Field Sparrow
This Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) actually flew directly towards me and my dog to perch on this white pine branch this morning. It looked us over for a minute and then went back to snacking. It is another great example of a lovely bird that we can still find even in the..uh, cold days of November? It is November, and apart from the low sun angle and early sunset it felt like it could have been late August out there today. This will undoubtedly keep birds with us a little longer with easier to survive temperatures, poor migratory conditions because of the southerly flow, and prolonged...
Read MoreSnowy Owl Art
Whoa, it is COLD out there! What month is this again? It feels like we went from summer to winter almost overnight. Regardless of the extreme temperature departures on both sides of the spectrum, next month is already the time to start thinking about Snowy Owls showing up in our region. Every year some of the species irrupts south into the continental United States, but the question is always how many young successfully fledged in the breeding season and how many decide to take a journey to see us. Until then you can come and enjoy some Snowy Owls on our walls in the Art and the...
Read MoreOsprey Pole
Kind of like Snowy Owls in the winter, one could spend their summer wandering around and photographing Ospreys on all types of poles – the classic utility, the specialized power structure, the flag, the lamp or streetlight as seen here…hey, whether it’s for a meal or a nap, these poles are darn comfy! Maybe we are missing out on something…pass the fish, please. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreGray Ghost Northern Harrier
This is a “Gray Ghost” Northern Harrier, an adult male soaring through the sky and hunting over grasslands. The Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History has been assisting the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for a second season of wintering raptor surveys in Chautauqua County in 2014-2015. The primary focus of these surveys is to determine where Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus), ‘endangered’ in New York, and Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), ‘threatened’ in New York, are spending the winter season to roost and feed. As we...
Read MoreSnowy Owls Still Here
There are still Snowy Owls here with us, and there will be more to keep an eye out for as others are on the move back to the north. This bird was apparently spending some time on the shore after reading up – that sign discusses shellfishing, and it decided instead to do some duck hunting while wearing the perfect sort of winter camouflage. It is out of season…but this is one hunter I will not report. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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