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Milkweed bugs are largely found on milkweed plants; their bright orange and black markings advertise to predators that a very noxious meal awaits. Unlike monarch larvae, milkweed bugs can feed on other plants, such as oleander. Younger individuals in nymph stage resemble oversize orange aphids; later instars will show wing development.
Nature’s chemical weapon
We all have likely seen at least one monarch butterfly flying around the garden over the course of the summer, or perhaps we have spotted monarch caterpillars on milkweed plants. If you look closely … more
A large deposit of very fine silt left along the East Branch after the high water associated with Hurricane Debby.
Trouble on the East Branch?
The first time I fished for trout in the East Branch of the Delaware River was over Memorial Day weekend in 1959. It was shortly after New York City completed the construction of Pepacton Reservoir … more
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Showy goldenrod and its smooth tapering foliage is often misunderstood to be the flowering plant aggravating fall allergies. Goldenrod is variable in form, but generally displays brilliant splashes of bright yellow flowers with slender leaves. Not to be confused with ragweed, which blooms concurrently and launches vexatious pollen that stimulates respiratory allergies for some, goldenrod is a benign and important source of support for many pollinators.
Spare the ‘rod
Are you sneezing and wheezing as you make your way around the upper Delaware River region lately? Have you spied the brilliant yellow blooms of goldenrod and blamed them for your suffering?  … more
Lean, lower, prune, repeat.
Facing a pickle of a cucumber
If there was anything I went into this year with garden-related confidence, it was cucumber plants. Confidence, it would seem, breeds new learning opportunities in the form of previously … more
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This great spangled fritillary was spotted feeding on nectar from a thistle plant along an access road on a PA State Gamelands tract. These access roads provide a little bit of a buffer zone that is a favorable habit for thistle and other flowering plants not normally associated with typical upland forest habitats. This species will be visible through the end of August.
On and off the trail
After the heavy rains from the remnants of tropical storm Debby hit the area, it was a good time to venture into the regular wildlife haunts in search of animals on the move and plants in bloom. … more
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The New Croton Reservoir, the first reservoir to provide drinking water for New York City.
The vast New York City water supply system
It all began way back in 1842, when New York City completed and brought online the first Croton Reservoir, located in Westchester County. Years later, in 1905, that water body was enlarged and named … more
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When Indian pipes first emerge from beneath the leaf litter in regional forests, their stems bear a single flower (uniflora), which is downwardly pointed (pendant). Can you spot the black ant against the white flower in this photo?
Phantoms in the forest
The poet Emily Dickinson declared the mysterious white plant “the preferred flower of life.” Others call it ghost plant, ghost pipe or Indian pipe. Some mistake it for a mushroom. Its … more
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Some creatures attract your attention for the most unexpected reasons.
Resplendent rupture
Nature can be as brutal as it is beautiful. It might be the ivory symmetry of a winter-killed deer skull resting in a crystal stream, or the vibrant colors of a flower atop a poisonous plant.  … more
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A yellow-bellied sapsucker young is shown here peeking out of the cavity hole, likely looking for an adult with some food to deliver. Adult woodpeckers shuttling back and forth from a cavity entrance are a sure sign of breeding activity and hungry young within the cavity. ..Starting early in the spring, woodpeckers of all types will tap on trees rapidly, or “drum,” to signal to other woodpeckers that the territory is occupied. A person can learn to identify the species of woodpecker by the drumming cadence. Yellow-bellied sapsuckers have an irregular cadence.
PA Bird Atlas underway
The third PA Breeding Bird Atlas got underway this year. This undertaking is a partnership between Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas … more
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One of the Catskill tailwaters, where flows are excellent and water temperatures cold and suitable for trout.
Summer on the rivers
By this time each year, in July and August, some of our trout streams are in perilous condition. High water temperatures along with low flows set up life-threatening conditions for trout … more
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Gifts of the natural world, such as this beautiful whitetail buck, can be experienced throughout the Upper Delaware River region.
Gifts of grace
Grace, in the natural world, often appears in the form of unexpected beauty. I looked up from writing that line just in time to see a doe and fawn nibbling their way across a neighbor’s lawn, … more
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James Britenbaugh of Pennsylvania reeled in the record-breaking 12-pound, 6-ounce largemouth bass from Cayuga Lake in Cayuga County while fishing in preparation for an upcoming bass tournament.
Record-breaking bass 
CAYUGA LAKE, NY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) interim commissioner Sean Mahar recently announced that a new state record for largemouth bass was set on July … more
Orange jewelweed is apparently a very handy little yard ornament.
Always learning
It can be easy to begin to fool yourself or even others that you know everything. Sometimes I have to hold back from making an educated assumption about things on the farm when there exists a perfect … more
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This copperhead is resting in a crevice on a ledge in central PA. During the summer, copperheads frequently become nocturnal. Copperheads have dark red or rust-colored hourglass-shaped markings bordering lighter brown patterns. The snakes are usually seen with their head tilting up at about a 45-degree angle. This is not a danger signal for this species. It holds its head like that so that the slitted pupil is perfectly aligned with a 90-degree vertical.
The elusive copperhead
Two venomous snakes are native to our region: the timber rattlesnake and the northern copperhead. Neither is so common that you would see them in front of a diner when you go for that morning coffee, … more
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The Delaware River near Callicoon, on its way to Montague.
Managing Delaware River flows
In 1931, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decree that authorized and required the City of New York to release up to 440 million gallons of water per day (681 cubic feet per second{CFS}) to the … more
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Youngsters use their pocket journals to make notes while exploring the beaver pond during the 2024 Upper Delaware BioBlitz.
The artful side of science
The world of nature inspires wonder, scientific understanding and artful interpretation of our encounters with it. These elements combined to create another successful Upper Delaware BioBlitz on June … more
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Me and the family have history participating in the annual Perkins race, ever since its origin.
In the running
Traditions are as strong in the country as they are in the richest cultures in the most opulent cities. In northern Wayne County, running, especially cross-country running, has a proud and … more
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Two-lined salamanders are named for the two lines that border the dorsal band on most individuals, a line on each side. Two-lined salamanders were abundant in stream beds in the area in which the BioBlitz took place. They share the same habitat as the northern red salamander; the fish team netted a couple of larval two-lined salamanders in the water. Like the northern red salamander, two-lined salamanders are under cover during the day near streams and creeks.
On the quest for herps at the BioBlitz
The 2024 Upper Delaware BioBlitz was held on June 28 and 29 at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center in Boyds Mills, Wayne County, PA. Eight science teams documented every unique species of life … more
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A green drake dun, one of the many insects, that hatch during Bug Week. Link to file: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Bug Week
As fly fishing anglers, we all wait for spring, the beginning of a new trout season and the many insect hatches that will follow. When I taught at the Wulff school, one of my responsibilities was to … more
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This white-tailed deer surprised me during a walk at Promised Land State Park in Greentown, PA. Can you spot the young buck sipping from the stream among the grasses?
Unanticipated offerings
The natural world is filled with surprises, and while some are unpleasant, many are reminders of how lucky we are to experience an unexpected encounter with something delightful, disarming, … more
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