Beach Trash
This photo and information via one of our colleagues, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Shorebird Technician Audrey Wiese: “PLEASE dispose of your trash properly! This is the amount of trash I collected on ONE beach after only 3 hours! If you bring trash in take it out, if you buy plastic water bottles or balloons dispose of them PROPERLY! Loose trash on a beach does nothing for us and has a lasting effect on OUR environment and the animals that live in it.” That doesn’t seem like a very happy birthday to me…and congratulations to the grad as you help pollute the world...
Read MoreGarbage Mentality
It is one cup left on one rock in front of one ocean, and it certainly looks insignificant in this photo, but does the Atlantic really need one more piece of trash? If you are heading to the shore to fish, swim, build sandcastles, enjoy the wildlife, whatever your day may be, please do not leave anything behind. Every little bit does count. I am continually astounded at how many people trash their trash wherever they please around any open water as if the endless horizon will simply swallow it up, and I plan on making this more of a point going forward given all that we at RTPI do to help...
Read MoreRelaxing Kit
Right after I mentioned I had been having trouble seeing and photographing any of my Red Fox kits one decided it wanted to cooperate! These were taken Tuesday afternoon. You can see a sibling behind it in the vegetation in one of the photos, but this one was sunning and cleaning itself out in the open on the den’s bank. It knows it can dart inside in a flash if needed. That red is really coming on… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreFox Kit Exploration
This is one of “my” Red Fox kits, originally six that emerged several weeks ago. It now seems that we unfortunately only have five left, and one of those five is a small individual who gets picked on too much by its siblings. This is not too much of a surprise given that the sixth seemed to have quite an infection of its eye, as its parents both did at various points. The pups are exploring much more on their own now, being more afraid of humans than they were as they grow up to realize what danger means. This is about as good a look I have gotten recently. Maybe they will be...
Read MoreBlack-and-white Warbler
I couldn’t let Twan have all the fun with the Black-and-white Warblers (Mniotilta varia), and this little creeper was spotted last week as it furiously crawled and flew all around tree trunks for its insect prey. You can even see one such snack in the last photo. These birds seem like they have so much personality, but when they are visiting us in May they are move, too busy to stop to chat for too long. I am envious of anyone who gets to enjoy them while they are more relaxed on the wintering grounds. However, even then they are said to be aggressive and territorial. Did you know that...
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