NATURE MONCTON NATURE INFORMATION LINE
Dec 31, 2021 (Friday)
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Edited by:
Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com
** As we are asked to limit our potential proximity and contacts with others, an alternative approach is to concentrate our observations in our garden and vicinity. This is what Yves Poussart did on December 30th, allowing him the possibility to capture some interesting photos while staying at home. He got some photos of a NORTHERN FLICKER (Pic flamboyant) feeding on a block of suet. When a EUROPEAN STARLING (Étourneau sansonnet) arrived to get its share, they both tried to intimidate the other one. European Starlings regularly come to feed on suet most often in groups and they probably do not appreciate any competition.
On the other hand, it was the first
time this winter that Yves could spot a Northern Flicker feed in his
yard.
Recently, the number of AMERICAN
GOLDFINCHES (Chardonnerets jaunes) coming to the feeders
has increased as it is also the case of
HOUSE FINCHES (Roselin familier). These days the number
of MOURNING DOVES (Tourterelles
tristes) regularly coming to feed tends to be about 30+
individuals.
** Jane
LeBlanc spent part of Thursday, Dec. 30th, being entertained by birds in her
St. Martins yard. Along with the usual suspects (Black Capped Chickadee, American
Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Red Breasted Nuthatch, Downy
and Hairy Woodpeckers, Dark-eyed Juncos and American Tree Sparrows) she noticed
a slightly different looking bird under the suet feeder and discovered there
was at least 2 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS. It is unusual for Jane to
see them at this time of year in her yard. They arrived shortly after a fresh
snowfall.
Jane
comments “Now if only there was a partridge in the birch tree....and maybe a Northern Cardinal?”
**Aldo
Dorio had an excellent double whammy day on Thursday to photograph an adult Northern
Shrike at Hay Island surveying its territory.
Aldo also
was able to photograph a very cooperative Barred Owl just across from
his Neguac home. The dark eyes of this owl species show nicely. The plumage of
this bird is brownish whereas others would show much more grey.
**Brian
Stone drove to the Tantramar Marsh on Thursday to check out the reported hawk
and eagle life. On his way there, on the Calhoun Rd., he spotted a MERLIN
falcon perched on the top of a distant tall dead tree. Brian parked and walked
through a rough clearing to get close enough to get a decent photo and the
Merlin cooperated by staying put and even glanced disdainfully at him as if to
indicate he didn't give a "darn" that he was being watched.
At the
Tantramar Marsh Brian drove across the marsh roads and managed to get
photographs of some HORNED LARKS, a RING-NECKED PHEASANT, and a
distant SNOWY OWL resting in some tall grass in a field. He witnessed an
altercation between a BALD EAGLE and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK on a
tall power pylon as the hawk dive bombed the eagle repeatedly with little
result. The hawk soon flew off and joined a second ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK on
a closer power pylon for some slightly better photos. A few other eagles were
sighted along with several NORTHERN HARRIER HAWKS that were cruising
over the marsh searching for prey. The harriers managed to avoid Brian's camera,
but he saw on birding sites that other photographers had better luck.
**Pat and I
visited the roads of Tantramar Marsh on Thursday afternoon as well. We spotted a male Northern PINTAIL Duck among a flock of Mallard Ducks. It was also very pleasant to
see the Snowy Owl very well concealed in the tall marsh grass that we
would have not seen if not alerted to it by Gary Dupuis and Brian Stone.
It was also
pleasant to watch several Horned Lark foraging in corn stubble running
about in their typical stooped forward fashion. The yellow in their plumage
seemed very bright but it may have been the contrast against the fresh snow.
We only noted a few Bald Eagles in contrast to what Louise Nichols had
experienced just a few days before when she saw 22 Bald Eagles, many with
apparent duck prey to suggest there may have been a fall out of injured eider
ducks that had attracted them. Low numbers of Rough-legged Hawks and Northern
Harrier were still patrolling the marsh.
**
It’s Friday and time to review what next week sky has in store for us for the first
week of 2022 courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason. Curt points out some interesting star spotting if weather cooperates with clear evening skies.
This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2022 January 1 – January
8
Around midnight in the first week of January the brightest star in the night
sky is due south, at its highest above the horizon. Astronomers would say it is
transiting the meridian when it crosses the north-south line. Many 19th century
observatories, including the one now called the William Brydone Jack
Observatory at UNB Fredericton, would collaborate in timing the transits of
stars to determine the longitudes of their observatories.
Sirius is called the Dog Star because is part of the constellation Canis Major
the Great Dog, one of Orion’s hunting companions. If you are unsure which star
is Sirius, follow Orion’s Belt down to the left. The star is about twice the
size of the Sun and 25 times more luminous, but that is not why it is the
brightest. It is only 8.6 light years away, a mere 82 trillion kilometres, and
the nearest naked eye star for us in New Brunswick. The name means “scorcher”
or “scintillating one” and it often twinkles wildly and colourfully, especially
when it is lower in the sky. I like to observe it with binoculars or a
telescope just to enjoy the light show. Look for the star cluster M41 about a
binocular field below Sirius. With the Sun passing above Orion in summer,
people once believed the hot days were due to extra heat from Sirius, hence the
term “dog days of summer.”
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 8:01 am and sunset will occur at 4:44 pm,
giving 8 hours, 43 minutes of daylight (8:03 am and 4:52 pm in Saint John).
Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 8:00 am and set at 4:51 pm, giving 8 hours,
51 minutes of daylight (8:02 am and 4:59 pm in Saint John). The latest sunrise
for the year occurs this weekend.
The new Moon on Sunday occurs less than a day after perigee so we can expect
extreme tides early in the week. From Monday through Wednesday the waxing
crescent passes to the left of Mercury and Venus, Saturn and then Jupiter.
Mercury makes a beeline from upper left of Venus toward Saturn over the week
and should be visible to the naked eye as it is brighter than Saturn, but try
first with binoculars. Jupiter offers a treat for telescope users early
Wednesday evening, with Ganymede ending a transit at 7 pm, its shadow beginning
a transit at 7:22, and moon Io disappearing behind the planet at 7:34. This
weekend Mars slides down to the left of its currently brighter namesake, the
orange supergiant star Antares – “the rival of Mars.”
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
** To end the last edition of 2021, the editor hopes 2022 will allow Covid-19 to be wrestled down but Mother Nature's community will still be out there as always to focus our attention on.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
