Flicker Feather
This feather is another find from exploring the outdoors this weekend with my dog Zach. The number of birds with long yellow feathers around in the autumn or winter seasons is relatively short, and it looks like a Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus). Roger Tory Peterson saw this brilliant flash of gold in a flicker’s wings and it helped inspire him to change the world. What always makes me use my imagination is thinking about seeing a deep red explosion coming from a Northern Flicker bursting from the ground. The red-shafted forms fill the American west, and someday I hope to go see...
Read MoreRed Fox Wrestling!
Would you be interested in watching young Red Fox kits wrestling? Do you want to see adorable pups in battle training? How do you like fluffy little cubs biting and attempting to “kill” one another? If so, you’re in luck! As in previous Red Fox postings I shot these through a window from afar for the safety of the competitors as well as the photographer (and this would never happen if they could see me!)… Everything these little ones do is precisely what a litter of your pet puppies would do, and they all seem to have their distinct personalities. That tiny one looked...
Read MoreRed Fox Pup Exploring
It did not take long for the very young Red Fox pups from this family to start exploring their surroundings a bit more. I took these photos in the early morning through glass once again while the environment was still and peaceful, allowing it to wander a bit. Immediately before this jaunt I had seen mom at the entrance to the den in the grasslands appearing to nurse a total of six little ones. All sorts of adventures are afoot for this fluffy one! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreChautauqua County Snow Depth
Our friends at the Chautauqua Lake Snowmobile Club have this NOAA/NWS snow depth map regularly updating on their website to let members and the visiting public know how much snow is on the ground in Chautauqua County. While it has gone down a bit recently due to a brief warm-up (very brief, and I am being very generous in saying “warm-up”!) and some rain, freezing rain, and sleet, there is still a ton of snow covering the earth in the region. You can see the escarpment well in this photo and the effect of elevation on snowfall and temperature. It will be utterly frigid later this...
Read MoreCurrent Snow Depth
Many snowmobile trails are open and folks are out on their sleds, hiking and skiing across the wintry landscape in Chautauqua County. Here’s our current regional snow depth – this is more like it! Have you used our educational, conservation-minded and natural history based winter trails cell phone tour? http://rtpi.org/conservation/winter-trails-cell-phone-tour/
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