Iroquois refuge eaglet growing stronger
The baby eaglet that’s in focus at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is now over two weeks old, is getting a lot bigger and is entertaining nest cam watchers with its antics. The eaglet is in a nest that belongs to one of several nesting pairs of bald eagles at...
Iroquois refuge manager Tom Roster retires
By Patti Singer High on Tom Roster’s to-do list when he arrived at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge in November 2004 was getting Swallow Hollow Trail in shape and repairing the handicap-accessible boardwalk. “That was a very big and impressive project that had a lot...
Refuge stays open, thanks to no government shutdown
By Richard Moss President Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge In case you've been avoiding the news, the U.S. Senate late yesterday passed a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown, so Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge can continue normal...
Public lands under threat, including Iroquois refuge
Wildlife, plants, peacefulness, and a staff that teaches about nature: All this and more are what visitors tell us they love about Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. But the refuge and others nationwide are in danger from cuts in federal spending and expected policy...
Bald eagles, nest cam back on track
By Dick Moss and Garner Light After a brief but concerning setback, the Cayuga marsh bald eagle pair and the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge nest camera project are back on track. Two weeks after the nest camera, funded by Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife...
Friends group elects officers, board members
Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge held its annual meeting Saturday, Nov. 23, and elected officers and several new board members. Elected to a two-year term as president was Richard Moss of Medina, a retired news editor. Emma DeLeon of Williamsville was...
Meet Park Ranger Emily Kelly
By Patti Singer Emily Kelly never needed to be told twice to go outside and play. Growing up near the Adirondack Park and in a family that prized the outdoor life, Kelly was at home in the natural world. “I grew up harvesting and canning produce from our garden,...
Changing seasons at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
By Emma DeLeon Summer is winding down here in Western New York. At Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, the mornings are starting to be crisp and cool. You can see hints of reds and yellows in the trees, but there are still long warm afternoons with the drone of...
Protecting the Declining Cerulean Warbler
By Emma DeLeon 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 Iroquois National Refuge are searching for the sound...
Does the Early Bird Really Exist?
By Emma DeLeon Hooded Warbler photo by USFWS 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 usual weather...
Eagle Watch Saturdays 2024
Eagle Watch 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 birds, and better yet – see them...
Raptors: Fierce Feathered Friends
By Melissa Mance Rough-legged Hawk photo by Melissa Mance 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...
Getting Our Wood Ducks in a Row
By Emma DeLeon Wood Duck Pair by Sandy Geschwender 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 along the...
Plenty of Fish! WNY’s Solitary Wetland Weasels Rebound
Fisher photo by Elizabeth Carpenter 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...
Woodpeckers: Drumming for the Beetles
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker by Tina Gangloff Wescott 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 woodpecker unleash its noggin...
The Endangered Owl That Depends on WNY
Photo by Derek Brazinet Photo by Autumn Brown 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 in many ways. This...
Hot Diggity Hog!
Photo by Richard Kauffman 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 see each other in advance. Nearly 5 feet up the tree, the...