Nature Moncton Nature News: April 7 2023

April 7, 2023

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Edited by Nelson Poirier nelsonpoirier435@gmail.com

Proofreading courtesy of Louise Nichols at nicholsl@eastlink.ca

**As previously announced, Nature Moncton will be installing 25 nesting boxes on the Riverfront Trail in Moncton tomorrow, Saturday April 8, 2023. To those of you who are going to take part in the installation, we will be meeting at the Press Club, 100 Assomption Blvd., at 10:00 AM. Fred Dube and Fred Richards will bring all the tools necessary to complete the work. The weather forecast looks good so far. Please dress appropriately and bring a pair of work gloves. The City of Moncton will be erecting a plaque to commemorate the event. All are welcome to stop by to encourage the construction crew and act as cheerleaders for the event!

Thanks to the City of Moncton and Dan Hicks for their efforts that made this happen.

**On Thursday, Barb Curlew saw a Greater Yellowlegs in Waterside. This is an early NB yellowlegs sighting record for them. (Editor’s note: note this bird is in breeding plumage showing the more extensive dark bars on flanks).

There was a Great Blue Heron beside the Waterside schoolhouse.

** Shannon Inman shares some photos taken in the Harvey, Albert County area.

An Eastern Phoebe was by the Harvey Hall, 3 immature Bald Eagles did a fly pass along with 4 of about 30 Great Blue Herons now on the marsh, and Ring-necked Ducks were on Larsen marsh.

** Karen and Jamie Burris took a little walk around Mapleton Park on Tuesday and observed male and female Pileated Woodpeckers; unfortunately, they were camera shy. They did, however, get photos of a male American Black Duck and a male American Wigeon having a heated discussion!

(Editor’s note: the only way to distinguish the genders of the Black Duck is the bright yellow bill of the male and the pale greenish bill of the female).

On Wednesday, they walked the circle at Highland Park in Salisbury to observe a male Northern Cardinal in a hawthorn bush, and just below it was a very alert Ruffed Grouse to make a two-for-one observation.

**Yolande LeBlanc has a Ring-necked Pheasant in her Memramcook yard that appears like it may have had a close call giving up its long flowing tail to a possible predator to leave it with a very ‘unfinished' look. A White-throated Sparrow arrived to her yard with possibly a more serious challenge with a misfit of its upper and lower mandible that could lead to serious long-term effects.

The good news of the day is that Yolande’s lone male Northern Cardinal (that had been with her for the winter) had his vocalizations pay off handsomely with the arrival of a female mate.

** David Cannon comments that others may be getting them regularly, but they saw 2 Song Sparrows Thursday morning in what is a rarity at their feeders. David got a photo of one sitting in a cedar tree looking at him through the window.

** This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2023, April 8 – April 15
As the Sun is setting this week, Spica is rising in the east. This blue giant star is the brightest in the constellation Virgo the Maiden, and the 14th brightest star of the night sky. It is usually located by following the arc of the Big Dipper’s handle to Arcturus and driving a spike to Spica. With Arcturus in Boötes, and Regulus (or dimmer Denebola) in Leo, it forms the Spring Triangle. If you toss in Cor Coroli in Canes Venatici, below the handle of the Big Dipper, you get the Spring Diamond.

Spica represents an ear of wheat in the hand of Virgo. In Greek mythology she was Demeter, the goddess of wheat or agriculture (Ceres to the Romans). The Sun passes through this constellation in harvest time, and it is in the head of Virgo at the autumnal equinox. Virgo is the second largest of the 88 constellations in terms of area of sky, trailing only Hydra the Water Snake. Coincidentally, it also trails Hydra in the sky, which can be seen stretching below Leo. The constellation is home to 11 Messier objects, second to Sagittarius in this distinction, and all of them are galaxies. Included in this group is M87, the huge galaxy that had the image of its central black hole shadow released four years ago.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 6:46 am and sunset will occur at 7:56 pm, giving 13 hours, 10 minutes of daylight (6:52 am and 8:00 pm in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 6:33 am and set at 8:06 pm, giving 13 hours, 33 minutes of daylight (6:39 am and 8:09 pm in Saint John).

The Moon is near Antares in Scorpius on Monday, and it reaches third quarter on Thursday. Venus makes a scenic pass of the Pleiades star cluster from Monday to Wednesday. Mercury is at its greatest elongation from the Sun on Tuesday, the same day that Jupiter is in solar conjunction. On Friday Mars is very near Mebsuta, a third-magnitude double star in Gemini. Mars passed in front of this star in April 1976. Saturn is the lone naked-eye planet in the morning sky, awaiting the company of Jupiter next month.

On Sunday evening at 8 pm, tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show via the Facebook page or YouTube channel of Astronomy by the Bay.