January Snowy Owl Update
This blog entry is a companion to the Winter Bird Forecasts brought to you by Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. Be sure to check out Winter Bird Forecast #3! As we enter the New Year we in the Mid-Atlantic and New England have been feeling mostly below-average temperatures as the weather finally reflects the climate more than it has. Snow cover is certainly starting to shape up over the landscape and birds like the Snowy Owl are now camouflaged against our earth and skies. I wanted to see where we were in this winter’s Snowy Owl irruption,...
Read MoreWhere’s the Snow?!
After above-average to historic snowfall in November it has been a slow late fall and early winter season! Western New York saw some absurd snow totals early in the autumn but it has been tough lately with this latest low pressure system coming over us, the southwest flow dragging temperatures to the 50s, pouring down rain and melting snow. Scenes like these have been difficult to find for many places in the Northeast, but we in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region will be feeling an arctic blast with frigid temperatures coming this week. Snowfall will return thanks to the Great Lakes and a...
Read MoreCommon Redpoll Irruption Update
This is a companion blog entry to the Winter Bird Forecast by Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. The first two forecasts were published recently: “Cloudy with a Chance of Snowys” and “Expect the Unexpected”. The third will be coming soon! The Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) was predicted to make a “moderate to good flight” this fall and winter due to “variably poor to average” birch seed crops in the boreal forest according to Ron Pittaway’s 2014-15 winter finch forecast. Nearly a month ago I started to notice more reports...
Read MoreSnowy Owl December Update
If you are in Connecticut please be sure to check out winter birding forecast #1 brought to you by Audubon Connecticut and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. We will have more information on that new aspect of our partnership effort soon! In the month since I last posted an extended update about the 2014-2015 Snowy Owl irruption we have had a great number of additional birds coming south into the continental United States. Southern parts of Canada are also recording more owls at expected locations. The most intriguing part of their movement, in my opinion, is how Snowy...
Read MoreTundra Swans
Chautauqua Lake provides an excellent feeding ground for a number of migrating ducks, swans and geese throughout the cooler months. Just yesterday, over 200+ Tundra Swans filled Bemus Bay along with numerous Canada Geese and Mallard ducks. These large and beautiful swans captured the attention of several lake-side residents as they belted out their high pitched honks while feeding on the abundant vegetation within the shallows of the lake. As winter progresses more waterfowl will make their way to the Great Lakes and Chautauqua Lake to reach needed food resources after their long trips from...
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