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birds

Fall Bird Migration is Underway

September 24, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

red-tailed hawk courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe fall bird migration is an exciting time for birding. With migrants on the move your favorite birding site can change within a few days, with different species traveling in and out. Every spring and fall, thousands of raptors migrate, and birders may see or hear eagles, kestrels, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Ospreys, Broad-winged Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons among others.

The NYS Birding Trail highlights several hawk watches including Bear Mountain Hawk Watch at Bear Mountain State Park, Hook Mountain Hawk Watch, and Mount Peter Hawkwatch Trailway, all within the Hudson Valley segment. [Read more…] about Fall Bird Migration is Underway

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: Bird Migration, birding, birds, fall, nature, owls, Peregrine Falcons, raptors, Wildlife

Brown Thrashers Skulk Through Thickets

September 10, 2022 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

brown thrasher courtesy Wikimedia user Rhododendrites The brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) lives out its days in relative seclusion. Like the gray catbird, which has a similar fondness for thickets and shrubby areas, brown thrashers haunt areas of dense cover, although discerning eyes may be able to spot these birds within that habitat.

Even when they’re out of sight, brown thrashers may be heard singing loudly in late spring and early summer, often incorporating bits of other birds’ songs into their own. [Read more…] about Brown Thrashers Skulk Through Thickets

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

Last Three Segments of NYS Birding Trail Complete

September 10, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Downy Brook Nature Preserve courtesy DECNew York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the grand opening of the final three regions of the New York State Birding Trail, highlighting the state’s world-class and wide-ranging birding opportunities.

The Adirondacks-North Country, Catskills, and Southern Tier segments bring the total number of birding trail locations across the state to more than 300, providing a variety of quality birding experiences for New Yorkers and visitors to enjoy. [Read more…] about Last Three Segments of NYS Birding Trail Complete

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Mohawk Valley, Nature, New York City, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: birding, birds, DEC, New York State Birding Trail, OPRHP

Man Faces Charges For Killing Protected Osprey

September 1, 2022 by Editorial Staff 4 Comments

deceased osprey courtesy DECAccording to a press release issued by DEC, on August 3rd, Environmental Conservation Officer CO Small responded to a call from Suffolk County Police about a resident in Port Jefferson who had heard gunshots just prior to seeing a large bird fall out of a tree. [Read more…] about Man Faces Charges For Killing Protected Osprey

Filed Under: Nature, New York City Tagged With: birds, Crime and Justice, DEC, ECOs, Long Island, nature, Port Jefferson, raptors, Suffolk County, Wildlife

Loon Calls & Other Vocalizations

August 13, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

On the New Hampshire lake where I spend much of the summer, loon calls are so common that I sometimes take them for granted.

The sounds of the common loon (Gavia immer) are iconic of wilderness and have been described as haunting, plaintive, maniacal, other-worldly, even wolf-like. [Read more…] about Loon Calls & Other Vocalizations

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

Study Explores Forces Limiting Ranges of Mountain Birds

August 6, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Ornate Hawk-Eagle by Sergio Andrés Cuéllar Ramirez A new study helps reveal why tropical mountain birds occupy such narrow elevation ranges, a mystery that has puzzled scientists for centuries. While many assumed temperature was responsible for these limited distributions, the latest research suggests competition from other species plays a bigger role in shaping bird ranges. [Read more…] about Study Explores Forces Limiting Ranges of Mountain Birds

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

Wild Blueberries: A Primer

August 6, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

lowbush blueberry courtesy Wikimedia user Fungus GUy Among summer’s many sweet offerings are wild berries. And among these, blueberries are my favorite. Years ago, I took to carrying large, empty yogurt containers in my car – and smaller vessels in my backpack – so I would have something to fill should I pass a good berry patch. My children became used to my meandering travels along back roads and woods trails as I foraged opportunistically. [Read more…] about Wild Blueberries: A Primer

Filed Under: Food, Nature Tagged With: birds, Fruit, gardening, Native Plants, nature, small mammals, wild food, Wildlife

The Gray Catbird: A Loud and Curious Bird

July 29, 2022 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

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

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

Birding Spotlight: Bicknell’s Thrush

July 23, 2022 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

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

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Nature Tagged With: alpine ecology, birding, birds, boreal ecology, DEC, endangered species, nature, Wildlife

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

July 17, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: birding, birds, Keene Valley, Keene Valley Library, nature, Saranac Lake, Wildlife

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