Nature Haiku – Bees
By Young Naturalist C
Bees
Black and yellow stripes
Buzzing around the flowers
Spreading the pollen
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May First
Gray Catbird
May first brought in a flurry of new birds species in the Allegany State Park area. The morning started off with a Blue-winged Warbler (CHECK) and Wood Thrush (CHECK) who were down in the wetland on the maintenance road. I finally saw my first Gray Catbird (CHECK) as it passed in front of the vehicle along Red House Lake! I spent most of my morning along the Bova XC/Mountain Biking trails, where I picked up a Hooded Warbler (CHECK) and American Redstart (CHECK). The Cliff Swallow (CHECK) was observed flying around the Administration Building exploring the locations that they have nested previous years! It is absolutely amazing how quickly birds arrive once you get the most perfect southern winds!
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B – Birds
Baltimore Oriole
Loved finding some first of the year B-birds over the past few days! About 10 minutes after posting my previous post on Sunday . . . . I had my first of the year Blackburnian Warbler (CHECK) who was singing up in the Hemlocks! They seem a little early but after looking at last years first of the year, it was ironically also on April 26th!!
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New Neo-tropical Migrants
Northern Parula
Neo-tropical migrants were moving through the area last night in record numbers! This morning I saw on the list serv many more warbler “first of the year” sightings for April than I can ever remember reading! I figured this was an opportunity to report some of my recent first of the years to all my blogging friends!!
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Ripley Hawk Watch Visit
Birdwatchers at Ripley Hawk Watch
I joined the Cattaraugus County Bird Club today for the field trip to Ripley Hawk Watch in Ripley, NY! You know that it was the wrong day to visit when you show up and they say “Should have been here yesterday, we had over 7,000 birds pass over”! Yep, not the best day but did get a few species fly overhead! Most everything were bird specks . . . . . you know just dots in the sky!
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Nature Haiku – Dandelions
By Young Naturalist C
Dandelions
Bright dandelions
With time, turn to silken fluff
Little children’s friend
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April BOS Count 2009
Woodducks
Sunday was the annual April BOS Count and I truly enjoyed the most beautiful spring day looking for all these birdies! I ended up with 54 species and 441 different individuals observed within the Allegany State Park’s area of Section 24. What was even more exciting was the nine first of the year birds that I located.
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Mid April Arrivals
Green Heron
My morning started with me flushing a Green Heron (CHECK) off from a beaver pond in France Brook as it flew up into a dead snag! I had thought for a second it could have been a Bittern but was only a Green Heron!
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Ring-billed Gull Courtship
Ring-billed Gulls
Birdies are in love this time of the year and showing many different courtships and displays! . . . . at times I think its contagious!
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American Woodcock Display [Video]
The Cattaraugus County Bird Club
Today the Cattaraugus County Bird Club had a field trip to watch the display of the American Woodcock in Allegany State Park. We started a little after dinner searching for spring migrants but the main purpose of the trip was to find the American Woodcock.
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At Lake Erie (Wordless Wednesday)
Double Crested Cormorants
Took these photos with Young Naturalist J yesterday at Lake Erie State Park.
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Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern
I took advantage of this sunny day to do some bird watching with Young Naturalist J since he is off from school this week. I told him that my target species was the Caspian Tern and after being on the road for about 15 minutes . . . . we found this group of Caspian Tern (CHECK)! This was a year bird for both of us and YN-J had also capture a few other first of the year birds throughout the day! He’s growing up everyone . . . I think soon that I will have to start calling him “Teen Naturalist J”! I had a wonderful day with him leading me around to all the birding hotspots in his neck of the woods! Cheers . . . we found the Caspian Terns!
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Nature Haiku [Nine Loons]
Common Loons on Red House Lake
By Young Naturalist C, Young Naturalist E and Adele
Nine Loons
Nine Loons on the Lake
Fishing for their favorite food
Ooo da loo da loo
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HAPPY EASTER
Easter Bunny
Happy Easter my blogging friends . . . . I sure hope the Easter Bunny has a chance to visits everyone!!
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Pre-Easter Birding
Common Snipe on a telephone pole
This morning I went out to do some birding and enjoyed finding the birdies most everywhere!
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Random Chincoteague Photos
Red-breasted Merganser
I promise these are my last Chincoteague photos!
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Nature Haikus – Flowers
By Young Naturalist C
Flowers
Blooming everywhere
Beautifully sweet smelling
Where the green grass grows
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Non-birds at Chincoteague
Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is known for its ponies and its migratory birds but having such outstanding habitat on the island, you would expect to find some other hidden treasures!! The first hidden treasure can be easily locate on Chincoteague and called the Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel. This squirrel has been recognized as a subspecies of the fox squirrel and is listed on the endangered species list. I found it interesting that the Delmarva name come from where these squirrels had first originated: Delaware, Maryland and Virginia! I think they are adorable little squirrels to me!
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Greater Snow Goose at Chincoteague
Greater Snow Goose in flight
Chincoteague Refuge was originally established in 1943 to provide habitat for migratory birds (with an emphasis on conserving Greater Snow Goose), today it provides habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, and song birds, as well as other species of wildlife and plants. (Taken from the Chincoteague brochure)
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Mon@rch's Nature Blog 