Way back in high school we never had a camera club but we did have a journalism class. I had dated one of the girls who did the photography in the class and yes, my first kiss was in the dark room! I can still feel the goose-bumps just thinking about it. While spending many hours in the dark room (wink), I also learned about the basics of film processing! She told me which chemicals to use, proper framing of the pictures, and many other tricks in developing black and white photography. This experience ended up getting me the job of developing all the photos for a local weekly newspaper for about 2 years. At that time I used a free 35mm point and shoot camera for all my crazy little pictures that I took. Then I finally purchased my Nikon 6006 (SLR) back in 1995 and carried this camera everywhere I went. Birds were my passion and using a 400mm was essential for me in capturing them on film. This was also my earlier years of doing Environmental Education and I switched over to taking slide film instead of 35mm film. Using slide projectors were the way of life for so many years and I never thought that would ever change? Read the rest of this page »
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One Year Ago, I got my …
YEAH, second banding station ready for operation!
I finally have the second MAPS banding station all set up (well still have a few little things to do)! All just in time for some early Allegany Nature Pilgrimage doings. Today some friends from Boston came over to visit me at the banding station to do a little birding. We had many great birds like Willow Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Blue-winged Warbler, etc.. I should have taken a picture of it but his girls made some cool decorated sticks and boy they had some knee slapping jokes! This weekend will be so much fun seeing so many old friends (that I only see during the Pilgrimage) and guess who is the key speaker?? Bill Thompson III !! I sure hope Zick is able to come along!!
You must go over to Mary’s View to learn more about this photo being in her blogitat post.
Keeping Busy
This year I am starting a second MAPS banding station and of course I waited till the last second to set both of the stations. I have had to pull multi flora rose thorns out of my leg, been bitten by bugs, scratched my eye with a stick, blisters are on my hands and I am just tired for working till 9pm each night. This evening I finally have gotten everything ready for one of the stations to be open and hope to finish setting up the second station tomorrow evening sometime (before the weather gets iffy again).
Strange Sunday
It was a very strange day with the numerous thunderstorms that rolled through! I wanted to get out and start setting up my two MAPS banding stations since next week will be the start of my banding. I have a ton of things to do to get them ready but since setting up the nets involve putting 10 foot poles into the ground, the thunderstorms will win me over in changing my plans. I did take the opportunity to organize all of the nets, bands, equipment, bird bags etc… which is what I normally do last (so the day wasn’t a total loss)! At least I am off for the holiday tomorrow to make up for what I didn’t do today.
Of course at the end of the day the power goes out and they are saying on the scanner that it is going to be a while before they get it back on again!! Lucky my new laptop has a 9 cell battery and I put the extra money into getting another back-up battery. So, I have more than enough batteries to be on the net for the rest of the night!
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO EVERYONE THAT HAS PROTECTED OUR COUNTRY!
Wonderful Visit!
Today NatureWoman (Pam) came out to visit me here in Allegany State Park and check out the big basin area (our older growth forest). After spending a few hours with the big trees, we visited many of the other “Allegany” tourist spots. We had a hard time taking pictures due to it raining every time we got out of the vehicles; we still had a blast chit chatting together! Read the rest of this page »
Opening of a State Park
Today the Allegany Region opened our newest State Park called; Midway State Park. It has taken over two years to purchase and take over this amazing new State Park. It had first opened 109 years ago and now falls under the operation of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
Its has been 206 days since. . . .
. . . . I have seen a Monarch Butterfly. While walking around Red House Lake here in Allegany State Park this evening, I observed my very first Monarch for 2007! It is so hard to believe that it was over 6 months ago when these wonderful butterflies were migrating south to winter in California and Mexico. Their offspring continue their cycle and now moving back north again! I would assume the one I saw was a female and probably laying numerous eggs while moving north. Shouldn’t be too long before they become very common and they begin their movements south again.
When you find your first monarch butterfly, make sure you report it on Journey North’s website at: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/
Wordless Wednesday Signs of Summer
Views from around Red House Lake.
Black-throated Blue Warbler Nest Building
While out on our big 110 bird day we came across this female Black-throated Blue Warbler doing some nest building. I knew we would be coming back to this same location; so I set up my digital camera. I took the video in lower quality so that I could get about 22 minutes of the female doing continuous nest building. I edited the clip down to the best minute with her completely focused on making the nest perfect.
Photos from my Big Day Last Thursday!
I finally had the opportunity to edit a few of my birding photos from my 110 species bird-a-thon that I participated in last Thursday. I located 19 first for 2007’s (CHECK) and many of which I thought might have been too late in the spring to find. My total count for 2007 is up to 179 species for the year and it is still possible to get many more species throughout the summer. Mike, you will have a hard time trying to catch up with me!! Although this is the point where I really need to start working hard for any specific species that I need to find. So finding these 19 first for the year had really made me happy! They include the: Read the rest of this page »
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 