When night comes, and it’s too dark to hike,.there is still some nature to learn.  That’s the time when you can see what else is in our solar system, galaxy and universe.  Around the end of this month, there will be a once in a lifetime sight in the western sky.  This is a close grouping of the planets Mercury, Venus and Jupiter.  Using binoculars, or a telescope, you will be able to see all 3 in your field of vision.  You will easily be able to identify them by their comparative brightness.

Venus is the brightest one, due to the reflection of the sun from the sulfuric acid cloud that always surrounds this planet.  It is the brightest object in the sky, after the sun and moon.  Nothing else even comes close.  Once you recognize it, you will know it for life, every time it’s in the sky.  Jupiter is the second brightest, slightly brighter than some of the brightest stars.  Mercury is the dimmest one but, you should still be able to see it if you’re in a dark area, or through binoculars.

The trio will be the most compact on Sunday, May 26.  The best time to see them, is about 45 minutes after sunset, around 9:20.  Go where you have a clear view of the western horizon.  Look slightly to the north, just above the horizon.  You can also see them a few days before and after Sunday, if you have a clear night.

Because it’s close to the sun, Mercury is seldom seen.  When it’s in the night sky, it’s close to the horizon and, as previously mentioned, not conspicuously bright, so, this will be a good opportunity.  The last week of this month, it will actually be higher than Venus, and in the same field of vision.

Because they are inferior planets, Mercury and Venus appear in the western sky in the evening, or in the eastern sky in the morning.  In a telescope, they can be seen going through phases, like the moon.  The superior planets, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, can be in any part of the sky.  Over 60 moons have been discovered around Jupiter.  In a telescope, you can see the 4 large ones, that Galeleo saw, and named.  Saturn, with its rings, and large moon, Titan, is now visible in the eastern sky.

Also, this week, you have a good opportunity to learn about our sun, and other stars like it, by watching the PBS science program, Nova, this Wednesday (5/22), at 9 PM, on WXXI.

One of the most scenic spots, in our Finger Lakes Region, is the beautiful gorge, formed by Townsend Creek, at the south end of Seneca Lake, known as Watkins Glen.  We got to enjoy this spectacular scenery recently, hiking on the Finger Lakes Trail, from the west, to the east end of the state park.

A great addition, to the scenery, is the mature forest along the trail.  The great majority of the trees, in this forest, are eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) and, therein lies the impending disaster to this park and trail.  Entering the west end of the park, the hemlocks looked fine and healthy.  However, when we reached the east end, a different story unfolded.

As mentioned earlier, an unfortunate by-product of international commerce, is often the introduction of weeds or insects from other countries which, in the absence of their natural enemies, have multiplied unchecked, and caused havoc here.  In 1951, an adelgid from Asia (Adelges tsugae), that infests hemlocks, was discovered near Richmond, VA, and has been steadily spreading wherever hemlocks grow.  Exploding populations have already killed huge numbers of trees.

At the east end, we saw many hemlocks dying, with fluffy, white ovisacs, showing what was killing them.  Contractors, hired by the state, were busily injecting systemic insecticides into the trees, or in the soil near them, in a desperate attempt to kill the adelgids, and save the trees.  It doesn’t take a rocket scientist, or entomologist, to see that this is a very labor intensive, and expensive, procedure and yes, there are, as has been in the news, government funding issues.  If this project doesn’t succeed, hiking this trail, in future years, will be much less pleasant, looking at mostly dead trees.  The whole forest ecosystem would be affected, such as salamanders, who depend on the trees for shade and moisture.

I would like to know, if you feel that Watkins Glen is too far for one of our Sunday hikes.  Not only is this one of the most scenic trails but, it would also be a useful service project, for our group, to check the hemlocks at the west end of the park, to see if the adelgids have spread there.  Late March or early April is probably the best time to do this.  You have seen how abundant hemlocks are on the trails we’ve hiked around here.  If we don’t stop them, it’s just a matter of time till the hemlocks around here, are also gone.

In the meantime, if you’re hiking on trails east of Steuben County, try to avoid contact with hemlocks.  The adelgid crawlers are very tiny, barely visible without magnification, making it difficult for you to see them, if they got on you, especially on dark clothing.  You could spread them to a new tree, without even realizing it.  All of these insects are females, and reproduce asexually.  Multiplication is extremely rapid.

We’ve all seen these touching films where a cock and hen find each other, do this exquisitely choreographed courtship dance, and then, the happy couple flies off to build a nest together and enter a blissful monogamous relationship, in some cases, for life.  However, some recent research has revealed quite a different story.

Sneaky surveillance cameras have captured several scenes where, a hen is fastidiously arranging her nest and, while her mate is off, acquiring additional nesting material, an opportunistic cock swoops in for a quickie, and flies off before the unsuspecting mate returns.  This can be accomplished, most times, because the copulation act, in birds, is a fairly short one, so you don’t want to come back in your next life as a bird.  However, I’m sure, there have been times when the intruder was still in the nest, when the mate returned,  In this case, a scene like this might happen.

Moishe: So, what are you doing in my nest?

Abe: Well, everybody has to be someplace.

Zelda: Moishe, I’m hungry.  Go get me a worm.  Get one for Abe too.

Moishe: To hell with Abe.  He can get his own worm.

Studies have shown that, DNA samples taken from clutches of chicks have revealed that, not all of them are the progeny of the sire of the nest.   However, before you chauvenists accuse the poor hen of infidelity, what do you suppose her mate is doing while he’s out gathering nesting material?  Oh well, so much for the illusion of avian monogamy.

The preceding information was obtained at a recent birding conference we went to, where we saw this hilarious powerpoint, presented by an ornithologist from the faculty of McGill University, named Dr. Bird.  Not joking.