Fall Fun Facts
Have you ever noticed how some deciduous trees retain their leaves while others around them are bare? I learned some interesting facts the other day about why that might be. Trees such as this gorgeous oak tree may retain their leaves once they die, referred to as marcescence, for a number of possible reasons. For one, retaining dried up, brown leaves could help protect the oak’s acorns or buds from bitter frost. It could also protect the growing buds from getting nipped by whitetail deer early in the spring. In addition, I’ve heard that for saplings it could be important to...
Read MoreFall Colors
Over the past couple of days the trees have been changing quickly from their bright greens to golden yellows, oranges and brilliant reds. Could this weekend be the peak for fall foliage in Western New York? With cool temperatures and lots of sunshine predicted, it looks like it will be a beautiful weekend for leaf peeping! Elyse Henshaw Conservation Technician
Read MorePurple Martins
Purple Martins (Progne subis) are a unique species even among other unique birds! These sizable aerial insectivores nest only within human-manufactured cavities including gourds, apartments and other types of boxes essentially everywhere to the east of the Rocky Mountains. This is due to Native Americans hosting them in gourds for thousands of years, slowly shifting their breeding behavior to using artificial structures as it was such a successful and mutually beneficial relationship. Without our help it is likely they would be entirely eliminated in this part of their range. Marketing is a...
Read MoreSunset at Chautauqua Lake
Doing conservation related work around our region takes us to some really incredible places, blessing us with beautiful scenery and a diversity of species. While we work hard at surveying these areas in order to learn more about the habitats and needs of existing species, sometimes we need to take a break and simply take in all that is around us. Last week after spending the day doing surveys, I took an evening hike over at Long Point State Park, one of our Natural History Atlas sites, to take in the beautiful colors, warmth and water that surrounded me. I hope that during your busy week you...
Read MoreBlack-and-white Warblers
Here we have both the male and female Black-and-white Warblers (Mniotilta varia), friendly birds who are coming back to our backyards as we speak. The male is darker and more heavily streaked with more black than white. A few are being seen here and there in the Northeast, though our migratory conditions for all avian species have been less than helpful thus far in late April. Continuing northerly winds or unsettled conditions should plague us for most of the week, with a few calm moments or westerly winds helping move birds at times. Nevertheless, I think a major surge of new arrivals and...
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