NATURE MONCTON NATURE NEWS
October 3, 2025
Nature Moncton members as well as
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**The
Sussex Bluff is a very special and unique place in New Brunswick. The
Nature Moncton activities committee has arranged for a visit there tomorrow, Saturday, October 4, with a rain date of October 5. All details and directions are below:
Sussex
Bluffs Outing
Date:
October 4, 2025, at 10:00 AM (Raindate: October 5)
Location:
Sussex Bluffs, 17 Rockridge Dr, Sussex Corner, NB E4E 5R2
Carpooling
meeting place & time: Gorge Road parking lot of Mapleton Park at 8:45 AM
Leader:
Fred Richards
On
Saturday, October 4, 2025 (rain date Sunday the 5th) enjoy an early fall walk
through mixed forest and hemlock stands out to Sussex’s “Big Bluff.” Although
well-established, the somewhat hilly trail has many roots and is narrow in
places along rocky ridges. Sturdy footwear is highly recommended and, as
hunting season has started, wearing something orange is a good idea. Round
trip, it is about 4.5 KM. Once at the Bluff, participants will be treated to a
panoramic view of Trout Creek winding its way through “Dutch Valley.” The fall
colour show was just beginning on September 19, but it should be in full swing
on the day of our outing. The walk will start at 10 AM with participants
meeting at the Sussex Corner parking area as indicated on the map below. As
parking is limited, carpooling is recommended. We will meet at the Gorge Road
entrance to Mapleton Park around 8:45 AM. Anyone needing a ride should contact
Fred Richards at fred.j.richards@gmail.com. All are welcome.
Take
exit 198 off Hwy 1. Turn left onto Hwy 111 and continue 350 metres to the stop
sign. Turn left to follow Hwy 111 (also known as St. Martins Road). Continue 1 km,
then turn right to follow Hwy 111 (now also known as Post Road). Continue 1.5
KM, then turn left onto Sullivan Drive, which will change to Pugsley Street
after a sharp right turn. Continue about 200 metres, then turn left onto
Rockridge Drive. Continue 400 metres to a well-marked parking area.
**Brian
Coyle had the good fortune to witness three hermit thrushes, taking turns having a
bird bath in his backyard on Thursday afternoon. He suspects that these are
juveniles because of some of the behaviour that they presented. Check out the
links below for some great video action!
**John
Inman comments that he is not getting many chances for good photo ops with the
hawks monitoring his yard, but he did catch a blue-headed vireo and a Baltimore
oriole going through quickly.
**Norbert
Dupuis caught some nice moments with a red-breasted nuthatch on
Thursday's very cold morning in Memramcook with the fall colours in the background.
**Jane
LeBlanc was enjoying the sun on her deck, hoping birds would come by, when she
caught a movement under the deck. It was a deer mouse, right underneath
her sleeping dog.
**This
Week’s Sky at a Glance, 2025 October 4 – October 11
The Pleiades star cluster is rising in the early evening. Also known as M45 or
the Seven Sisters and sometimes mistaken to be the Little Dipper, this compact
eye-catcher represents the shoulder of Taurus the Bull. Over the next two hours
the rest of the constellation clears the eastern horizon; in particular, the
V-shaped Hyades star cluster anchored by orange Aldebaran, and the two stars
marking the tips of the bull’s long horns.
In mythology, Zeus changed himself into a beautiful white bull to attract the
attention of Europa, a princess of Sidon. She was taken by its gentleness and
made the mistake of climbing on its back. Bully Zeus took off to the nearby
seashore and swam all the way to Crete, where he changed back into his godly
form and completed his conquest. The result was a baby boy who was named Minos,
and he grew up to become the first King of Crete.
One of the horn stars of Taurus had been shared with the constellation Auriga.
This star, Elnath, was officially assigned to Taurus when the constellation
boundaries were set by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) a century
ago. Taurus is one of the zodiac constellations, as the ecliptic passes
between the Pleiades and Hyades and also between the horn-tips. Since the
Moon's orbit is tilted to the ecliptic by about five degrees, at times it can
be seen passing in front of the Pleiades and Aldebaran.
This Week in the Solar System
Saturday’s sunrise in Moncton is at 7:21 and sunset will occur at 6:52, giving
11 hours, 31 minutes of daylight (7:26 and 6:58 in Saint John). Next Saturday
the Sun will rise at 7:31 and set at 6:39, giving 11 hours, 8 minutes of
daylight (7:35 and 6:45 in Saint John).
The Moon is above Saturn this Sunday, full on late evening Monday and near
the Pleiades on Thursday. Saturn is at its highest and best for observing
around midnight this week. Mars and Mercury are very low in the west after
sunset, difficult targets for binocular viewing. By next weekend Jupiter will
be rising at midnight, placing it high in the east near Castor and Pollux for
optimal morning observing. Ever beautiful Venus rises around 5:30 am this week.
The
Saint John Astronomy Club meets in the Rockwood Park Interpretation Centre on
October 4 at 7 pm. Tune in to the Sunday Night Astronomy Show at 8 pm on the
YouTube channel and Facebook page of Astronomy by the Bay.
Questions?
Contact Curt Nason at nasonc@nbnet.nb.ca.
Nelson Poirier
Nature Moncton
