On December 14th, the Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation received a report of an iced-in loon on First Lake in Herkimer County. On December 15th, ACLC staff and volunteers responded to attempt to save the bird. The rescue team included Cody Sears, Jay Locke, Gary Lee, Don Andrews, and Kurt Gardner. [Read more…] about Iced-In Loon Rescued From Adirondack Lake
birds
Feed Wild Birds Safely and Responsibly
For many birdwatchers in New York, November 30th is an important date: the day that backyard bird feeders can go back up. To avoid conflicts with bears, DEC highly recommends only feeding birds from November 30th to April 1st. [Read more…] about Feed Wild Birds Safely and Responsibly
It’s Time For Bird Nest Box Maintenance
Birdhouses are a simple addition to your yard that can provide nesting places for many kinds of birds and weeks of wildlife-watching opportunities.
Cavity-nesters, like tree swallows, house wrens, blackcapped chickadees, Eastern bluebirds, wood ducks, and American kestrels, all use nest boxes.
The type of birds you might attract depends on the size of the box and the nearby habitat; some birds prefer open fields while others prefer forests or wetlands. [Read more…] about It’s Time For Bird Nest Box Maintenance
Eiders Hit Hard By Avian Influenza; Little Response From DEC
Due to an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the St Lawrence waterway in Canada, an estimated 5-15% of nesting eider females died this year, negatively impacting the eider population, likely for several years. [Read more…] about Eiders Hit Hard By Avian Influenza; Little Response From DEC
Canada Goose Migration: Where Are They Going?
The musical honking of Canada geese and their V-shaped flocks streaming overhead are classic signs of autumn. I hear the clamor of geese as they fly low over my house, preparing to land in the hayfield in our valley.
Sometimes I spot the large, black-necked birds before they take off to continue their journey. Where are they coming from, I wonder, and where are they going? [Read more…] about Canada Goose Migration: Where Are They Going?
The Trouble with Rodenticides
Last autumn, around the same time I was laying the winter quilt on our bed, my cat became very interested in the space beneath the kitchen sink. Unsurprisingly, a mouse was huddled down there, seeking shelter in the warmth. Though I was sympathetic, and all wildlife is welcome in our yard, I’d prefer they remain outside the house. What to do? [Read more…] about The Trouble with Rodenticides
Beyond Meat: A Short History of Vegetable Animals
Recent improvements in the texture and flavor of plant-based meat analogs have meat-lovers as well as vegetarians flocking to buy them. While it’s normal to think the quest for mouth-watering faux meat is a recent trend, it dates back almost a thousand years.
According to first-hand written accounts, European religious and political leaders in the Middle Ages and early Renaissance period spent decades searching for meat substitutes. [Read more…] about Beyond Meat: A Short History of Vegetable Animals
Migrating Birds, Light Pollution & Toxic Chemical Exposure
The journeys of night-migrating birds are already fraught with danger. Light pollution adds yet another hazard beyond the increased risk of collisions with buildings or communication towers. According to a new study, birds attracted by the glow of artificial light at night are drawn into areas where they are also exposed to higher concentrations of airborne toxic chemicals. The study has just been published in the journal Global Change Biology. [Read more…] about Migrating Birds, Light Pollution & Toxic Chemical Exposure
Dire News From 2022 State of the Birds Report
A newly released State of the Birds Report for the United States reveals a tale of two trends, one hopeful, one dire. Long-term trends of waterfowl show strong increases where investments in wetland conservation have improved conditions for birds and people. But data show birds in the United States are declining overall in every other habitat — forests, grasslands, deserts, and oceans. [Read more…] about Dire News From 2022 State of the Birds Report
Wildlife Mosaics: Paddling Freshwater Marshes
Sunlight glinted off the water as we paddled our canoe along a winding channel which led through a marsh of tall grasses and wild rice. Two white, long-legged birds – great egrets – stalked the shallow water, poised to spear fish with their pointed bills. A bald eagle landed in a tree, squawking as it joined its mate. After four miles of canoeing down the Missisquoi River in northwestern Vermont we had reached the point where the river enters Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about Wildlife Mosaics: Paddling Freshwater Marshes