Eastern Towhee Pair
There have been many, many Eastern Towhees (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) moving through in the last few weeks, some likely scratching away at your yard and feeders. Both the black male and brown female shown here, as recently photographed in Jamestown, New York, really do have lovely shades! Drink your tea…towhee! And Happy Mother’s Day to you and all the soon to be mothers like this one out there.
Read MoreTrumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator)
Here in Chautauqua County we are accustomed to seeing Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus) throughout the migratory and wintering seasons. If you are very lucky you may someday be able to pick out a Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) in similar habitats. The Trumpeter Swan, the largest of North America’s waterfowl, was nearly extinct in the early 20th century. Thankfully hunting for feathers for the quill pen market, among others, has ended and their numbers have rebounded. This is also due to hard work by the conservation community in North America. It can be very difficult to separate a...
Read MoreNorthern Flickers
Earlier this week we were looking for a Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) photo because, as you have likely seen, over 99% of the content we use we make ourselves. This is something we take pride in at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. We write, we photograph, we record, we film, and we create. We do not use outside materials except when there is no other alternative…and then we immediately try to get out and get the missing content ourselves. Twan and I did not have many Northern Flicker pictures, each of us with only one real usable image. They fall into that...
Read MoreFemale White-breasted Nuthatch
This looks to be a female White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) – can you determine why? The crown stripe on this bird is gray rather than the solid black of a male. This lovely lady inquisitively watched me for a moment before continuing to forage with what seems to me to be a tad higher than average numbers of the species in our region. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreMonarch Migration Report from the Finger Lakes
Last week my husband and I took a trip to the Finger Lakes for a fun adventure to a new area we hadn’t explored much before. While we were there, we happily came across lots of different wildlife species, including several butterflies. While hiking into the fields (hills I should say!) owned by the bed and breakfast we were staying at, we came across about a half dozen or so monarch butterflies nectaring and resting. We also saw a few here and there flying through Watkins Glen State Park and near the International speedway as well, catching updrafts from winds blowing through the gorge...
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