The River Reporter

Keyword: birds

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13 results total, viewing 1 - 13

This is a call for much needed action. A bill (S699B) passed in the NYS Senate partially bans toxic neonic pesticides. We need to press the Assembly to do the same now that they are back … more

10/13/21

Bird language

Standing in the field at dusk, we waited. Alert for the whir of wings or a dark shape spiraling into the sky. Listening to a bird’s language of twitters, chirps and a nasal buzzing sound like … more

By KRISTIN BARRON | 5/19/21

Red-bellied woodpeckers are medium-sized woodpeckers, about the size of a northern flicker. This is a pair of them in a nest cavity they built in a dead black birch. There were young in the nest at this time, but too small to see in the entrance. Look for adults carrying food items and listen for begging calls from the young.

The percussionists of the forest

We think of percussionists when we listen to our favorite music; chances are there is a drummer or some other musician beating a cadence of some sort with the rest of the band. Like us, nature has … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 3/10/21

Adult male tree swallows are small songbirds with tiny black bills, deep charcoal flight feathers and black masks around the eyes. They are characterized by brilliant blue feathers above and white feathers below.

Noise impacts songbirds

The almost-unimaginable yet historic decision by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to permanently ban fracking in the Delaware River Watershed was announced on February 25. Eleven years of … more

By SANDY LONG | 3/3/21

Opportunities abound to participate in citizen science projects pertaining to birds like this white-breasted nuthatch. Project Feeder Watch (www.feederwatch.org) is ongoing through Friday, April 9. (Also see www.celebrateurbanbirds.org.) Take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count from Friday to Monday, February 12 to 15. Learn more at www.birdcount.org. All are projects of the outstanding Cornell Lab of Ornithology (www.birds.cornell.edu/home).

Bird balm: an antidote to anxiety

It’s safe to say that the first weeks of 2021 have not provided the hopeful optimism we’ve all been craving as we attempt to move forward and put the madness of the past year behind … more

By SANDY LONG | 1/20/21

See more about the life of an eagle in the fall 2020 edition of Explore the Great Outdoors.

‘Eagle, from the Roadway’ and more

Poetry corner November 5 to 11 more

11/4/20

A bunch of elderberries ready for picking

Elderberry eating

Most of us are familiar with the seasons as they are presented in an elementary classroom: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Fewer of us are as familiar with the micro-seasons that pass within and … more

By HUNTER HILL | 9/2/20

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

Mocking birds in this 2020 spring

Our seas and rivers look clearer; our air feels fresher, quieter; our streets and roadways are abandoned. Panic shopping for household supplies has passed, only to be replaced by lines of mothers and … more

By B. NIMRI AZIZ | 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

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 garden is designed with birds in mind: a feeder surrounded by native plants like beebalm and goldenrod.

Birds welcome here

For more than 100 years, the Audubon Society has created communities where humans and birds can live together. That mission has become more urgent as the climate changes, migratory patterns shift and … more

By ANNEMARIE SCHUETZ | 3/11/20

Currently viewing stories posted within the past 2 years.
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