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]
Long-tailed Ducks
Happy New Year! We hope you are flying into a wonderful 2016 like these gorgeous Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis), and we at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History wish you a happy and healthy New Year. Good birding to you and good luck assembling your Big January list this month. Share your sightings and your stories as you tally your list and get outdoors with your friends and family. Don’t forget your Peterson Field Guides, of course, and be sure to show us how much you are putting them to use!
read moreSupport RTPI
Please support RTPI as 2015 comes to a close! Your gift helps RTPI continue Roger Tory Peterson’s legacy to connect people with nature through Art, Education and Conservation. Our motto: Learn it, Love it, Protect it. Thank you and please visit us soon!
read moreSick Kits
Last spring I was able to enjoy watching a Red Fox family growing up, up close! I posted photos and videos of them in a bunch of posts this past April and May including: Red Fox Family Red Fox Family Video Red Fox Pup Exploring Red Fox Wrestling Red Fox Kits Growing Red Fox Kits at Den Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) At some point in the early summer the kits all left the den, exploring more and more on their own, staying in different locations and occasionally popping in and out of the area. By the end of the summer they were not being seen anymore,...
read moreChristmas Dandelion
I photographed this lovely little dandelion blooming yesterday…yes, this is a Christmas dandelion. It was in Connecticut, the state that is a part of New England, on December 25. These temperatures may be enjoyable for some of us, but such a shift is not helping our plant or animal life. They need a prolonged, uninterrupted dormant period, and starting to “go” now only to be put back in more eventual cold and snow for a couple months may harm them later. We are likely to stay above-average for temperatures, but it will...
read moreSuperb Sky
There was a superb sky around the moon after sunset one night last week, though only for a few minutes. It was a case of the atmosphere looking better through the camera lens and polarizer with the latter enabling the former to see what we could not with our eyes. I thought the view looked otherworldly to say the least. I guarantee that I was on Earth, but it felt like another planet. It helps to remind us how much is truly going on around us in nature and the atmosphere, all of it impacting the life of thousands upon thousands of species...
read morePartners – Amphibian Survival Alliance
Amphibian Survival Alliance and partners lead strategic efforts to prevent spread of deadly salamander disease in North America New publication outlines swift and coordinated action in the conservation community An emerging fungal pathogen that has caused recent die-offs of salamanders in Europe, faces a formidable foe in North America: the Amphibian Survival Alliance and its partners, who today published a paper outlining the conservation community’s proactive efforts to prevent the introduction and spread of the disease in the United...
read moreHooded Mergansers
It has been a great autumn for Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) even as we near the end of the season, with all of the above-average temperatures, little ice and rarely seen snow. Courting is well underway for these birds as you can see by the striking black-and-white crests being displayed by the drakes. The several hens present on this pond were mostly preoccupied with trying to take a nap or grabbing a bite to eat. The boys kept swimming after them, vocalizing and trying their best to get some attention. When it comes time to...
read moreRed-bellied Woodpecker
This is one gorgeous bird! It is a male Red-bellied Woodpecker enjoying the warmth of this December weekend, soaking in some sun between feeding on acorns and all sorts of natural food – which seems to be in abundance this season. Between the temperatures in this wonderfully warm stretch of weather and the varied menu to select from it is easy to see why species like this one are able to make a push further north to expand their range. The last two frigid years were an exception to the new warmer-than-average rule, and this incredible...
read moreWhere Are They?!
We have now entered December, and though we lack the truly cold air that the month and the beginning of meteorological winter can sometimes bring, we are cooling down and birds are still moving south. Regular arrivals spanning the spectrum from the American Tree Sparrows of our backyards to the Tundra Swans of Chautauqua Lake are joining us now. Where are we with the irruptive avian species so far this season across the Northeast and Midwest? I went through eBird maps this morning to find that out, and let’s start with the big...
read moreGiving Tuesday
December 1st, 2015 Giving Tuesday is a movement where we take a day to give back and make a difference to causes that matter to us. Please give today to ensure RTPI’s fiscal year ending December 31, 2015 is a success. With your contribution, we can continue to carry on Roger Tory Peterson’s legacy through Art, Education and Conservation. Your support makes all the difference. Please make a contribution today. Visit other sections of our website to learn about the Roger Tory Peterson...
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