Nature Moncton Nature News: Aug 21 2020

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, Aug. 21, 2020 (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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** I’m going to rerun the Nature Moncton shorebird field trip which is on for tomorrow, Saturday. There is still ample space available for participants to allow for physical distancing. Louise Nichols visited the site the group is going to on Thursday and was very impressed with the diversity of shorebirds and the other species there, and she feels it will be an excellent outing. Note the new venue on the announcement below.

NATURE MONCTON SHOREBIRD OUTING

Tucker St. Impoundments, Upper Coverdale

DATE : SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2020

TIME : 1 :00 pm

MEETING PLACE : Riverview Mall -- 720 Coverdale (at Trites) in front of the Broadview Power Sports store

GUIDE : ROGER LEBLANC

** PLEASE REGISTER WITH LOUISE NICHOLS AT nicholsl@eastlink.ca

Even though we are smack in the middle of a beautiful warm summer, fall migration has already started. No, not so much those confusing autumn warblers or hard-to-differentiate flycatchers yet, but shorebirds for sure. Now the simple mention of shorebirds can bring a glazed look to the eyes of many, and for good reasons. There are dozens of species and they are often seen in mixed flocks far off in a marsh on a mud flat or beach. Plus here in the Maritimes, we mostly see them at a time of year when they are in drab basic or winter plumage that is essentially the same for all: a bicolored combination of darkish gray on top, with white on the bottom -- great for hiding from predators but not so good for birders to figure what they are. So all of this explains the fact that some just call them peeps and move on to more “reasonable” birds. But shorebirding can be lots of fun and we are in fact fortunate, in our region, to be near some great shorebird migration stopovers, even just minutes from the city centre along the Petitcodiac River. But how are we supposed to identify those little gray birds all the way out there on the mud flat that just won’t stand still and don’t vocalize a lot?

Once again Nature Moncton comes to the rescue. On Saturday August 22we are offering a shorebird outing. Our own Roger Leblanc will lead this outing and will share with us the tricks of the trade that he has honed over several decades to help us put names on most of the shorebirds out there. As well as lead the outing, Roger will focus on field marks, habitats, behaviors and other clues that can help birders more easily identify the dozen or so shorebird species we should see. So if you have been hoping to find something to do bird-wise to bridge the extravanza of spring birding and the allure of autumn rarities, this is your chance. Don’t miss it.

Bring binoculars, and a scope if you have one.

All are welcome, Nature Moncton member or not.

** Rheal Vienneau shares some photos of MONARCH BUTTERFLIES [Monarque] he has released on flowers around his Dieppe yard the past few days. These adults, at this time, will be heading to Mexico to overwinter as adults. Rheal also got a great video clip of a Monarch Butterfly emerging from a chrysalis in his hand. A very special moment for sure as it all happens so fast. Check out the video at the link below.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x0g1r0swpvxju12/IMG_4185.MOV?dl=0

** I also have a number of chrysalids due to emerge soon. I hope it is this weekend when the grandkids are with us. I’m attaching a photo of a chewed-up seed pod. I was a bit surprised that a few of the caterpillars I had in an outside cage chose to forage on it over the lush foliage. They sure did a number on the pods they decided to feed on!

** Jane LeBlanc got a nice photo of a flyover shorebird at Saint Martins on Thursday morning. That black stripe on the tail in flight shows nicely, but Gilles Belliveau took a look and points out that many of the peeps have that stripe down the centre of the tail, except the White-rumped Sandpiper. He feels he could make out both SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER [Bécasseau semipalmé] and LEAST SANDPIPER [Bécasseau minuscule] in the flock.

** While watching the shorebirds, Jane noted an AMERICAN CROW [Corneille d'Amérique] after something moving that turned out to be a crab trying to escape. It rather looks like it became crow lunch. Jane also photographed a few SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS [Bécasseau semipalmé] on the beach foraging. A juvenile SEMIPALMATED PLOVER [Pluvier semipalmé] also posed for a nice photo.

** Clifford Twist got a photo of what appears to be a young-of-the-year SWAMP SPARROW [Bruant des marais] at the Sackville Waterfowl park recently.

