Nature Note: A Naturalist's Travels Through Nature

In the months since I started working in Syracuse, my birding has taken a hit with the needs of working life sucking away free time on the weekends and evenings. However, as the dead of winter threatens us with cold winds and driving snow, there have been moments and opportunities to foster ornithological curiosity and observation. Most of the birding that I do in Syracuse is usually accomplished during my morning and evening commutes to and from the zoo. Just as I was leaving work today, an adult Cooper's Hawk ( Accipiter cooperi ) belted over Conservation Drive and into the tangle of cedars and houses on the other side of the fence. Even in the city, nature finds a way in, around, or throughout, eventually. Anyway, this morning as I was driving down Lodi Street, waiting for the most treacherous traffic lights I've ever experienced to change green, I noticed a small bird navigating the wind. It looked more aquatic in its handling of the wind, diving and cutting upwards and...

What a strange year it's been. Again. As I sit at home with my parents in Massachusetts where I started off 2015, I'm doing what all people do at this time of year; looking back at the accomplishments, failures, regrets, ideas, and events that defined the year. Normally, I reserve this space for "Bird of the Year" and gloat about how my journey to getting 200 species of birds on my life list has been the triumph of my year. Instead, it was finding full time work and graduating from a stay-at-parent's-home adult to a fully fledged living my own life adult. It's been a strange journey and while I've been happy with how I've been doing, I have also been looking forward at what's next. 2016 obviously. But that's just another year. Another set of 366 days (it's a leap year, don't cha know?) to fill up with happiness, anxiety, rage, tears, sweat, thought, and experience. This year, I've decided to give a rundown of the main events for...

Hello all. Over the past week, I've been getting settled in up in Saco, ME and I'll be sharing a little bit about what life is like at the moment. I'm living literally 100 feet from Ferry Beach and it is an amazing resource. The beach provides splendid views of the surrounding coastline and represents the longest stretch of sandy beach in Maine! When I headed out yesterday morning to look for some wintering water birds, I didn't expect there to be so much mist. The clouds and cold temperatures had decided to bequeath us with a sprinkle of snow and as a result, the surrounding beach and ocean was veiled in translucent mist. The view south towards Camp Ellis and the jetty. With the spitting snow obscuring the camera lens and binoculars alike, I strained to make out the black, gray, and white blobs bobbing in the surf beyond. Fortunately, the light gave way to dozens of waterfowl and other water birds diving for clams and other molluscs in the surf below. Black ( M...

*The opinions and statements made in this blog are entirely of my own opinion and do not reflect or represent the views of Drumlin Farm or Mass Audubon.   So it's happened again. I've spent a busy two and a half weeks working at camp once more and I have to say, I'm loving every minute of it. Today was the start of a new session and the day just flew by. It was amazing how well planned and coordinated a day like this could be. This week is a craft oriented week and the kids had a very nice first day getting to know the property and settling in for a week of day camp. I have been a camp counselor on and off over the past six years and this year am working as a coordinator for one of the three mini camps at Drumlin Farm. As you have probably guessed from the title, I work at Wolbach Farm which is located in Sudbury and is also the home of the Sudbury Valley Trustees. It's a lovely spot off of Route 27 and boasts a half mile loop trail in the woods on the property. The...