New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

squirrels

Stay Alert for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

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How infected backyard poultry could spread bird flu to people (courtesy CDC)Since it was first introduced into New York State in January 2022, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been documented in captive birds in multiple counties and detected in free-ranging wild birds and mammals throughout the state.

Wild bird mortalities from HPAI increase in late fall and peak over the winter months, then typically decrease in the late spring and summer months. At this point, it is widespread in wild birds and even suspected to be present in counties where it has not yet been detected. [Read more…] about Stay Alert for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Creating Caches: Winter Preparation

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red breasted nuthatchOn a recent walk in the Maine woods, I heard a red-breasted nuthatch calling softly to itself. It was six feet above me in a large white pine, climbing down the tree headfirst. Looking through my binoculars, I saw that the nuthatch was carrying a red spruce seed, which it slotted under a piece of knobby bark before flying off into a tangle of branches and cones on a nearby spruce.

The bird soon reappeared on the pine, 15 feet higher this time, and stashed another seed under the bark on a large horizontal branch. It was still late summer then, but the nuthatch was already planning for winter. [Read more…] about Creating Caches: Winter Preparation

Wild Nuts: An Important Food Source

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oak leaves and acorns (courtesy State Parks)Fall is an especially good time to find all kinds of nuts on the forest floor, in a picnic area in the park, or maybe even in your neighborhood or back yard. Let’s take a look and learn how to identify some of these wild nuts.

In technical botanical terms, all of these “nuts” are called the “fruit.” The fruit is defined as the seed and the package which holds the seed. So, for example, the acorn is the fruit of an oak tree, and inside is the nut which is a type of seed. If you use plant keys you will see those terms, but for general use, it is OK to call them all nuts. [Read more…] about Wild Nuts: An Important Food Source

Ed Kanze’s Nature of the Place Reflects on Adirondack Flora and Fauna

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Nature of the PlaceThe Nature of the Place: On the Flora and Fauna of the Adirondacks (North Country Books, 2025) is Adirondack nature writer Edward Kanze’s invitation to slow down, smell the roses, and get to know fellow creatures with more longstanding claims to this landscape than we have.

Theirs is the real internet Kanze argues, a web of life that weaves together an almost infinite number of threads into a fabric that’s a wonder to behold and something close to a miracle in a largely hostile universe. [Read more…] about Ed Kanze’s Nature of the Place Reflects on Adirondack Flora and Fauna

Tree Cavities: Prime Real Estate for Wildlife

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porcupine in a tree cavity photo by Mary HollandTree cavities are a precious commodity for wildlife. It has been estimated that about one-fourth of northeastern forest wildlife species need trees with cavities.

Some cavities are excavated by birds while others are created by decay and broken branches. Trees with cavities are used by wildlife for nesting and raising young, protection from predators, a place to store food, hibernation, and roosting. [Read more…] about Tree Cavities: Prime Real Estate for Wildlife

Surprising Sugarmakers in the Late Winter Woods

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SapsuckerAs steam rises from sugarhouse cupolas and early morning coffee pots, sugarmakers are working overtime to turn maple sap into golden syrup.

But as it turns out, they aren’t alone: other living things are sugaring too, and their stories affect the syrup that is poured on your pancakes (or into your morning coffee). [Read more…] about Surprising Sugarmakers in the Late Winter Woods

Squirrel Dreys: More than a Nest

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Squirrel DreysIn the starkness of winter, squirrel dreys reveal themselves in the tree canopy. They’ve been there all along — just screened by trees’ leafy crowns for much of the year.

Dreys are shaggy masses of leaves nestled against a tree trunk or cupped in a fork of branches 20 to 40 feet above the ground. Squirrels not only rear their kits in them but also use them as shelter during many months of the year. [Read more…] about Squirrel Dreys: More than a Nest

A Young Red Squirrel Grows Up

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red squirrelYears ago, a hitchhiker found a baby red squirrel beneath a tree and brought it to the nature center where I worked as a naturalist and wildlife rehabilitator. The squirrel kit had not yet opened its eyes, so we estimated it was only three weeks old. Most squirrels are born in the spring, but this one arrived at the center in November and was likely born in mid-October. [Read more…] about A Young Red Squirrel Grows Up

Rogue Wildlife Rehabber on Long Island Facing Charges

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Area where ECOs discovered five deceased raccoons and possum in Nassau County in March 2024In early March, NYS Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) Zach Kochanowski and DEC Wildlife Biologist Chip Hamilton received a report about a wildlife rehabilitator unlawfully accepting raccoons at her home in Merrick in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County, on Long Island. [Read more…] about Rogue Wildlife Rehabber on Long Island Facing Charges

The Humble Acorns: A Feast for Wildlife

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Oak Acorn GerminationIn a big mast year for oak trees, it seems like there’s a constant barrage of acorns thwacking roofs, parked cars, and – sometimes – unsuspecting humans.

