It sets about three hours after sunset. It will remain in this part 
     
     of the sky until the end of July when it races ahead of Earth, 
     
     passing between us and the Sun in late August. 
     
    

    
     March through May Saturn resembles a bright, yellowish, steady (non- 
     
     twinkling) star to the unaided eye. In late March it is high in the 
     
     western sky during the eveningand, with two stars above it, forms 
     
     a narrow isosceles triangle in the night sky. On May 23rd Saturn 
     
     will pass Venus. For a few evenings on either side of this date these 
     
     two planets will form a pretty, star-like pair in the western sky. 
     
    

    
     May 5 through May 22 Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, will be 
     
     visible low in the western sky about an hour after sunset. Few 
     
     people have seen Mercury; however, during the middle of May it will 
     
     be easily visible if one has an unobstructed View of the western 
     
     horizon. It will resemblea bright star near the edge of the last 
     
     of twilight. 
     
    

    
     May 25 (1:00 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. ADT) A total eclipse of the Moon will take 
     
     place early on this Sunday morning. The Moon begins to enter 
     
     Earth's shadow at midnight but will not dim noticeably until near 
     
     1 a.m. It will be completely in the shadow from 2:03 a.m. until 
     
     3:33 a.m. The totally exlipsed'Moon'is one of the most beautiful 
     
     astronomical sights, especially when viewed through a pair of 
     
     binoculars. The last total lunar eclipse visible from Nova Scotia 
     
     was over three yearsago and was partly obscured by clouds; how- 
     
     ever, if you are unfortunate enough to miss the May eclipse because 
     
     of clouds or badly needed sleep, there will be another one in the 
     
     early evening of November 10. ** Roy L. Bishop 
     
    

    
     ‘ Revised from 
     
     Blomidon Naturalists 
     
     Society Newsletter 
     
     March 1975 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Some Views on Island Wildlife 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Many people when they discuss wildlife, whether they are sportsmen, 
     
     naturalists or just interested, tend to consider numbers of wildlife as 
     
     continually declining, perhaps as a result of man's activities. 
     
     Populations do fluctuate seasonally and in some cases cycle over a number 
     
     of years. Wildlife populations are highest just after the young are 
     
     born and lowest just before this period. Weather conditions may obscure 
     
     impressions gathered from observing wild life. For instance, deep snow 
     
     conditions improvechances of sighting hungarian partridge and in early 
     
     spring snowshoe hare are often seen in great abundance along roadway 
     
     and field edges, feeding on grasses. During this time, hare populations 
     
     are actually at the lowest level intheir annual cycle. Hence high 
     
     populations of hungarian partridge may go unobserved during a mild winter 
     
     and a relatively low population of snowshoe hare may appear abundant in 
     
     spring. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Consider the good old days when this Island was unSpoiled by man 
     
     and forests reached maturity unthreatened by the axe. Imagine the wildlife 
     
     which must have flourished! Think of the wildlife you would see in a large 
     
     expanse of mature wood: maybe some red squirrels and chickadees, but not 
     
     much else. On occassion, grouse or hare may travel through such a situation 
     
     but they never flourish under such conditions. When forests are harvested, 
     
     vegetation regenerates in the form of diverse young growth providing 
     
     food and cover. the "edge effect" created by forest cutting and land 
     
     clearing is very important tovdldlife. Man's activities have altered 
     
     and improved the habitat for upland game and farm—associated wildlife. 
     
     Hungarian partridge which were introduced in the late 1920's could never 
     
     have flourished had it not been forthe intensive farming which altered 
     
     the landscape. Other animals, common on or near P.E.I. farmland, are 
     
     fox, native grouse, racoon, and Skunk. The latter two were introduced 
     
     and could not have been successful in a forested landscape. Farming 
     
     and forestry practices will only remain compatible with these upland 
     
     animals if a diverse landscape is maintained.