Refuge trails open, but be aware
During the ongoing government shutdown, the refuge grounds and trails are still open to visitors. However, please keep in mind that because staff is furloughed and volunteers are not allowed to work on the premises, facilities and services will be extremely limited....
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...
Run, Run Rudolph
Photo by Mark Crisafulli 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 and jungles. Like the impala, they take flight...
The Red Baron
Featured photo: Cardinal in evergreens by Brian Serafin. Photo by James Monteleone Cardinals are the flashy gift to birdwatchers in the eastern United States. While male cardinalsare as brightly colored as a tropical bird, they are anything but. These beloved birds...
Carl Zenger Takes the Cake!
In October, Carl's family, refuge staff, and volunteers celebrated him achieving 40,000 service hours, the largest number ever in the national refuge system! A sculpture that depicts Carl's passions - bluebirds, purple martins, and kestrels - will be installed at the...