New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

birding

The Gray Catbird: A Loud and Curious Bird

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Gray Catbird courtesy Wikimedia user Hari Krishnan Several years ago, I was awakened nearly every day of late spring by a recurring – and very loud – bird sound. I say “sound,” rather than “song” because this particular noise was not so melodious as the cheery whistling of the robin or the musical trilling of the hermit thrush. It was more of a short squawk, repeated over and over again.

This, I discovered, was the call of a gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). Over the years, catbirds have returned each spring to our yard, and I have come to enjoy their sounds – and the antics of these curious and loud birds. [Read more…] about The Gray Catbird: A Loud and Curious Bird

Birding Spotlight: Bicknell’s Thrush

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Bicknell’s thrush by Kent McFarlandOn the cold, coniferous mountaintops of the Catskills and Adirondacks lives a native bird that is a High Priority Species of Greatest Conservation Need: the Bicknell’s Thrush.

Nesting in the low branches of stunted conifers, Bicknell’s Thrush exclusively relies on high altitude spruce-fir forests in the northeast to nest and raise chicks. Bicknell’s Thrush is considered one of the most at-risk songbirds in eastern North America and highly vulnerable to habitat loss. [Read more…] about Birding Spotlight: Bicknell’s Thrush

Beyond Books: Libraries Lend Binoculars to Give New Birders a Start

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backpacks stocked with binoculars and field guidesStarting this summer, the Keene Valley Public Library and Saranac Lake Free Library, both located in the Adirondacks, are loaning backpacks stocked with binoculars and field guides to give people an opportunity to try out birding.

The backpacks are part of the Adirondack Land Trust’s “Adirondack Birding for All” program, which is working with the libraries to increase awareness and appreciation of Adirondack birds and their habitats. [Read more…] about Beyond Books: Libraries Lend Binoculars to Give New Birders a Start

Featured State Lands: Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area

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field at Honeoye Inlet WMA by Michael PalermoHoneoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in Ontario and Livingston Counties at the south end of Honeoye Lake and is named after the lake and stream that flows through the property.

A great variety of wildlife finds high-quality habitat on this WMA, making it a worthwhile stop for birding and other wildlife observation. Wood duck, great blue heron, swamp sparrow, and least flycatcher are abundant in the silver maple-ash swamp. Each spring, thousands of salamanders migrate from the surrounding upland forest into the swamp to breed. [Read more…] about Featured State Lands: Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area

Featured Historic Site & Wild Area: Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill

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Sagamore HillThe Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, was the home of the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, from 1885 until his death in 1919. It’s located in Cove Neck, in Nassau County, NY near Oyster Bay on the North Shore of Long Island, about 25 miles east of Manhattan. [Read more…] about Featured Historic Site & Wild Area: Roosevelt’s Sagamore Hill

2022 ‘I BIRD NY’ Challenges Announced

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DEC LogoNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the start of the 2022 “I BIRD NY” challenges for beginning and experienced birders.

Two levels of challenges provide the opportunity to identify birds and learn about birdlife and offer a chance to win birding equipment. With the launch of many New York State Birding Trail segments this year, DEC will be increasing the chances of winning if participants find birds on a New York State Birding trail site. [Read more…] about 2022 ‘I BIRD NY’ Challenges Announced

Duck Nesting Season Is In Full Swing

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duck eggs courtesy DECThroughout northeastern North America, ducks are setting up nests and hatching out ducklings. New York State’s

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is in the first year of a four-year effort to better understand mallard movements and how they affect their breeding success. [Read more…] about Duck Nesting Season Is In Full Swing

Capital Region Segment of the NYS Birding Trail Opens

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Capital Region Segment of the NYS Birding TrailThe Capital Region segment of the NYS Birding Trail is now open and is the sixth region to be completed. The region includes 29 sites on a mix of public and private lands throughout five counties. [Read more…] about Capital Region Segment of the NYS Birding Trail Opens

A Bird’s-Eye-View of Air Pollution

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Eastern Meadowlark provided by DECControlling air pollution is not just for the benefit of humans. Exposure to pollution can harm birds and other animals, just like it does people, while also harming the environment around them. Ground-level ozone pollution, for example, can contribute to habitat damage and food source loss for birds. In fact, habitat loss and degradation, on the whole, have resulted in an 80-99% decline in the abundance of grassland bird populations since 1966. [Read more…] about A Bird’s-Eye-View of Air Pollution