Katydids, crickets and lightning bugs!

April Update

4/29

Dandelions

Violets blooming!

Maple trees leafed out

Catbird!

4/27

Ruby throated hummingbird!

American kestral

Bat at pond

Red fox!

Baby goslings at the pond

American toad

Gray tree frogs

Owl

4/26

Dragonfly!

Giant Water Bug!

Predacious Diving Beetle!

Gray tree frogs!

Bull frog!

Green frogs!

American toad!

Black rat snake

Baby painted turtels!!

Quince bushes flowering

May Apple foliage

Jack in the pulpit

Canada mayflower

Dogwood blooming

Tamarac's have needles

4/25

Dandelions!

Cherry trees blossoming

Bald eagles

Red shouldered hawks

Red tailed hawks

Geese on the ponds

Wood duck at wood duck swamp

Turkeys behind pond - including a bearded hen!

Deer, deer, everywhere

Red-efts

Bunnies

Opossoms and raccoons

Painted turtles sunning themselves on warm days

4/20

Forsithya blooming

4/14

Garter snake

Bloodroot flowers blooming!

4/11

Cowbird at feeder

male and female Wood ducks at swamp

Bunny rabbit

Goldfinches!

Black throated blue warbler!

4/10

Coltsfoot blooming along roadsides

Tree swallows!

Daffodils blooming - only a few

2 kingfishers at pond

Pickerel frog at swamp

4/9

Trillium and Trout Lily - foliage only, no flowers yet

4/8

Huge gobbler on Emery Road

Common mergansers and canada geese on Front Pond

4/7

Coltsfoot!!

Great Blue Heron!

Red-winged blackbird!

2 male wood ducks at swamp

4/6

Forsithya buds showing.

Honey suckle leaves BARELY emerging.

Red maple buds showing.

March update:

3/19

Beaver on Front Pond.

Cowbirds and phoebes are back on campus.

Woodcocks

Snow fleas

Skunk Cabbage

Salamander search results: 50+ red spotted newts; 20 red backed salamanders; 23 dusky salamanders; 3 two lined salamanders; 2 tadpoles; 1 freezing cold green frog

3/20

Sunny, blue skies. SPRING EQUINOX!

3/21

3-4" snow overnight

2 canada geese and 2 mallards at swamp

3/27

three bald eagles

hawks

robins, ravens and crows

3/29

Hepatica and dutchmans breeches at Zimmerman Farms (foliage, but no flowers yet)

Bear scat at the knoll house

3/30

Turkey tracks by vernal pool

Masses of amphibian eggs in vernal pool

3/31

Spring peepers

Woodcocks

Canada Geese

Wild turkeys - gobbling each night on lower campus

Honeysuckle leaves are starting to unfurl

Red maple buds are turning the hillsides a dull red

4/1

Wood duck

Mallards

Woodcocks

1-2" of snow overnight

4/2

Turkeys gobbling

4/4

Common mergansers on front pond

Painted turtles sunning themselves at the swamp!

Chipmunks are out and about. Lots and lots of gray squirrels are running around.

Mourning doves have been calling all day and into the evening.

Garter snakes were seen on March 12.

American woodcocks were first heard on March 8, and they have been "peenting" every night on campus since then. Dawn and dusk are their busy times, but they've been heard and seen in the black of night.

Spring peepers have started peeping at the swamp. Last night was the first "choir" that was heard.

Springtime has arrived! Well...the salamanders have!

Last night, we walked along Brisco Mountain Road in the rain, looking for and assisting spotted salamanders across the road.

The tally:

41 live spotted salamanders

17 dead spotted salamanders

2 live wood frogs

3 dead wood frogs (one with an egg sac)

20 live spring peepers

10 dead spring peepers

Rain, rain and more rain. Started last night and is continuing into the morning. Will it melt all the snow?

Flock of American Robins on campus - pulling worms from the loosening soil.

Chipmunks are out and about, running along rock walls where they've probably been curled up, avoiding the heavy snows and cold temperatures.

Canada Geese are back on Front Pond.

AMERICAN WOODCOCKS displaying on campus, right in front of the main building. Their courtship display involves spiraling upwards into the air and giving off a loud "peent!"

Lots of rain last night. Turned to snow this morning, but only left a dusting.

Herd of eight white-tailed deer walking around campus.

A few days ago, a flock of blue birds (nearly 20) were seen behind the main building. This morning, a flock of mourning doves was seen.

Ice fishing on Front Pond yesterday! We caught six fish, including sunfish, black crappie and a largemouth bass.

Northern cardinals are beginning their courtship calls.

Cardinals are mainly seed eaters, but will also eat insects and fruit when they are available. During courtship, the male feeds seed to the female beak-to-beak.

A clutch of 3-4 eggs is laid and 2-4 clutches can be produced each year.

A little sunshine and some warmer temperatures today. Not quite warm enough to melt the ice layer, but warm enough to lure all the gray squirrels back out. They're all over campus today, squabbling over food.

Lovely, sunny day with blue skies.

Two male cardinals squabbling and chasing each other around the bird feeders.

There are only a few animal tracks in the woods - primarily squirrels. The deep snow is covered up by a thick ice layer.

Headed north yesterday - up to the Mongaup Reservoir and the Eagle Institute. Saw six bald eagles, including a resident pair along the river.

Two pileated woodpeckers flying through the woods.

Cold, cold, cold temperatures.

-8 degrees this morning!

Our resident winter birds are keeping us busy filling the feeders.

Starting to snow this afternoon! We received 5 inches of snow last night and more is drifting down now.

Cold temperatures!

Feeders are busy with our winter resident birds.

Animal tracking programs have found signs from deer, foxes, coyotes, mice, squirrels and rabbits.

Canada geese are flying past.

We scooted out onto Front Pond today to measure the ice. 7 inches!

January 2011

The new year has begun, with a significant lack of snow. The single snowfall that we've had here is already melting away in the sun. We've spotted a lot of tracks in the snow and mud - white tail deer, fox, coyote, squirrels and rabbits have all been busy around our campus.

The winter birds are busy at the feeders. We frequently see black-capped chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, cardinals, juncos and blue jays.