Red Fox
I had not seen any Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) friends for a while, but this one is clearly as healthy as any can be and looking great. Take a look at that exquisite coat with no sign of mange and no visible injuries to the animal. That in itself is very rare to see in a Red Fox, and without knowing too much I would hazard a guess that this is one of the pups born last year. It spotted me before I spotted it – per usual – and when I stopped it stopped and relaxed. I really do think they know “who” we are, like any dog would after a while, and it knew I was only going to...
Read MoreScarlet Tanager
Yesterday was the Noble Proctor BioBlitz Challenge at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut. Dozens and dozens of friends, conservationists and scientists hit the field to find all the forms of life they could from 8AM to dusk. Fantastic discoveries were had and wonderful memories were made on a picture perfect weather day – especially for our birds! Three adult male Scarlet Tanagers (Piranga olivacea) delighted the crowds, including this individual. It is certainly red, but not the blood red of more typical males…as we could see in direct comparison with the birds...
Read MoreLimosa Harlequin Frog (Atelopus limosa)
This is what it is all about – being able to see healthy Limosa Harlequin Frogs (Atelopus limosus) in their natural environment and trying to unlock the secrets of this population through our research in Cocobolo Nature Reserve, Panama. Hopefully we can we help to expand the size of this population through careful habitat management and apply the lessons learned elsewhere to allow other populations of this, and some of the many other endangered amphibians in the world to return where they belong: in a healthy environment. Twan Leenders RTPI President
Read MoreRed Fox
This Red Fox is one of the kits that I enjoyed watching grow up before our eyes last spring. It is not doing so well now, and is probably one of the two that I saw had returned to their natal den at the beginning of the winter when things got tough outside. Both had some mange and looked rather thin. This individual has been hunting and stalking prey, still engaged at feeding regularly and apparently doing enough to keep itself going. While its tail has little to no fur left and it is patchy throughout the body at least the days are getting warmer and the sun is getting stronger. This...
Read MoreBirds and Invasives Presentation at RTPI
Friday February 26 at 6pm Andrea Locke from WNY PRISM will be presenting Birds and Invasives. The relationship between birds and invasive species can be complex. Many invasive species may on the surface seem like a boon for our native birds, but as we look deeper into their impacts on our ecosystems, we see that all isn’t as it once seemed. Some birds are even invasive species themselves. Management can also be difficult due to the complex relationship with invasive species and public opinion. Join Andrea Locke, WNY PRISM Coordinator as she sheds some light on these complexities and...
Read More
