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October in the Adirondacks

By JIM NIGRO

This is a view of the Moose River as seen from the Route 28 bridge in McKeever, NY. Bill Moon and I arrived in Old Forge on a Thursday to do a bit of sightseeing and picture taking before canoeing the north branch of the Moose the following day. 

We drove further north to Inlet where Bill had bow hunted in the past. Old logging roads offered access well off the beaten path, with numerous campsites along the way. Here the late afternoon sun illumines towering spruce trees.      

Dead timber, colorful maples and spruce frame the shoreline of a placid pond.

A totally calm surface on Nick's Lake provides a mirror image along the shoreline. 

These canoes no doubt saw a good deal of use this year, but on this day not a soul around. 

Winterberry -- we would see plenty of this stuff growing along the north branch of the Moose River. There we would find it in huge clusters and already minus much of its leafy growth. Stay tuned -- the canoe trip was quite breathtaking.

North branch of the Moose River: solitude and beauty

By JIM NIGRO

We hadn't traveled very far when, from the stern of the canoe, I heard Bill Moon say, "Listen to that." Except for the sound of his voice, there was absolute silence. He was referring to the solitude of the Adirondack wilderness. At the time we were paddling the north branch of the Moose River where it winds through brushy banks lined with winterberry and distant hills in the background

Downstream a ways, we would enter green corridors of spruce and pine, and finally stretches of river where the evergreens and maples mingle, splattering a predominantly green shoreline with red and yellow.

"Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiul to values as yet uncaptured by language." 

                                     Aldo Leopold, "A Sand County Almanac"

With the hardwoods already having lost much of their foliage, the evergreens had lost a bit of their backdrop...

yet they towered above the river bank, as aesthetically pleasing as ever.

Except for small birds flitting and rustling in the winterberry, these mallards provided one of our few glimpses of wildlife. Occasionally, the sound of geese could be heard, though they were nowhere in sight. Once or twice we heard the guttural squawk of a raven - it too was heard and not seen. 

The day was sun-filled and warm, the setting serene. The  leaning sycamore pictured above seems to be whispering to the trees on the opposite bank.

Clusters of winterberry  

The sound of water rushing over rocks and around and under sizeable boulders indicated it was time for our lone portage of the trip, a canoe-tote of approximately 200 yards. The portage trail was well-defined, though there were numerous tree roots spanning the path which tested our agility -- and patience.

Bill has made this trip a number of times - here's  "ol' man river" and his understudy!

Local hunters unveil new website

By JIM NIGRO

I'd like to share with you a few whitetail photos that were passed along by the "Talk of the Tines" crew, a handful of outdoorsmen from Batavia and Bethany. The deer pictured above is one of the first things you will see on their new website, http://www.talkofthetines.com.

The photo was taken this past summer, not long after DJ Tosh decided to include the use of trail cams and video equipment in his preseason scouting strategy. Two of his hunting companions, GCC students Alec and Bryce Kirsch, after having listened to DJ's idea, were really keen on the idea of filming whitetails.

Once the trio began taking pictures and video they began to capture some dandy bucks on film. Some were taken at night, like the big guy caught on the trail cam. Others were taken during the day. A few, like the big buck seen cutting and running with two other bucks in the third photo, appeared on both, having been captured by the trail cam after dark as well.

"We start watching for bucks mid to late summer to see what's out there," DJ said. "If a deer is 'pushing' good horns at that time, you know he's gonna be a decent deer. Then its time to get out the cameras and set up in spots where we think we might be able to get pictures. Trail cams are more accessible now, price-wise. That wasn't always the case."      

DJ's eye for detail doesn't soley apply to deer. He and his wife, Charissa, are youth group leaders at Grace Baptist Church in Batavia. One day a pair of teens walked in to a youth group function wearing camo and DJ immediately noticed the Kirsch twins. DJ previously attended West Bethany Baptist Church where Jim Kirsch, the boys' father, is pastor.

"I noticed the camo first thing," DJ said. That led to a discussion which quickly got around to his favorite outdoor pusuit. The three have been chasing whitetail bucks ever since.

They knew a website would be an undertaking which would require commitment, responsibility and the need for helping hands. This would pose no problem. Only 29, DJ is also the owner/founder of 9-10 Builders. The name of his business is derived from the Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9, Verse 10,"whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might" -- in other words, whatever you do, give it your best and it has become DJ's life verse.    

One of the first things on DJ's to-do list was reach out for sponsors. The response was favorable with companies from the Midwest, all producers of outdoor products, lending their support. Among them are Seemz Technology scent eliminators, Muddy Outdoors and Motion Camera Arms.

