Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

Wow, we haven't had a leap day like this for nearly four years huh? All joking aside, Alison and I did have a lovely pseudo-Sunday walk at Green Lakes State Park in Fayetteville, NY. I say pseudo-Sunday because today was my second day off from work after working this Sunday. It also felt like a Sunday because of the feeling of a quieter, yet inevitable drag towards the work week ahead. Despite the looming threat of productivity in a professional setting merely hours away, we still managed to get about an hour's walk in before Alison had to go to work herself. As of the time of writing, she's still at work. :( As we departed into the 40 degree breeze, the outside air seemed intent on reminding us that despite some of the previous days spring-like temperatures, it was still in fact February outside. Regardless, I was eager to show Alison Green Lakes claim to fame; the water itself. As we walked down the trail, blue-green hues rose from the depths, their color enhanced s

Sciurus Hudsonicus, Hudson Bay Squirrel, Chickaree Red Squirrel This third installment in my series, Encounters with Audubon's Mammals features a personal favorite of mine: the American Red Squirrel ( Tamiascurius hudsonicus ). About a month ago, my girlfriend Alison and I visited Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, NY to watch the bird feeders. It was calming to sit and watch birds both small and not so small flit about on a bitter winter day. While the flocks of finches and other seed eaters jostled for control of the sunflower seeds above, beneath the feeders were two mammals that usually cause much trouble whenever they appear near feeders. I am of course talking about squirrels. In my first post, I mentioned how I kept seeing black squirrels all over Syracuse and how in certain parts of America, they just happen to be commonplace. In most parts of Central New York, seeing a black squirrel is practically guaranteed. The American Red Squirrel is a New World