Cedar Waxwings Drinking
It is getting warm out there! As we move towards summer you will find more and more birds trying to stop for a drink or a bath in a puddle or rain pool near you. If you have a yard that you can provide fresh and clean (and clean cannot be emphasized enough) water then you will find a lot more visitors stopping by, including some you didn’t expect. A flock of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), like these birds enjoying rainwater, might be an unusual sight from the window of your home when they come over for a drink. If you can offer water year-round from a well-maintained and heated...
Read MoreNorthern Mockingbird
The Northern Mockingbird does not need a mask because its incredible vocal range can turn it into nearly anything imaginable. Depending on where you live Mimus polyglottos may be an uncommon to rare species or a typical neighborhood pest. They have been advancing north in the past several decades, possibly because of development and more favorable habitats and likely thanks to climate change. They are still a scarce bird in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region likely for both of those reasons, as well as our higher elevation. Why the pest, you ask? One day, if you’re fortunate, you may wake up to...
Read MoreBeach Trash
This photo and information via one of our colleagues, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Shorebird Technician Audrey Wiese: “PLEASE dispose of your trash properly! This is the amount of trash I collected on ONE beach after only 3 hours! If you bring trash in take it out, if you buy plastic water bottles or balloons dispose of them PROPERLY! Loose trash on a beach does nothing for us and has a lasting effect on OUR environment and the animals that live in it.” That doesn’t seem like a very happy birthday to me…and congratulations to the grad as you help pollute the world...
Read MoreClean Nestboxes!
It’s that time again – spring cleaning! In this case you should be all set and ready to go now with cleaning out the homes of birds in your yard, sprucing them up a bit if needed before Eastern Bluebirds, Black-capped Chickadees, Tree Swallows and more arrive or start building. It’s a terrific excuse to get kids outside and engaged with nature as the days get longer, warmer and far more pleasant. It may also be a good reason for you to step away from the desk and get some fresh air as well. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreNorthern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Depending on where you live the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) may be an uncommon to rare species or a typical neighborhood pest. They have been advancing north in the past several decades, possibly because of development and more favorable habitats and likely thanks to climate change. They are still a scarce bird in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region likely for both of those reasons. Why the pest, you ask? One day, if you’re fortunate, you may wake up to a car alarm going off all night long outside your window…except it’s a bird doing a perfect imitation and it will...
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