Nature Moncton Nature News: June 11 2021

NATURE MONCTON INFORMATION LINE, June 11, 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)

** Catherine Hamilton photographed an AMERICAN COOT [Foulque d'Amérique] on the Petitcodiac Waterfowl Trail on Thursday evening. The American Coot is not a common bird in New Brunswick. There has been some reported from Highland Park in Salisbury. One would wonder if there is a connection between these observations with good photos of both.

** Phil Riebel got an excellent photo of a BEE FLY nectaring with an obviously effective proboscis lapping up the nectar. The photo fooled is into trying to make it into a clearwing moth of some type until Jim Edsall straightened us out. The adults do feed on nectar as demonstrated and can serve as important pollinators, but the larvae are parasitoid on other insects. I suspect this is a learning photo for many of us. There are many species of Bee Flies, so the family name is cited. Note the large eyes that should have been a clue that it is not a moth, and the bee fly is unable to retract the proboscis as butterflies and moths can.

**Andrew Darcy participated in the Nature Moncton canoe outing at Irishtown Nature Park on Sunday for Nature NB Festival of Nature as a leader and had a great day on the water exploring the reservoir. There was a good group and they observed 7 GREAT BLUE HERON, OSPREY, BALD EAGLE, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, MALLARD, AMERICAN WIGEON, a lone female LONG-TAILED DUCK, BELTED KINGFISHER, EASTERN PHOEBE, and also heard aural observations of many species including OVENBIRD, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, NORTHERN PARULA, BLUE-HEADED VIREO, RED-EYED VIREO, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. The vegetation was very lush and the VARIEGATED (YELLOW) POND-LILY were starting to bloom. Also saw several species of dragonfly out and about. An interesting observation was a hole in the bank of the reservoir that is a suspected KINGFISHER nest. They excavate underground cavities for their nests. The male was flying around the area and was observed on the ground close to the hole.

After the outing Andrew decided to do some birding in the woodlot beside his home in Dieppe and was pleased to hear the distinct vocalizations of a BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, moments after hearing the bird and get some great photographs. He saw two individuals fly right by him and perch in a nearby tree for a photo op we just don’t often get from this species. It was quite a coincidence as he spent Saturday looking for this species at various locations with no luck, so he was quite pleased to have them come to him! Always nice when you get your target species and even better when they come to you. He had heard this species before but never observed one before (like so many of us) so was a lifer for Andrew. He had mentioned to Fred Richards after the canoe outing that was his goal for the day. The bird gods were shining on Andrew clearly. He also observed several warbler species including COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER AND AMERICAN REDSTART.

**Georges Brun photographed a flying creature near the playground area in Riverview along the Petitcodiac River which did not look like a bird very early Thursday morning. We are unable to put a handle on this so very much welcome comments as to possibilities. George estimated it to be 4-41/2 in. but hard to be sure. Bat and bird have to be rule outs but which or what?

** Brian Stone was up for the SOLAR ECLIPSE to capture photos on Thursday morning. Brian got a whole series of photos but has them all on a composite image to show it from start to finish. Enlarge (click on it) that photo full screen to view it from start to finish.

Brian also included some images showing his camera set-up of the eclipse using a solar filter made from eclipse glasses cut and made into a sleeve and attached to the front of the lens of the camera, and the use of the LCD screen instead of the view finder.

** Brian also went back to Hopewell Rocks on Thursday, this time with Annette and sister Carol Shea to photograph the PEREGRINE FALCON [Faucon pèlerin] chicks again. Along the trail to the viewing platform, Annette spotted a GARTER SNAKE sunning itself on the side of the trail. It seemed happy to pose for pictures until Brian had enough, and then as he finished it sled into the bush and silently vanished. A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER [Paruline bleue] decided it wanted its picture taken as well, so it came into camera range, but not quite well enough for a proper portrait.

A WITCHES BROOM caught Brian’s camera’s attention (Editor’s note: Witches Brooms are benign growths on trees for which I understand a causal agent has not been established)

With no more distractions appearing, they made their way to the Peregrine Falcon viewing platform and spent some time viewing the chicks and discussing them with the park staff who were present. After about half an hour, one of the parents showed up with lunch and fed the chicks for 10 minutes. Brian could not discern what lunch was, but the chicks seemed to relish it.

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

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2021 June 12 – June 19
It has been said we live in a topsy-turvy world. Actually, we live on one. Earth’s polar axis is tilted to its orbital path around the Sun, leaning just over a quarter of the way from upright to horizontal. At our summer solstice, the north polar axis is tipped toward the Sun and sunlight reaches us at a steep angle with concentrated warmth.

If you note the times of sunrise and sunset over the month you might be surprised to discover the earliest sunrise and latest sunset do not occur on the solstice. Although the most amount of daylight occurs then, we get our earliest sunrise around June 16 and latest sunset around June 26. Earth’s tilt plays a role in that, as does the fact that its orbit is not circular. We are about five million kilometres closer to the Sun in early January than we are in early July. Four centuries ago Johann Kepler showed that planets travel faster when they are nearer the Sun. Have you noticed that the time between the beginning of spring and fall is a week longer than between fall and spring?

We expect the Sun to reach its highest daily position in the sky, crossing the meridian, at midday (noon local standard time, accounting for distance from the centre of our time zone). However, the Sun’s daily north-south movement over the seasons and Earth’s varying speed in orbit make the Sun appear to reach the meridian ahead or behind schedule by as much as 16 minutes. Consequently, our 24-hour clock is based on an annual average noon called mean solar time. Sundial aficionados know they have to account for these daily corrections to agree with the clock.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:27 am and sunset will occur at 9:10 pm, giving 15 hours, 43 minutes of daylight (5:35 am and 9:12 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:27 am and set at 9:13 pm, giving 15 hours, 46 minutes of daylight (5:36 am and 9:15 pm in Saint John).

The Moon passes above Mars this Sunday and it is at first quarter late Thursday evening, after midnight. Friday evening, the 110 kilometre lunar fault line known as Rupes Recta or the Straight Wall will be visible in a telescope. At midweek, Venus sets around 10:45 pm, followed by Mars 50 minutes later, and within the next hour Saturn and Jupiter will have risen.

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.