I love this time of year. After the exuberance of summer and the vibrant colors of fall, I’m thankful for the days growing shorter. The nights longer. Temperatures falling. Silhouettes of bare branches against a leaden sky promising snow. All of nature winding down. Encouraging quiet. Reflection. Introspection. [more]
Birds and Invasives Presentation at RTPI
Friday February 26 at 6pm Andrea Locke from WNY PRISM will be presenting Birds and Invasives. The relationship between birds and invasive species can be complex. Many invasive species may on the surface seem like a boon for our native birds, but as we look deeper into their impacts on our ecosystems, we see that all isn’t as it once seemed. Some birds are even invasive species themselves. Management can also be difficult due to the complex relationship with invasive species and public opinion. Join Andrea Locke, WNY PRISM Coordinator as she...
read moreInvasive Species Management Webinar
Today, Wednesday February 24 at 6pm we will be showing the Invasive Species Management: Picking battles large enough to matter and small enough to win webinar by Norris Muth of Juniata College. Norris will be calling in for the discussion portion of the webinar to answer questions from the audience. Webinar description: It is a safe bet that every parcel of privately owned forest land in Pennsylvania has multiple invasive species. With these invasive species posing more problems than can possibly all be solved at once, how can landowners...
read moreFrom Field to Frame Concludes
This is the final week to see From Field to Frame by Michael DiGiorgio at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History in Jamestown, New York as the exhibition ends on Thursday, February 25. We are back to our regular hours and hope that you stop in at RTPI today, tomorrow or Thursday. This will also be the last time to purchase limited edition prints by Michael DiGiorgio in our nature store. Many original works by Roger Tory Peterson are also hanging on our walls right now for you to enjoy. See more information on this tremendous...
read moreBrown Creeper
Brown Creepers must be the winner in the category of “most calm, friendly and tame birds that are yet the most difficult to get a good photo of” because they stay glued to the tree bark and rarely stop moving, spiraling up and down the trunk. They examine every crevice they can for any small insects or spiders, locking those big feet on the bark and staying steady with their long tail, using that large curved bill to snag their snack. I have plenty of semi-blurry photos of the species and even more that are too dark or obstructed....
read moreNational Invasive Species Awareness Week at RTPI!
National Invasive Species Awareness Week – February 21-27, 2016 RTPI, in partnership with WNY PRISM, will be offering multiple events to the public during week. If you wish to register for one or both of the workshops please fill out this form. Please register by mail or email no later than Sunday February 21st. We will be providing lunch and need to know if you’re coming! Registration forms and checks payable to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute can be sent to 311 Curtis Street, Jamestown NY 14701. Forms may also be emailed to Elyse...
read moreHWA Survey – RTPI JCC Woodlot
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Surveys This winter season we will have a series of field surveys in which the public is invited to join and work alongside RTPI, CWC and JCC researchers, conservationists and professors. As we all know, Western New York winter weather can be rather snowy and cold. Individuals interested in participating in surveys should be prepared for the weather with warm clothing and boots. Snow pants and snow shoes or cross country skis are highly recommended when snow pack is deep. Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Survey: Friday, February...
read morePink Glow
Last night the sky turned this amazing purple and pink color while the unseen sun set. I was not expecting anything remotely interesting about the clouds in the evening considering we were blanketed with low-level cover from the departing storm. A few minutes after sunset I glanced out the window and saw everything on the ground was covered in this wondrous hue. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, or I had been staring at the monitor for too long. Nope, not this time – the shade saturated my surroundings and I...
read moreRough-legged Hawk
This Rough-legged Hawk put on a brief but thrilling show for me today, facing into the wind to help it hover while scanning the land below for any small mammal prey. The wind was particularly strong thanks to the major storm currently impacting the Northeast region. Whichever one of the hawk’s eyes that was being battered by the wind the most was often covered by its nictitating membrane. This third eyelid is almost like wearing a pair of sunglasses for the raptor in that it can still see while the eye is more protected than it would be...
read moreWinter Raptor Surveys
We are in the heart of the winter raptor survey season, and we need the continued help of citizen scientists like you! The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History is assisting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a third season of wintering raptor surveys in Chautauqua County in 2015-2016. The primary focus of these surveys is to determine where Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus), ‘endangered’ in New York, and Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), ‘threatened’ in New York, are spending the winter season to...
read moreMaster Class with Federal Duck Stamp Winner Jennifer Miller
*Wildlife Painting / Master Class / Jennifer Miller* – April 11, 13, 15 / 6-8pm Cattaraugus County Arts Council, 100 W Main Street, Allegany, NY Fee: $90- Members; $100- Non-members Award winning wildlife artist ( 2015-2016 Federal Duck Stamp winner) Jennifer Miller will lead you in the nuances of painting birds in acrylic in this three-day class. This class will explore anatomy, light, color, and shape as it relates to composing and painting our feathered friends, through the use of demonstration and guidance. Students will better...
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