Cast members of the new Ghostbusters film aren’t the only ones getting slimed – trees sometimes get slathered in slime flux as well. Many kinds of trees are subject to sludge assaults, with elms, apples, oaks, maples, and walnuts being among the more vulnerable species. Tree-goo, unlike the Psychomagnotheric Slime in Ghostbusters, is basically harmless. In fact, it can be beneficial. [Read more…] about Tree Slime: Harmless & Beneficial
Wildlife
Fall Bird Migration is Underway
The 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
Seasonal Molt in White Tailed Deer
Typically, 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 White Tailed Deer
Adirondack Park Agency Meeting Highlights
The Adirondack Park Agency Board approved two projects and voted that proposed best management practices to control invasive species on New York State Department of Environmental Conservation administered lands inside the Adirondack Park conformed to the State Land Master Plan at its September 15th, 2022 meeting. [Read more…] about Adirondack Park Agency Meeting Highlights
38 Groups Call On DEC To Protect Wolves in New York State
The plot continues to thicken around the killing of an 85-pound wolf near Cooperstown in December of 2021 and the response by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
Under state and federal law, a wolf that wanders into New York State is protected under the Endangered Species Act. The wolf shot near Cooperstown by a coyote hunter clearly enjoyed no such protections. [Read more…] about 38 Groups Call On DEC To Protect Wolves in New York State
Bluetongue Virus Detected in NY Deer For First Time; EHD Virus Spreading
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has reported three deer in Southampton, Suffolk County, tested positive for bluetongue, which is closely related to the Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) virus and is transmitted in the same way.
This is the first time the bluetongue (BT) virus was detected in New York deer. It was detected in several other mid-Atlantic coast states this year. [Read more…] about Bluetongue Virus Detected in NY Deer For First Time; EHD Virus Spreading
Watch for Marine Life in New York’s Waters
New York’s ocean waters are home to various kinds of marine life, including large whales and dolphins.
Whales and dolphins are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and boaters must remain at a distance from marine life for everyone’s safety. [Read more…] about Watch for Marine Life in New York’s Waters
Despite Statewide Decline, DEC Expands Wild Turkey Hunting on Long Island
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced changes to wild turkey hunting regulations that will provide hunters additional hunting opportunities on Long Island.
This despite the fact that turkey populations in New York State peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s and over the past decade, turkey productivity has consistently been below average, leading to lower populations. [Read more…] about Despite Statewide Decline, DEC Expands Wild Turkey Hunting on Long Island
New York’s Fall Salmon Migration
Each fall, tributaries to the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain are home to salmon returning to spawn. This can make for some exciting fish watching as salmon move upstream and jump or otherwise navigate various obstructions on their way to their desired spawning sites. [Read more…] about New York’s Fall Salmon Migration
Reading Bug Tracks on Tea Leaves
From palm-reading to watching Fox News, humans throughout the ages have sought knowledge through some decidedly irrational means. But every now and then, superstition pays off.
For example, studying the pattern of coffee grounds in the bottom of one’s cup, a practice known as tasseomancy, will nearly always reveal that someone forgot to put a filter in the coffeemaker basket. And haruspicy, the study of the fresh entrails of a gutted animal, is consistently right in concluding the animal is dead. [Read more…] about Reading Bug Tracks on Tea Leaves