Drake Northern Shoveler
I finally had the chance to properly photograph a beautiful drake Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) late last winter. This bird was on the way north for the breeding season, stopping off at a warm spot along a river marsh. I post him now because earlier this week a colleague of mine saw a small flock of Northern Shovelers flying by on the way south already! It is hard to believe we are that deep into the season, but the winter waterfowl are on the way. What is your favorite species of duck? Any you can’t wait to add to your life list? Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach...
Read MoreBanded Peregrine Falcon
Here is a recent flashback story for everyone on this lovely Friday. October is always a terrific month to find all sorts of raptors making their way south for a prolonged migration or dispersing from their nesting area to find acceptable wintering grounds. Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) continue to rebound from their demise due to pesticides in our region in the last century, taking up breeding sites on skyscrapers in major cities, under bridges on interstates, and even nest box platforms at locations like Dunkirk’s power plant on Lake Erie in our own Chautauqua County. Some of...
Read MoreField Sparrow
The Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) is an underrated little bird! Look at that bold eye ring and those beautiful brown tones with a pretty pink bill. Whenever I see those Fields in numbers in October it always suggests we are nearing the end of autumn avian migration. If we are lucky we may be able to spot one or two overwintering in the region, perhaps on a Christmas Bird Count, but most will be seeking less snowy quarters so they can enjoy easy to reach seeds all winter long. Nevertheless, if there aren’t any fields, grasslands, farms or other open areas – or if these habitats...
Read MoreMonarch Butterfly Release
I raised a couple of Monarch caterpillars this August, something I had not done since I was a child. I collected them and ended up feeding them from my own supply of swamp milkweed leaves that went otherwise unused. While many pollinators visited to enjoy the nectar of the flowers, I did not note any Monarchs in the yard or find any eggs. A couple weeks ago I noticed each chrysalis was turning black not far apart from one another, and by late that morning they’d emerged. I released them onto my coneflowers after their wings dried, and one of the two females provided me a chance to...
Read MoreBlack-capped Chickadee
The Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is as familiar a backyard resident as can be, but did you know these birds migrate, too? Well, some of them anyway, in a particular way. Young birds move south and irrupt during certain years based on the reproductive success of the summer and the local conditions. The best way to see this is finding a number of them in migratory hotspots in the autumn. If you are at an area such as a beach along the shore of Lake Erie where you typically find zero and suddenly see a flock of six or eight, there you go. I have seen up to 18 in a little flock...
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