** Ray Gauvin had a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD [Colibri à gorge rubis] make a suspected window strike. He held it in his hands for a time, which he comments was a surreal few moments. A short time later, it came to and flew off, seemingly not seriously hurt.

** Aldo Dorio got a photo of a SANDERLING [Bécasseau sanderling] and a LEAST SANDPIPER [Bécasseau minuscule] side by side. The Sanderling is noticeably larger than the Least Sandpiper when together. He also got a group of SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS [Bécassin roux] at Hay Island. The dry conditions have surely affected shorebird presence at some areas, but other areas are doing well.

Aldo got a nice photo of a Belted Kingfisher showing nicely that white spot anterior to the eye and that ‘honker’ of a bill.

** Brian Stone took Annette to see the LITTLE BLUE HERONS [Aigrette bleue] at the Sackville Waterfowl Park on Thursday. There was only one visible at the main park, and one at the marsh at the Tantramar Wetlands. That one was skittish and took off as soon as it saw them, even though it was way out in the marsh, and they were still up in the football field. It looked at them and it was gone. Brian comments that it must have good eyesight as he needed binoculars just to see it.

** At the main Sackville Waterfowl Park, they saw some young PIED-BILLED GREBES [Grèbe à bec bigarré] and a pair of WOOD DUCKS [Canard branchu] with the males now in eclipse plumage.

** At the Tantramar Wetlands (behind the Tantramar Regional High School), there were large numbers of shorebirds all over. Brian sends some group photos, just to show their numbers and diversity.

** It’s Friday, and time to review next week’s Sky-at-a-Glance, courtesy of sky guru, Curt Nason.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2020 August 22 – August 29
The signs of autumn appear in the sky before they become readily apparent terrestrially. As darkness settles the great mama bear, Ursa Major, scampers across the northern horizon in search of food and lodging for winter. If you live in a rural area with an excellent view to the north you might even catch a glimpse of Lynx running ahead of the bear, and consider yourself fortunate if you do. The thicker layer of atmosphere at low altitudes reduces the brightness of starlight, a phenomenon called extinction. The lynx may become extinct for a few hours.

The bowl of the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) is upside down in early evening, pouring out its contents to fill the Big Dipper below, at the rear of Ursa Major. This scenario is at odds with Greek mythology, for the bears were cursed to eternal thirst by the goddess Hera in revenge for an indiscretion of her husband, Zeus. She placed the bears in a position where they never reach the horizon for a drink. Perhaps Zeus placed dippers of water inside the bears so that they could share water and survive. Someone has to make these stories up.

To the east Pegasus is already quite high after twilight, with its signature square asterism tilted as a diamond for the imminent baseball pennant stretch. Perseus stands above the northeast horizon below his in-laws, W-shaped Cassiopeia and house-shaped Cepheus, while their daughter Andromeda leads him toward the flying horse. There is much to see in this area with binoculars but start with the Double Cluster of stars between Perseus and Cassiopeia, and the Andromeda Galaxy (M31).

This autumn preview is not a fleeting glimpse. The eastward progression of constellations from evening to evening is compensated by earlier sunsets, such that they emerge from twilight in the same part of the sky for many weeks. Autumn is a great time for stargazing.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:27 am and sunset will occur at 8:15 pm, giving 13 hours, 48 minutes of daylight (6:34 am and 8:18 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:36 am and set at 8:02 pm, giving 13 hours, 26 minutes of daylight (6:42 am and 8:06 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is at first quarter on Tuesday. See if you can spot the Lunar X with a telescope that evening, within the shadow line below centre, starting an hour before sunset. Jupiter and Saturn are at their best for observing between 10 pm and 11 pm, at their highest in the south. Telescope users can catch three of Jupiter’s moons emerging from the planet’s shadow this week: Io on Monday at 8:58 pm, Ganymede on Tuesday at 8:59 pm, and Europa on Wednesday at 11:54 pm. By midnight Mars will be high enough to show its south polar ice cap through a telescope. Venus dominates the morning sky, and we will have to wait a few weeks to see Mercury in the evening sky.

With astronomy meetings and outreach activities on hold, you can watch the local Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm, and view archived shows, on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAEHfOWyL-kNH7dBVHK8spg

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

nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Nelson Poirier,

Nature Moncton