Snowy Owl Season
Welcome back to Snowy Owl season! I took these photographs of a very calm and sleepy Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) today at Silver Sands State Park in Milford, Connecticut. One had been reported about a week ago in the area, though it was not seen again until the last couple of days. I was able to go over and briefly enjoy this bird sitting on a rock jetty along Long Island Sound with a few other birders. It was in the perfect place to be seen and not disturbed, and unknowing folks taking a walk or jogging were mostly on the nearby boardwalk and far enough away from the owl so that it did not...
Read MoreNature Will Soon Be at Your Fingertips!
For me, it’s exciting to see those little snow clouds pop up on your weather app as well as the banner associated with lake effect snow warnings, like what we have right now for Chautauqua County. After a long year under the influence of a strong El Nino, it will be a welcomed relief to see its effects diminish while the influence of a forecasted La Nina is expected to move in. The area’s local businesses, organizations and outdoor enthusiasts could certainly benefit from some augmented snowfall this upcoming winter season. If you stop and think about it, its rather amazing that...
Read MoreFocus on Nature XIV Reception Friday
Focus on Nature XIV December 3, 2016 – April 9, 2017 Organized by the New York State Museum RTPI is pleased to welcome Focus on Nature XIV, an exhibition organized by the New York State Museum, to the walls of our galleries. Like Roger Tory Peterson, the artists featured in this show demonstrate the role illustration plays in natural science research and education, to stimulate curiosity about the world. These works represent a marriage of pleasure and practicality – wherein the artist’s keen observations and sensory interpretations of their subjects are exquisitely...
Read MoreGray Ghost & Winter Raptors
We are now in the beginning of meteorological winter and nearing the start of astronomical winter. Our birds, as usual, are already prepared for the season however we wish to define it, having migrated, irrupted, or dispersed to wintering grounds throughout the region, continent, or perhaps even out of our hemisphere. Those that remain with us have evolved to cope with the freezing conditions and heavy snowfall. One such species is the Northern Harrier, and last week I photographed this adult male “gray ghost” while it was hunting. Look at that gaze – magnificent! The Roger...
Read MoreRTPI at the Mayville Snowmobile Show
This year marks the fourth iteration of RTPI’s “Nature at Your Fingertips” cell phone tour! Once again we are working closely with the snowmobile clubs of Chautauqua County to make this project happen, and our friends at Orbitist have added several new features to the platform making it even easier to navigate through the county’s many unique stories and landmarks. Come see these new features and a demonstration of how it all works this weekend at the Mayville Snowmobile Show hosted by the Chautauqua Suites Meeting and Expo Center and 3 Seas Recreation at Chautauqua Suites. Stop by the...
Read MoreBanded Peregrine Falcon
Here is a recent flashback story for everyone on this lovely Friday. October is always a terrific month to find all sorts of raptors making their way south for a prolonged migration or dispersing from their nesting area to find acceptable wintering grounds. Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) continue to rebound from their demise due to pesticides in our region in the last century, taking up breeding sites on skyscrapers in major cities, under bridges on interstates, and even nest box platforms at locations like Dunkirk’s power plant on Lake Erie in our own Chautauqua County. Some of...
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