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Spring

Watchable Wildlife: Harbor Seals

December 10, 2022 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

harbor seal courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceNew York’s most abundant seal is the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), which can be found in the state’s marine waters from late fall to late spring. Harbor seals can range in color from brown, tan, or gray to silvery-white. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Harbor Seals

Filed Under: Nature, New York City Tagged With: Fire Island National Seashore, Great South Bay, Long Island, Long Island Sound, Montauk Point State Park, Nassau County, nature, New York City, New York Harbor, Seals, Spring, Suffolk County, Wildlife, winter

Seasonal Molt in Whitetail Deer

September 24, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Seasonal Molt in White Tailed DeerTypically, this time of year New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation hears from people who are concerned because they are seeing deer with rough coat conditions like in the pictures shown. [Read more…] about Seasonal Molt in Whitetail Deer

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: nature, Spring, Summer, whitetail deer, Wildlife

Duck Nesting Season Is In Full Swing

June 11, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

duck eggs courtesy DECThroughout northeastern North America, ducks are setting up nests and hatching out ducklings. New York State’s

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is in the first year of a four-year effort to better understand mallard movements and how they affect their breeding success. [Read more…] about Duck Nesting Season Is In Full Swing

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: birding, birds, DEC, nature, Science, Spring, waterfowl, wetlands, wildife

It’s Fawning Season

June 11, 2022 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

fawn courtesy A. JacobsonMost whitetail fawns in New York are born in late May or early June, and the first few months are a critical period for survival. Fawn survival is heavily influenced by habitat quality, and those fawns that have good hiding cover and quality forage have the odds in their favor. [Read more…] about It’s Fawning Season

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: nature, Spring, whitetail deer, Wildlife

Ephemeral Wildflowers: Brief Beauties of the Forest Floor

May 15, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

mixed patch of spring ephemeralsHave you spotted some of spring’s first wildflowers in the forest? This is the time when the famously fleeting flowers called spring ephemerals bloom – but only for a brief period of time. [Read more…] about Ephemeral Wildflowers: Brief Beauties of the Forest Floor

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: nature, pollinators, Spring, wildflowers, Wildlife

Be Alert for Turtles Crossing the Road

May 14, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

painted turtle by Liz RicciNative turtles are on the move in May and June seeking sandy areas or loose soil to lay their eggs. In New York, thousands of turtles are killed each year when they are struck by vehicles as they migrate to their nesting areas.      [Read more…] about Be Alert for Turtles Crossing the Road

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: nature, Spring, turtles, Wildlife

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

Sounds of Spring: The Wood Frog

April 15, 2022 by Tom Kalinowski Leave a Comment

wood frog courtesy Wikimedia user GodGnipaelThe awakening of the many forms of life that passed the winter in a deeply dormant state begins with the melting of the snow, the retreating of the ice sheet covering our waterways, and the thawing of the soil.

Because of fundamental physiological differences among the species and the various preferences that each creature has for a wintering site, some animals are quicker to respond to the onset of favorable spring conditions than others.

In the forested regions of New York, the wood frog is among the first to return to an active state and announce with a distinct chorus of voices that spring has come. [Read more…] about Sounds of Spring: The Wood Frog

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: amphibians, frogs, nature, Spring, 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

Plan for a Better Spring: Some Tree Ideas

February 5, 2022 by Paul Hetzler Leave a Comment

Blue Spruce tree courtesy USDALooking for a way to enhance property value, save energy costs, boost mental health, and help the planet in one simple, low-cost step? Yeah, me too. Let me know if you think of something.

Seriously, though, a few well-placed trees in one’s yard typically add at least 5% to a property’s value. Having large older specimens (of trees, I mean) around the house can push that figure close to 20%. In terms of energy savings, deciduous trees on the southern and western sides of a house tend to slash cooling costs by roughly one-quarter. [Read more…] about Plan for a Better Spring: Some Tree Ideas

Filed Under: Nature Tagged With: nature, Spring, trees, Wildlife

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