Goodbye to green and growing season
We have already had multiple frosts and freezes in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region. This weekend may bring the first…I’ll say flakes and avoid using the s-word for now! This photo is about as green as it is going to get for several months as we say goodbye for now to both green and growth. Winter brings its own joys and adventures with a new selection of life to take in. Please be sure to read the exciting developments in our winter trails cell phone tour as it expands across Chautauqua County! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreHorned Lark (Eremophila alpestris)
The Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) is a species of open areas – the tundra, grasslands, fields, beaches and dunes and even the desert. Unsurprisingly they feed on the ground on insects and seeds and often take advantage of human activity disturbing areas such as mowed airports or piles of plowed earth or snow that expose more food. When it comes to the winter you will find them wherever it is the most bare. You can frequently spot them with Snow Buntings and, more rarely, the Lapland Longspur. They are also another species decreasing across much of their range and are listed as...
Read MoreVesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
In the continuing spirit of “it’s time to find [bird X]”…it’s right about time to find the Vesper Sparrows! This large sparrow has a bright, bold white eye ring that stands out in nearly any conditions. It can find the perfect habitat for migration throughout the Chautauqua-Allegheny region favoring farms, grasslands, fields and even scrubby or rocky areas like this one. If you ever spot a Vesper Sparrow during nesting season please let us know so we can help you do all you can to protect the habitat. They are decreasing in many areas of their range including...
Read MoreWhite-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
If you’re out and about enjoying fall foliage, heading to a farm or a pumpkin field, or spending time in other agricultural, grassy, weedy areas you may be about to see many White-crowned Sparrows like this autumn one. Here in Western New York we can find them in the dozens during the peak of migration. I remember – thanks to my eBird checklist – that I saw 41 of them at the Jamestown Airport this past May. I know there were likely many more present there. See if you can beat that total on a fall birding day!
Read MoreJapanese Beetle (Popillio japonica)
This week is invasive species awareness week. There are plenty species to highlight in just one short week, but here’s one that seems to be particularly prevalent this time of year. The Japanese Beetle (Popillio japonica) is easily recognized by the characteristic rows of pale hairs on its abdomen and can be found in dense concentrations on a variety of fruit-bearing plants. Anyone growing blueberries, raspberries or blackberries can attest to how much damage they can do in a short period of time, if left unchecked!
Read More