Next he enlisted the help of friends and fellow hunters Zack Dawson and Jeff Bartz. Zack, along with his wife, Jess, are also youth group leaders at Grace Baptist where Jeff is the youth pastor. Zack, who is pursuing a pastoral ministry, will work on developing an outreach and discipleship ministry while Jeff is the blog coordinator for the website. (On Friday, Jeff had an interesting phone conversation with noted Southern Tier author/photographer Charles Alsheimer.)

Zack and Jeff's duties will free up DJ and the Kirsch brothers to concentrate on hunting and filming, though all will participate in the outdoor aspects of the operation. Zack is already becoming quite familiar with the photo aspect.

"Taking pictures we try to cover as much ground as we can," he said. "With a good lens you can zoom in from 200 yards." 

DJ added that actual hunting takes a bit more planning.

"We have fixed stands that are based on terrain or habit, a deer's repetitive movement or pattern. The bigger deer are harder to pattern so we all carry climbers," he said, referring to portable tree stands. 

After talking with the group last week, and especially after having checked out their website, it became obvious their endeavor is about much more than the pusuite of whitetails.

As DJ Tosh put it, "It's about friends, family and camaraderie in the outdoors. ... My desire to film and do the website has been fueled by the willingness of the others to get involved. It's a group endeavor."

Despite being in its early stages, the website http://www.talkofthetines.com. is already receiving a good bit of traffic. The bow season opened Saturday and as the season progresses the Talk of the Tines crew is certain to kick into high gear with more photos, videos, blogs and experiences afield being updated on a regular basis as they share their outdoor adventures and the privileges and blessings they so enjoy.  

On Saturday, Nov. 19, the opening day of the firearms portion of the deer season, the Talk of the Tines crew will be hosting a Hunters Gathering at the West Bethany Baptist Church from noon until 2 p.m. with food and refreshments, door prizes and the opportunity for hunters to have their picture taken.

The apple-eating woodchuck

By JIM NIGRO

 

The woodchuck in the above photo appears to be looking for greens to eat. During the late spring and summer he feasts on selective grasses and clover, not to mention choice morsels from our flowerbeds -- petunias, snapdragons, pansies to name a few. 

Once the fruit from our apple tree starts falling to the ground, as stealthy as can be, he sneaks into the yard in search of apples. Here he's checking to see if the coast is clear.  

Once he locates an apple, he sometimes takes a few bites right where he found it, gnawing away for a moment or two before looking toward the house to make sure he's still dining incognito. He then waddles quickly back to the edge of the brush in case he needs to make a quick getaway. If not disturbed, he'll finish his meal there. 

He always seems to relish the apples, and this one is no exception. He's really getting into it. Maybe he was too into it...

as it appears some of the apple went down the wrong pipe!

Streams and meadows: one youngster's wonderland

By JIM NIGRO

My earliest memory of this place dates back to the mid-fifties. I was Joshua's age when I saw my first red fox, a vixen with her young in this same locale. Because it was so close to home, only once did he have the opportunity to ask, "Are we almost there?" Once out of the car, he was like the proverbial kid in a candy store.

Everywhere he looked there was so much to see, much of it new to him.

This yellow and black argiope spider has set up its web in an ideal spot at the edge of a small stream. It had three dragonflies in its web, each encased in individual homespun "cocoons"  and enjoying the fruits of its labor. Joshua wasn't too happy about this -- he likes dragonflies!

This is the same spider, different angle. 

Walking along the stream, something has gotten Joshua's attention...

A bullfrog, floating on the water, a big green frog, doin' what he oughta! The frog just didn't plan on a curious 5-year-old walking into its domain. 

Realizing the water was well over his boots, he looked for another spot to cross...he really wanted that frog.

Fortunately for the frog, Joshua wasn't able to find a spot shallow enough to cross and he looks slightly dejected as he grudgingly admits defeat.

An uninvited grasshopper flies in to cheer up the youngster...oops! Where'd he go?

Got 'im!!!

There were plenty of sights Joshua easily understood...

And others which he did not...what was the snail doing three feet off the ground?

He learned that some critters are best left alone...

while others afford a good chase.

See what I mean?

Joshua hardly did more than glance at the butterflies...

and he paid no attention to the asters whatsoever...

All things considered, it was a great outing, both for a young man and his grandfather!

