As summer ticks towards autumn, the flow of birds heading south for the winter grows in volume until it becomes a rushing torrent of migrants in September and into October. Millions of birds – hundreds of millions, in fact – will pass through the Northeast’s airspace during this time, as species that bred up north head to warmer locations. But this southbound river of migrating birds all began with a few drops as far back as early July, when a handful of shorebirds from northern arctic and subarctic regions started heading south. [Read more…] about Encountering Solitary Sandpipers On Their Way South
boreal ecology
Rare and Fragile Floating Bogs and Fens
New York State is home to several rare and fragile floating bogs and fens. These unique ecosystems feature mats of sphagnum moss and vegetation that actually float over water.
Bogs and fens are both peatlands (wetlands that build up deposits of dead plant matter called peat). The primary difference is their water source: bogs are largely by nutrient-poor rainwater, making them highly acidic. Fens are fed by mineral-rich groundwater, making them alkaline or neutral. [Read more…] about Rare and Fragile Floating Bogs and Fens
Great Gray Owls: Phantoms of the North
The great gray owl (Strix nebulosa) is a northern raptor that only occasionally graces our northeastern states. Also called the phantom of the north, these owls have large facial discs with alternating areas of light and dark gray, creating a concentric ring pattern around their yellow eyes.
Beneath their face is a white “bowtie.” Despite this dapper feature, the owl’s luminous eyes, impressive size, and large talons give it a fierce appearance. [Read more…] about Great Gray Owls: Phantoms of the North
List of Species of Greatest Conservation Need Being Revised
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking public input on the draft list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need and associated species status assessments for use in updating New York’s State Wildlife Action Plan for 2025-35. [Read more…] about List of Species of Greatest Conservation Need Being Revised
Study: Mountain Birds Facing Steep Decline
Fourteen years of monitoring by many hundreds of community scientists has revealed that mountain birds face challenging times and significant declines in the Northeast.
Research sheds light on the underlying driving forces behind these declines, with climate change likely a root cause. [Read more…] about Study: Mountain Birds Facing Steep Decline
A Tale of Two Grosbeaks: Colorful Winter Finches
Last February, several evening grosbeaks, which we rarely see here, visited our bird feeder. About the size of robins, the males were yellow with black and white wings, a black tail, and a bright yellow band above the eyes.
The females were silver-gray with tinges of yellow and similar coloration to the males on the wings and tail. Both sexes sport a massive, conical bill – the origin of the name grosbeak – used for extracting and cracking seeds. [Read more…] about A Tale of Two Grosbeaks: Colorful Winter Finches
Reindeer Lichen: Fungus and Algae Living Together
One of the primary winter foods for reindeer is reindeer lichen, also known as reindeer moss. These are puffy, many-branched, pale green or grayish-white lichens up to 4½ inches tall, spongy to the touch when damp.
Multiple species of reindeer lichen cover extensive areas of ground in the Arctic tundra and Canadian boreal forest and also grow on mountain summits and at other sites throughout the Northeast. [Read more…] about Reindeer Lichen: Fungus and Algae Living Together
Birding Spotlight: Bicknell’s Thrush
On 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