NYS Young Birders Club
Via Carena Pooth – The NYS Young Birders Club’s July 20th trip was to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, NY. After some grassland birding in the morning, we had an awesome behind-the scenes tour of the Institute and got to see Roger Tory Peterson’s reference library, bird skins, and original artwork including many original plates for his field guides. We learned a lot about this great man who sparked a love of nature in so many of us and started the conservation movement long before most of us were born. In the photo, Twan Leenders, President of RTPI, shows...
Read MoreNew York State Young Birders Club visits RTPI
This past Sunday, July 20, the New York State Young Birders Club visited us at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Thanks to the assistance of our friend and supreme naturalist Tim Baird we were able to arrange a visit of several young birders in order to target some of the fantastic and conservation concern grassland species that can be found here in Chautauqua County. RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser and I met up with the group at RTPI at 7:00AM to head to the Chautauqua County/Jamestown Airport. Unfortunately we have not recorded the New York State “Threatened”...
Read MoreRTPI’s avian archives
RTPI’s extensive archives hold a massive collection of bird study skins. This includes several extinct species as well like the Passenger Pigeon, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Carolina Parakeet, and Bachman’s Warbler. I looked through hundreds of warblers yesterday while I was answering a couple of questions for myself after the busy last few weeks of spring migration. I was struck by this size differential – Prothonotary Warbler vs. Wilson’s Warbler. We “know” their respective sizes but…geez! The Wilson’s Warbler on the right with the black cap...
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