These falling nuts can seem a nuisance. But when I look closely at a little acorn with its tidy hat and imagine its future, I’m reminded of what a miraculous object it is. [Read more…] about The Humble Acorns: A Feast for Wildlife

Squirrel Painter Caught Red Handed in Putnam County

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Equipment probationer used to paint squirrels in Putnam County in Dec 2023On January 13, 2024 NYS Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) assisted in charging a Putnam County man for a series of squirrel painting incidents in the town of Patterson. [Read more…] about Squirrel Painter Caught Red Handed in Putnam County

Pine Cones: The Complicated Lives of Conifer Seeds

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White Pine coneMy yard is full of eastern white pine trees, and every three years or so, it is full of pine cones. This is one of those years. Pine cones have fallen all over the yard, the sidewalk, the driveway.

The neighborhood wildlife seem pleased by this bounty. A resident gray squirrel has made a fallen log in my yard its snack site. Pine cone fragments are neatly arranged in a circle around the squirrel’s perch. [Read more…] about Pine Cones: The Complicated Lives of Conifer Seeds

When North Meets South: Flying Squirrel Hybrids

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Flying SquirrelIt’s evening, and you’re in the forest. You close your eyes and inhale the sharp, sweet, turpentine scent of pine. The air is still, yet the branches overhead seem to nod at your presence. You shine a flashlight and catch a glimpse: a fleeting, tiny ball of fur, arms and legs outstretched, tail like a rudder, gliding through the night. It lands on a tree trunk, pauses, then launches itself again. A flying squirrel, in its glory. [Read more…] about When North Meets South: Flying Squirrel Hybrids

Flying Squirrels: Nocturnal Tree Dwellers

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flying squirrel courtesy DECIn the days prior to and immediately following a full moon, there is often enough light in the hours after sunset for a person to meander along a well established woodland trail without the aid of a flashlight. By walking slowly and quietly, one can occasionally detect a small gray squirrel rustling about the dead leaves on the forest floor, climbing up a large trunk, or moving along the limb of a tree. While most squirrels strongly prefer to be active during the light of day, the flying squirrel favors the darkness of night and is one of the most common nocturnal tree dwelling mammals in New York State. [Read more…] about Flying Squirrels: Nocturnal Tree Dwellers

State Legislature Passes Bill Banning Wildlife Killing Contests

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New York State CapitolOn June 21, 2023, the New York State Assembly passed legislation carried by Deborah Glick, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Conservation to ban wildlife killing contests in New York State. This bill was passed by the State Senate in early June, carried by Senator Timothy Kennedy. If the legislation is signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul as expected, New York State will become the ninth state to ban wildlife killing contests. [Read more…] about State Legislature Passes Bill Banning Wildlife Killing Contests

There’s More To Animal Fur Than Meets The Eye

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red fox in its winter coat courtesy Wikimedia user Lvaughn7 A flash of orange streaks across the meadow – a red fox, like a starburst in the snow. Its fur shimmers in the early morning light, and I, bundled in my winter layers and still shivering cold, envy the fox’s luxurious coat. [Read more…] about There’s More To Animal Fur Than Meets The Eye

Squirrel Talk: Gray Squirrel Communication

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eastern gray squirrel courtesy Wikimedia user MarshBunnyEven if you’ve never ventured further into the forest than an urban park or a college campus, you’re probably familiar with Sciurus carolinensis, the eastern gray squirrel. While it’s easy to identify gray squirrels by sight, however, recognizing the various sounds they make is more complicated.

Their vocalizations – squeaks, moans, buzzes, barks, and clucks – can sound like noises made by cats, chickens, jays, catbirds, even ducks. [Read more…] about Squirrel Talk: Gray Squirrel Communication

Old Trees Play A Unique And Essential Role

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American elm tree courtesy Wikimedia user MsactTypically, “tree aging” is done by counting annual growth rings, either on a stump or on a sample core taken by a special tool. But the phrase can also refer to veteranization, a process whereby trees are prematurely aged through targeted injury and stress in order to create specialized habitats. It’s much like the ageing of parents, a treatment administered by one’s children to produce worry lines, grey hairs, and character. [Read more…] about Old Trees Play A Unique And Essential Role

The Gray Squirrel in the Adirondacks

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Grey Squirrel courtesy Wikimedia user BirdPhotos.comThe gray squirrel is a common member of New York State’s wildlife community.

This bushy-tailed rodent ranks among the most frequently seen creatures, especially if a few individuals in the neighborhood are maintaining bird feeders. Yet, as common as this skilled aerialist may appear, the gray squirrel is not as widely distributed throughout the Adirondack Park as it might seem. [Read more…] about The Gray Squirrel in the Adirondacks

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