NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, May
7, 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)
****The
GARGANEY is still present at Hay Island this morning, Friday. Aldo Dorio was up
at dawn to check. It had some new buddies this morning joining several Black
Ducks. Maybe it read some of Roger LeBlanc’s comments that follow.
Aldo also came across assumedly the same BLACK SCOTER
on terra firma. Would wonder if it may have a problem?
** The GARGANEY [Sarcelle d’été] was still present at Hay Island on
Thursday, but possibly the foul weather kept some from trying for it. Roger Leblanc leaves some interesting
observations on the Garganey when he saw it on Wednesday. He comments it was doing the mating ritual of
stretching the neck and bobbing just as its buddy males the Green-winged Teals
were doing to impress females. As Roger
comments birds will still try to reproduce even if a thousand miles off course. The lady may look different, but still looks
good! As Roger suspects, the Garganey
being a dabbler, the best time to see it while it is there may be at low tide
when it feeds more easily and could go elsewhere when the tide is high,
something to think of when timing a visit.
** Rodrique Landry reported a SNOWY OWL [Harfang des
neiges] at Le Goulet
wharf near Lameque on Monday morning.
Frank Branch was able to get a documentary photo in the rain and snow,
but identification is certain. It seems
very late for a Snowy Owl still to be in the area. It is good Frank was able to document it with
a photo in existing conditions that today are a memory.
** Yvette Richard got some nice photos
of a BLUE-WINGED
TEAL [Sarcelle à ailes bleues] at McManus
pond in Memramcook recently. The
Blue-winged Teal is one of our few dabbling ducks that migrates farther south
into South America, and so usually returns a bit later than most others that do
not migrate as far, just going into areas where there is open fresh water.
Yvette sends some great photos of the GLOSSY IBIS [Ibis falcinelle]
in Penobsquis. The larger group that is being seen in
Sheffield continued to be present on Thursday as well as another flock of 15 at
Newcastle Creek near Minto. I suspect
that these Glossy Ibis numbers are unprecedented in New Brunswick. Nesting possibilities??
** Anna Tucker is enjoying all the
activity in front of her Church Court residence, all with blooming early
cultivar flowers, AMERICAN ROBINS [Merle d'Amérique], GRAY SQUIRRELS [Ecureuil gris] and the BLUE JAYS [Geai bleu].
A pair of Blue Jays are building their stick nest right in the courtyard
gardens. I always find it surprising
that we have so many Blue Jays around but a nest is rarely found. Anna also took note of the BALD EAGLE [Pygargue à
tête blanche] brooding
on its nest in River View Cemetery in Hopewell Cape.
** Susan and Fred Richards have just
got three new swallow nest boxes up along the Taylor Village Rd. on hydro
poles, and one more in their garden facing south so the family hopefully to
soon set up housekeeping will have a good view of the Bay of Fundy.
**Susan Richards had a perky YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER in their Taylor Village
feeder yard at the suet feeder on Friday morning. It appeared nervous
around the sparrows and chickadees vying for the suet feeder as well.
The suet ball is very poplar with the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers plus
the Northern Flicker as well as Red-Winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles and
Starlings all trying to hang upside down on the ball suet feeder with the
lazier (smarter?) blackbirds standing underneath picking up the crumbs of the
suet that breaks off.
** Brian Stone sends two versions of a
moon photo that was originally taken on March 23rd, to display the
effects of his newest photo editing routines.
Brian was expressing dissatisfaction with the results he has been
getting from his DSLR and big lens combo, having trouble getting the results he
wanted with his former editing routines, so he decided to try the Topaz labs
set of editing tools and was finally satisfied with the results he was getting
in sharpness and clarity in his images.
These two versions of the moon photos attached show the detail he was
able to draw out of his original image with the sharpening and noise reduction
tools in one and also the results of the enlarging tool on the modified image
in the other. Brian says he will try his
very best to get results directly from the camera but is happy to have some
help when that doesn’t work out. The
image was adjusted and developed from a RAW file from a DSLR camera. If photographers wish to get more
information, Brian’s contact is bjpstone@gmail.com.
** Mother Nature insisted on one last
drop of snow, at least on the Miramichi area on Thursday morning. The blooming daffodils in our yard accepted
it as a temporary quirk as the sun is arriving today. A good day for Sadie and I to build our last
snowman of the season to be with us for mere hours.
** It’s Friday and time to review the
next week’s Sky-at-a-Glace, courtesy of sky-guru Curt Nason with a new moon on
Tuesday followed by high high tides and low low tides.
This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2021 May 8 – 2021 May 15
With the pandemic restricting many activities, astronomy has become a popular
alternative hobby. Regardless of what equipment you have your initial
enthusiasm will likely start to wane, and there are dozens of excuses for
passing up a clear sky. A cure for that is to set observing goals, one or
several that are attainable but challenging. I have three goals that are
ongoing: to observe every day I can, even if just for a few minutes; to spot
the planet Mercury with binoculars at least once in each of its three morning
and evening annual appearances or apparitions; and to observe any comet within
reach of my equipment without having to travel a great distance, if at all.
A useful goal for those starting out and which requires no equipment is to
learn and pick out the constellations. Theoretically, we can see all or parts
of 66 of the 88 constellations from New Brunswick. An initial goal of 50 is
doable over a year and challenging if you live in a light polluted area. Meteors
require no equipment, and a few appear every hour in a dark sky. Try for 25 or
50 in a year, knowing you can pad your total during several annual meteor
showers, especially in mid-August and mid-December. It helps to maintain a
record of your observations, including dates, times, locations, what you
observed and any other details you want. My logbooks go back 21 years.
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) has observing lists for various
levels of experience, accessible through their website (rasc.ca) under the
Observing tab. There are three programs for beginners, including two for
exploring features of the Moon using binoculars or a small telescope. The other
is the Explore the Universe Program, which includes 110 objects in five
categories: Constellations and Bright Stars, the Moon, Solar System, Deep Sky
Objects, and Double Stars. By recording your observations for half the objects
in each category of this program you can apply for a certificate and pin. You
can download the lists for the other programs but the certificates and pins are
for members only.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:55 am and sunset will occur at 8:36 pm,
giving 14 hours, 41 minutes of daylight (6:02 am and 8:39 pm in Saint
John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:46 am and set at 8:45 pm,
giving 14 hours, 59 minutes of daylight (5:54 am and 8:47 pm in Saint John).
The Moon is new and at apogee on Tuesday, making it the most distant Moon we
won’t see for the year. The slim crescent will pass to the left of Venus on
Wednesday evening and of Mercury on Thursday, and then it visits Mars next
Saturday to celebrate International Astronomy Day. Venus shares a binocular
view with the Pleiades star cluster during the first few days of the week.
Around 5 am this week Jupiter and Saturn are about 20 degrees above the
southeast horizon and 16 degrees apart.
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
