NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, April
23, 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)
** Frank Branch was able to get a great
photo of the GOLDEN-CROWNED
SPARROW [Bruant à couronne dorée] that is visiting the feeder yard of Jolande St-
Pierre in Alderwood, near Tracadie-Sheila.
This is an uncommon visitor to New Brunswick, being resident in western
Canada and the U.S. It is in striking
breeding plumage. It is so fortunate
that it has come to Jolande’s yard as she is so willing to share the prize
patron.
** Anita and David Cannon visited the
Irishtown Nature Park on Thursday to spot a pair of very content-looking HOODED MERGANSERS [Harle
couronné]. This is an ideal habitat for this species. They also spotted a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
[Cormoran à aigrettes] there.
** Brian Coyle had a pleasant surprise
Thursday afternoon to have a bright YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER [Paruline à
croupion jaune] arrive to
his peanut butter feeder. It cooperated
for only a peak-a-boo picture, but a nice one.
I suspect it was very appreciative to find that fresh treat in the cold
wind and snow flurries of Thursday. Also,
at the same time for Brian, a very brightly-plumaged WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW [Bruant à gorge blanche] was foraging successfully in his yard, as well as
an AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] looking again like a bright male.
** Jim Johnson who has several swallow
boxes set up in Scotch Settlement had 10 TREE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle
bicolore] show up on
Thursday morning. Jim comments that he
has seen few AMERICAN
ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique] this year
in his area yet which is unusual. Jim
also spotted 2 TURKEY VULTURES [Urubu à tête rouge] perched on the old, abandoned barn
where Jim and I photographed a successful nesting last year. The property has been taken over by new
owners, so I am not sure if the vultures will nest there this year.
** The EASTERN PHOEBE [Moucherolle phébi]
nest box trial of a few years ago has
not been particularly successful; however, an AMERICAN ROBIN [Merle d'Amérique] has built a nest on the roof of one,
just outside our deck mounted under the roof eve.
A Robin, possibly the same one, started to build on the roof of the nest
box last year when, seeing the effort, I went out to put a small wooden ledge
on it to prevent the nest from sliding off.
The Robin arrived back in the short time it took to attach it and was
not amused and left but returned this year to complete the effort not being
bothered by any annoying human help! We
were also very pleased to have a pair of BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES [Mésange à
tête noire] take a
Nature Moncton swallow box just outside our front window.
Also on Thursday, a very bright WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
[Bruant à gorge blanche] arrived
that was so fluorescent white, I mistook it at first for a White-crowned
Sparrow until I got the binoculars on it.
** Roger Leblanc’s virtual presentation
of “What’s that Duck?” went off well on Thursday evening and we’re now ready to
head out into the field tomorrow, Saturday, to put the useful information Roger
shared to the test with that portion of “What’s that Duck?” repeated below. Mother Nature has adjusted weather to make for a pleasant sunny warmer day.
NATURE MONCTON EVENT
WHAT’S THAT DUCK?: OUTING ON DABBLING AND DIVING DUCKS
Outing: Sat. April 24th from 10:00 AM into
the afternoon. (**Bring a lunch)
Meeting Place for
Outing: Rte 114 and Steeves St.,
Hillsborough (meet at the lot in back of the post office, near the fighter jet
at the far end).
Presenter and Guide:
Roger Leblanc
Registration (for outing
only): with Louise Nichols –
nicholsl@eastlink.ca
Cost: $5:00 for members/$10.00 for non-members (to
be paid at the outing on April 24th)
** It’s Friday and time to review the
next week’s Sky-at-a-Glace, courtesy of sky-guru Curt Nason.
This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2021 April 24 – 2021 May 1
A favourite galaxy among stargazers is M104; better known as the Sombrero
Galaxy as it resembles such a bonnet in astrophotos, thanks to a central dust
cloud that forms the brim. The dust cloud can be seen from a rural location
with a medium-size amateur telescope. The galaxy is seen as a small gray smudge
with binoculars.
Although M104 is officially within the borders of the constellation Virgo, most
people start their search from the recognizable quadrilateral of stars that
forms Corvus the Crow. In mythology, Corvus was sent by Apollo to fetch a cup
of water from the river but the bird was distracted by ripening figs. When the
crow returned late it made up a tale that it had been deterred by a water snake
(Hydra). In a fit of rage, Apollo tossed the bird, the cup and the snake into
the sky. To the right of Corvus is the constellation Crater the Cup, and they
both sit atop Hydra. They can be seen in the southern sky when twilight fades
to darkness.
To find M104, imagine a line from the middle of the bottom of Corvus to the
upper left star, and extend it not quite that distance. Look in this area for a
small arrowhead of three or four stars. This asterism has been called the
Stargate. The arrowhead points to a small line of a few stars, which in turn
points toward M104 nearby. That line of stars also forms the mouth of an
asterism called the Shark, which has a fin and a curved body stretching away
from the Stargate. Good luck, and wear your Sombrero proudly.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:16 am and sunset will occur at 8:18 pm,
giving 14 hours, 2 minutes of daylight (6:23 am and 8:21 pm in Saint John).
Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:05 am and set at 8:27 pm, giving 14 hours,
22 minutes of daylight (6:12 am and 8:30 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is full early Tuesday, less than 12 hours before perigee so expect
higher tides for a few days into midweek. Mars passes about one Moon-width from
the M35 star cluster on Tuesday, making a fine sight in binoculars or in a
telescope at low power. Mercury is one degree to the right of Venus this
Saturday, and it should be bright enough to be seen with binoculars 25 minutes
after sunset. Uranus is just below them but unseen, heading toward conjunction
with the Sun on Friday. By next weekend Mercury will be setting 80 minutes
after sunset and half an hour after Venus. Jupiter rises at 4 am this weekend,
40 minutes after Saturn.
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
