Kid Birders at SWAT
Cedar Waxwing
On Friday the 12th of June 2009 we opened the 2nd session of the SWAT MAPS banding station! We captured 14 different species and banded 17 newly banded birds with 16 recaptures (total of 33 individuals). The weather was very cooperative and we had a great steady number of birds being captured in the nets.
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Just Born
Three baby Bluebirds and three baby blue eggs!
This afternoon while checking the bluebird box in the back yard . . . . we had 3 baby bluebirds just hatch! These babies could have been just a few hours old! I just love this time of the year!
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Life Appreciated
Their Kitten with Binocs
I have been blessed to know an amazing family for over two years and I am always finding myself dieing to find an update on her photostream!! It all started with friends commenting on other friend’s flickr pages when I suddenly found Colleen commenting on my photos . . . we suddenly became flickr contacts and I remember we were always viewing each others nature photography! Then one day you find pictures of her little girl after having two brain surgeries and you are lost with emotion!!
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Baby Birdies
Song Sparrow Baby
Last Saturday during the Roger Tory Peterson Birding Festival we banded a recently fledged Song Sparrow with its father only a few inches from it in the net. This was my first nestling for the year and I know other babies will be found in numbers!
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Roger Tory Peterson’s 100 Year Birthday Party
RTPI Group for the Peterson festival!
This weekend the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) celebrated the 100th anniversary for the birth of Roger Tory Peterson with a big birding festival. RTPI had lined up a world series of speakers and had many participants for his celebration.
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Banding Demo for Kids Last Friday
For the past 6 years I have had the opportunity to participate in Allegany State Park’s Great Outdoors Day with the Recreation Department. This year due to the scheduling conflicts . . . . I was only able to banding during the Friday Class Sessions. But I still had the opportunity to interact with over 200 children from numerous school districts.
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Mourning Cloak
Mourning Cloak
Just found a Mourning Cloak who let me pick it up with my finger! I just love seeing Mother Nature up close!
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First Day at CLDC for 2009
Wilson’s Warbler
Last Sunday after the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage we started banding over at the CLDC MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station. We placed bands on 14 species and we placed new bands on 19 individuals. In addition to the newly banded birds we recaptured 2 Song Sparrows, 4 Common Yellowthroats, 1 House Wren and 1 Indigo Bunting which were previous year banded birds (for a total of 27 individuals).
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Allegany Nature Pilgrimage 2009
Old Growth Walk (Photo by Patty)
Last weekend the 51st annual Allegany Nature Pilgrimage was held in Allegany State Park. This is my 14th year attending the pilgrimage and my 11th year as a trip leader. The Allegany Nature Pilgrimage was started by Gilbert Burgeson (aka Gib) who traveled to Tennesee to visit their daughter. While in Tennessee he attended the Smokey Mountain Wildflower Pilgrimage and said, “Why can’t we have a pilgrimage? Why not at Allegany Park?”! Over the past 51 years the organization still frequently has visitors from all over the United States, Canada and other Countries to attend the Pilgrimage weekend. (more…)
Roger Tory Peterson Birding Festival
Reposted from: The Peterson Journal, June 2009, Volume 6, No. 2
A highlight of our year-long Schedule of events celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Roger Tory Peterson is the inaugurating of an annual birding festival to be held this year on June 4, 5, 6 and 7, 2009. The focus of the festival will be Eastern North American Warblers on the Allegheny Plateau. During the course of the festival we will visit habitats where Peterson birded as a youth that are likely to hold singing males on territory, with a goal of sightings all or most of the 25 species of warblers that are known to breed in this area. (more…)
First Day of SWAT
Common Yellowthroat
On Friday the 29th of May 2009 we opened the SWAT MAPS banding station! We captured 12 different species and banded 22 newly banded birds with 10 recaptures. I wouldn’t have called this a good banding day but turned out better than how we first expected it to turn out like!
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Banding Starts Friday
I Miss Banding Season!
We start banding Friday Morning at the SWAT site! . . . . . CHEERS! The SWAT site is ready and I almost have the CLDC site ready! After Banding Friday morning we will be attending the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage over the weekend and then banding again at CLDC Sunday Morning! Look for the photos and updates once I can get to them!
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Yellow-breasted Chat
Me with the Yellow-breasted Chat
Did I mention that on International Migratory Bird Day . . . . . I got another LIFER!! Yellow-breasted Chat (CHECK)!
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Goslings and Mother Goose
Canada Goose Cuteness
These are pure cuteness . . . . sorry for anyone who feel the need to say awwww!
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First Monarch of the Year
Monarch
Today along Red House Lake I saw my first Monarch Butterfly (CHECK) for the year! The migration has just started moving through the Western New York area!
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Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Random photos that I took of an Eastern Kingbird blowing around in the wind!
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Nature Haiku – Tree
By Young Naturalist C
Tree
Standing tall and strong
It waves to the fluffy clouds
With its green fingers
Least Bittern
Female Least Bittern on her Nest!
Answer to yesterday’s birdQUIZ!
Least Bittern!
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bird nest birdQUIZ
Bird on a nest!
Photographed this bird sitting on its nest yesterday! I am not going to give away any clues but I will post my other pictures including the answer tomorrow evening!
Happy Mothers Day
Gosling Resting
I always remember that the baby Goslings are born around Mothers Day! I figured this would be the most appropriate pictures to use on my Mothers Day post!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY (more…)
Baby Fox Cuteness
Baby Red Fox
Had the opportunity to photograph some baby Red Foxes this evening from my vehicle! It was cloudy from a storm moving into the area and all of the pictures needed some cropping . . . reason the photos were not perfect! But they were a blast to watch!
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Mon@rch's Nature Blog 