A youngster's introduction to the praying mantis

By JIM NIGRO

The two youngsters in the photo above have their eyes riveted to something in the flower bed behind their home. That's Joshua on the left along with brother Tim. Whatever it is they're watching has also gotten the attention of their father. Five-year-old Joshua has a fascination with the smaller members of the animal kingdom, particularly insects. Crickets and grasshoppers are old stuff for Joshua, and he has on more than one occasion caught dragonflies with his bare hands, been stung by bees, etc. ... that may be one reason why he is ordered to empty his pockets before coming back into the house.

While Joshua has spent countless hours in the backyard catching a variety of bugs, this praying mantis was a first for he and his brother. As with the rest of his insect discoveries, he began to move in for a capture -- until he was warned not to. See that brown claw? It's sharp and lightening fast.

The praying mantis has long been considered good to have around your shrubs and garden plants for pest control. They reportedly have a healthy appetite for insects but they are actually quite adept at taking small animals as well. If you care to, Google mantis vs. snake or praying mantis vs. hummingbird and you will see how truly deadly they can be.

The mantis obviously had enough interaction with humans and decided it was time to turn tail and head back to the brushy confines of the flowerbed.

Back among the greenery, the mantis blends in well, all the better to ambush its intended quarry.     

To no one's surprise, Joshua was totally enrapt with the praying mantis. I told him that, if he let the mantis be, I'd take him to a really great place to see "all the critters he enjoys so much." That turned out to be an equally fun outing for both of us and I hope to have it posted tomorrow. 

Do bullfrogs remember? Can they smile?

By JIM NIGRO

It was three summers ago when I liberated a few dozen large tadpoles into the meadow stream pictured above. A stone's throw from where I took this photo is a narrow ditch that, when filled with water, empties into said stream. Well, on the day I'm speaking of, I saw a heron take flight from the ditch.

Because there was no water in the ditch at the time, I thought I'd investigate. Turns out there was a wee bit of water in the form of three small puddles. Several small surface boils indicated there was something living in the roiled water. Because the water was discolored, I assumed it was small fish in the puddles. The heron had been having itself a feast and judging from the tracks in the mud, so did the raccoons. We live not far from here so I went home and returned with a plastic five gallon pail.   

As I first mentioned, the puddle captives turned out to be tadpoles -- sort of. They were actually frogs with tails. And because they hadn't fully "morphed" into frogs, they were not ready to breathe on land. Thus they were confined to the small puddles and easy pickings for anything that found tadpoles tasty.   

As you can see, there is no shortage of either water or aquatic vegetation in the ditch this summer. When I first took these photos I gave no thought to that day three years ago

 

But take note of the bullfrog's position in successive photos. It had its back to me, then it seemed to turn for a sideways glance before fully turning in my direction. Maybe its me, but, I've read where it takes two to three years for bullfrogs to reach maturity.

Could this be one of the survivors of that hot summer day? And do bullfrogs remember? After all, by the time I took the last photo it did seem quite friendly...maybe even smiling a little!

Great egrets at Oak Orchard WMA

By JIM NIGRO

Saturday afternoon we were on our way to East Shelby when we spotted upwards of two dozen egrets wading the Upper Stafford Marsh on the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area. I regretted not having a camera along, but vowed to have one the next morning.

It was 9 a.m. today when we pulled into the overlook on Albion Road and, fortunately, the egrets were still there. There are 17 great egrets in the above photo, with several more outside of the lens angle.

I've not seen such a gathering of the large wading birds before, not even in South Florida. Whether they were stalking small fish, frogs or reptiles, I couldn't say but something to their liking must have been plentiful in the shallow marsh.  

Normally, great blue herons are the largest wading birds in the marsh. While the blue heron is nearly identical in size to the great egret, on this day it was certainly in the minority.

Summer blooms on the wane

By JIM NIGRO

Our rose of Sharon bushes range in color from red and white to lavender and red and one is pure white. We started them as small shoots no more than 18 or 20 inches in 2004. Today the largest stretch nearly nine feet. That's not surprising, being that they were planted over heaps of compost.

There was a time when most of the wildlife attracted to the rose of Sharon seemed to be Japanese beetles, which I crushed with relish. As the blooms became more prolific, the visitors became more pleasing to the eye. That was especially the case this year with butterflies, bees and hummingbirds visiting on a regular basis. In the above photo, a pollen-covered bumble bee begins to emerge from a rose of Sharon bloom.

An Eastern tiger swallowtail comes in for a landing... 

and spreads its wings. Don't know if it was gathering nectar or simply taking in the sun's warmth. Maybe both.

