Nature Moncton Nature News: July 19 2024

NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS

July 19, 2024

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**We don’t have a summary of the city trees Dan Hicks was able to demonstrate to people on this week’s Wednesday walk; however, Fred Richards did send a report that the Wednesday walk was well attended and Dan Hicks provided his guests with an entertaining and informative description of the trees that have been planted in Victoria Park over the years. Some of the participants went to the Castle Manor to view a very large Mountain Ash afterwards. Thanks to Dan.

**Rheal Vienneau has a Northern Flicker coming regularly to his suet feeder after it picks out the ants from his sidewalk.

The few Northern Flickers that stay with us over the winter often use suet feeders, but we don’t often see them doing so in the summer when flickers are much more abundant.

Rheal also had a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding on his Bee Balm Tuesday but could not get a photo. This was Rheal’s first visit from a hummingbird this year.

Many folks have commented on the reduced number of hummingbirds being seen this summer.

**Doreen Rossiter is pleased to report the Northern Cardinals have once again nested successfully in Alma. On Thursday morning Doreen had at least two and possibly three young-of-the-year Northern Cardinals in the yard. They had black beaks and not enough color to distinguish the gender of the fresh-out-of-the-nest visitors. They did not visit the feeders, nor was there an adult in sight. Last year it was a male that showed up with young.

**Jane and Ed LeBlanc were visiting a friend's garden in Belleisle Bay and saw many dragonflies in her pond. A few stopped for photos, including two mating Common Green Darner dragonflies.

**Louise and Glen Nichols have also had welcome visits from Monarch butterflies in their yard. Several were viewed on the Swamp Milkweed and others drifting in flight through the flower beds. Louise checked the Common Milkweed last night to find some Monarch Butterfly eggs are present, so the Monarchs must have visited there too. She has noted that Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies are also big fans of the Swamp Milkweed.

**Aldo Dorio photographed an Osprey seemingly very pleased to show off his catch of a plump-looking Striped Bass.

**Alain Clavette is offering a shorebird workshop tomorrow Saturday, July 20 at 1:00 PM in Pointe-du-Chene across from 77 St. John St. Alain advises anyone is welcome to join him.

The poster notice is attached.

**Friday has arrived sooner than I think any of us expected and time to review what we may see in next week’s night sky courtesy of sky guru Curt Nason.

**This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2024 July 20 – July 27

They say it is the little things that count, and if you are counting constellations there are four little ones lined up in the southeast toward late evening. Start your search with the Summer Triangle, which is composed of the brightest star in each of three constellations: Vega in Lyra the Lyre, Deneb in Cygnus the Swan, and Altair in Aquila the Eagle. Sagitta the Arrow is a distinct shape between Altair and Albireo, which is at the head of Cygnus. The arrow, poisoned with the blood of the Hydra, is one of those shot by Hercules to kill the Stymphalian birds as his sixth Labour.

Between Sagitta and Albireo is obscure Vulpecula the Fox, which at one time was two constellations called the Little Fox and the Goose. Vulpecula is known best for having the binocular object M27, the Dumbbell Nebula, within its borders. Below Sagitta is the eye-catching Delphinus the Dolphin, seen leaping out of the watery constellations that hug the horizon below. The dolphin was given its place of honour in the sky by Poseidon for convincing beautiful Amphitrite to be his wife. Below Delphinus and just off the snout of Pegasus the Flying Horse is Equuleus the Little Horse, the second smallest of the 88 constellations. Perhaps representing the foal Celeris, an offspring or brother of Pegasus, it was one of the 48 constellations included in Claudius Ptolemy’s second-century map of the sky.

This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 5:48 and sunset will occur at 9:02, giving 15 hours, 14 minutes of daylight (5:56 and 9:04 in Saint John). Next Saturday the Sun will rise at 5:56 and set at 8:54, giving 14 hours, 58 minutes of daylight (6:03 and 8:57 in Saint John).

The Moon is full this Sunday, rising near Saturn late Wednesday and reaching third quarter just before midnight next Saturday. By midweek Venus sets 45 minutes after sunset, followed by Mercury 20 minutes later. Mercury is dimming and becoming more difficult to see with binoculars, but it is still brighter than Regulus half a binocular field above it. Over the week Mars slides between the Hyades and Pleiades star clusters, with bright Jupiter to their left.

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.

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