- October
- 30
If you do, a family of barn owls would be happy to stop by for a snack. According to the Audubon Society, researchers found that a family of barn owls (mom, dad and six kids) “ate 1,000 mice, shrews and rats during a three month period.”
Such are the Halloween-related facts and fun on the society’s [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 30th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
- October
- 27
A reader from Bedford sent in this account—and a photo—about bobcats in her neighborhood. The photo, she said, was taken on Monday.
My name is Maria Kessel, and I live in a community called Hammond Ridge in Bedford Corners, NY. We are surrounded by a nature preserve, which provides us with a beautiful canvas, not [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 27th, 2009 | Post a Comment »
- October
- 26
New York has the distinction of being the first place in the United States where the Asian longhorned beetle was found – Brooklyn in 1996. The beetle is a threat to hardwood trees — maples, oaks, etc. All of that is a lead-in to this story in Smithsonian Magazine, which looks at the discovery of [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 26th, 2009 | Post a Comment »
- October
- 23
The Friends of the Great Swamp—one of the state’s largest freshwater wetlands that stretches over parts of Putnam and Dutchess County—is hosting its annual art show and celebration this weekend. The event is Saturday (11 to 5) and Sunday (12 to 4) in Pawling.
“FrOGS has invited over 90 artists to show their artistic creations inspired [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 23rd, 2009 | Post a Comment »
- October
- 21
I spotted a bald eagle this morning perched in a tree along Interstate 84 in Putnam County. The bird was sitting in Kent, not far from the Bowen Road overpass. I got off the highway and circled back to the overpass to make sure I saw what I saw. He’s in the upper right-hand corner [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 21st, 2009 | Post a Comment »
- October
- 19
Sucking down an eel, I’m thinking, is like sucking down a giant piece of spaghetti. But then I wouldn’t know, since I’m not this great egret that was trying to have eel for one.
I spotted him during my recent visit to Cape May. I’m not sure if he ever finished his meal. After struggling [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 19th, 2009 | Post a Comment »
- October
- 16
Today is National Feral Cat Day, which is meant to highlight the needs of stray and feral cats. But National Feral Cat Day is also an opportunity for Audubon New York to ”(call) on cat and bird lovers to work together to protect both the birds and cats.”
“With millions of birds headed south on their [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 16th, 2009 | Post a Comment »
- October
- 15
The Natural Resources Defense Council is petitioning the federal government to place the Atlantic sturgeon on the endangered species list. The fish, as you may know, is one of the Hudson’s signature species. It appears on the blue-and-white road signs that alert folks to the importance of the Hudson River estuary.
Read more about the NRDC’s [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 15th, 2009 | Post a Comment »
- October
- 15
The Lower Hudson Valley has some decent spots to watch migrating hawks passing by on their way south every fall. Hook Mountain in Rockland County and Chestnut Ridge in Bedford come to mind.
But, if you’re into raptors and hawk watching, you have to head to Cape May, NJ during migration season, roughly September through November. [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 15th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
- October
- 14
Plenty of them roam the streets of the Lower Hudson Valley. I’m talking about minivans, which, according to a just-released study, are the “top choice of vehicle by black bears in Yosemite National Park.”
Like you’re probably thinking, my first thought upon reading about this study was that minivans typically mean kids and kids don’t [...]
Posted by Mike Risinit on October 14th, 2009 | Post a Comment »