Franklin the Box Turtle
It has been a year and Franklin the Box Turtle is still wondering around his territory here in Allegany State Park. Not giving out too many details but for the past few months he’s been feeding on strawberries, blueberries and honeysuckle berries out in a field. Last week with the high heat he was right next to a seep that still had cold water flowing out of it. I was a little conserned with the 90+ degree weather and the no rain for the past month. His weight had gone down 18 grams but after spending some valuable time at the spring . . . . His weight went back up 12 more grams and now wondering through the woods (right around where he was last year).
Post has been created with my iPhone!
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More MAPS Bird Banding
Noah getting ready to release an American Goldfinch (photo by Noah’s dad)
By: Pat Coate
There was a nice group of folks keeping Tom company at his bird banding site this past weekend. Some of the visitors included Grant and his dad and grandfather who traveled all the way from Ohio to check things out after hearing Tom speak at the Chautauqua Institute. And Noah and Sammy came with their parents to see the birds and to help release them. Despite the heat, it was a very ‘birdy’ morning with lots of activity in the nets as well as the area around the site.
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It’s Not a Bird…..
Up, up and away
By: Pat Coate
Hope Tom doesn’t mind a different kind of flying object this week. My daughter and I took in the Wellsville Balloon Festival on Sunday morning (6am launch!) and what a spectacle it was. Thirty-one gaily colored balloons took flight over a 45 minute time span enlivening the Allegheny foothills with their brilliant colors.
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Bird Banding at Allegany State Park
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (juvenile)
By: Pat Coate
Enjoyed spending a recent Saturday morning at Tom’s bird banding station in Allegany State Park. It is always fun to be able to see the birds so closely – and to really examine the features that often only seem to exist in field guides!
This second year yellow-bellied sapsucker was a bit unusual because it has not started showing any red on its head (or throat if it is male).
Tom’s bird banding is part of the Institute of Bird Population’s MAPS program. MAPS stands for Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship. Analysis of the data Tom and other bird-banders collect “provides critical information relating to the ecology, conservation, and management of North American landbird populations, and the factors responsible for changes in their populations.” (Source: http://www.birdpop.org/maps.htm).
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House Finch Fledglings
House Finch (male) with fledgling
By: Pat Coate
Like the crows, the neighborhood house finches successfully raised two babies. Over the past couple of weeks they have been regulars at our backyard feeder. The parents will come to the sunflower seed tube feeder, load up and fly up to the eager young ones waiting in the maple tree branches above. Their arrival sets off an enthusiastic begging and ‘me first’ frenzy as the young ones jostle for position and first dibs.
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 