Deer Overbrowsing
I may not be an expert on vegetation, especially ornamental, but something seems…not right…here. You have probably seen similar sights in the last couple of months now that the ice and snow have fully cleared as White-tailed Deer did a number on anything they could eat in the Northeast. Everything just above their head is bright and green, and parts below are bare and brown. Our overpopulation of deer wipes the forest floors clean to the point where they must pick at what we could call scraps like these in our neighborhoods. Some people may object to wolves in their backyards,...
Read MoreGray Catbirds Coming
We will soon be inundated by the deceptive and incorrect sound of felines as the Gray Catbird returns in full force to our neighborhoods across America. They really have about as literal a common name as any bird. Apart from their gray bodies and black cap you can also see a hint of the rusty-colored feathers under these bird’s tails. Meow to you, too.
Read MoreNorthern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
Depending on where you live the Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) may be an uncommon to rare species or a typical neighborhood pest. They have been advancing north in the past several decades, possibly because of development and more favorable habitats and likely thanks to climate change. They are still a scarce bird in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region likely for both of those reasons. Why the pest, you ask? One day, if you’re fortunate, you may wake up to a car alarm going off all night long outside your window…except it’s a bird doing a perfect imitation and it will...
Read MoreLittle Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea)
We don’t get to see too many Little Blue Herons foraging up close in a neighborhood pond on a spring day in the northeast…
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