NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
Sept 20, 2024
Nature Moncton members as well as
any naturalist in New Brunswick or beyond are invited to share their photos and
descriptions of recent nature sightings to build a fresh (almost) daily edition
of Nature News
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**A
few weeks ago, Marc Blayney who lives in the Bromley Street area of Moncton, had a brief
visit from a Carolina Wren. Marc was able to share a few documentary photos at
that time but also had a video of the bird that was much sharper.
Nelson
Poirier visited Marc’s birdfeeder setup Thursday afternoon and was surprised
to see a setup he had not seen before. The feeder has a small built-in camera
that takes video clips of patrons as they visit. It is called Birdfy. Marc
showed Nelson how it worked and reviewed some of the great video clips this
unit takes. Marc had a variety of the regularly expected birds but a pair of
Northern Cardinals that come and go and the one visit from the Carolina Wren was special.
Marc
shares the video from the Carolina Wren at the attached link:
It’s a great time of year to spot
some of our colourful caterpillar clan!
Barbara also spotted a shrew during
a walk on an ATV trail in Riverview. Sadly, it had shuffled off its mortal coil
by the time they encountered him, but it appeared to be in very good condition.
They wondered whether it might have been picked up and dropped by a predator.
Shrews have a gland that produces a foul odour and taste to put off animals
that pick them up as prey. This would not apply to raptors that instantly
swallow small prey.
(Editor’s note: we have several
species of shrews in New Brunswick, some with a long tail and some with a short
tail but the sharp pointed nose is a constant ID feature of a Shrew.)
**Donna Savoy in Miramichi had the lucky experience of spotting a plump moth pupal cocoon on Thursday tucked into a
shrub. There has to be lots of these out there but they seem to be seldom
located and sometimes it's difficult to be certain of the occupant.
Rheal Vienneau and Tony Thomas have
both suggested it to be a Luna Moth cocoon feeling the coloration is a
bit off, but the shape matches that of the Luna Moth pupal cocoon.
**This Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2024 September 21
– September 28
This is a good time of year to double your sky observing time. For the next
several weeks, before we return to Standard Time, the sky is dark and the stars
are blazing when most people are up to start their day, and it is not bitterly
cold or snowbound. Orion and his dogs are prominent to the south, with Taurus,
Auriga and Gemini arching over them. Sirius, Rigel, Procyon and Betelgeuse are
the first, seventh, eighth and tenth brightest stars in the night sky.
In early evening you can see the 4th, 5th and 6th brightest stars. Look for
yellow Arcturus sinking to the west, blue-white Vega overhead and Capella in
Auriga rising in the northeast. Capella is our brightest circumpolar star; it
never sets for most or all of New Brunswick. Later, notice the positions of the
circumpolar Big Dipper, Little Dipper and Cassiopeia. The next morning go
outside and see how they have changed. Sometimes it is nice to have a little
assurance that the world keeps right on turning.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:05 and sunset will occur at 7:17, giving
12 hours, 12 minutes of daylight (7:10 and 7:22 in Saint John). Next Saturday
the Sun will rise at 7:14 and set at 7:03, giving 11 hours, 49 minutes of
daylight (7:19 and 7:09 in Saint John). The Sun crosses the equator around 9:44
am Sunday, beginning the colourful autumn season.
The Moon visits the Pleiades this Sunday and Jupiter on Monday. It reaches
third quarter phase Tuesday and is above Mars Wednesday. Venus rides low in the
west-southwest after sunset but it can be spotted if you have a clear view to
that direction. Saturn is at its highest and best for observing at midnight,
and by that time Jupiter is high enough in the east for good viewing. Mars
rises just after midnight and is seen best in early morning. Mercury
rapidly approaches the Sun this week and will be out of sight for the next few
weeks.
Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm on the YouTube channel or
Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay.
Questions? Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
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