Everything but Saw-whets Last Night
What an evening!
The goal of my Northern Saw-whet Owl project is catching Saw-whets! But, in order to make that happen . . . . you sometimes have a few obstacles to work around. The video above was the Barred Owl who spent a great deal of the evening vocalizing around the nets. Hello Mr. Barred Owl . . . You are not helping me!! Go fly somewhere else!! (more…)
Whale Watching at Cape Cod
Humpback Whale feeding on small fish and plankton.
By Young Naturalist C – This summer I went on vacation to Cape Cod with my family and we decided to go on a Whale Watch on the Portuguese Princess. We started by waiting 20 minutes for the boat to take off towards the ocean. After a 1/2 hour boat ride we finally started seeing the whales and the on board educator was pointing out the whales using the clock system (“Whales at 9 o’clock”). We approached slowly as a few whales were feeding on small fish and plankton.
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North Country Trip 2007
Along the North Country Trail
As you know from the previous post that Young Naturalist J, his father (Jeff) and I went backpacking along the North Country Trail here in Allegany State Park yesterday. We started down on the Bay State Road and hiked up to the Lean-To along this section of the trail. The uphill hike wasn’t very fun with temperatures nearing 90F degrees, very muggy and I was bitten up by mosquitoes along the trail. I took everyone along a re-route section of the trail that is being proposed and it only made it harder since it was 0.7 miles off trailing hiking. The original alternative probably would have been a smarter route for us to do. (more…)
SWAT Shut Down!
Long-tailed Weasel (with eye flash)
I made it official today . . . . the SWAT banding site is closed for the season. After an unwanted visitor showed some continued interest in my birds . . . . I made the decision to shut everything down for the safety of the birds. After discussing this situation with the Institute of Bird Populations, they agreed that my decision to shut down for the season is the best thing to do. (more…)
GOOD AND BAD at SWAT!
Did you ever have one of these days when many good things happen but then you have some bad things happen! Today is just one of those days at the SWAT MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station.
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THIS WEEKS LESSON
I had Young Naturalist J with me and I know that he LOVES going spotlighting for wildlife. I asked him if he would like to see how “I” like to go spotlighting?? We saw this little critter out along the tree line and so I pulled my truck over on the side of the road! We jumped out of my truck with camera and spotlight in hand. . . . . this is what we found . . . .
Unwanted Visitor at the SWAT site!
A very light colored juvenile Downy Woodpecker
We had a wonderful day banding birds over at the SWAT MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station today. We had a family visit who has been camping here in the park for a very long time, two couples from buffalo make it down, Young Naturalist C (who was the Banding Assistant for the day) and her sister Young Naturalist E visit the banding station. But, you ask, “who was the unwanted visitor??”!! I will get to it . . . . I promise!! (more…)
Caught with the Marshmallow
Just a cute video that I captured over the weekend!
Allegany Post by Others
Having some problems with the post I had planned! SORRY! So, here are a few other blog post that I have found that are related to the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage that everyone should check out :
Biological Ramblings – You must see the amazing herps that he found here in Allegany!
A Passion for Nature – Jen had such a wonderful time that I rarely saw her!
Dragonfly Eye – Jeremy is amazing with the Dragonflies! Just check out the Dflies he found! Hint (Common Sanddragon)
Life in the Bristolwood was a blog that I found via a google search!
Jeff – How cool, found also in the google search and Jeff attended my Old Growth Walk! Would have commented but not a my space member.
Bill of the Birds – who was our Saturday evening speaker! Heck, he’s BT3 what else can I say!
While you are catching up on the recent Allegany Nature Pilgrimage post, I will figure out what went wrong with the post I had planned!! BTW: Wednesday morning I am doing my rescheduled SWAT – MAPS banding that was canceled due to he rain on Monday. Expect many more great up close banding photos!
Cute Video While I am out of town!
Out of town, will be back Monday night!
Wordless Wednesday
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Butter Butt
Rose-breasted Grosbeak *
Red Squirrel and Painted Turtle*
* First for 2007 (CHECK)
Ecological Niches
Many of our diurnal and nocturnal animals will both have similar ecological niches. Think of a niche as a job someone (human) might have in the grocery store. Many employees that work in this grocery store have a specific duty and specialties in getting their job done. One employee might be the butcher and makes sure the meat isn’t spoiled or is always sliced the same way. Another employee will have the duty of keeping the fruit fresh and knows everything that needs to be known about the fruit they are selling. Some grocery stores have seafood departments, bakeries and even a pharmacy. By everyone working together will provide a location for us making choices in what we eat. Animals also have jobs and their “ecological niche” which keeps them from competing for food but still allows many species to live together in the same habitat. For example, nuthatches walk upside down on the tree to pull out insects that they can see under the bark (which other birds easily overlook). Walking upside down is their ecological niche! (more…)
Day Two – Exploring the Cod
I started my morning by heading to the farthest point of Cape Cod in a town called Provincetown. There had been talk of Northern Gannets near Race Point and I was dieing to find this bird since it would have been a life for me. I was very pleased to locate some fellow bird banders already there but we all found ourselves scratching our heads. In theory; everything would have been perfect for locating the Gannets except for the fact that the fog had rolled in. We hiked out to the waters edge (was low tide) but still had a hard time identifying the Red-breasted Mergansers that were only a few hundred feet away. Looking hard, we found something very unusual floating in the water. I pulled out the spotting scope and realized that it had whiskers. (more…)
Day One – The Trip
After being out on the road for 10 long hours, you start to find yourself doing some 65m/hr nature watching. My adventure started at 5:30 this morning with a few mammals like the Deer, Raccoons and an Opossum. Further down the highway it started looking a bit like large snow flakes in the air! Nope, to warm for snow but there were many little moths that were attracted to my headlights. Finally the sun came up and I started seeing many of those common roadside birds like the Canada Goose, Red-tailed Hawk, American Crow and even a few American Kestrels. I did happen to see many Turkey Vultures flying around which is a species that I have been looking for my first for 2007 list! Finally – CHECK. (more…)
Such a Warm Stinking Flower
As promised, I have finally gotten around to writing something about Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). My interest in this flower started late last week when two of my friends were posting pictures of their first of the year wildlfower; Jennifer photo 1, photo 2, and photo 3 & Salamanderdance photo 1 and photo 2. But, after thinking about it, this isn’t my first wildflower for 2007. In January before the 2007 “Ice Age”, I saw dandelions growing out on the lawn. So, this really is my 2nd flower species for 2007 but, does very much feel like my 1st flower also this year.
