Winter Raptor Survey Training January 11
Winter Raptor Survey Training Wednesday January 11th, 2017 @ 6PM Grasslands are amongst the fastest declining habitats in the country, and the bird species dependent upon vast stretches of waist-deep grasses are disappearing at alarming rates. In effort to learn more about these imperiled species within New York State and to protect remaining populations, the Department of Environmental Conservation has been conducting winter raptor surveys—specifically monitoring Short Eared Owls (endangered) and Northern Harriers (threatened). The NYS DEC has also enlisted the help of other environmental...
Read MoreJuvenile Northern Harrier
I recently wrote about our winter raptors, and boy oh boy, did we ever get the winter in Chautauqua County! Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) and Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), like the juvenile recently photographed below, are able to hunt and survive in deep snow, but we may be pushing the limit for some birds in the region now. The snow cover and frigid temperatures are shaking up the local mix of birds of all sorts of species, from ducks to songbirds. A Short-eared Owl was spotted in the county earlier this week, and no doubt others may be easier to find now as they hunt the white...
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 MoreWinter Raptor Surveys
We are in the heart of the winter raptor survey season, and we need the continued help of citizen scientists like you! The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History is assisting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a third season of wintering raptor surveys in Chautauqua County in 2015-2016. The primary focus of these surveys is to determine where Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus), ‘endangered’ in New York, and Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), ‘threatened’ in New York, are spending the winter season to roost and feed. So far this winter we seem to have a...
Read MoreWinter Raptor Surveys Commence
With the calendar flipping into December we have now entered the winter raptor survey season! The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History will be assisting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a third season of wintering raptor surveys in Chautauqua County in 2015-2016. The primary focus of these surveys is to determine where Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus), ‘endangered’ in New York, and Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), ‘threatened’ in New York, are spending the winter season to roost and feed. We need your help, too! From December through March please...
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