Off to a Great Start
They say time flies when you’re having fun, right? Well I can say time has certainly been flying here at RTPI as the summer field season is now underway. So far, I’ve spent much of my time working with our Project Wild America Youth Ambassadors in the city of Jamestown as we continue the work we started last year. We are conducting more in depth studies of this urban ecosystem, and so far the PWA Youth Ambassadors have been diving in, quite literally, eagerly learning more. Although we have just completed our second week with our students, I anticipate the rest of the summer...
Read MoreCliff Swallow Nests
These Cliff Swallow nests are empty after a successful summer breeding season. They are often colony nesting birds, and these are actually on the underside of the Washington Street bridge right here in Jamestown, New York. This is a good example of a species that utilizes the urban environment we have created. Peregrine Falcons are another bird that would have been found on open cliffs that now nests on the ledges of our skyscrapers. While they would be hunting pigeons, starlings and sparrows, the Cliff Swallows can be found feeding on insects in the Chadakoin River habitat below the bridge...
Read MoreEastern Purple Coneflower
This Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) makes for a spectacular “ornamental” type of plant for boxes and plots! I put ornamental in quotation marks because it is far more than a decorative object or flashy looking flower. It is a native perennial that is very popular among our pollinators, and adding them to your garden – wherever it may be – will not only give it a lovely look but also a feeding frenzy of insects. On the day I took this photo I saw Black Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails, Orange and Clouded Sulphurs, Cabbage Whites, a Viceroy, and...
Read MoreFirst Species of 2015
What was your first bird of 2015? The Blue Jay was my #1 New Year species. It is definitely a repeat winner given that their screaming and screeching calls can be heard indoors with the windows closed – I did not even have to get out of bed! Thanks for all too typical “alarm”, guys and gals! Are you planning on a “Big January” to see how many species you can find? If you have yet to decide on a birding game plan for 2015 I would definitely recommend trying a geographical challenge and largely restricting yourself to birding in your own town or city. You will end...
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