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Tom Kalinowski

Tom Kalinowski is an avid outdoor enthusiast who taught field biology and ecology at Saranac Lake High School for 33 years. He has written numerous articles on natural history for Adirondack Life, The Conservationist, and Adirondack Explorer magazines and a weekly nature column for the Lake Placid News. In addition, Tom’s books, An Adirondack Almanac, and his most recent work entitled Adirondack Nature Notes, focuses on various events that occur among the region’s flora and fauna during very specific times of the calendar year. He also spends time photographing wildlife. Tom’s pictures have appeared in various publications across the New York State.

The Pine Siskin in Winter

March 9, 2021 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

Pine Siskin courtesy Wikimedia user CephasDuring winter, the possibility exists that a transient flock of birds may suddenly appear at a feeder and dominate the local seed supply for several weeks before exiting the area. The presence of a mob of gluttonous evening grosbeaks, redpolls or purple finches can quickly decimate a mass of sunflower seeds, leaving little for the regulars like chickadees, nuthatches, and an occasional blue jay or cardinal. [Read more…] about The Pine Siskin in Winter

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature Tagged With: Bird Migration, birding, birds, nature, Wildlife, winter

Pileated Woodpeckers: Denizens Of Our Old Forests

March 1, 2021 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

male Pileated woodpecker foraging on a treeWhile most natural winter sounds tend to carry only short distances, there is one that is loud enough to travel well over a hundred yards.

Even when the limbs and boughs are coated with an audio-absorbing layer of snow, the voice of the pileated woodpecker periodically breaks the silence and resounds through our mature woodlands. [Read more…] about Pileated Woodpeckers: Denizens Of Our Old Forests

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature Tagged With: birding, birds, nature, Wildlife, winter, woodpeckers

Diapause: How Insects Survive A Winter Thaw

February 27, 2021 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

frozen lakeMost of the invertebrates that populate this climatic zone are well suited to deal with sudden thaws in winter by experiencing a type of dormancy known as diapause.

In summer, when temperatures are ideal and there is an abundance of food, the countless species of bugs continually eat and then reproduce. But as environmental conditions begin to change, most species prepare for that time when food eventually vanishes and when temperatures cause the transition of water into ice. [Read more…] about Diapause: How Insects Survive A Winter Thaw

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: insects, nature, weather, Wildlife, winter

Nocturnal Nature: Skunks On A Night Hike

February 25, 2021 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

Hiking Thomas Mountain in Bolton Landing at nightWith plenty of snow on the ground and a full moon on Saturday, this weekend promises to be one of those occasions when enough natural light will exist to venture outside and explore the nocturnal side of nature.

Taking a night time stroll can be quite exciting, especially during the latter part of February, as this is the time of year when the yelps and howls of the coyote, that signals the onset of its mating season, can often be heard. Likewise, both the red and gray fox will soon be entering their breeding periods, and their vocalizations may also break the stillness of the night.

[Read more…] about Nocturnal Nature: Skunks On A Night Hike

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: hiking, nature, small mammals, Wildlife, winter

Deep Snow And White-Tail Deer Mortality

February 7, 2021 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

White-tail deer in winter Courtesy SUNY-ESFWith its long legs, the white-tail deer has the ability to travel through a snow bound forest when there is up to 12 to 16 inches on the ground. As the snow pack becomes denser, crusted, or deeper, the mobility of this hoofed creature becomes greatly restricted. [Read more…] about Deep Snow And White-Tail Deer Mortality

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: nature, weather, whitetail deer, Wildlife, winter

Daddy Longlegs During Winter

November 25, 2020 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

Daddy Longlegs by Marcel ZurreckDespite frosts, there continue to be many types of bugs that remain active into late autumn around New York State.

Among these hardy invertebrates, and the ones that are quite conspicuous to anyone that spends time working in the yard, garden or on the wood pile, are the harvestmen, known to most as the daddy-longlegs. [Read more…] about Daddy Longlegs During Winter

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: insects, nature, spiders, Wildlife

That Late Season Moth: Fall Cankerworm

October 25, 2020 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

Alsophila-pometaria-US-Forest-ServiceFrom the onset of November, periods of mild weather become fewer and further between; however, there are always occasions when hats and coats can be left in the closet, and the fire in the woodstove can be allowed to die out for a day or two.

It’s during such balmy spells when several species of hardy moths take to the air and can be seen after dusk fluttering around a porch light or a window next to a lamp. These small, drab gray insects are all closely related, belonging to the Geometridae family of animals, and are best typified by the fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria). [Read more…] about That Late Season Moth: Fall Cankerworm

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: fall, insects, nature, Wildlife

Red-Spotted Newts In Autumn

September 28, 2020 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

Juvenile Eastern NewtEarly autumn is the time fog frequently shrouds valleys in the morning, and a heavy dew regularly coats unprotected surfaces for several hours after sunrise. As the atmosphere begins to cool with the change in seasons, moist conditions often develop at night and can continue well after dawn.

This is ideal for our various terrestrial amphibians, which require damp surroundings for their survival. Among the members of these moisture sensitive vertebrates is the red-spotted newt, a unique form of salamander that goes on the move as the foliage changes color. [Read more…] about Red-Spotted Newts In Autumn

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: amphibians, nature, Wildlife

Beavers Are Building Their Lodges

September 22, 2020 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

beaver lodgeAll mammals that employ the use of a shelter in winter instinctively attempt to find a place completely hidden from the view of humans for their home, except for one.

When the time comes in late summer or early autumn for establishing a protective enclosure for the coming season of cold, ice and snow, only the beaver places its residence in a spot that can be readily noticed by a person passing through the area. [Read more…] about Beavers Are Building Their Lodges

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: beavers, nature, small mammals, wetlands, Wildlife

Black-Capped Chickadees: Our Year Round Residents

September 20, 2020 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

black capped chickadeeAs many birds prepare to abandon their summer ranges at this time of year, others are altering their routine to allow them to better survive winter. The regular appearance of numerous, year-round avian residents around homes and camps suggests that the behaviors of these hardy species do not change from one season to another. [Read more…] about Black-Capped Chickadees: Our Year Round Residents

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Western NY Tagged With: Bird Migration, birding, birds, nature, Wildlife

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