Hot Burning In A Wet Habitat
You may notice a black field on the west side of Hwy 63 near Iroquois NWR. That is because on May 22nd a crew of 15 wildland firefighters performed a prescribed burn in order to …
Nature Matters: Poison Ivy
It’s just scratching the surface to know that poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) causes a blistery itch. The sap, or oil, that poison ivy produces is called urushiol which is a mixture of phenolic compounds. Upon …
Iroquois Observations Bald Eagle Watch 2019
Although the adult Bald Eagles were sitting on the nest at the Cayuga Overlook at end of March, by April sixth it was apparent that the nest site would be unsuccessful once again. Upon learning …
Fishers
A fisher (Martes pennanti) is no measly weasel. The largest member of this family is making a comeback in New York State. Once nearly eliminated in all of the U.S. because of habitat loss and …
Red Squirrel
My quiet early morning is suddenly interrupted by a staccato churring cry. After screaming at me, a red squirrel dashes along a downed log and up onto a stump. There he turns and exhibits that …
2018 Cavity Nesting Birds at Iroquois NWR
Some of the cavity nesting birds at Iroquois Refuge had a good season this year. Nesting season is over but there is still work to do. Nest boxes and martin houses need to be cleaned …
Ichneumon
Some years ago Mrs. John Cottrell of Chaffee showed me a huge insect she found on a maple tree trunk in her yard. Measuring it I found its body to be almost three inches long …
2018 Heron Nest Surveys
Did you know that herons nest in colonies that are called rookeries? Well, technically they are called heronries, but that term has never really caught on in the U.S. A rookery is actually a nesting …
Black-necked Stilt at Iroquois!
On the sunny spring morning of May 8, I set out to do some birdwatching at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. I arrived at the Cayuga Pool sub-impoundment known as Kumpf Marsh, just east of Cayuga …
Iroquois Observations Eagle Watch Highlights of 2017
Short yet to the point, the Eagle Watch sign along Route 77 has drawn in a few more first time viewers to the Bald Eagles nesting at Cayuga Overlook. The reaction we get when someone …