Nature Moncton Nature News: May 24 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 24, 2019 (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.

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

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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** Information on tomorrow’s (Saturday) Nature Moncton Warbler Workshop and Field Trip is repeated at the end of today’s message.

** Doreen Rossiter lost her FOY GRAY CATBIRD [Moqueur chat] to a window strike on Sunday; however, a second one arrived on Thursday morning. She was surprised to see it for a length of time foraging on a hanging seed bell. She has not seen a catbird take seed before and wonders if the binder that holds the seeds together may have been of interest. I suspect only the catbird can answer that one for us. Doreen reports that AMERICAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret jaune] are very plentiful at 52+, and comments that she always notices that when the American Goldfinch numbers go up, the PURPLE FINCH [Roselin pourpré] numbers drop. She is now down to 6 Purple Finch. The reason may be due to the much earlier nesting period of the Purple Finch.

Doreen’s surprise of the day was a FOX SPARROW [Bruant fauve] arrival which is her only May record since 2010.

** There was a question yesterday about a nesting record of Glossy Ibis in New Brunswick. Jim Edsall comments that around 1985, a GLOSSY IBIS [Ibis falcinelle] nesting was found under a GREAT BLUE HERON [Grand Héron] colony on Manawagonish Island off Saint John. It had a single egg that was unsuccessful. But that summer, there were several Glossy Ibis on nearby Saints Rest Marsh all summer with 5 or 6 seen in September as Jim recalls. Interesting historical information.

** Jane LeBlanc got a nice photo of a CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER [Paruline à flancs marron] in the Saint Martins’ area on Thursday. Note the distinct yellow crown, white facial area and chestnut strip to easily identify this warbler. Jane also saw COMMON YELLOWTHROAT [Paruline masquée], MAGNOLIA WARBLER [Paruline à tête cendrée] and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS [Paruline à croupion jaune], but they did not offer a photo opportunity.

Larry Sherrard came across the Predacious Diving Beetle on Thursday. This is a large beetle around freshwater courses but often seen in wet areas. They are large but not as large as the Giant Water Beetle. The shiny elytra and stripe around the base of it easily identifies this beetle. They have sharp mandibles and capable of a bite if disturbed. They prey on other insects and even tadpoles.

** Rheal Vienneau was pleasantly surprised to see a TURKEY VULTURE [Urubu à tête rouge] stepping around his Belleisle Creek cabin on Thursday. This species has surely become a common bird in New Brunswick since it first moved in.

** Brian Stone paid a rewarding visit to Mapleton Park in the sunshine of Thursday. The warblers netted in photos were three views of a YELLOW WARBLER [Paruline jaune] to note the red striping on the breast to indicate a male, two views of a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER [Paruline à gorge noire] and a female YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à croupion jaune]. COLTSFOOT [Tussilage] continued to have some patches that are in full bloom while others are maturing. There is a surprising number of NODDING TRILLIUM [Trille penché] in areas of the park. Brian noted hundreds of Nodding Trillium about to bloom. The unopened flower is upright, but as it blooms it will drop down, ‘nodding’ under the leaves. These are just as you enter the trail from the Gorge Rd. entrance. The blooming should be incredible to see. Brian also had an EASTERN CHIPMUNK [Suisse] happily posing.

** Roger Leblanc has been out scouting areas to visit on the afternoon field portion of Saturday’s May 25^th Warbler Workshop and Field Trip. He has tallied 16 warbler species so far. It is forecast to rain today, but sun is forecast for Saturday, so warblers may be at their best. Roger suggests participants wear appropriate footwear after all the rain we’ve had. It’s last call to join in on this warbler day tomorrow. The write-up is attached below and it is suggested to contact Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca if you may be participating.

Nature Moncton Workshop and Outing

The Warblers Are Coming

Saturday May 25, 2019

Place: Tankville School, 1665 Elmwood Dr.

Presenter and Guide: Roger Leblanc

Time: Workshop will begin at 9:00 AM; Outing (around Moncton) will begin after 12:00 noon.

** If you want to have a chance to see some early morning warblers, show up in the parking lot of the school at 8:00 AM and Roger will lead the group to some trails behind the school as a pre-workshop warm-up.

Cost for Workshop: $8.00

Reservations: Contact Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

In our region we are blessed to be in one of the best places for diversity of wood warblers. Twenty-three of these singing beauties nest in the province. And since they all leave in winter for warmer climes (and they say they have ”bird brains”!) spring is a time of great rejoicing when they come back to us dressed in their finest colors, singing their little hearts out, and very active with the new breeding season. But there are lots of species and they are small and don’t stay put for long, so learning to identify them is not always easy. However, since they are quite colorful and vocalize a lot, it is possible to become familiar with them -- and the reward is surely one of the best experiences bird watching has to offer. SO if this your year to finally “learn the warblers” Nature Moncton has prepared a workshop/outing especially for you. Our own Roger Leblanc, who has been working at figuring out warblers for decades, will first take a couple of hours indoors to go through the nesting species of NB with a special emphasis on the 18 species or so that can be found around Moncton. After lunch we will head out to previously scouted spots were it should be possible to find most of them and try out the ID knowledge learned in the workshop. We will take full advantage of the wood warbler spring extravaganza! Why not come out and join us? All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

** It’s Friday and ‘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, 2019 May 25 – June 1
Asteroids, like comets, are solar system objects that some amateur astronomers like to collect; that is, identify them at least once with binoculars or a telescope. They are not as interesting to see as comets are, being just points of light, but they are usually more challenging to identify. If you are lucky one might be near an easily identifiable star or group of stars, and if you are even luckier you might be able to detect its movement relative to a star over several minutes or an hour. The few near-Earth asteroids that I have located, which can be seen moving in real time with a telescope, are among my lifetime observing highlights.

The first asteroid was discovered on January 1, 1801, and Ceres was initially called a planet once its orbit was calculated. In the 18th century a mathematical progression known as the Titius-Bode Law was formulated which fit the distances of the six known planets from the Sun. Uranus was discovered in 1781 and its distance fit that formula, but there was an inexplicable gap between Mars and Jupiter. Ceres filled that gap nicely, but over that decade three more new “planets” were found within the gap. Later in the century many more were found when astrophotography became a tool for astronomers, and now thousands are discovered monthly by automated telescopes programmed to look for asteroids that could potentially collide with Earth.

Ceres is by far the largest asteroid and it is now categorized as a dwarf planet along with distant Pluto, Eris, Makemake and Haumea. Ceres is at opposition on Tuesday and it can be seen easily with binoculars over the next month about a fist-width to the upper right of Jupiter. However, you will likely have difficulty distinguishing it from the stars. The Heavens-Above website has an Asteroids section which includes two maps for each of the brighter asteroids; one with a wide-field view of the constellations in the area, and an expanded inset with a binocular-size view showing the asteroid among the nearby stars. Currently, Ceres is moving westward relative to the stars and within a few weeks it will pass above the claws of Scorpius.

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton