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raptors

Muscling Through Migration: A Thanksgiving Story

November 21, 2023 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

TOS_Bird MigrationDuring the autumn months, many birds migrate from their summer breeding grounds in the Northeast to warmer wintering areas south of our region. Migratory birds include many species of raptors and waterfowl, which we often notice because of the birds’ large size and their tendency to travel in groups.

Sometimes, as is the case with geese, these migratory groups are also quite vocal. Variations in their physiology relate directly to how different bird species migrate. [Read more…] about Muscling Through Migration: A Thanksgiving Story

Filed Under: Food, Nature Tagged With: Bird Migration, birds, raptors, Thanksgiving, Turkeys, waterfowl

Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe

October 11, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Alfie and Me What Owls Know What Humans BelieveWhen ecologist Carl Safina and his wife Patricia took in a near-death baby owl, they expected that, like other wild orphans they’d rescued, she’d be a temporary presence. But Alfie’s feathers were not growing correctly, requiring prolonged care.

As Alfie grew and gained strength, she became a part of the family, joining a menagerie of dogs and chickens and making a home for herself in the backyard. Carl and Patricia began to realize that the healing was mutual; Alfie had been braided into their world and was now pulling them into hers. [Read more…] about Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe

Filed Under: Books, Nature Tagged With: birding, birds, covid, owls, raptors, W.W. Norton, Wildlife, Wildlife Rescues

The World of Owls

October 8, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Wonderful World of Owls PosterThere are 234 species of owls all over the world. From tropical forests to deserts, even in the frigid Arctic, owls rule the night with specialized adaptations that make them keen hunters.

Their sight, hearing, and even the way they fly are specially tuned for their nocturnal lifestyle. Large, broad wings let them stay aloft at a slower, and therefore quieter, pace. Specialized feathers take soundproofing a step further. Comb like serrations on the leading edge of wing feathers and fringes on trailing edges reduce air turbulence and the noise they make as they fly. [Read more…] about The World of Owls

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: birding, birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, owls, raptors, Wildlife

Cliffs Host Varied Flora and Fauna

September 10, 2023 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Searchers look for the body of a man from Brooklyn in the karst below a cliff at Mohonk Preserve in February 2023On a recent hike up Eagle Mountain in Milton, Vermont, we climbed to a ledge overlooking Lake Champlain. Turkey vultures soared overhead, tilting back and forth on the breeze. A sheer cliff dropped to the forest below us, a lush variety of plants clinging to its face. Cliffs are defined as areas of exposed bedrock with a slope greater than 60 degrees. We tend to think of cliffs as solely geological features. But they also host distinct natural communities of plants and animals. [Read more…] about Cliffs Host Varied Flora and Fauna

Filed Under: Nature, Recreation Tagged With: bats, birding, birds, caves, climbing, Geology, lichen, mosses, raptors, rock climbing, small mammals, snakes, wildflowers, Wildlife

Recent Wildlife Rescues & Encounters: Rattler, Owl, Eagle, Turtle & Rabid Fox

September 1, 2023 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Timber rattlesnake discovered at auto shop in Steuben County in July 2023In 1880, the first eight Game Protectors began serving to protect the natural resources of New York State. In 2022, Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Investigators across the state responded to more than 25,600 calls. What follows are recently reported incidents involving wildlife rescues: [Read more…] about Recent Wildlife Rescues & Encounters: Rattler, Owl, Eagle, Turtle & Rabid Fox

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Capital-Saratoga, Hudson Valley - Catskills, Nature, Western NY Tagged With: Bald Eagles, birds, Brookhaven, Columbia County, Craryville, DEC, ECOs, Essex County, fox, Long Island, owls, Painted Post, Pittstown, rabies, raptors, Rensselaer County, reptiles, Schaghticoke, small mammals, snakes, Steuben County, Suffolk County, turtles, Westport, Wildlife, Wildlife Rescues

Injured Bald Eagles Found in Upstate New York

August 2, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

ECO Bohling with injured bald eagle found in Schoharie CountyNew York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) responded to two cases involving injured bald eagles in early July.  On July 5, ECO Scalisi responded to the town of Newfield in Tompkins County to assist New York State Police Trooper Hugg with an injured eagle that was unable to fly. [Read more…] about Injured Bald Eagles Found in Upstate New York

Filed Under: History Tagged With: Bald Eagles, birding, birds, Cobleskill, I-88, Lawson Wildlife Hospital, Newfield, raptors, Schoharie County, Tompkins County, Wildlife

Lead Research Hopes to Improve Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle Conservation Efforts

July 29, 2023 by Editorial Staff 3 Comments

Golden Eagle (photo by Wikimedia user Rizkuwait)New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is seeking hunters to participate in a multi-year study of non-lead ammunition impacts on the State’s eagle conservation efforts. DEC is partnering with the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Cornell University, U.S. Geological Survey, and Conservation Science Global on the study to determine the reduction in bald eagle and golden eagle deaths that can be achieved from increased use of non-lead ammunition for deer hunting. [Read more…] about Lead Research Hopes to Improve Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle Conservation Efforts

Filed Under: Nature, Recreation Tagged With: Bald Eagles, birding, birds, DEC, Golden Eagles, hunting, pollution, raptors, Science, Wildlife

Sharing Cliffs with Peregrine Falcons

July 15, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Peregrine Falcons photo provided by DECThe stunning cliffs of the Adirondacks are home to billion-year-old rocks, a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts, and a fragile but growing population of the endangered peregrine falcon. For Adirondack rock climbers, this means sharing cliffs with the birds that build their nests high on a wall. [Read more…] about Sharing Cliffs with Peregrine Falcons

Filed Under: Adirondacks & NNY, Nature, Recreation Tagged With: Adirondacks, birding, birds, climbing, endangered species, Peregrine Falcons, raptors, rock climbing, Wildlife

Young Eagle in Distress Rescued From Chenango River White Pine

July 8, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

ECO Lt Rigoli, Christian Klecha (DOT), Ryan Ashley (DOT), and ECO Wing with rescued young eagle in Broome County in June 2023On June 22, NYS Environmental Conservation Officer Wing responded to a report of an eaglet stuck in a tree just below its nest in the town of Fenton, Broome County. [Read more…] about Young Eagle in Distress Rescued From Chenango River White Pine

Filed Under: Nature, Western NY Tagged With: Bald Eagles, birds, Broome County, Chenango River, DEC, DOT, ECOs, Fenton, raptors, White Pine, Wildlife

Watchable Wildlife: Braddock Bay (Monroe County)

June 17, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

birdwatchers at Braddock BayBraddock Bay Wildlife Management Area is an expanse of grasslands, marshes, and open water, just west of Rochester on the south shore of Lake Ontario. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Braddock Bay (Monroe County)

Filed Under: Nature, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: Bird Migration, birding, birds, Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area, Lake Ontario, raptors, Rochester, waterfowl, wetlands, Wildlife

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