Great Kiskadee
By: Pat Coate
A couple weeks back, I had the good fortune to get together with my roommate and five other friends from college, whom I hadn’t seen in many years. We had a grand time cruising from Baltimore to Bermuda. While in Bermuda I spent a morning birding and biking. I had read that Bermuda had many of the same birds that we have in WNY and it was very true, but I did manage a couple exceptions.
Algonquin Moose
By: Pat Coate
Even more than birds, I really enjoy seeing moose (and catching them with my camera is an added bonus). As such, I spend some time each year ‘stalking’ them in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. Most years I am able to at least see them along Highway 60, which cuts across the southern portion of the park, and other years I have been lucky enough to see them while canoeing or hiking. Here are some photos of this year’s moose, seen along Highway 60.
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Logan, Maddie and Lilly with Tom (check out the Mon@rch tattoos)
By: Pat Coate
My sister and her young family recently visited and we had a wonderful morning learning more about birds and getting to see them up close at Tom’s banding site in Napoli. Tom is very knowledgeable, gracious, and a born educator.
What fun we all had – as expressed so well by Maddie: “Bird banding was awesome! You should have seen the birds that were there!” Here are some pictures from our birding experience.
Common Ringlet
You always need to stay close to nature . . . . have you ever given a try to holding a butterfly on your finger?
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Baltimore Oriole & Fans
By: Pat Coate
My husband and sons grew up fans of the Baltimore Orioles. Over the years we’ve enjoyed games at both Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards. So it was a special pleasure to spend some time observing the team’s namesake at a nesting site near Jamestown, NY (Audubon location).
Spotted Salamander
Exciting News: The Nature Conservancy has recently published an article on Critical Linkages: Resolving the Conflict Between Roads and Wildlife. With permission TNC used video footage of the Spotted Salamanders that I have filmed here in Allegany State Park. They also used the above photo in the cover of the Massachusetts Nature Conservancy Newsletter.
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Tess and her first live bird!
Just over 100 days old and Tess is already enjoying bird banding! I can’t wait for her to get older and start to explore what nature has to offer her.
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Red-eyed Vireo
By: Pat Coate
I had a lot of fun spending Monday morning with Tom at his SWAT bird banding station.
To me, birding is a bit like a treasure hunt. Sometimes a frustrating treasure hunt, but a treasure hunt nonetheless. There are birds everywhere you just have to look and listen for them. There are maps, field guides, iPhone apps, etc. to help you along the way. There is always more to learn in birding – the male and female usually look different, each gender can look different at different times of the year, and the young often look different still. There are the birds’ calls to learn – and each bird has more than one. If that’s not enough challenge, the little buggers don’t stay still very long making it hard to get a good long look at them.
That is why I really enjoy visiting Tom at his bird banding station. It is really nice to get an up-close, prolonged look at the many different birds that he is able to capture, band and release.
Swamp Sparrow
By: Pat Coate
The pictures in this post were taken during the Roger Tory Peterson Institute’s Birding Festival held in Jamestown, NY from June 10-13. It was a really fun event with some great fields trips and leaders. The Swamp Sparrow pictures were taken at the Jamestown Audubon Society site south of Jamestown. I love to catch the little guys throwing their heads back and singing their hearts out.
I am at it again . . . . the park is a little short handed with naturalist leading nature hikes this summer. I have been barrowed from my department to be helping do educational programs on Wednesdays. If you’re in the Allegany . . . look for me on Wednesdays!!
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Welcome to the mon@rch nature blog and I hope you join us in some of our nature adventures through the Allegany State Park area!
I am a naturalist, field biologist and nature photographer from the Western New York area. I have started exploring nature writing through this blog and it truly has been fun sharing my numerous adventures with everyone. Thanks to the many other authors that help me with my post and they will be sharing some of their nature explorations.
I have always had a latent interest in birds and photography and have been lucky enough to find time to explore these interests over the last few years. I am very thankful to the Cattaraugus County Bird Club for getting me started, sharing their wealth of knowledge and for their wonderful programs. And many thanks to Tom for letting me share some of my adventures and photos on the Monarch Nature Blog.
Thank you for taking the time visiting and commenting on this blog.
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