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This eastern American toad cools off in the damp, shallow cavity it excavated in the crawlspace beneath our house.

The flagstone walkway surrounding our house is a favored place for the eastern American toads (Bufo americanus) that share our forested yard. At this time of year, knobby toads of various sizes and … more

By SANDY LONG | 7/8/20

My little blue swallow poses in the door of her fancy home.

Aviary abodes

I often like to write about my recent adventures, things I do with my family outside and just a general appreciation for nature, which I feel so inspired by. Sometimes I have a hard time coming up … more

By HUNTER HILL | 7/8/20

This fledgling eagle is one of many in the upper Delaware region right now. Though it is as large as an adult, it has a lot of things to learn with the couple of short months it will be accompanied by its parents. The parents will allow the young to steal food from them at first; stealing is a valuable skill for a young eagle.

Junior flyers in the air (and on the ground)

If you have been listening in the woods, or even in your backyard, you have probably been listening to a lot of singing—bird songs, to be exact. Spring is the time of courtship for most species … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 7/1/20

A recently hatched Isonychia dun with nymph shucks.

The Isonychia mayflies

Isonychia bicolor is a large, dun-colored mayfly that does not receive a lot of attention from the Catskill fly-fishing community. Perhaps that is because the species is not as widely distributed as … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 7/1/20

The dandelion-like flowers of rattlesnake weed emerge atop leafless stalks. This native woodland flower is thought to thrive in areas preferred by rattlesnakes.

Blooming about

As we bid farewell to spring’s abundant charms, a fresh wave of flowering plants drenches our senses with the arrival of summer. Take every opportunity to explore what is happening in nature … more

By SANDY LONG | 6/24/20

My wife Chelsea surveying our winged livestock as we load the truck to harvest our chickens.

Feeding the dream

One by one, my waddling broilers were handed off to my wife as she loaded the transport crate in the back of the truck with our freshly finished meat birds. Catching the chickens was hardly a chore … more

By HUNTER HILL | 6/24/20

This five-lined skink shows the hallmark bright blue tail seen on younger individuals. The lines are also very distinct on younger animals. Five-lined skinks are insect eaters, preying on things they can grab such as crickets and grasshoppers.

Leaping lizards!

On a July day in 2017, I was walking on a trail in state game lands in northern Pike County when I spotted movement on the trunk of a fallen tree. It moved quickly and in short spurts; the movement … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 6/17/20

A Catskill angler waits for the evening rise.

The waiting game

As a group, it seems that fly fishers are always waiting. In the early spring, they wait for the equipment they might’ve ordered for the coming season. Then they wait for April 1, the opening … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 6/17/20

It is said that the early bird gets the worm, and here is ample proof! Local photographer David B. Soete recently captured this American robin with an abundant breakfast in its beak. Robins are one of the earliest birds to be encountered in the Upper Delaware River region in spring, brightening the local landscape with their cheerful song and orange breast. Keep in mind that robins forage heavily on lawns and are vulnerable to pesticides applied to such areas.

Birds and butterflies

Despite a slow beginning beset by fits and starts, spring is finally in full swing throughout the Upper Delaware River region. The bounty of birds and butterflies all about is a welcome boost to … more

By SANDY LONG | 6/10/20

Finished with this wood pallet planter, my appreciative wife’s first question was if I could make a few more.

Weathered wood

Take a drive through the countryside; see the blossoming apple trees, the fresh green foliage and the beauty of the wildlife. On my drive to work this morning, I was blessed with seeing three … more

By HUNTER HILL | 6/10/20

This black-phase male rattlesnake is just over a yard long as seen during late May. Note that the eye color is dark in a black-phase animal. The yellow-phase rattlesnakes have a lighter iris color. (A zoom lens was used to take this image.)

S is for spring—and snakes

By now, most people have seen at least one or more species of reptile or amphibian—maybe a painted turtle or green frog. This time of year, there are places where you have to watch your step to … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 6/3/20

Art Flick’s Streamside Guide was first published in 1947 and is still in print today.

‘Art Flicks Streamside Guide to Naturals and Their Imitations’

It was in late 1972 or early 1973 at a Catskill Mountain’s Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU) meeting in Kingston, NY that I met Arthur Flick. I was at that meeting as a fisheries biologist … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 6/3/20

There’s some things a country man has got to have on hand: Lassos are on my short list.

It all hangs on this

There I hung about eight feet off the ground with the ladder top a mere foot beneath my outstretched boot. My grip slipping off the newly installed roof, I attempted to surrender as much ground as I … more

By HUNTER HILL | 5/29/20

Rose-breasted grosbeaks are distinguished by triangular patches of color on their breast. Males are easily identified by the distinctive red triangle flanked by white and topped with a black throat and head.

Two timely arrivals

Right around this time every year, hummingbirds return to the Upper Delaware River region. Local folks began reporting sightings via social media during the first week of May. In my Pike County … more

By SANDY LONG | 5/26/20

The March Brown and Grey Fox Mayflies: confusion and mystery

Soon, if not already—stream flows permitting—Catskill anglers well be treated to hatches of March Brown and Grey Fox mayflies. Both flies are large with the March Brown being the larger … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 5/20/20

This is the six-spotted green tiger beetle, as seen in Glen Spey, NY. Two of the six spots can be seen on this individual. This insect’s long legs enable it to move and change direction quickly on the ground. Also, notice the large mandibles shaped like sickles. These traits make tiger beetles formidable insect predators.

Springtime predator: the tiger beetle

I remember walking down an access road on state game lands a few years ago. It was a nice day around this time of year. The birds were actively calling; some of them could be seen as the leaves had … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 5/20/20 | 1 comment

The hermit thrush is a round-bodied brownish bird with a notably reddish tail and thin white eye-ring. Its throat is mottled with spots that fade to smudges on its pale underside.

Backyard birding

Being largely housebound due to self-quarantining can have its benefits. In this case, I had the unexpected opportunity to observe migrating birds I might have missed had I not been sheltering in … more

By SANDY LONG | 5/13/20

This oyster mushroom kit was not only fun to grow but only took a week and a half from start to finish.

Making mushrooms

Many folks have taken to new hobbies as a byproduct of being isolated at home: starting seeds, preparing gardening beds, or impatiently planting outdoors in sheer obstinance and rebellion to snowy … more

By HUNTER HILL | 5/13/20

Green frogs are probably the most commonly seen frog around waterways, from lakes to water-filled potholes in seldom-used dirt roads. They emerge from hibernation after the spring peepers and wood frogs. You will start hearing their “gulping“breeding calls from May into the summer. They can be mistaken for small bullfrogs, but the dorsolateral ridges of a green frog run from behind their eyes down to their hind leg; on bullfrogs, they curl around the eardrum and stop.

Walk in the wetlands

So far this spring, I’ve taken several hikes on public lands to do a little winding down but also to find more species for the PA Reptile and Amphibian Survey (PARS), a project that has been … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 5/5/20

My humble chicken hut functions well, but 25 new chicks have inspired me to expand.

The certainty of sweat

Something you’ve likely heard a few hundred times in the past few weeks is the phrase “in these uncertain times.” If you’re like me, you are “certain” that you are … more

By HUNTER HILL | 4/28/20

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Currently viewing stories posted within the past year.
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