Goodbye Winter
This sunset from earlier in the week felt like a mix of the winter and spring seasons. As our calendars have turned to March we have entered meteorological spring. As the sun rises higher and higher and these sunsets get later and later our buds and blooms starting to pop. Next week will feature some very warm conditions for early March with birds heading north and flowers emerging from the earth. Get outdoors this weekend to enjoy the early signs of spring!
Read MoreFebruary Arrives
The transition from January into February is usually one without many colors, though this sunset on the final night of January was spectacular over the water. The pink glow from the sun below the horizon makes me think of everything from Valentine’s Day to the Northern Cardinal males beginning to sing in our yards on the warm and sunny days as they stake out their territories and sound out for mates, if they do not already have one. The same shade reminds me of the House Finch males that have also been calling out their cheery melodies frequently as of late. This January seemed to move...
Read MoreAmerican Coots
A species such as these American Coot (Fulica americana) entered January finally having to find some open water as the freezing line has penetrated regions like Chautauqua County, quickly locking up the open water of small ponds and waterways. While Lake Erie can still provide a comfortable spot for many waterfowl this winter others will migrate south to the Atlantic Coast and warmer shoreline quarters. These American Coots are actually in the rail family and more closely related to Sandhill Cranes than their duck friends, and if you have ever seen their legs and feet out of the water then...
Read MoreWhite-throated Sparrow
Here’s a White-throated Sparrow enjoying the low winter sun on a sunny day, one of 72 species seen during my annual hometown Christmas Bird Count yesterday – in our section alone! I’ll show you more of the unexpected, intriguing or beautiful birds we found all week. We did successfully spot the two American Oystercatcher I recently posted about, though in the thick morning fog there were not too many good photos to be had of them or some of the early sightings. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreWinter Sunset
This is a more typical sunset shot than the otherworldly views I posted previously this week, with the December sun painting a very colorful but seasonal hue across the clouds. Our trees are bare but our air is as warm as this photo feels considering the date. Have you seen any buds in the forest? I certainly have, from maple to oak and on a variety of introduced flora…even with some flowering! It is not close to blooming time, but the days are now getting longer and the sun is rising… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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