Nature Moncton Nature News: Feb 26 2021

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, February 26, 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)

** Jane Wood reports she is still having a pair of NORTHERN CARDINAL [Cardinal rouge] patronizing her Riverview yard at least 4 times a week, feeding mostly on the ground. A pair of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES [Sittelle à poitrine rousse] are regular and one WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH [Sittelle à poitrine blanche] occasionally. She has not seen or heard the Riverview CAROLINA WRENS [Troglodyte de Caroline] of last winter recently.

Jane had another interesting visitor the past few days. The first photos that were through a window made us consider a SONG SPARROW [Bruant chanteur] at first, but some later photos were convincing of a SAVANNAH SPARROW [Bruant des prés] and are attached. We do not often get Savannah Sparrows to bird feeder yards. Gilles Belliveau helped us confirm it as Savannah Sparrow over Song Sparrow and will quote Gilles below to learn from his comments. Quoting Gilles:

“I am fairly sure it’s actually a Savannah Sparrow. It seems to lack the richer brown tones that a Song Sparrow would have and is more of black and gray on top with just a bit of a light brown contrasting patch on the primaries. There is a slight pinkish tone to the bill, there seems to be a pale yellow tone in the supraloral (more noticeable in one image), the lateral throat stripe seems rather thin. The streaking on the flanks seems blacker in tone. The tail seems a bit short for a Song and seems thin and has a slight notch. The mention of a central spot is not unexpected as the Savannah Sparrow will sometimes have a concentration of streaks in the center of the chest which can also sometimes almost appear like a spot in the center of the chest.”

** Jim Carroll has a lot of DARK-EYED JUNCOS [Junco ardoisé] coming to his Quispamsis yard, and has been able to pick out some special ones. A Dark-eyed Junco (cismontanus) Oregon/Slate-coloured showed up at his feeders with a tribe of other juncos. It has been confirmed by eBird and is only the 2^nd reported in the Maritimes by eBird. The other was in Nova Scotia in 2018. Jim thanks Paul Mansz and David Bell for assisting in the identification. David Bell comments “Not quite a pure Oregon due to the dirty flanks (instead of clean rufous), extensive brown on the head, and sort of an odd bib shape.” Jim also got his bird beside a bright PINE WARBLER [Paruline des pins] as a value-added bonus.

**Georges Brun noted the travelling duck troupe on the Petitcodiac River bank out from Chateau Moncton. On Sunday, a subadult BALD EAGLE flew in to check out the menu. Georges assumes it to be a subadult 4 year old bird due to the near complete yellow bill.

The Red Fox was successful in its capture of a rodent. Quite big! Not sure what species it could be. It was more concerned about its victim than the male Ring-Necked Pheasant walking about.

A Short-Eared Owl was also hunting the marsh.

With the weather getting warmer with some hard pack bank ice is already breaking downriver east of the bend of the Petitcodiac River.

** Cynthia MacKenzie adds to the conversation regarding the Japanese pheasant.

She has also seen one in the Lutes Mountain (Zack Rd. area) in the last few months.

She is keeping an eye out to get a good picture to share as it is full size/healthy

 looking, and very dark in colour and comments “absolutely beautiful!”

 After viewing the reports, Cynthia read about the Japanese hybrids but was not

 certain they were here in NB but now more convinced that is exactly what she saw.

 There are likely a few individuals in the area.

** The duck troupe certainly is making itself at home, moving in groups around the city to spots of their liking. Susan Richards photographed 100+ in the yard of the new strip mall on Champlain St. on Thursday morning. They tend to run over 95% MALLARDS [Canard colvert] with a few AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS [Canard noir], but it’s always worth perusing the group to see what surprises may be tagging along.

** It’s Friday and time to check in on what next week’s sky will share with us, courtesy of sky-guru Curt Nason. The full moon at the moment makes the evenings bright on the snow, but we still can see Mars, Orion, etc. in the evenings, and Mercury and Jupiter for early risers.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2021 February 27 – 2021 March 6
Two of the largest constellations are seen in the southwest and southeast around mid-evening. Eridanus the River flows from Rigel in Orion’s foot to the lower right, and then makes a sharp curve to the left before disappearing below the horizon. It doesn’t end there; it extends at least the same distance southward to terminate at Achernar, the ninth brightest star in the sky. Achernar, of course, means “the river’s end.” The star near Rigel is named Cursa, which means “the footstool.” In terms of square degrees of sky, Eridanus is the sixth largest constellation. It has been associated with many earthly rivers but most often with the Po River in Italy, which the Greeks called Eridanos.

Hydra the female Water Snake rises out of the southeast, with its head reaching as high as Orion’s. A smaller constellation called Hydrus the male Water Snake is near Achernar and is never seen from New Brunswick. Hydra is the largest of the 88 constellations and one of the longest. If you consider the horizon as the ocean surface, and if you have all night, you can picture Hydra leaping completely out of the water and disappearing in a giant belly flop. Its brightest star, Alphard the “solitary one,” just makes the top 50 in terms of brightness. In mythology the Hydra was a multi-headed creature slain by Hercules as his second labour.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:01 am and sunset will occur at 6:03 pm, giving 11 hours, 2 minutes of daylight (7:05 am and 6:09 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:48 am and set at 6:12 pm, giving 11 hours, 24 minutes of daylight (6:52 am and 6:18 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is full this Saturday, the Snow Moon or Mi’kmaw Snow Blinding Moon, and it is at third quarter next Friday. Mars makes a scenic, colour-contrasting binocular view with the Pleaides all this week, making its closest pass on Thursday. Mercury is in close conjunction with Jupiter on Friday morning, one day before its greatest elongation from the Sun. Both rise an hour before sunrise, and Saturn sits about seven degrees to their upper right. For the first two weeks of March we have the opportunity to view the subtle wedge of zodiacal light in the west about 45 minutes after sunset, tapering up toward Mars and the Pleiades. A clear sky free of light pollution is required to view this phenomenon of sunlight reflecting off asteroid and comet dust along the ecliptic.

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.