Appalachian Trail – Mary’s Rock in Virgina
View from Mary’s Rock, Appalachian Trail
By: Pat Coate
I have a dream to one day (soon) hike the Appalachian Trail (Tom A. are you in?). While visiting my father-in-law in Virginia, my husband and I got a small taste of it by hiking up to Mary’s Rock in Shenandoah National Park. It was beautiful and I do hope to get back sometime. In any case, my journey has started- 4 miles down, only 2,196 or so more to go!
This stretch of the trail must be very well traveled as there was lots of erosion control along it, and just along that short stretch we ran into six other hikers. Only wildlife activity we saw were two soaring turkey vultures.
The Joys of Bird Photography
Tree Sparrow in Flight
By: Pat Coate
One of the many joys of bird photography is the short window of opportunity you often have to get that ‘perfect’ shot. It’s sort of like the unpredictability of trying to get a squirming child to cooperate for the family Christmas shot – but with the added challenge of shooting outdoors and minus the ability to use bribes or silly faces to keep your subject still.
Sometimes you get lucky and happen to capture a decent picture of a bird in flight, like the tree sparrow above. And sometimes you don’t always get a bird’s better side, like the chickadee in the following picture.
Ground Hogs Day 2012
To all my Blogging friends; I Allegany Tom on the 2nd of February 2012 did not see my shadow when I woke up this morning. I predict that spring will come early this year!! I just love this holidays and on a side note . . . . Punxstawney Phil did see his shadow this morning! He is predicting that there will be “six more weeks of winter”!!
(been doing this since 2006 and 75% wrong but this year I think I have a chance to be right)
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Waterfowl and Eagle Count
Bald Eagle along Allegheny River
By: Pat Coate
January 15th was the annual waterfowl and eagle count for the Buffalo Ornithological Society. Tim, Bert and I covered a section of Cattaraugus County in Western New York. Despite the warmer than average winter, that day started off at -10 degrees but we forged on, adding further evidence to my husband’s theory that birders are an odd lot.
Waterfowl counts were down significantly from prior years. The prevailing thought was that a lot of water to the north (like Lake Erie) was not yet frozen over, so the birds had not yet moved down our way to open water along the Allegheny River. We saw only five species of waterfowl, two bald eagles, and a total of just over 20 species on the day. It was still a fun day and Tim and Bert are excellent birders to spend time with. Full species list follows.
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More Hiking in Allegany State Park
Conservation Trail, Allegany State Park (NY)
By: Pat Coate
Took advantage of the continued mild winter and got a nice hike in over the weekend along the Conservation and part of the Finger Lakes/North Country Trail in Allegany State Park. The Conservation Trail is a 4+ mile loop that starts behind the Red House Administration Building.
It’s a beautiful trail up the mountain, passing through several evergreen stands providing thick enough cover to provide a snow-free trail. The less protected deciduous tree sections of the trail ranged from snow covered to muddy to sun-dried. There are numerous fallen trees to navigate and it seems the trail has not been cleared for many years, though it is well marked with blue, orange and white blazes (different legs of the trail are different colors).
Birds we heard or saw along the way included chickadee, junco, downy woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, blue jay, and raven. We also saw numerous animal tracks in the snow that I will post next week – including one surprise for this time of year.
Tufted Titmouse
By: Pat Coate
The tufted titmouse is a somewhat infrequent visitor to our backyard feeder. So when this one stopped by this past fall I was happy to snap a few pictures.
These birds nest in pre-existing tree cavities, having to find ones made by other birds or natural ones as they are not able to create their own. Though I have never seen this, studies have shown that they often line their nests with hair. And it seems as though most any type will do as hair from livestock, raccoons and woodchucks, to mice and even humans has been found in their nests.
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Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from Everyone at monarchbfly.com
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Red House Brook
Allegany State Park before the snow we got today.
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Brown Pelican with Fish
Brown Pelican with fish speared on upper bill
By: Pat Coate
On a trip to Myrtle Beach earlier this year, my friends and I were sitting on the beach catching up and enjoying watching some pelicans and gulls feeding about 80 yards or so out in the ocean. In fact, most days we were treated to the sight of pelicans plummeting head first into the rolling waves in search of prey, and it was a spectacle I had not tired of watching. After a bit, we noticed some unusual behavior as one of the pelicans began flailing around and going through all kinds of unusual contortions. I didn’t have my binoculars with me so took a few shots with the telephoto lens and when I loaded them onto the computer saw what was causing the commotion. Not the greatest pictures, but they show that the pelican had speared a fish on its upper bill and was trying really hard to figure out how to make it dinner!