We've always enjoyed the rose of Sharon, one reason being they provide color from mid to late summer. Now, with their blooms fading, we know the summer is nearly over and the first frost just around the corner!

A bit of red, white and blue courtesy of feathered friends

By JIM NIGRO

One look at this cardinal and it's easy to see his normally prominent crest is laid flat against the back of his head. Rather than belting out his normal cheerful tune, this guy seems to be somewhat agitated..... 

Turns out he's on the attack, a bit feisty, aggressive and...

maybe even a bit territorial. Certainly hungry! Although he has a mouthful, he's eyeing a butterfly flitting past, the small white blur in the foreground.

I recall seeing a house finch for the first time and thinking that a sparrow and cardinal had crossbred.

We see the house finches quite regularly in our yard, never very far from the safety of dense cover.

This great egret is stalking the shallows of upper Stafford Marsh off Albion Road in Oakfield.

Except for the color of the stilt-like part of their legs, the great egret is nearly identical to the great white heron. The legs of the egret  are black, the white heron's are gray-green.

Like the cardinal in the first three photos, this blue jay's behavior is something I've not seen before. He's perched on the edge of an old canoe we've filled and turned into a flower garden. Normally quite noisy, this guy never made a sound although his beak was wide open the entire time. The feathers of his head, back and neck are clearly tufted, while his wing and tail feathers are fanned for promiment display. The guess here is he was either trying to attract a female or scare off an intruder.

A red-tail hawk and his "arsenal"

By JIM NIGRO

The red-tail hawk is equipped with piercing eyes that can spot prey from a considerable distance and spot minute movement in tall grass and underbrush. There is much to be said about his hunting ability, but an encounter with a red-tail up close is quite telling -- his weaponry speaks for itself.

That hooked bill is keen-edged like a razor and his lengthy talons are needle sharp. They are more than a match for the small mammals he hunts. You can add smaller birds and the occasional reptile to his menu and you still have but a partial list.

Despite being such a lethal and ominous-looking raptor, the red-tail is something of a romantic. He's monogamous and the courtship flight involves both the male and female soaring high on thermal currents while gliding in wide but separate circles high in the sky.

Claudia and I took these photos at the Hazard Campbell project on the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area.

The bluebird: a shy and retiring songbird

By JIM NIGRO

Whereas the orioles were easy to photograph, the bluebirds were quite timid, refusing to remain still for more than a moment or two and making photo opportunities difficult.

While the orioles nested in the woods to the north, the bluebirds -- at least two mating pairs -- nested in the small woods bordering the southern edge of our property. They made repeated forays to our mulberry tree, appearing to take a single berry and fly back into the woods. Moments later they would reappear on a dead limb of a white ash (as seen in above photo), making a brief stop before flying in for another mulberry.  

We had ample bluebird sightings in our backyard this year. While I was aware they were not around in great numbers, until now I've never realized how shy and retiring they are. Claudia and I have seen more bluebirds during the summer of 2011 than all previous years combined. Maybe it's nature's way of making up for a less than pleasant winter!

Songbird summer

By JIM NIGRO

Throughut the summer there was no shortage of colorful songbirds around our home. The orioles were among the first arrivals, showing up when the apple tree blossomed. They busied themselves searching the small white blooms for food, flitting from branch to branch in their quest for tiny insects.

Perched at the very top of the tree, this oriole took time to preen.

Looking for bugs

Casting a wary eye

Belting out a few notes

Multiple mating pairs nested in the small woods along the northern edge of our property. Their pleasant song was often heard anytime during the daylight hours. 

Late spring in the wetlands

By JIM NIGRO

Sitting on her clutch of eggs, a mother goose is doing her best to keep a low profile while keeping a wary eye out for predators -- and photographers.

If only for a short time, this wetland tract is where "momma" and her brood will call home.

Three of the five hatchlings. 

Three of the five youngsters are barely visible, yet mom & dad manage to stay fore and aft of the entire brood.

Young and vulnerable, the goslings are totally dependant on their parents for protection. And with numerous predators found throughout the various types of habitat in the wetland, there is much to protect these fuzzy youngsters from.

When Oak Orchard Creek spills its banks, such as it did this spring, northern pike find their way into the marshes and deeper pools, such as the one above. Toothy northerns have, on occasion, been known to take young waterfowl.

Aquatic predators, like mink, make their home here, not to mention danger from above in the form of hawks and owls. 

Flooded timber can be enchanting, yet full of peril for young waterfowl.

This is a likely place to encounter snapping turtles or a marauding raccoon.

