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birds

Spring Chores: Sanitize Your Bird Feeder

May 13, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

bird feeder courtesy of K. HillDEC recommends cleaning your bird feeders at this time of year.

Two diseases are commonly spread at bird feeders are Salmonellosis, which affects common redpolls, pine siskins, and other songbirds; and, Finch conjunctivitis which primarily infects house finches and American goldfinches. [Read more…] about Spring Chores: Sanitize Your Bird Feeder

Filed Under: Nature, Recreation Tagged With: birding, birds, nature, Spring, Wildlife

Global Bird Populations Steadily Declining

May 7, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Corn Bunting by Alex LeesStaggering declines in bird populations are taking place around the world. So concludes a study from scientists at multiple institutions, recently published in the journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources.

Loss and degradation of natural habitats and direct over-exploitation of many species are cited as the key threats to avian biodiversity. Climate change is identified as an emerging driver of bird population declines. [Read more…] about Global Bird Populations Steadily Declining

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: birding, birds, Climate Change, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, nature, Science, Wildlife

Hudson Valley Segment of Statewide Birding Trail Opens

May 2, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

bird watchers courtesy DECNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the grand opening of the Hudson Valley segment of the New York State Birding Trail to highlight the State’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities.

The Hudson Valley segment includes 39 locations on public lands throughout six counties, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy. [Read more…] about Hudson Valley Segment of Statewide Birding Trail Opens

Filed Under: Hudson Valley - Catskills, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: birding, birds, Columbia County, DEC, Dutchess County, Hudson Highlands State Park, nature, New York State Birding Trail, Orange County, Putnam County, Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Rockland County, Tivoli Bays WMA, Westchester County, Wildlife

Birding Spotlight: Long Island’s Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge

April 30, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge courtesy Anthony GrazianoThe Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge, a 187-acre peninsula on Long Island‘s Noyack and Little Peconic Bays, boasts exceptionally diverse birding habitats. Sandy and rocky beaches fringe the peninsula, while wooded bluffs overlook the bays. The refuge consists of upland forest, fields, ponds, salt marsh, beach, and a lagoon. [Read more…] about Birding Spotlight: Long Island’s Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge

Filed Under: Nature, New York City, Recreation Tagged With: birding, birds, nature, Peconic Bay, waterfowl, Wildlife

Avian Influenza Detected in New York’s Wild Birds; Take Down Feeders

April 21, 2022 by Editorial Staff 2 Comments

Distribution of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5 and H5N1 in North America, 2021 2022The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus has been found in multiple wild bird species in several areas of New York State.

No known HPAI human infections are documented in the U.S., and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these recent cases of HPAI do not present an immediate public health concern for most people. However, people in contact with known infected or possibly infected birds should take precautions to protect against infection and avian researchers are concerned that bird baths and bird feeders can help spread the virus and are asking that they be taken down for a few months.   [Read more…] about Avian Influenza Detected in New York’s Wild Birds; Take Down Feeders

Filed Under: Food, Nature Tagged With: birding, birds, DEC, local farms, nature, Public Health, raptors, Science, waterfowl, Wildlife

Lichens and Birds’ Nests

April 16, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Blue-gray gnatcatcher courtesy Wikimedia user Erikwlyon Birds use a wonderful variety of materials and techniques to create their nests. Some nests are small and tidy, like grass baskets lined with cozy feathers. Others are large and messily blobbed with mud.

Some species build their nests in trees, some on the ground, and others woven into wetland plants or adhered to cliff faces – or your back porch wall.

I’ve spotted and admired many birds’ nests, but never one made by a ruby-throated hummingbird or a blue-gray gnatcatcher. This is likely because both species shingle their nests with lichens, making them exceptionally well camouflaged. [Read more…] about Lichens and Birds’ Nests

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: birding, birds, hummingbirds, lichen, nature, Wildlife

When Ice Goes Out The Loons Arrive

April 7, 2022 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

Loon in AdirondacksIt is always difficult to predict when the ice will go out on a given body of water in the Adirondacks, however, it is easy to say when that waterway will be occupied by a loon, as this symbol of the northern wilderness always seems to arrive within hours of the ice disappearing.

The urge to return to its breeding territory is especially strong in male loons. Because of a recent population increase in this species, there can be intense competition for the remote sections of the large lakes and back country ponds that are highly attractive to this bird with the haunting voice. [Read more…] about When Ice Goes Out The Loons Arrive

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

Banding Study Hopes To Understand Mallard Declines

April 2, 2022 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Eastern Mallard Spring Migration GraphOver the past 20 years, mallard populations in New York and the Northeast have declined significantly, leading to limits on hunting them starting in 2018.

To understand what factors may be contributing to the decline, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Pennsylvania Game Commission, Ducks Unlimited, SUNY Brockport, and the University of Saskatchewan partnered with 22 state, federal, and non-governmental organizations to start one of the largest telemetry projects ever conducted in North America. [Read more…] about Banding Study Hopes To Understand Mallard Declines

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Bird Migration, birding, birds, DEC, nature, waterfowl, Wildlife

Colorful Wood Ducks Returning To The Northeast

April 2, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Wood Duck courtesy Wikimedia user Frank Vassen I’ve seen all kinds of birds on the wooded New Hampshire hilltop where I live, but never – until recently – a duck. So when I spotted a pair of wood ducks loitering in my yard one spring morning, I reached for the binoculars.

A closer look revealed these were indeed Aix sponsa, newly returned from their wintering grounds. Most likely it was the pair I had seen on the pond a mile from my house. But what, I wondered, were these dabbling ducks doing up here? [Read more…] about Colorful Wood Ducks Returning To The Northeast

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: birding, birds, nature, waterfowl, Wildlife

Migratory Birds Face Increasing Light Pollution

April 1, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

continental U.S. at night from satellite photosNighttime light pollution levels are increasing the most in the southeastern United States, Mexico, and Central America according to findings based on year-round data collected over the last two decades in the Western Hemisphere.

This trend is a real concern for birds that fly at night during spring and fall migration and even during non-migratory seasons. Results of the study by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Colorado State University are published in Ecosphere. [Read more…] about Migratory Birds Face Increasing Light Pollution

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: astronomy, Bird Migration, birding, birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Environmental History, Light Pollution, nature, pollution, Science, Wildlife

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