Mon@rch's Nature Blog

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The Honor of Inspiring Others

Tree Swallow Painting

Watercolor Painting of Tree Swallows © Sherri Friesman

I received an email about three weeks ago requesting permission to paint one of my Tree Swallow photos found through the blog. I was soo honored that she felt inspired that I quickly emailed her back saying, “Yes! Yes! Yes”! That is such a wonderful feeling that one picture can encourage someone into creating a masterpiece like this!! Just yesterday I received another email from Sherri stating that she “was finished with the painting”!! Wow, I am speechless with how wonderful it turned out and couldn’t wait to show this painting to everyone!! Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 3 August 2007 | Categories: Birds, Nature | 21 Comments

Wordless Wednesday Unusual Flowers

Squaw Root – (Parasite on Oak Roots)

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Posted by mon@rch | 31 July 2007 | Categories: Allegany State Park, Flickr, Nature, Wildflowers | Tags: discovery | 18 Comments

jennimi visit

jennimi

Today I was honored to finally meet the “blogging librarian” jennimi while as she has been off “into the woods” here in Allegany State Park this week. jennimi is such a cheerful person and I am not sure if I could ever blog enough wonderful things about her!! We found ourselves chatting about birds, blogging, and other great places for her to visit while she is in Allegany. I just know jennimi took a ton of photos and of course both my cameras were in my back-pack at the office (or I would have had pictures also)!! Do check back with her blog site at www.jennimi.com or on flickr www.flickr.com/photos/jennx/ when she returns home to civilization to report on her many nature adventures!! Maybe we will bump into each other again before she leaves??

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Posted by mon@rch | 31 July 2007 | Categories: Allegany State Park, Flickr, flickr meet-up | Tags: Fun | 10 Comments

Got a couple on mon@rch

American Avocet

On the 8th of July, mon@rch was taking me home from a day of bird banding at the SWAT site. About five minutes after he took me home I got a phone call from my neighbors wanting to know if I would like to come with her to the mouth of the Cattaraugus Creek and Lake Erie to see a “bird”. She did not tell me what the bird was so I knew it would be good. Keep in mind this was about five minutes after mon@rch left. My neighbor picked me up at my house and brought me down to the lake to look at this “bird”. She has still not told me what it was and so we walked down to the beach. There was the “bird” wading on the shore. Read the rest of this page »

Posted by Naturalist J | 30 July 2007 | Categories: Birds, Blip.tv, Kids, Nature, video | Tags: discovery | 25 Comments

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. Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 29 July 2007 | Categories: Allegany State Park, Bird Banding, Birds, Flickr, Mammals, Nature, Ornithology, Science, SWAT Station | Tags: discovery | 21 Comments

FOG AT THE CLDC MAPS

Tufted Titmouse

This morning was one of our foggiest days that we have had at the CLDC MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) Banding Station in a VERY long time. I feared that this thick fog would reduce the number of birds that we would end up capturing. Instead the birdies were soo abundant that we found ourselves spending most of our time trying to catch up with net checks! Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 28 July 2007 | Categories: Bird Banding, Birds, CLDC Station, Flickr, Nature, Ornithology, Science | Tags: discovery | 23 Comments

Seconds feel like minutes!

Broad-winged Hawk

I decided to drive the long way through Allegany State Park to visit some friends camping over in the Quaker Area. Along ASP Rt. 1 I noticed a hawk coming out of the grass with something in its talons and moving directly towards my vehicle! My heart just stopped, I quickly spiked my breaks and hoped not to hear any thump like sound! While trying to look over the hood of my truck for the bird, I found myself thinking “what are my next steps are if I end up hitting the bird”?? Suddenly Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 26 July 2007 | Categories: Allegany State Park, Birds, Flickr, Nature, Snake | Tags: Birdfeeding, discovery | 24 Comments

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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Posted by mon@rch | 25 July 2007 | Categories: Allegany State Park, Bird Banding, Birds, Flickr, Kids, Mammals, Nature, Ornithology, Science, SWAT Station | Tags: discovery, group | 15 Comments

Banding the Baby Bluebirds

Eastern Bluebird Nestling

The Eastern Bluebird nestlings in my back yard are in good health and yesterday we banded the babies with their very own numbered aluminum band!! I typically like to band the baby bluebirds after 10 to 11 days from hatching. If you try banding them any later than this the nestlings will then get jump happy (babies will then scatter every which direction when you open the box). Any earlier than this date and the nestlings are not developed enough to band (you can injure the bird which is the last thing we want to happen). Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 23 July 2007 | Categories: Nature | 17 Comments

Flickr Guest at CLDC MAPS

Sunrise Shot Overlooking the Banding Station

Yesterday was a slower day with the birds but we had some great company. Marg, who is a regular blog commenter and a wonderful flickr photographer visited the CLDC MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) banding station. It was an awesome way to spend some time together to talk about banding, flickr, photography and life in general. Read the rest of this page »

Posted by mon@rch | 22 July 2007 | Categories: Bird Banding, Birds, CLDC Station, Flickr, flickr meet-up, Kids, Nature, Ornithology, Science | Tags: discovery, Fun | 11 Comments