Happy Holidays!
Dear Santa,
Last year I was a little greedy with a request for a Nikon D200 and a trip to Costa Rica!! Although I should have known it was a little too much to ask . . . . I am very thankful for the 6 lifers you were able to stumble upon for me! I tried to be extra good this year and would love to get the DVD – Planet Earth or any other nature videos. This will keep me entertained since television has been so boring lately due to the writers strike. Locating a few White-winged or Red Crossbills would be the icing on the cake for the season!! Please??? I know they are in the area and wouldn’t take much for you to convince them to spend a few days at my feeders??
If possible, could you be extra generous to all my flickr friends and blogging buddies? They are very kind hearted people and making them happy would be the best Christmas Present ever!! I am very lucky to say that I am always learning from them and they are always finding a way to make me smile! Hmm, what about those Young Naturalist??? Could you be sure to place a few more nature books under their Christmas Tree?? LOL, feel free to tell them I said so!! Have a safe trip across the world and see you again next year ~ !
Sincerely,
TOM (aka mon@rch)
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Cookie Factory
I spent yesterday afternoon with many of the Young Naturalist and their parents for a Christmas Holiday . . . . Cookie making party. Don’t ask what recipes they used because I just got in the way taking their pictures but they were the ones who really did all the work (although I helped eat a few of the cookies). I strongly suspect that a great deal of fun and laughter were the main ingredients with each and every cookie that was made.
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Two Years of fLiCkR
fLiCkR blocks
Two years ago today . . . . I joined flickr and uploaded my first picture to their website. I never realized how sharing pictures would change my life and cost me as much money as it has (buying photography equipment). I have made SO MANY wonderful friends over these past two years and I have learned SO MUCH from everyone!! Ultimately, flickr had introduced me to other types of media (like becoming a blogger) and I am now able to share my words with my photography. (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…)
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.
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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!
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birdQUIZ Blog is Back
The most recent birdQUIZ
Some of you might have noticed that Young Naturalist J (aka Birdbander11) has started postings over on birdQUIZ. I figured since he likes doing his bird quizzes on flickr . . . . he should also start posting them on this blog!! I have given him the permission to upload to the blog and he has been doing a wonderful job with the two post that he has done already (see the links below)!! So, let me introduce Birdbander11 (although he will always be Young Naturalist J to me)!! (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…)
Cat Television
Phoebe watching Cat TV
Being off from work this week has allowed me to spend some valuable time watching Cat TV with my kitties. They needed some bonding time and “they” say I have been ignoring them past few months. I figured I could take this opportunity to watch for winter finches that everyone “else” has been seeing (and not been to my feeders yet). (more…)
Don’t Forget to Turns Your Clocks Back!
Photo by Young Naturalist J.
We had another busy night at the Northern Saw-whet Owl banding station here in Allegany State Park. We had a fellow birdbander and 3 others from the Allegheny National Forest visit us this evening. They were able to see 2 of our Saw-whet Owls being banded and then be released (before heading home). We also had Sarah from Jamestown Audubon visit for most of the evening (and she was able to see 4 of the birds)! I tried to convince her to stay later but she needed to head home. I know that she made the right decision since we did not catch anything again until the wee hours of the night. It has been wonderful with so many visitors visiting the banding station this week. (more…)
Owls and other kinds of Owls!
Barred Owl
Another busy Owl night this evening!! Obviously looking at the photos . . . . I captured my first Barred Owl for the season!! Yes, I did get taloned on the finger by this bird but nothing too bad! 😦 (more…)
Less Daylight Hours and Spotted Salamanders
Spotted Salamander heading towards the woods.
I did a post almost 7 months ago on the migration of the Spotted Salamander. Each spring these large salamanders come out of the ground and migrate to special mud puddles called vernal pools. It is in these vernal pools where they breed and the females will lay their eggs. It is such an amazing spring time event and who would expect that I would find two of these salamanders crossing the roads during mid October (going the opposite direction?)? (more…)
15 minute drive and . . . .
Ruffed Grouse (from 7 January 2007 )
I made a quick trip over to Quaker to do a few “work” related things and you would never guess how many critters that I encountered!! I first came across something that looked like a duck in the middle of the road. Quickly remembering that grebe rescue from last winter . . . . I soon realized that it was just a bold Ruffed Grouse. It had put its crest up, turned its head looking at me from one side to another! By the time I pulled my point-and-shoot camera out, got the camera started, zoomed in and began framing . . . . the grouse flew away! I continued down the road sad that I didn’t get the picture but still happy to have seen it . . . . (more…)
Breaking 50
Moon photo from 1999
The bright moon makes it hard to catch owls because they are able to see the mist-nets. Lucky we did have a few clouds when we first opened this evening but ended up where I could check nets without needing my headlamp. Yeck! To my surprise . . . . I still happen to capture 4 Northern Saw-whet Owls tonight and my 4th bird was my 50th capture for the season!! YEAH!! Did I mention the perfect northern winds that we had?? I was pleased to have a few leaves left on the trees that created some shadows but I would have been bombarded with birds if this had been a new moon! grrr. . . . I decided to closed everything up at 11pm because the moon was directly over my nets and plan to try to catch up with some sleep!! I also figured 50 owls for the season was a great way to end my night! (more…)
Fall is in the air
Colors just before Sunset
I think this weekend is when the leaves will be at full peak here in Allegany State Park. Hope to get a few more shots to share with everyone!
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Few Songbirds Still Around
Blue-headed Vireo
I have been seeing many songbirds flying around the area this past week! Some are those to be expected like the White-throated Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows. I have heard a few Swamp Sparrows and Song Sparrows singing in a few locations near Beaver Ponds. The Dark-eyed Junco’s seem to be scattered just about everywhere. (more…)
More Visitors
This evening some staff and volunteers from Jamestown Audubon joined me to band some Northern Saw-whet Owls. First few net checks we had come up empty and just before they were about to leave we heard what I believed to be a Saw-whets vocalizing around the net! Of course I kept them past their bed time and they waited to see if we would end up catching an owl with our next check. (more…)
Resting and Enjoying Everything Around Me
Monarch butterflies are still flying.
Instead of heading home early from work today to take a nap (like I wanted to do) . . . . I just kept busy spending the day with Adele looking butterflies and dragonflies that are still flying around. We only located 3 Monarch butterflies, 2 Darner species and a dozen or so Familiar Bluets over in Quaker Lake. I have closed the Owl Nets this evening due to a storm pushing through the area just after dusk (which gives me a rest day). . . . so here are a few random pictures I have taken that I wanted to share. (more…)
NYS Ornithological Association Annual Meeting
Peregrine Falcon at Iroquois
This weekend I attended the New York State Ornithological Association Annual Meeting in Batavia, New York. This meeting was hosted by the Buffalo Ornithological Society and I would like to say “thanks” for doing such an astonishing job organizing everything. You guessed it . . . . I had a LIFER this weekend!! (more…)
Opening Night
White-throated Sparrow
Busy weekend but I was still able to get my Northern Saw-whet Owl nets up for the 2007 season. If you didn’t know . . . . for the months of October and November (with cooperative weather) I am out banding Northern Saw-whet Owls here in Allegany State Park. (more…)
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 