioned in this edition go to http://nminfoline.blogspot.ca

Please advise editor at nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com if any errors are noted in wording or photo labeling.

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Edited by: Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Transcript by: Louise Nichols nicholsl@eastlink.ca

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

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** Today is Day One of the count period for the Moncton Christmas Bird Count with tomorrow, Saturday, the day when the fleet will be out tallying. The count period does extend to next Tuesday, Dec. 18^th, so be on the watch for any species that may not get tallied on Saturday, so they may be included as well. Feeder yard watchers are asked to make a special list tally tomorrow as well, but count period week surprises are on the watch list too.

** Pearl and Connie Colpitts have spotted a DARK-EYED JUNCO [Junco ardoisé] among their Junco troupe with a distinct white eye ring. There seems to be no comments on this in the literature that we were able to find, so I’m posting the photos for any comments anyone may have. Probably many of us will be looking a bit more closely at this common bird to see just how common this feature is. I personally think it’s not at all common.

** Jane and Ed LeBlanc, Brian Stone and I paid a visit to Tantramar Marsh on Thursday. The High Marsh Rd and Coles Island Rd were very driveable; however, we learned the hard way that the Goose Lake Rd is not a good choice even though some raptors were indeed there. We did see several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS [Buse pattue], mostly at great distance with numbers very much lower than recent years. It would appear the vole population has crashed even though some areas of vole trails in the snow were noted. Jane did get one nice photo of a Rough-legged Hawk, light morph, in flight to readily note the distinct field marks. Any GOLDEN EAGLE [Aigle royal] successfully evaded us; however Jane LeBlanc shares 3 nice close-up photos she took of Golden Eagles at the Canadian Raptor Conservancy in Simcoe, Ont. in 2016. Jane very much recommends a visit to this sight in that area as very special. BALD EAGLES [Pygargue à tête blanche] were well represented about the marsh area with adults and immature. No Red-tailed Hawks were seen; however, on the road home, a phone call from Daryl Doucet reported he had just seen two raptors in trees around the Dieppe traffic circle. We went directly there to see two RED-TAILED HAWKS [Buse à queue rousse] which Brian photographed as well as possible trying to navigate the traffic circle. It seems ironic to see no Red-tailed Hawks all day, then two at one of the busiest traffic areas in the city.

** A good-sized stick nest was easily seen in trees on Folkins Dr. with leaves fallen. It appeared like it may be a raptor or a corvid nest.

The sack-like pupal case (cocoon) of our largest very beautiful moth, the CECROPIA, was found on a roadside bush. The rather ornate pupa is housed within the sack-like structure. It was collected to hopefully hatch and be safely released in the spring.

** Sightings of RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide] with plumages different from the expected are getting, it would appear, more common, especially on the Tantramar Marsh. At least two and I think more were spotted yesterday near the cattle farm that is on Donald Harper Lane up from the lagoon site there. A rather exhaustive website search and consultations with different folks seem to have little explanation. However, the one site attached below does indicate the ones photographed yesterday are a match for what it cited in that source as female melanistic Ring-necked Pheasants, so they are labelled as such until someone has a different explanation. They are beautifully plumaged specimens. Other plumages of Ring-necked Pheasant have been reported over the years, especially in the Memramcook area and the Harvey, Albert County area. Sleuthing will continue.

http://chooksiniowa.blogspot.com/2017/01/

** This week’s Sky-at-a-Glance is included in this edition, courtesy of sky-guru Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, December 15 – December 22
Evening stargazing can be tricky this time of year with all the festive lights, especially if you have a neighbourhood Griswald. You can make the best of it by finding a darker location or waiting until most people have turned their lights off. Occasionally I make the best of it by targeting some distant colourful outdoor display with binoculars or a telescope.

If you happen to be out, try identifying a few constellations. In the northeast there is pentagonal Auriga the Charioteer, with bright Capella the Goat Star at one corner. To the right is the V-shaped face of Taurus the Bull, with the dipper-like star cluster of the Pleiades marking its shoulder. Orion and Gemini follow below Taurus and Auriga. Above Auriga is Perseus, seemingly standing on the bull’s back. It is here a patient stargazer can watch a marvel of the night sky.

In mythology, Perseus beheaded Medusa to seek revenge on tormentors by turning them to stone. The second brightest star in the constellation Perseus represents the evil eye of Medusa and it is called Algol, the ghoul or demon. There is a reason for this name. Every three days, minus about three hours, this star slowly dims by a factor of three and regains brightness over several hours. Algol is an eclipsing binary, two stars orbiting each other closely and aligned to our line of sight. When the smaller, dimmer star passes in front of the brighter one we can see their combined-light diminish and recover. By comparing it with nearby stars of similar brightness you might notice Algol getting brighter. Our next evening opportunity to watch this is around 10 pm Christmas night.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:54 am and sunset will occur at 4:34 pm, giving 8 hours, 40 minutes of daylight (7:56 am and 4:42 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:58 am and set at 4:36 pm, giving 8 hours, 38 minutes of daylight (8:00 am and 4:44 pm in Saint John). The Winter Solstice occurs on December 21 at 6:23 pm, the day of minimum sunlight but giving lots of time for stargazing.

The Moon is at first quarter this Saturday and full next Saturday, the Long Night Moon or the Mi’mgaw Chief Moon. Mercury is at greatest elongation this Saturday, rising nearly two hours before the Sun and two hours after Venus. Jupiter climbs to within one degree of Mercury by Thursday, and next Saturday they rise together with brighter Jupiter on the right. Mars is at its highest in the south at 6 pm, but Saturn is too low in the west at sunset for observing. Comet 46P/Wirtanen passes between the V-shaped Hyades star cluster and the Pleiades star cluster this weekend as it moves to within 11.5 million kilometres of Earth. It is seen best with binoculars, resembling a hazy thumbprint the size of the Moon or larger. You might also catch a few late meteors from the Geminid shower this weekend.

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

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton