Humans take pride in their unique, perhaps exalted, place among creatures. We’re the only animal that can point to triumphs like space travel, nerve gas, for-profit prisons, and plastic-filled oceans. Until recent times, we also thought we stood alone in our taste for addling our brains with drugs. Alas, we can no longer claim that distinction: Dolphins, dogs, wallabies, waxwings, and loads of other species like to get loaded. [Read more…] about Wildlife Gone Wild: Animal Intoxication
Wildlife
Lichens & Air Quality
While hiking in the woods, you may have noticed lichen on trees and rocks. Often mistaken as a plant or moss, lichen is a complex symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae.
Lichen receives its nutrients from photosynthesis, relying on the atmosphere to survive. They cannot filter what they absorb because they lack roots and protective surfaces. [Read more…] about Lichens & Air Quality
What’s That Sound? Coyotes At Night
It can be heard at almost anytime, but especially after sunset. On calm evenings from the late summer throughout autumn, the high-pitched yelping cries of eastern coyotes occasionally echo across the landscape under the cover of darkness.
While the coyote is known to make its tormented-sounding bark during any season, at this time of year they tend to be more vocal. [Read more…] about What’s That Sound? Coyotes At Night
Very Active Fall Bird Migration Forecast for Friday
Have you seen any waves of migrating birds lately? The blazing yellow that stretches through the map shown here shows us that heavy nighttime bird migration is expected through the Eastern U.S. after sunset Thursday evening, September 14. [Read more…] about Very Active Fall Bird Migration Forecast for Friday
Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Located in Allegany County, Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area is a designated Bird Conservation Area (BCA) in the aptly named town of Birdsall.
The 708-acre parcel, located about 13 miles northeast of the village of Angelica and six miles southwest of the Village of Canaseraga, includes nearly 530 acres of shrub swamp, emergent marsh, and open water wetlands and approximately 150 acres of brush and grassland. The area is primarily made up of wetland habitat and is home to a variety of waterfowl and song birds. [Read more…] about Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Cliffs Host Varied Flora and Fauna
On 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
Late-Season Yellowjacket Anarchy
I’m not one to shed a tear when authoritarian rulers die, but once they’re gone, picnics become a lot more dangerous. As summer wanes, the original queen in every yellowjacket wasp colony dies – having a few thousand babies in the course of one season is enough to tire any Queen Mum to death. [Read more…] about Late-Season Yellowjacket Anarchy
City-Dwelling Wildlife Demonstrate Urban Trait Syndrome
City life favors species that are adaptable and not too fussy about what they eat, among other characteristics. A worldwide consortium of scientists calls the resulting collection of traits an “Urban Trait Syndrome.” Their study includes data from 379 cities on 6 continents, with the largest data set coming from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird program. The work is published in Nature Communications. [Read more…] about City-Dwelling Wildlife Demonstrate Urban Trait Syndrome
The Life of a Snapping Turtle
Until 65 million years ago, huge reptiles dominated our planet – and every summer I think they might be making a comeback. The sight of a snapping turtle hauling herself onto a sunny log or lifting her incredible bulk on mud-colored legs always fills me with prehistoric daydreams.
Turtles have roamed the Earth for about 200 million years, meaning they were around during the time of the dinosaurs. [Read more…] about The Life of a Snapping Turtle
Recent Wildlife Rescues & Encounters: Rattler, Owl, Eagle, Turtle & Rabid Fox
In 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