Extremely abundant common sparrows
This Dark-eyed Junco can be seen chowing down on a seed while nearly 200 more of its friends were doing the same nearby. I cannot recall a time where I have seen a greater sustained abundance, perhaps for the last three or four weeks, of a few common sparrow species spread across the region. There have been huge flocks of Song Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, and White-throated Sparrows seemingly everywhere in appropriate habitat. Have you noticed the same? Maybe they had a very productive nesting year and perhaps they are also irrupting due to a lack of food in the north. Thankfully there is no...
Read MoreWild Turkey: vicious predator
‘Tis now the season for the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). I have been regularly spotting a couple of groups lately, one with around 18 individuals and another with around 8. Here is one bird passing through on a showery and cloudy afternoon. It is hard to believe how rapidly the species has expanded in many areas in the last couple of decades. Is their population increase partially responsible for a decrease in some woodlands herpetofauna? I posted a great deal about Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) this summer, and would you believe this very turkey is a potential...
Read MoreAmerican Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
The American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is one of those birds that are so well known to nearly everyone that we rarely stop to take the time to view them properly. Thankfully they are more common now in the east than they had been as the initial part of the 21st century saw significant losses to even this abundant species thanks to the West Nile Virus. Areas that were richer in species diversity saw fewer losses due to the virus, likely signaling the strength of a healthy ecosystem to battle a pathogen. Conservation needs to focus on certain species at times – as we at RTPI often do...
Read MoreAntler Asymmetry
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a common sight throughout the Chautauqua-Allegheny region. These large mammals are often seen within the forests, fields and backyards that make up the area and all look relatively similar, having a brown and white body, big black eyes, black snouts and that characteristic white tail. This widespread ungulate often goes overlooked due to our familiarity with its presence and its rather ordinary look throughout most of the year. However, as autumn approaches, deer become much more interesting to some as males adorned with their large, bony...
Read MoreMonarchs massing in migration
This past weekend I visited a prime spot for Monarch butterfly migration: the coastal grasslands of Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut. Even four or six years ago one could expect to find hundreds of Monarchs at the site during the peak migratory period. The last couple of years have seen a dramatic collapse in their numbers in many parts of North America. As one of the most visible and widely known environmental disasters of the 21st century the plight of the species has been a subject of discussion for the masses. Thankfully I was able to see a decent mass of Monarchs at this...
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