You might ask why this is a remarkable wildflower? (more…)
Change of Plans!
I first intended this post to include a wonderful in-depth discussion on Eastern Skunk Cabbage!! But, things just continue to occur which has kept me from writing it (high school friend called, cat puked, ect…)! So, I have decided that instead of writing a half ass post that I am going to hold off till tomorrow. I hope this White-tailed Deer video clip that I captured on Sunday will make up for my laziness.
Although, I am pleased to report more signs of spring are still becoming apparent! Today I saw my first Red-shouldered Hawk this season displaying high up in the sky. CHECK – Great part is that I didn’t see one, but three different males displaying in three different locations here in Allegany State Park! Even though they wouldn’t allow me to photograph them, they are still my favorite of all hawks!
Could spring be near?
Rumor has it that spring temperatures will be around for this next week and there have been many signs that just maybe spring is finally starting to get close. Yesterday I heard one of those familiar signs during my walk around Red House Lake!! (more…)
Finding things on the snow!
While coming home from work yesterday, I accidentally flushed a Red-tailed Hawk doing something behind the house. You know that look on a child’s face that something just happened and there is no way that they are going to tell you? Well, this was the same feeling I had with this Red-tailed Hawk who took off carrying something in its talons. I would have loved to follow it for a good photo opportunity but I needed to get the cats fed and get ready for the Kenn Kaufman talk. I did hiked through the deep snow for CSI – TOM to investigate those fallen remnants from under its perch (before I rudely interrupted is dinner). (more…)
Kenn Kaufman at RTPI
Kenn Kaufman spent the evening talking to many guest and members of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) in Jamestown, New York. Kenn is the fourth author who has been invited to speak at the Distinguished Speaker Series at RTPI (funded through the Johnson Foundation). Kenn is best known as the author of the book Kingbird Highway and his Kaufman Focus Field Guides. Tonight was the official release date for his newest Focus Guide on the Insects of North America and it looks like a very useful guide for any nature enthusiast (I know its going in my library).
Bear Safty Education
Recently the park obtained a large, male, black bear from the Department of Environmental Conservation. The bear was killed out of season by a deer hunter who clamed that it attacked him. It was donated to the park for educational purposes. A taxidermist mounted the head and front paws, and prepared the skull. These are materials the park naturalists will use for the Bear Safety program. Bear Safety was added to the list of program offerings in an effort to educate campers to the dangers of feeding and getting close to bears. Bears in the park are used to people, and they seem tame. Even so, they are still potentially dangerous wild animals.
The right side of the skull of a big male black bear. The canine teeth (fangs) are normal. (more…)
Searching for Food!
I woke up this morning to find that the White-tailed Deer have been playing in the snow again!
I call these snow deer angels
Red-tailed Hawk Feeding on its Prey
I get calls all the time about a hawk that just visited someone’s feeder and they would like to know what kind of hawk is it?? Majority of the time the visitor is an Accipiter species like the Sharp-shinned Hawk or even the Cooper’s Hawk. The Accipiters have longer-tails and shorter-wings which allow them to chase the little birdies through the trees and shrubs. On occasions I have heard about Red-tailed Hawk stalking a feeder. Unlike the Accipiters who hunt by surprise, the Red-tailed Hawks will wait for their prey to come out in the open. The Buteos (which is the genus of the Red-tailed Hawk) have a shorter-tail and longer-wings which will allow them to soaring high up in the sky. They are also known to sit tight on a branch looking for any kind of movement and quickly swoop down on their prey when they are not looking.
Today one of my co-workers yelled down the hall that a Red-tailed Hawk just caught something at the feeder! Quickly I grabbed my camera and ran down the hall to see what happened. I captured a few shots (was a good distance away, sorry about the quality of the photos) and I was amazed how quickly it devoured this small critter. I feel confident that this hawk captured a small mammal due to not finding any feathers (most birds pluck the feathers away) and then closely examination the prey in the photographs. These small mammals could include meadow voles, mice, or even squirrels that might be hiding around the feeder. I have heard stories about how they witnessed a Red-tailed Hawk chasing a squirrel around a tree and then came within inches of actually catching it.
Obviously when a Red-tailed Hawk captures that squirrel the hawk needs to kill its prey as quickly as possible. If they fail to do so, the squirrel could bite the hawks toes and try to force it to let it go. This picture above shows a dead Red-tailed Hawk that was recently brought into the office. After closely inspecting it, we realized that it had numerous bite marks on its feet. Although this bird probably passed away from a vehicle strike, there was always a chance that it could have gotten an infection in its toes and then increased it chances of dieing from starvation (for not being able to use its feet properly).
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 