Nature Moncton Nature News: May 3 2019

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May 3, 2019 (Friday)

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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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** Dale Gaskin had 3 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS [Merlebleu de l'Est] in his Dawson Settlement yard on Thursday at noon. They were very actively investigating a nest box. This is the earliest that Dale recalls seeing them in his area. The Dawson Settlement area has had Bluebirds nesting at different locations over the past several years.

** Gordon Rattray reports that the female RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER [Pic à ventre roux] seems to be staying closer now around his Weldon yard, seeing her most days. She even granted a photo on Thursday.

** When driving between Hillsborough and Weldon on Thursday, Gordon spotted a PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] on the summit of a utility pole. It was just polishing off a meal, to allow a few photos. Gordon even watched as it used a talon to clean off remnants from both sides of its beak. On hearing Dale Gaskin’s report of Eastern Bluebirds, he made a run over to capture a photo of a bright adult male. Gordon comments that there were lots of TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] flying about Gray Brook Marsh on Thursday morning.

** Brian Coyle came across a HERMIT THRUSH [Grive solitaire] ground-foraging in woods across from his Lower Mountain Rd home on Wednesday. He noticed it vibrating its tail almost continuously as this species often does. The Hermit Thrush is normally our first thrush to return if the American Robin is excluded.

** It does seem to be Hermit Thrush arrival days. Karen and Jamie Burris returned to the Turtle Creek Marsh on Thursday to be very entertained by a Hermit Thrush that loudly vocalized as it posed for some photos. It was doing its tail-pumping, wing-flicking routine as it sang to complete the performance. They also came across a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET [Roitelet à couronne dorée], very pleased to show off its colourful crown patch. It quickly flew and made a very brief stop for a photo with the typical bounce of this species.

** Roger Leblanc has made it a trio of owl species on his Notre Dame property. On Wednesday evening, he heard a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL [Petite nyctale] and a GREAT HORNED OWL [Grand-duc d'Amérique], vocalizing at the same time and seemingly from the same direction, which made Roger wonder at the wisdom of a Saw-whet Owl calling within ear shot of a Great-horned Owl. Roger has several Saw-whet Owl boxes up, so there is lots of real estate for it to consider. A few nights before, Roger heard a BARRED OWL [Chouette rayée] vocalizing, so he obviously has all three species considering his property as territory.

Catherine Hamilton visited the Petitcodiac Waterfowl Trail to find it very little lively with action. The Wood Ducks are now up to 6, 6 Double-crested Cormorants were present, a pair of Blue-winged Teal had settled in, Yellow-rumped Warblers were present, a Bald Eagle was watching over the action with interest, and an Osprey soared overhead. Tree Swallows were also foraging the pond area in abundance.

Brian Stone went on a nature sleuth of the Lake Charles area of Dartmouth in the beautiful sun of Thursday to see lots of action. Mayflies were hatching to get a great photo of this insect emerged on its mating mission. Note the sailboat wings and 3 tails that are clues to the identity of this insect so important as food to so many other critters. Mayfly presence is also a good indication of unpolluted water. A six-inch Pickerel fish was moving fast in the water after anything that would fit, Red-berried Elder was about to burst into bloom, Whirligig Beetles were very active now with the warming water, Interrupted Ferns were emerging, a pair of Ring-necked Ducks were on a pond, and a male Mallard Duck was insisting on procreation of a hybrid. A large frog statue was meditating the magic of it all!

** Kevin Renton reports their Stilesville feeder yard is continuing to be very active with AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS [Bruant hudsonien] still present, with the WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS [Bruant à gorge blanche], SONG SPARROWS [Bruant chanteur] and DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé] swelling in numbers. The EVENING GROSBEAK [Gros-bec errant] flock seems still intact, appearing as though they have not broken up to set up nesting territories seriously as yet.

** Thursday seemed to be a big day of emergence of MASON BEES from the several boxes up around our Little Southwest Miramichi camp. It appeared like it was their first day out as many could be seen working their way out of the mud nest holes still covered with dust from the dried mud, not having groomed themselves as yet. All the ones I saw, except for a pair copulating, had the white facial mark indicating them to be males. There are usually 5 to 6 nests per 5 inch hole, and the front ones are always male and emerge first. Several photos are attached.

** I dropped by a yard in the Harcourt area along Rte 126 on Thursday as I knew there were many Swallow boxes around that yard. The place was alive with TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle bicolore] checking out boxes. Several points that seemed interesting were the close proximity of the nest boxes to each other which normally swallows protest about; however, this group seemed quite content to be 10 feet apart and no squabbling evident. The other thing that was notable was the height of the nest boxes. Most were not over 5 ft in height and some less. They also were beside a railway track that had large noisy machines working. It surely shows how accepting Tree Swallows can be of human presence and activities when accustomed to them.

** 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 4 – May 11
May 6-12 is International Astronomy Week, and May 11 is Astronomy Day. Astronomy Day had its beginning in 1973 in California when amateur astronomers set up telescopes in busy urban areas to let people have views of the Moon and planets, hence its motto of “Bringing Astronomy to the People.” Astronomy Day is usually held on the Saturday nearest the first quarter Moon between mid-April and mid-May. More recently, a Fall Astronomy Day was added between mid-September and mid-October, when sunset is earlier and the weather is often better for observing.

Sidewalk astronomy, setting telescopes up in within a busy area of a community, is a popular activity during Astronomy Week. Often people will question why we are set up there, near streetlights, when their expectation is that nothing can be seen. The Moon and most planets, those celestial objects having the greatest “Wow Factor” for first-time observers, are bright enough that lighting has little effect on the views. If they are intrusive you can simply block them with your hand. Sidewalk observing events are often done on short notice, depending on the weather and whether the Moon or planets are visible.

See below for two Astronomy Week activities in New Brunswick. For details on other activities throughout the year, see the websites and social media pages for the NB Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC NB), the Saint John Astronomy Club, Astronomy Moncton, or the William Brydone Jack Astronomy Club in Fredericton. We hope to put stars in your eyes!

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:01 am and sunset will occur at 8:31 pm, giving 14 hours, 30 minutes of daylight (6:08 am and 8:33 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:52 am and set at 8:39 pm, giving 14 hours, 47 minutes of daylight (5:59 am and 8:42 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is new on May 4 and at first quarter on Astronomy Day, May 11. It will be seen near Mars on Tuesday evening and near M44, the Beehive star cluster, on Friday. Jupiter and Saturn garner morning attention by framing the Teapot asterism of Sagittarius to the south. Mercury is too close to the Sun for morning observing, and Venus rises less than an hour before sunrise. The Eta Aquariid meteor shower peaks Sunday morning; the weather looks promising and there is no Moon in the sky. Stay up late or get up very early and look toward the south or northeast. The radiant, in Aquarius, rises around 3 am and, with luck, we might see a dozen shooting stars per hour before twilight. This is one of two annual meteor showers resulting from material shed by Halley’s Comet, but it is seen better from the southern hemisphere.

The Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre at 7 pm on Saturday, May 4. On Thursday at 7 pm I am giving a presentation to seniors on The Joys of Stargazing at the Rothesay Town Hall. On Friday evening, May 10, public observing events are scheduled at Dutch Point Park in Hampton (8-11) and at Moncton High School (9:30-11). All are welcome.

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

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton