Cherry Valley NWR

Trip report: earlier this summer I visited Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the site of a former golf course atop a ridge to the south of Stroudsburg, PA.  A golf-course-turned-refuge may sound odd, but re-wilding this property makes it an ideal destination for wildlife watchers such as myself. The NWR has kept the golf course […]

Blue Jay

Another common resident of the northeast, the blue jay – these members of the corvid family can be found year-round, although they are as often heard as seen, scolding other birds, squirrels, or humans from the safety of a high perch.  In backyard settings, jays have unfortunately gained a reputation for being noisy, as well […]

White-throated Sparrow

An unexpected surprise – a new member of the sparrow family from earlier this spring, and likely two different individuals!  This is the white-throated sparrow, who may be a year-round resident of northeastern Pennsylvania, if only barely, which is probably why I haven’t seen one before during their breeding season.  A nice mid-spring find!

Ulysses of Scranton – Take 2 Promos

Following it’s success last year in both in Scranton and Ballina, Ireland, Scranton Fringe’s hit Ulysses of Scranton is back for another run!  And just like last year, the initial performances will take place in Scranton before traveling abroad, this time to a month of performances in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland! The cast has […]

Copperhead in the Trail

My focus has been on birds as throughout their season, but to borrow a phrase: now for something completely different. Snakes. In particular, a copperhead snake, which is a species I have never before seen in the wild.  I knew they were present in the region, along with rattlesnakes and a myrid of lesser or […]

Hairy Nest

Some of the best wildlife advice I can offer is: engage all your senses.  As humans, we tend to rely heavily on vision, and this is especially true for photographers, and even more so when we’re peering through the camera trying to compose.  The resulting tunnel vision – no pun intended – can easily have […]

Red-winged Blackbird

On the tail of last week’s cardinal post, here’s another seasonal regular, the red-winged blackbird.  Male red-wings begin to reappear in the northeast in early spring and remain into the autumn; they are denizens of the lake and marsh, building their nests within cattail and reed beds. The males, such as this dashing example, spend […]

Northern Cardinal

Northern cardinals are year-round residents in the northeast, and one of the species I often encounter both at home, and out in the field.  Males are hard to miss with their bright red coloring, and the fact that they are often found with their mates lends them a sort of cheerful neighborly vibe.  And while […]

Killdeer by the shore

Killdeer used to be abundant in the spring and early summer, the focus of much of my early wildlife photography not only because they are photogenic, but because they were available and approachable.  While killdeer are skittish, during their nesting season they are also committed to their nests, and will linger nearby and attempt to […]

Nesting Kingbird

I keep birding ethics in the forefront when I’m out in the field, and am always cognizant of how my presence is affecting the birds I’m observing.  If I find myself too close, or sense that I’m causing them stress, I move back – or move on – even when my photographer brain objects.  And […]

Double-breasted Cormorants

I’ve been a contributor to eBird for many years, using it to keep track of my life list and contributing to their citizen science initiative.  For a long time, I kept track of my sightings in Field Notes notebooks (if you know, you know), although writing in them requires two hands, which was always unwieldy […]

Bath Time

The ubiquitous American robin, so common that I rarely bother to take photos of them anymore.  This is nothing against robins, which are perfectly respectable birds – they have nested in my backyard for at lest seven consecutive years, and while I would rather they not eat my blueberry crop, I rather enjoy their presence. […]

House Wren

A house wren is 2 ounces of fluff with 20 pounds of attitude.  These diminutive birds are feisty and territorial, willing to defend their plot of nest-able forest – and often their multiple nests and mates – with a ferocity and fearlessness that is both charming and surprising. For a number of years, a single […]

Mohonk Skytop

Our final day at Mohonk Mountain House, after breakfast and a walk through the and greenhouse, we made the ascent to the mountain’s true peak, which rises a few hundred meters above the lake.  Skytop itself is the stone tower, which is visible in several prior photos, this lighthouse-esq stone edifice is a monument to […]

Mohonk Twlight

I love twilight, where the color bleeds from the world and leaves it cast in blues as it deepens to night.  After a good meal and a glass of red wine, a walk around the lake sounded just right, and we set out in no particular hurry.  The trail was, after all, a loop that […]

Mohonk Mountain House

I first heard of the Mohonk Mountain House years ago, while watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, where he sailed up the Hudson River stopping at small towns and points of interest along the way.  Mohonk looked like a mad fairy tail castle beside a lake, and ever since those few minutes of […]

Song Sparrow Portrait

In my experience, sparrows are an overlooked family from a photography and birding standpoint.  I don’t want to go so far as to say that familiarity breeds contempt, but I think it’s fair to say that familiarity breeds indifference. Sparrows can be found year-round in the mid-Atlantic and northeast, they lack the flashy colors of […]

Immature Eagle

I found this immature bald eagle while watching osprey, and might have missed him if he hadn’t turned to look as one of the osprey flew past.  Without their adult color, and especially their white head feathers, bald eagles are tricky to spot against a forest background.  This individual is nearing maturity, but not quite […]

Catskills Panorama

This panorama came from a balcony at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY.  The Mountain House sits on the very eastern front of the range, and this view looks to the northwest, into the heart of the Catskill peaks.  Given the western view, a sunset shot was a natural choice. Panoramic photos aren’t […]

Red in Beak and Claw

Sometimes it all just comes together, luck is with you, the stars align, and the universe is in a giving mood.  I drove up to Lackawanna State Park in mid-February, on a sunny, mild afternoon, intending to walk the old south shore road and see if I could turn up some of the regulra winter […]