For these goslings, everything must seem larger than life...and perhaps a bit overwhelming at times. Maybe that's the reason for this youngster's perplexed look.

This youngster seems to be making sure all siblings are present and accounted for!

While there are numerous predators that live in and around the wetlands, there are neighbors that bring no cause for alarm...such as these painted turtles.

Or a cardinal in the cottonwood.

Even an eastern swallowtail.

With all the distractions, sometimes mom or dad needs to crack the whip! Here she's seen hissing, as if to say, "get back in line."

All things considered, at the end of the day the best place for a gosling is directly below the protection of mom's down feathers.

Late Spring in the Wetlands

By JIM NIGRO

Sitting on her clutch of eggs, a mother goose is doing her best to keep a low profile while keeping a wary eye out for predators  -  and photographers.

If only for a short time, this wetland tract is where "momma" and her brood will call home.

Three of  the five hatchlings. 

Three of the five youngsters are barely visible, yet mom & dad manage to stay fore and aft of the entire brood.

Young and vulnerable, the goslings are totally dependant on their parents for protection.  And with numerous predators found throughout the various types of habitat in the wetland, there is much to protect these furry youngsters from.

When Oak Orchard Creek spills it's banks, such as it did this spring, northern pike find their way into the marshes and deeper pools, such as the one above. Toothy northerns have, on occassion, been known to take young waterfowl.

Aquatic predators, like mink,  make their home here, not to mention danger from above in the from of hawks and owls. 

Flooded timber can be enchanting, yet full of peril for young waterfowl.

This is a likely place to encounter snapping turtles or a marauding raccoon.

For these goslings, everything must seem larger than life....and perhaps a bit overwhelming at times. Maybe thats the reason for this youngster's perplexed look.

This youngsters seems to be making sure all siblings are present and accounted for!

While there are numerous predators that live in and around the wetlands, there are neighbors that bring no cause for alarm....such as these painted turtles.

Or a cardinal in the cottonwood.

Even an eastern swallowtail.

With all the distractions, sometimes mom or dad needs to crack the whip! Here she's seen hissing, as if to say, "get back in line."

All things considered, at the end of the day the best place for a gosling is directly below the protection of mom's down feathers.

Great Blue Heron Stalking Prey

By JIM NIGRO

This Great Blue Heron was standing motionless when Claudia began taking his picture....but the master stalker of the shallows didn't remain still for long.

Moments later, the heron appeared to have spotted prey and began a slow and deliberate stalk.

Skulking through the shallows, the heron is intently focused on its quarry.

We obviously couldn't see what the heron was hunting. They feed mainly on small fish but their diet has been known to include, among others things, frogs, crayfish, small mammals, birds and snakes.

The Great Blue Heron's bill is not only large but sharp as well and a dangerous weapon -- the heron's thrust is lightening quick.  

With its back to us, the heron displays its promiment black crest.

Backyard Bushy Tails

By JIM NIGRO

While there has always been a good number of gray squirrels nearby, this is one of the few fox squirrels I recall seeing near our home. That bushy tail may be one of the reasons behind their name.

About one and a half times the size of a gray, the fox squirrel is North America's largest. Here it's feasting on last year's box elder seeds.

Like the gray and red squirrel, the fox squirrel's color phase may vary from region to region.

Adding to its ample girth.

Smaller than both the fox and gray, the red squirrel, above, seems to be the feistiest of the three, particulary when defending its territory.

Here it's easy to see where the red got its name.   

The entire time I watched, this red seemed preoccupied in one of walnut trees growing along the north border of our property.

Here again, the red tends to a walnut tree. It seemed to concentrate on forks in the tree, perhaps enhancing future buds. Whatever, the red squirrels have established themselves in the area around the six walnut trees that are clustered into a small area. The gray squirrels, meanwhile, have been relegated to the hickory and oak trees back near the creek.

Pileated woodpecker pays return visit

By JIM NIGRO

This pileated woodpecker gave me ample opportunity to try out our new camera. For half an hour or more it made two large cavities in a young cottonwood, one of seven within a stone's throw of the house. Whenever they visit they tend to ignore the huge cottonwood as well as the walnut, hickory, white ash and maple trees, instead focusing their attention on the young cottonwoods -- smoother bark, easier to penetrate, is my guess.

As you can tell from the photo sequence, the pileated's rountine was to pound away for a bit before tilting its head back as if to inspect its work, sometimes probing around inside the fresh excavation or even repositioning itself before renewing its efforts.

When it was time to leave it flew across our property, over the tops of our neighbor's woods, performing its trademark "swoop and dip" on the fly.

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