RTPIOC Meeting – Wood Thrush
Roger Tory Peterson Institute Ornithological Club – November 18, 2015 Birds on break, and other tropical discoveries… The weather is changing and many of our backyard birds have left, like this Wood Thrush. We all know that they ‘fly south’ and come back next spring, but have you ever wondered what they’re up to in the mean time? Join RTPI President Twan Leenders as he takes you on a journey to some of RTPI’s projects in Central America that focus on ‘our’ migratory birds and their wintering habitats. A few weeks ago, Twan was in Costa Rica to continue his research on critically endangered...
Read MoreLithobates vibicaria
Roger Tory Peterson Institute Ornithological Club – November 18, 2015 Birds on break, and other tropical discoveries… The weather is changing and many of our backyard birds have left. We all know that they ‘fly south’ and come back next spring, but have you ever wondered what they’re up to in the mean time? Join RTPI President Twan Leenders as he takes you on a journey to some of RTPI’s projects in Central America that focus on ‘our’ migratory birds and their wintering habitats. A few weeks ago, Twan was in Costa Rica to continue his research on critically endangered amphibians and to gather...
Read MoreGood Dog
Zach here is having a good laugh at the notion that dogs like him are native parts of our ecosystem! I mentioned keeping cats indoors last week, once again describing how much damage they can do to our environment and how much pain being exposed to nature can inflict upon them. The same goes for unsupervised and untrained dogs. No one needs to see a puppy chasing a squirrel into the street and getting hit by a car. Dogs that run through the woodlands in summer can crush nests and eggs, sniff out young birds to “play” with or kill, and pick up dozens of ticks while they do,...
Read MoreWhat’s Under That Rock?
As a little girl growing up in rural Western New York, I always had an affinity for animals. My mom worked at a veterinary clinic and would often take me to work with her where, at a young age, I learned to respect animals and treat them with gentleness and compassion. I also spent a lot of time in the woods going on hikes with my dad and grandpa finding whatever was along the trail or fishing out whatever was in a nearby fishing hole. For the longest time I loved all things furry, with horses, dogs, and guinea pigs being amongst my favorites. But as I grew a little older and spent more time...
Read MoreWehrle’s Salamander (Plethodon wehrlei)
Have you ever seen such a cool looking salamander? The Wehrle’s Salamander (Plethodon wehrlei) is a rather secretive salamander that inhabits rocks, logs and the currently colorful leaf litter that lines steep hillsides within the southwestern portion of New York State. Characteristically a dark slatey-gray with some white flecking on the sides, Wehrle’s salamanders are slender with robust legs and slightly webbed back feet. They are often confused with Slimy Salamanders (Plethodon glutinosus), a common salamander that often utilizes similar habitats and is black in color with...
Read More
