Peregrine falcons had a successful year last year across New York, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

DEC surveys found that there were 73 territorial pairs of state endangered peregrine falcons present in the state in 2009, with 42 pairs recorded upstate. That’s a slight increase from 2008, when 67 pairs were recorded statewide.

Also in 2009, 61 pairs bred and produced 132 young, also slightly up from 2008.

You can read the entire announcement here.

Previously on TNOT: Look! A peregrine falcon

Spring is here. I say that because the garter snakes at home are on the move. On the move both in the closet and our bedroom. Starting at about 4 this morning.

The cat discovered the first snake, who appeared under the baseboard heater in the closet in the pre-dawn darkness. We live in an old, 1800s-era house that has a lot of openings through which snakes can slither and other critters, such as crickets, occasionally appear.

A snake or two has made an appearance in the dining room at times. Today was the first time one was discovered upstairs. The cat was beside herself with joy and, perhaps, a bit perplexed at these creatures that appeared seemingly from nowhere and were tantalizingly like a piece of string. She was also covered in dust bunnies from squeezing behind the dresser in pursuit of snake No. 2.

(TJN photo)

Hunters harvested approximately 222,800 deer in the 2009 season, about the same number as were harvested statewide the previous season, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The photo, by TJN photographer Frank Becerra, shows a deer in Southeast.

Read more about 2009’s deer harvest here.

Looking for something different for your child to do during spring-vacation week? How about “Fishing the Hudson Eco-Week” at the Beczak Environmental Education Center in Yonkers? Read more after the break. Read more of this entry »

I can remember as a kid standing in the scenic pull-off area off Route 6/202 in Cortlandt and looking down at Iona Island in the Hudson River. This had to be one winter in the late 1970s or the early 1980s and the big draw that had people stopping at the overlook were a couple of bald eagles spending the winter on the river.

Looking at the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s bald eagle report, about 40 birds were thought to winter in the state back then. The two visible from the pull-off were nothing more than brown dots in the landscape that day.

Fast forward to today and the state DEC is touting a banner year when it comes to New York’s bald eagles.

With an annual mid-winter survey near completion, preliminary results indicate that the bald eagle population in New York State may be at an all-time high since the state began its repopulation efforts more than 30 years ago, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today.

New York has conducted annual surveys since 1979 and the highest official winter count occurred in 2008 with 573 bald eagles spotted. DEC’s preliminary results for 2010 indicate that sightings may exceed this number as regions of the state continue to provide favorable wintering habitat for both New York resident eagles and for Canadian visitors. As of Jan. 31, 459 eagles had been sighted, a pace well ahead of the 2008 record. New York’s survey efforts are part of a national initiative that monitors the locations and numbers of bald eagles wintering in the lower 48 states.

This morning, before I even saw the above press release, I was thinking about how much the eagle scene has changed in New York since I saw the Iona Island birds. Those were the first bald eagles I ever laid eyes on and the birds were something I associated more with places like Alaska or television shows like Wild Kingdom, rather than suburban New York. In contrast, my seven-year-old daughter has seen eagles quite regularly. Not only has she spotted the occasional eagle flying along the Hudson, she’s also had the opportunity to peer into an eagle’s nest, where mom and dad were raising their young.

That nest is in Southeast and I stopped by there this morning. Through my spotting scope, I could see an eagle sitting atop the nest. The photo leaves a little to be desired, but the white spot on top of the giant pile of sticks is an eagle

Other than a glance to the right or the left, the only other movement was the wind ruffling the feathers on the back of the eagle’s head. The bird never got up during the 10 minutes I watched, so I assumed it was mom sitting on some eggs.

“The resurgence of the bald eagle has been one of New York’s most amazing environmental success stories,” DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said in the release. “This has been due to the tremendous commitment of many DEC staff over the past three decades and the ongoing cooperation of individuals and communities that recognize the importance of protecting essential habitat bald eagles need to thrive.”

Spring will get here one day, just not today. When it does, and it brings along a warm rainy night, that will be the call to numerous salamanders and frogs to reproduce.

From the state Department of Environmental Conservation:

While they spend much of the year in their terrestrial habitats, mole salamanders and wood frogs all breed in woodland pools, a type of small wetland found in forests. During early spring rains when temperatures rise above freezing, these amphibians migrate to breeding pools by the hundreds, if not thousands.

To get to those pools, they often have to cross roads and some end up getting squished by cars. To help them out and learn where these crossings take place, the DEC and Cornell University want to hear from folks who witness a large migration of amphibians. To that end, the Bedford Audubon Society will host the following: Why Did the Salamander Cross the Road? With Laura Heady (on March 16.)

A team of U.S. and Haitian scientists, including some from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Rockland County, this week began a 20-day research cruise to map the effects offshore of the Jan. 12 earthquake and to look into the “possibility of continuing threats.”

“They hope to gather sonar images, sediments and other evidence from the seafloor that might reveal hidden structures, how they have moved, and where strain may be building now. Powerful aftershocks  have continued to rattle Haiti and nearby countries, but scientists know little about the potential for further big events and where they may strike; among other things, the team wants to investigate why a small, little-reported tsunami struck the coast during the quake.”

Here’s one of the 20- to 30,000 coyotes thought to roam throughout New York. I spotted him today in East Fishkill, just over the Putnam County line.

Coyotes are firmly established throughout all New York counties except Long Island and New York City. Their numbers have been estimated at between 20,000 and 30,000. Coyotes are abundant throughout New York state. As with most wildlife populations, numbers will fluctuate over time as food, weather and disease conditions change.

The above information comes from the SUNY School of Environmental Science and Forestry. Suburbia is replete with all kinds of food for coyotes, as the state Department of Environmental Conservation points out.

As unlikely as it may seem, human development makes surprisingly good coyote habitat. The abundant coyote food supply (e.g., rabbits, squirrels, deer, cats, small dogs, garbage, and pet food) makes living in close to people worthwhile.

New York’s forests provide wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, protect our drinking water, are the source of some food items and contribute some $4.6 million to the state’s economy every year (according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation).

Therefore, this video that lays out the various invasive threats to New York’s forests is a bit of a horror flick, from emerald ash borers to Asian longhorned beetles and creatures in between.

Ever wonder what happens to pond life in the winter when water turns to ice? Check out the latest family newsletter from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.