Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

For us naturalists, the nature bug never really turns off. We're constantly noticing, watching, listening like an owl waiting for a mouse to make a wrong turn in the grass. Things that most people would walk past fascinate us, drive us mad about not knowing what they are, and implore us to learn more about another piece in nature's puzzle. The sun over the past few weeks has been unrelenting and hot. The summer heat isn't unexpected for us here in the Northeast, but this extended period without rain has left us with hills of dry grass and crisp leaves. I've never seen the leaves change color in July. Maples and oaks turning orange and brown not from a decrease in light, but instead recoiling from their provider with wilted leaves, rattling in the wind. Even the A ilanthus  that mark the border of many city streets and sidewalks are wilting in the heat, their leaves yellowing as a lack of rain punishes anything green below the sun. Fortunately not all are sufferi...

As the countdown to the first snowfall begins in earnest, another flurry is happening in our skies every night. As the light leaves pastels of pink and purple along the horizon, American ( Corvus brachyrhynchos ) and Fish Crows ( C. ossifragus ) have started their nightly journeys across the sky. Here in Syracuse, you usually see them as you travel home from work while waiting for the lights to change. Huge crowds heading over route 690 to some place beyond where they spend the night in great roosts, clustered together amidst the encroaching city. Why they cluster together like this during the winter is a bit of a mystery. Some hypotheses suggest that it could be a means for crows to gather information about potential food sources in the surrounding areas, while others suspect it has something to do with safety in numbers. Either way, such a huge gathering of these black birds seems ominous and sinister. After all, throughout history, crows and their cousins, the ravens have always...

Things are heating up at Wargo Pond this week. The frogs are out, the sunfish are starting to make their nests, and the geese are angrier than ever. When most people tend to think of Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) they think of the aggressive pooping birds that ruin any grassy area they accumulate in. When I think of Canada Geese, I think of the calls of a passing flock that are so pleasing to hear on a crisp fall day, their neat black stockinged heads and necks, and their devotion to their mates, young, and territory. These are some of the prime reasons they are one of my favorite birds. Being a fan of waterfowl in general, the late spring and early summer is one of the best times to witness waterfowl behavior. Being very common throughout North America, Canada Geese are very easy to observe when it comes to mating rituals and defensive behavior. Just today, I saw several behaviors detailed in the "Stokes Guide to Bird Behavior Vol 1". (Originally titled "A Guid...