Eagle’s and the Deer Carcasses
Bald Eagle
Sunday morning I received a phone call about some Eagles that were congregating around a decomposed deer here in Allegany State Park. The person who called wasn’t sure but he thought few Golden Eagles were mixed in with the Bald Eagles. That was enough for me to quickly finish uploading my Bonaparte’s Gull post and take off into the freezing rain to check out the situation. I was disappointed in not seeing any Golden’s but I did find a few cooperative Juvenal Bald Eagles to photograph.
(more…)
Bonaparte’s Gull Feeding [video]
A few Bonaparte’s Gulls
I was busy with a few personal things this weekend! But I did take a quick trip over to Dunkirk Harbor in search of some waterfowl! The Bonaparte’s Gull seemed to be the most dominate bird that I was able to locate but did find a few other special birds! (more…)
White-marked Tussock Moth
By Young Naturalist D
My Dad found a caterpillar on a plum tree during the last days of summer (August 27th). It had a red head with black antennas. At first glance they appeared twice as long as they really were because of all the long black hairs on them. The caterpillar also had four white clumps of hair sticking up along the upper part of its back. Starting at the second hairy white clump there was a yellow stripe on either side running down its back. It also had white clumps of hair around every leg. Overall it had a light green body. Dad thought something so strange looking might not be good for his plum tree so he brought it inside and asked us four kids to figure out what it was.
White-marked Tussock Moth photo by Young Naturalist H.
Pishing [video]
Pishing is when birders are “trying” to attract the attention of some little birdie by doing a “phhhhh phhhh – psst psst psst” sound. So many times I have found myself with a few non birding friends . . . then break out a few pish sounds after seeing a chickadee in the brush! My friends just don’t understand and I find myself explaining why I made those strange sounds and that “I am not going crazy”!
Black-capped Chickadee (Sep 2006).
Nature Haikus – Road Kill
Opossum that wasn’t roadkill.
By Young Naturalist C
Road Kill
Blood is everywhere
Unlucky small animal
Torn into pieces (more…)
Bullfrog Studio
Tree Swallows staying warm.
Most everyone will remember the above photo from this springs (Tree Swallow Acting Cute) post that I did. Sherri from London Ontario also saw this post and contacted me about using the picture for a painting she was creating. I was so honored that I inspired someone . . . . I said “YES YES YES, PLEASE!!” A few weeks later I received an email with a photo stating that she had finished the painting. I was soo happy that I told her whenever she had a webpage developed . . . . to PLEASE let me know so that I could help her promote it! This weekend she surprised me with a huge package from Canada that had a beautiful print of that Tree Swallow Painting! (more…)
Butterflies and Kids
Summer Azure
Children are naturally attracted to butterflies and moths, just as they are to birds. However, unless you have a busy bird feeder or larger raptors flying around, it can be difficult for kids to locate birds in the wild. Songbirds do not typically sit still long enough to be seen and can quickly disappear as fast as they arrive. I myself have a hard time seeing many of the birds I hear fluttering around the trees and shrubs.
(more…)
Allegany by Moonlight
The Administration Building.
You keep asking if my Owl season is over! The answer is No but . . . I have run into many reasons for needing to keep the station closed for the past two weeks. Which include fog, rain, high wind, snow, lake effect and tonight temps being around 20 degree F. If I was open this evening . . . . I would be battling the bright moon that is out (see photos). As much as I miss catching and banding these fluff balls . . . . their safety is our first priority. Maybe even with the bright moon tomorrow . . I can open some nets?? Till then I will be trying to get out to take some new pictures!
(more…)
Nature Haikus – Cardinal
By Young Naturalist C
Cardinal
Red as a cherry
Sitting on a low tree branch
Singing a sweet song (more…)
Nature Haikus – Geese
By Young Naturalist C
Geese
In a v-shaped form
honk, honking into the sky
Long into the night
(more…)
Black Squirrel
Black Squirrel at Young Naturalist J‘s House
This Black Squirrel is really a black phase of the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Typically we find these guys in the gray/redish phase but on occasion we find the black phase running around. There has been a black phase pair around the 4 corners of Red House Lake for many years now but I have never been able to get a decent photo of them. 😦 (more…)
Last Child in the Woods [Bookreview]
I am not one to review books but the “Last Child in the Woods – Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” by Richard Louv just seemed too perfect of a book for me not to recommend to the many home schoolers, educators and parents that visit this blog. Louv goes into great depth about how our children are increasingly disconnected from nature and why it is important to have our children around nature. (more…)
Nature Haikus – Snowflakes
By Young Naturalist C
Snowflakes
Swirling, whirling down
In a winter wonderland
In different shapes (more…)
Nature Haikus – Fall
By Young Naturalist C
Fall
A leaf falling down
Inside a mix of colors
Of red, gold and orange (more…)
People Trying to Help The Birds
Bonaparte’s Gull along Lake Erie
This weekend Young Naturalist J and I heard about some dead Common Loons that were found along Lake Erie (and had to check it out). We made a little detour from some roadside birding to check a public beach to see if the rumors were true. We found 4 dead loons in just one small area of the beach and it was soo sad seeing these guys. I found a press release that was released today discussing the die off of these Common Loons in this area and as we expected, they died due to Type E Botulism!
Good First Day Back at Work
I planned on doing an interesting post this evening but was reminded about a meeting that I need to attend on invasive species! So, no big blog posting and no owl banding!! I promise to catch up with everyone blog here soon!! After taking a weeks vacation, it really wasn’t that hard coming back to work today like I thought it would be!! But, I do miss sleeping in till 10am each morning! 😦
Orange Sulphur from October 2002
I did locate an Orange Sulphur fluttering around this sunny warm afternoon (55F). I also had a Mink run across the road and disappeared along the stream somewhere (but couldn’t get a photo of it). We had some Buffleheads and a Scaup species swimming in Quaker Lake today. Red House Lake had a larger group of Buffleheads, Pied-billed Grebes and Horned Grebes!! As you can tell it was a very good day back at work today! (more…)
My backyard or is it their backyard?
Ever wonder about your neighbors that don’t speak any English? I have tried pishing (strange noise birders make to get the birds to come closer) those chickadees and I found that they only pish right back at me! Yesterday Young Naturalist J and I tried to learn about these seed hungry neighbors by doing some backyard banding. We were able to recapture 7 Black-capped Chickadees and 1 Slate-colored Junco.
Black-capped Chickadee. (more…)
Backyard Banding
Eastern Tufted Titmouse
This morning Young Naturalist J and I decided to do a little banding in my back yard. Our goal was to catch those Pine Siskin and Redpolls that had visited my house last Friday. Although the Redpoll never returned, we “just” missed an opportunity to band one of the Pine Siskins! 😦 (more…)
Trying to Break 80
Snow for Mary
Yesterday evening we had 6 more visitors (people) at the Northern Saw-whet Owl banding station here in Allegany State Park. I was lucky to have Young Naturalist J here to help with banding the 5 owls we captured and he will continue to be around for tonight’s banding (if the weather allows). (more…)
Winter Finch Arrive (Finally)
Pine Siskin and Common Redpoll (Feb 2004)
I woke up and found a Common Redpoll feeding with a flock of American Goldfinch this morning! OMG – that was my first for the year Redpoll (CHECK)! I think it has been since the winter of 2003-04 since I have seen one of these guys and there it was sitting on my birdfeeder! (THINK TOM) I quickly scattered to get my camera and of course it flew away just as I was pulling my camera up to take its picture!! So, after getting my hair cut . . . I spent the day trying to capture a picture of that Redpoll! (more…)
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 