Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

Well, that went well! With the election season over in a big way, I can say with certainty that no one truly expected the orange man with wispy hair to win the highest office in the land. Those of us with blue hearts and political leanings sighed despondently at such news, so naturally, we all needed to escape after the election results of this past Tuesday. I did so by heading to Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. I had a quest for myself and the goal was to find a rare visitor that had appeared on the main pond for several weeks this year. In fact, not only did I find one far flung traveler on this day, but two more graced my presence in and around Montezuma. The first target I sought was a duck. While that may not seem that exciting, the duck in question was a Eurasian wigeon ( Anas penelope ), a duck more at home in the marshes of Slimbridge than the backwoods of central New York. Despite living and visiting the UK frequently in my life, I had never gotten the opportunity to see...

A Palm Warbler ( Setophaga palmarum ) feeds among fading Goldenrods ( Solidago spp. ) and New York Asters ( Symphyotrichum spp.). A Song Sparrow ( Melospiza melodia ) plays hide and go seek while giving alarm calls all the while. This Brown Thrasher ( Toxostoma rufum ) proved to be a tough cookie to ID. I thought I was looked at an inverted color jay or even a late cuckoo, but the shape didn't seem right. I've been lucky to see so many this year. A Field Sparrow ( Spizella pusilla ) looks on as I watch it from the trail. Wary, but ubiquitous birds of the fields and meadows on the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed property. A towhee's eye view along one of the trails at SBMWA. The ground is just littered with hickory nuts at this time of year attracting the attention of squirrels and children alike. A recently molted American Wigeon ( Anas americana ) was floating around the pond. It was pointed out to me by my roommate and his girlfriend. Plenti...