Hiking in Allegany State Park
Rock formations along the FLT in Allegany State Park
By: Pat Coate
As many of you know, Allegany State Park has some beautiful hiking trails. About 20 miles of trail through the park is also part of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), and coincides with the Conservation and North Country trails. Recently a combined group of 23 from the Olean Area Hiking Group and the Allegheny Outdoor Club met to hike the portion that begins in the Allegheny National Forest near the Willow Bay Recreation Area on PA Route 346. Starting at an elevation of 1370′, the trail climbs steadily for about 2 miles to an elevation of about 1700′ (elevations from the FLT map). About 1.1 miles in the trail crosses from PA to NY and enters Allegany State Park. The trail is marked with white blazes and part of the trail also has red marks that have been added above and/or below the white blazes. The red marks are new over the past 6 months and it was uncertain who had added these marks. At one point the red marks veer off the main trail and go to the stone structure shown in one of the attached pictures. This shuttle hike, of about 4 miles, veered from the FLT by taking Brown Hollow Road to the Wolf Run area of the park. The section of the trail along Brown Hollow looked down on a babbling brook whose sound was drowned out by the constant sloshing of many feet through the deep carpet of fallen leaves.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
By: Pat Coate
Finally got a couple passable shots of one of my nemesis birds. The red-breasted nuthatches usually just grab a seed from our feeder and then head back into the trees to eat before returning to grab another. This one, however, stayed in a nearby tree allowing a few pictures, though they were in tough lighting. The pictures were taken the end of August.
Birding & Sisters Weekend
Eastern Bluebird along Radnor Lake
By: Pat Coate
Had a really fun sisters’ weekend in Nashville recently. Stayed downtown at Printers Alley, enjoyed the music at Tootsies and some of the other ‘honky-tonk’ venues, ate (twice) at Jack’s BBQ and even ventured out for a line dance or two. Non-birding sister, Kathy, very kindly found a park (Radnor Lake Natural Area and Wildlife Refuge) a few miles south of town where we were able to spend a few hours hiking and birding. Here’s a few shots from the park.
Happy Thanksgiving
Gobble Gobble from everyone here at the Monarchbfly Nature Blog!!
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Tundra Swans on RHL
It was the most beautiful morning here in Allegany State Park with fresh snow on the ground and a handful of Tundra Swans out on Red House Lake.
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Portrait of a Sanderling
Sanderling
By: Pat Coate
The sanderling is a fascinating bird to watch. They seem to have eyes in the back of their heads as they scurry along the shoreline never letting the ocean’s waves catch them off guard. They are rarely still and I just happen to have caught this one preening on the beach. These pictures were taken in October in Mytrle Beach.
Snow Last Night
Woke up to snow on the ground this morning. Trail Camera showed some deer activity.
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Black Bear in the Park today
Going home from work today, I saw a real nice young Black Bear in Allegany State Park. Was the best video that I was able to captured for everyone!
Fall Orange Sulphur
Saw lots of Orange Sulphurs flying around Allegany State Park the past few days! Today temperatures reached 70 degrees F!! Records highs for the area! Going to get cold here in a few days.
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Birdie Blog 2
Tammy, Tina, Pat
By: Pat Coate
The birdie blog is back. I had a wonderful golf get away weekend in Myrtle Beach with the extended NJ gang. We had perfect weather, played gorgeous courses, and three of us were lucky enough (speaking for myself anyway) to score a birdie.
There were lots of other birdies to be found too.
Young Eagle
Saw a beautiful juvenal Bald Eagle fly over my truck this morning. With the snow/fog on the hills and oaks still holding their leaves . . . it was just an outstanding sight.
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First Snow
Had our first snow today with almost 2 inches on the hill tops.
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Northern Saw-whet Owl
Had a great weekend for owl banding. Saturday night we had (JCC) Jamestown Community College at the house to band birds. Also had multiple friends visit to see what birds we would get with N NE winds. Everyone had a wonderful time with 4 birds banded. Sunday night we had some co-workers from the park visit with their families. Another great night with 4 more birds banded.
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Central Park
Bethesda Fountain
By: Pat Coate
A business trip took me to NYC this week so I ventured into Central Park for a couple hours one evening. What an amazing amount of people and activity – joggers, dog walkers, soccer games, tourists, serious bikers, rent-a-bikers, strollers, horse drawn buggies, roller bladers, jugglers, food carts. I learned they mean business about keeping bikes separate from walking/jogging trails as I was threatened with a $500 fine for parking my bike in the wrong spot when I took a picture.
Bird sightings were slim and ordinary but at least there was some bird life amidst all the human activity: robin, blue jay, house sparrow, starling, pigeon, mallard, Canada goose, white-throated sparrow, blue jay, gulls, flicker.
First of season
First Saw-whet of the season!!
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