NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February
12, 2021 (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)
** Daryl Doucet updates that his
resident EASTERN
TOWHEE [Tohi à flancs roux] was in his
yard feeding on the ground and in bushes on schedule at 5:00 pm on
Thursday. Photos were branch-bombed as
often happens with this bird. Daryl also
met up with a few WHITE-TAILED DEER [Cerf de Virginie] in cool Parkindale on Thursday. That thick-looking pelage of thick air-filled
insulating hairs are no doubt dealing with the cold effectively. Those ears look quite well-protected as well
but that does look like a bit of frozen ice under the nose.
** After yesterday’s report of a
sizeable flock of RING-NECKED PHEASANTS [Faisan de Colchide], Georges Brun leaves his pheasant
observations. A male Ring-necked
Pheasant started to show up first at the landing next to Chateau Moncton on
January 17, 2021. A male was preening
itself on one of the benches next to an area where people sometimes put some
seeds down. On February 5, 2021, the day
of the Bobcat, there were 4 females (hens), in the middle of the marsh, north
of the service road to the TransAqua compound.
A lone male was photographed feeding next to the compound’s fencing area
on February 7, 2021. Georges did see two
males and one female on another occasion.
Only three Canada Geese are hanging around
waiting for snacks from citizens, but Georges doubts that this will happen with
the cold. He suspects they will be off
to warmer climes soon.
** Jane LeBlanc photographed her NORTHERN CARDINAL
[Cardinal rouge] pair
feeding happily together on Thursday in her St. Martins’ feeder yard. Nice to see the influx we saw in the fall
seems to be staying to make things look good for our population in the coming
season. Jane LeBlanc also shares a very
zoomed-in portrait of a COMMON REDPOLL [Sizerin flammé].
** Brian Stone visited the Mapleton
Park duck troop on Thursday. Brian
comments that the male GREEN-WINGED TEAL [Sarcelle d'hiver] is still present, scooting around
through the MALLARD [Canard colvert] ducks like a pinball in a game. He took photos of two MALLARD [Canard colvert]/ AMERICAN BLACK DUCK [Canard noir] hybrids. One is an expected male with generous green
on the head and bright yellow bill. But
note the second hybrid photo. It has
just a touch of green on the head and the bill is similar to that of a female.
Tracks and trails in the snow can sometimes be a mystery, especially
when the maker of the trail is not seen.
Brian solved that problem by following a trail to its end to find the
perpetrator and solve the mystery trail.
Take a look at the attached link to see how the mystery unraveled.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e8bscta7q2u3gc4/Strange%20Trackway%20.MOV?dl=0
** Ray Gauvin sends a video of one of his PINE WARBLERS [Paruline des pins] that nicely shows it from more different angles than a still photo, and the plumage colour seems more typical, yet some would be brighter depending on age and gender. Take a look at the attached link.
** It’s Friday and time to check out
what the night sky has to offer this coming week, all courtesy of sky-guru Curt
Nason.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2021
February 13 – 2021 February 20
We are more than halfway to spring and, as Lord Tennyson wrote in his poem
Locksley Hall, “in the spring a young man’s fancy turns lightly to thoughts of
love.” With Valentine’s Day this weekend the goddess of love is being shy, as
difficult to see as the groundhog is on a stormy February 2.
Venus is the Roman counterpart of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. The
planet Venus rises just 17 minutes before the Sun this weekend, lost in the
glare of bright twilight as it moves toward superior conjunction with the Sun
on March 26. Its nearness to Earth, and its thick clouds that reflect two
thirds of its incident sunlight, make it the brightest planet, but the Sun is
half a billion times brighter.
Venus is not the only love object in the night sky. In 1898 astronomers
discovered the first asteroid that was known to come closer to the Sun than
Mars, one that nearly reaches Earth’s orbit. This 33 x 11 kilometre rock was
named Eros for the son of Aphrodite, and to the Romans he was known as Cupid.
In mythology the Olympians were surprised at the seashore by Typhon, the most
horrible monster of the rival Titans. Venus and Cupid knew they would be safe
in the water, but before changing into fish they tied their feet together so
they would not lose each other in the sea. This act is immortalized as the
constellation Pisces, depicting two fish bound together at the tails, which is
low in the west in evening twilight. Another astronomical valentine, and a
favourite of astroimagers, is the Heart Nebula in Cassiopeia the Queen.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:24 am and sunset will occur at 5:42 pm,
giving 10 hours, 18 minutes of daylight (7:28 am and 5:49 pm in Saint
John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:13 am and set at 5:53 pm,
giving 10 hours, 40 minutes of daylight (7:17 am and 5:59 pm in Saint John).
The Moon passes near Mars on Thursday and it is at first quarter on Friday.
Mars is highest at sunset this week, making for good observing in the early
evening although its disc is now too small to reveal any features in a
telescope. Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter make a triangle in the morning sky,
rising 50 to 30 minutes before sunrise, with Venus lost in bright twilight to
their lower left.
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.
Nelson Poirier,
Nature Moncton
