Male House Finch
Here is a recent photo of a male House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) on a snowy afternoon. The beautiful red shades of this guy really stand out against the drab surroundings, and their cheery songs can already be heard here in February on some of the warmer, sunnier days. It is one of the first signs of “spring” as the days began to grow longer. The Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) is a similar species and often confused with the House Finch, especially because both enjoy coming to backyard bird feeders. Roger Tory Peterson described the Purple Finch as having been...
Read MoreTreasures of the Tropics
In less than two weeks an RTPI crew will be headed to Costa Rica again, this time with students from the Forman School. Students will participate in a variety of research projects, including migratory bird banding and monitoring endangered and recovering amphibian populations, such as this Rufous-eyed Brook Tree Frog (Duellmanohyla rufioculis). Stay tuned for more information soon!
Read MoreArtist Dale Weiler Creates Snowy Owl Sculpture to Benefit RTPI
We are very excited to announce the release of a new bronze sculpture created by Dale Weiler to support wildlife conservation programs underway at RTPI. The bronze, “Elevated Perspective”, is a 9-inch rendering of a snowy owl, one of Peterson’s favorite species to paint and the icon for RTPI. It is also the first bronze Dale has created in the last ten years. Dale and his wife, Loti, are donating 100% of the profits to RTPI’s ‘Project Wild America’ initiative – a program which promotes experiencing nature in your own backyard. The original for the bronze was sculpted from snowy...
Read MoreBrown Thrasher Visit
This Brown Thrasher came to my feeders today! Talk about a welcome visitor…it ended up spending the day eating with various feathered friends, using that long bill to dig seed out of the snow. It was a delightful surprise for one of the more quiet times of the year. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreDark-eyed Junco
The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is one of our most familiar backyard feeder birds. They are a species we can find year-round as they nest in some of our woodlands in western New York. They used to be known as the “snowbird” likely because of their abundance in pouring down from the north into all of the continental United States during the winter. Their plumage, grays and browns above with white below, also seem to fit so perfectly on a snowy landscape. This bird was photographed during a recent snowstorm looking regal as can be while living up to its name. Have you ever...
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