Protecting the Declining Cerulean Warbler
It’s late May and the forest is fresh with new leaves. Deep in the woods everything takes on a pale, spring-green tint. The forest echoes with a cacophony of birdsong. Amid the jumble, biologists at …
Does the Early Bird Really Exist?
Like most Western New Yorkers, I’ve been monitoring the arrival of spring with great interest. One day it’s sunny and 75°; the next, I’m wondering if I put the snowblower away too soon! Despite the …
Eagle Watch Saturdays 2024
Come join as at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge’s Cayuga Overlook every Saturday March 30th-May 11th from 10am – 2pm for our Eagle Watch program! Talk with our volunteer eagle experts and learn about these majestic …
Raptors: Fierce Feathered Friends
Fierce and fully adapted to being a predator on the wing, raptors or birds of prey rule the skies. Diurnal raptors hunt during daylight hours and consist of hawks, falcons and eagles. Nocturnal raptors are …
Getting Our Wood Ducks in a Row
It was a gray but unusually warm February day as I followed refuge biologist Paul Hess through the winter woodlands at Iroquois National Wildlife refuge. We were headed for a row of wood duck boxes …
Plenty of Fish! WNY’s Solitary Wetland Weasels Rebound
In upstate New York, nature lovers get very excited over sightings of dark, medium-sized mammals. Sharing a photo of an un-identified weasel-type animal gets everyone’s attention, discussing “fisher, mink or otter.” That’s because these animals …
Woodpeckers: Drumming for the Beetles
In the winter, the wooded trails at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge can be eerily quiet. It’s a reminder that most animals keep a low profile in order to stay safe. But then you hear a …
The Endangered Owl That Depends on WNY
Owls are most often thought of as creatures of the forest. We think of them inhabiting hollow holes in trees, with their large “wise” eyes glowing from the darkness. The short-eared owl is an exception …
Hot Diggity Hog!
Many years ago, while walking across a meadow in Western New York, I found an animal clinging to the branches of a young apple tree. The animal and I were both stunned – we didn’t …
Run, Run Rudolph
If you are a lover of animals, you may have an inspired National Geographic moment when yousee deer. They can seem like our own local gazelles – untamed and free in our upstate NewYork savannahs …