RTPI/SUNY College Lodge BioBlitz completed
One week ago today we were readying ourselves for the 3:00PM kickoff of the RTPI/SUNY College Lodge BioBlitz. It took place at the SUNY College Lodge Nature Preserve in Brocton on about 200 acres of beautiful habitat on the escarpment near Lake Erie. A BioBlitz is a 24-hour race to identify as many species of plants and animals of all kinds on a given site – this can be anything from an entire town, a river or lake, or a bounded property. We had a few dozen experts join us over the Friday and Saturday time period with specialties ranging from ants, spiders and other small insects,...
Read MoreBlack Bullhead (Ameiurus melas) & Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus)
These are a couple of entirely different catches from the RTPI/SUNY College Lodge BioBlitz photographed in Meet Your Neighbours form by Twan – the Black Bullhead (Ameiurus melas) and the Brown Bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus). In this case I can assure you the objects are much smaller than they appear which makes their splendid features, unseen by the human eye in hand, all the more startling. Can you see ALL the barbels?
Read MoreCommon Tern diving
Take a look at these shots by Sean of a Common Tern in a dive before smashing into the water to grab at prey – spectacular!
Read MoreCommon Terns feeding young
We are getting to the hungry season with young birds of all sorts begging for food from their busy and tired parents. You have probably seen this happening in your yard for a couple of months. We are now into the season for waterbirds like the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) to be doing the same. Check out this video of a juvenile Common Tern begging for more even after an adult delivers a sizable meal! The squeaky wheel, it turns out, does indeed get the grease. Or the fish. Here are some photos of the foraging and feeding in action. That hungry little one was unhappy and then happy rather...
Read MoreGizzard Shad feast
It has been very quiet for passerines in most of our (albeit limited) collective time outside, and the big movements and numbers continue to be seen in the waterbirds, especially on Lake Erie. Take a look at these fantastic Bonaparte’s Gull photos Twan took while at Barcelona Harbor as they dove for their meals with easily over 2,000 individuals present. Can you see the prey? All of the photos have some birds feasting on fish but that last photo has a bird with multiple in its bill. Ducks like this Bufflehead and Horned Grebe, respectively, seem to be diving for them as well. They may...
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