The Wilderness Next Door
Think you need to take a week off and travel far to access’Wild America’? Think again. This panoramic photo was taken within the limits of the village of Fredonia just a few weeks ago! Amazing discoveries await just outside your door wherever you may be. Take some time to tune in to the wilderness next door to wherever you are! Check out RTPI’s Natural History Atlas to discover the gems that surround those of us fortunate enough to reside in Western New York. Natural History Atlas In the spirit of Roger Tory Peterson, we dare you to Learn It, Love It, and Protect...
Read MoreSneak Peek: “The Weiler’s Evolution: A Father and Son’s Artistic Journey”
The image shown here depicts a still life painting and a shorebird sculpture, both part of a special series of pieces created by artist Dale Weiler. Dale explains: “I wanted to pay homage to my father for the artistic gift he passed along to me. I chose to recreate two of his still lifes painted for a Winchester Press Publication, “Classic Shorebird Decoys”. For this book, my father painted 24 magnificent watercolors of classic shorebirds carved by the most notable bird carvers of the late 19th and early 20th century.” These, along with many more of Dale’s...
Read MoreFox Sparrow
Any time we see snowfall from mid-March on, we might notice an increase in the number and species diversity of birds at our backyard feeders. Those who pay close attention might also have the opportunity to view more elusive birds – those that would otherwise just be passing through or returning to the area relatively unnoticed – that are driven out of their preferred habitats by the extreme conditions in search of food. One such bird that can seem to appear out of nowhere is the Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca). These large sparrows really enjoy scratching at the ground with both...
Read MoreI Spy
I spy with my little eye, something brown. Not a big enough clue? How about, I spy with my little eye something with big eyes and a big mouth? Can you see it yet? Any idea of what it is? I’ll give you a hint, its a species not found in western New York or Pennsylvania. Give up? It’s a Shovel-nosed Salamander (Desmognathus marmoratus) poking out of a small opening within a damp rock face! This species is a common resident in the streams and seeps of the Appalachian mountains, including the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I had the opportunity to visit the park and play a game...
Read MoreAmphibians Abound
The first wave of amphibian breeding has now passed, and early vernal pool breeders are making room for the next wave of frogs to show up at our local wetlands. American toads, pickerel frogs and leopard frogs have been calling for a week or so now, and green frogs and bullfrogs will join in soon, Of course, the spring peepers just won’t stop calling at all… Did you know that you can easily tell the difference between frog eggs and toad eggs? Frog eggs are always laid in a clump or a floating raft, while our toads produce long, corkscrewing strands with a single line of eggs in the center...
Read MoreClean Our Shores
As our Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds season enters the nesting period here on the Connecticut coast we ask that when you visit a beach you please keep in mind the same ideals that you do whenever you are immersed elsewhere in nature – leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories. We successfully share the shore with the various endangered nesting species, such as this Piping Plover, each year without closing off entire beaches for months as some other states do. Our work, and the health and success of our birds, is helped greatly by beachgoers taking their trash...
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