Skunk Showdown
This…this is no good. In between all of the time the pictured Striped Skunk spent foraging, digging zealously for grubs in the wet soil, it had an encounter with a local cat. I did not think this showdown was going to end well for the neighborhood feline to say the very least. I personally know this cat to be a bold, inquisitive and mostly fearless individual – in other words, a cat. I focused on the skunk in the above photo and the cat in a subsequent shot having to keep the aperture wide open in the low evening light. You can see the skunk is entirely engrossed in its snacks....
Read MoreKiDs DaY at RTPI – Saturday, July 25th; 1-4pm
Learn about Roger Tory Peterson, meet artist Thomas Annear to hear stories from the national parks, and take a nature drawing class! Saturday, July 25th from 1-4pm. Cost: $10. Pre-registration is required – to register please contact Jane Johnson, RTPI Communications & Public Programs Coordinator, at jjohnson AT rtpi.org or 716-665-2473 ext. 228.
Read MoreStriped Skunk
Happy Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) Saturday! I met this friendly individual – from afar and thanks to a helpful window – last evening while it was foraging in this yard. The skunk was using its powerful claws and paws to dig through the ground for grubs. All of the heavy rain that has been saturating the earth across the local area and much of the Northeast as a whole has been creating ideal conditions for grubs to come to the surface. This also makes it easier for the skunk to dig into the ground for a tasty treat…many, many tasty treats. Skunks are beneficial...
Read MoreJuniper-twig Geometer
Here is the Juniper-twig Geometer (Patalene olyzonaria) moth, one that Sean and I have been spotting a bunch of lately. This is a worn individual that must have been having a good summer to be flying around still, avoiding predators or any real damage. One of the amazing things about mothing is how much the species makeup in your yard can change from week to week…or less! You never know what you will find next. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreTurkey Vulture
During a late afternoon on a lovely day last week I did a double take as I found an unexpected bird on the lawn – a Turkey Vulture! It had discovered a dead Eastern Chipmunk only moments earlier and was preparing to do its job. I was with my Shetland Sheepdog, Zach, who had not seen the bird over the slight hill in the lawn. I walked back to him, bent down and told him to look at this bird as I pointed. He eagerly glanced around and spotted it, eyes widening and slowly creeping towards it out of curiously and intrigue despite my cautioning. He held at this position, head forward,...
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