Nature Moncton Nature News: Nov 25 2022

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

November 25, 2022

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

** The activities committee has decided to cancel the Nature Moncton field trip to the Tantramar Marsh this weekend, mostly because the raptors just aren't there and also the possibility of muddy weather conditions after the rain.

The possibility of a field trip on Saturday Dec. 3rd instead is being reflected upon but will get back on location and details next week. Stay tuned.
It has been a bit frustrating to announce the canceling and rescheduling of 2 outings in a row as had to happen, but we do not control Mother Nature and she decides what happens when. Roger LeBlanc wonders if the very nice weather we have had this fall (combined with a possible down cycle of rodents) probably explains why there are no raptors right now on the Tantramar. The thought is to wait and see what might seem like a better option for the week after.

**For the past few days, Clarence Cormier’s PORCUPINE friend (named Pickey) has returned to spend the winter under his patio for the 3rd consecutive year. Besides the large variety of trees around Pickey also enjoys the late supper Clarence prepares containing sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, lettuce and sometimes a few blueberries.

A FOX SPARROW arrived earlier this week and is still around, and Clarence got a documentary photo.

A male NORTHERN FLICKER has been visiting his parents' mixed seed feeder since Wednesday.

The Northern Cardinals just keep on coming!

While Clarence was visiting his brother in Dieppe on Tuesday November 22, a female NORTHERN CARDINAL arrived at his brother's feeders with what looked like a small red berry or a tiny crabapple in its beak. On Thursday, his brother informed Clarence that 2 female NORTHERN CARDINALS appeared at his feeders.

**Aldo Dorio photographed a very ‘rusty red’ Fox Sparrow in his Neguac yard on Thursday wildly scratching the ground as is typical for this sparrow species.

**Brian Stone sends a few photos from Dartmouth, N.S. as he visited family on Thursday. At Sullivan's Pond he noted the orange Domestic Duck that he has seen there many times before. Also in the domestic genera was the group of large white Domestic Geese that makes Sullivan's Pond their home during the warmer seasons. A Ring-billed Gull came close enough to make the camera happy and became the final image from the pond.

A second stop on Brian's outing was at Shubenacadie Park, also in Dartmouth, and he was very glad he decided to add it to his day's outing. As he got out of the car in the parking lot, he heard a loud mobbing of Crows not too far off in the park and he knew what that could mean so he headed right off to that area without delay. It turns out it was no problem at all to locate the source of the commotion as it was right beside one of the main walking trails. A group of 6 or 8 crows were loudly mobbing a seemingly unconcerned Barred Owl sitting in a tree trying to rest up for a night of foraging. The crows were joined by 2 Blue Jays and 1 White-breasted Nuthatch that added little to the disturbance. After about half an hour of mobbing the crows left and the owl moved down to perch on top of an old birch stump for another half an hour before moving back up into the same tree in the same spot.

Brian figured that would be the limit of his luck that day but was surprised to spot a Redhead Duck in the park's main pond on his way out to the car. Two good birds make the day twice as good! (Editor’s note: note the distinct bill of the Redhead Duck; mostly pale blue with white ring bordering black tip so nicely shown in Brian’s photo)

**It’s Friday and time to review what we can see in next week’s night sky courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason. The night sky is arriving very early at the moment and will continue to do so until December 21.

This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2022 November 26 – December 3
The constellation of Taurus the Bull has completely cleared the eastern horizon by 6:30 pm this week. It is distinguished by two relatively close star clusters: the compact dipper-shaped Pleiades (M45) in the bull’s shoulder and the V-shaped Hyades that forms the bull’s face. The bright orange star Aldebaran anchors one side of the V, representing the bull’s fiery eye, but it is not actually part of the cluster as it is much closer. In mythology the Pleiades (aka the Seven Sisters) and the Hyades were half-sisters; daughters of Atlas, who obviously didn’t spend all his time holding up the sky.

Starting from the apex of the Hyades, extend each side of the V outward to a star. These stars are the tips of the bull’s horns. The upper star is Elnath, which forms one of the corners of Auriga the Charioteer although it is officially part of Taurus. The other horn star has a famous dim neighbour, which is about one degree away and slightly to the right of a line joining the horns. Called the Crab Nebula or M1 for being the first entry in Charles Messier’s 18th century catalogue, this little fuzzy patch is a gaseous supernova remnant. The supernova, a death-explosion of a giant star, was seen in daylight for three weeks in 1054. I have seen M1 in a transparent sky with binoculars but a scope gives a better view. Mars will spend the week moving westward between the horns.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:34 am and sunset will occur at 4:37 pm, giving 9 hours, 3 minutes of daylight (7:37 am and 4:45 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 7:43 am and set at 4:34 pm, giving 8 hours, 51 minutes of daylight (7:45 am and 4:42 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is at first quarter on Wednesday, when telescope users can see the Lunar X just within the shadow around 5 pm. The Moon passes near Saturn on Monday and Jupiter on Thursday. Saturn is setting just after 10 pm this week so observe it early. On Sunday evening binocular and telescope users can watch the giant moon Ganymede disappear behind Jupiter at 5:15 and reappear on the other side at 8:10, and then disappear into Jupiter’s shadow at 10:23 for a few hours. Mars is closest to Earth on Wednesday, just over a week from opposition.

Weather permitting there will be public observing at Wolastuk Park near Reversing Falls in Saint John on December 1 from 6 to 7:30 pm, in conjunction with the lighting of a Christmas tree sponsored by JD Irving Ltd.

Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.