New York is home to an impressively diverse array of natural habitats. The Empire State’s various ecoregions run the gamut from the beaches and marshes of Long Island to the grasslands and high peaks near the Canadian border. The Adirondack Mountains are perhaps the wildest, most distinct region of the state, representing the southern edge of the boreal forest biome … Read More
Morning on the Mountaintop: Bicknell’s Thrush Quest
2019 was easily the fullest, most dramatic year of my life for birding. In contrast, 2020 has by necessity been a much more subdued affair. Birding close to home has nevertheless been unexpectedly rewarding, with no shortage of unexpected surprises spotted from my fire escape and at nearby Astoria Park. As the end of the school year drew nearer, the … Read More
Thrush Comparison – PSU Fall Banding
Yesterday morning we captured and banded 71 individual birds. Forty-nine of those were White-throated Sparrows. The remaining 22 birds consisted of 4 Black-capped Chickadees, a recapture Tufted Titmouse from 8/27/2010, 4 Ruby-crowned Kinglets, 2 Gray Catbirds, 1 Eastern Towhee, 2 Song Sparrows, 6 Northern Cardinals, 1 Swainson’s Thrush, and 1 Hermit Thrush. We have caught very few thrushes this season, … Read More
Yellow-bellied Invasion – PSU Fall Banding
After a week’s worth of warm weather, the cold front moving through also brought an incredible push of migrants across the Northeast. I was very excited to get out this morning and try to catch some birds, hoping Big Hollow would be full of migrants. As I was walking to the banding site I could hear (and sometimes see) warblers … Read More
The Biggest Week in American Birding: Group Birding at its Finest!
The Biggest Week in American Birding is a ten day birding extravaganza in Ohio created by Black Swamp Bird Observatory to promote bird conservation and increase awareness of the amazing bird migration that happens in early May in northwest Ohio. It is an extremely affordable event, offering reasonably priced work shops, field trips, and presentations. In addition, it provides an excellent opportunity for … Read More