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A female yellow phase timber rattlesnake is resting with another adult female and at least five other neonates. One of the neonates, about a foot long at birth, is resting just under the adult’s chin. Neonates appear gray with markings without too much coloration difference between the young.

In the wild, there are not a lot of species that start rearing young during this part of the year. In barely a month or less, we could have our first frost. A lot of migratory birds are heading back … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 9/22/21

Blue-winged olives are hatching in the Catskills

With summer on the wane, and fall just a few short weeks, away, the little blue-winged olive mayfly hatches are beginning in earnest on most Catskill rivers. I actually saw the first emergence in … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 9/22/21

This immature broad-winged hawk was the first of three that lost their lives in collisions with vehicles over a three-week period in August. As described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, they are small, compact raptors with chunky bodies, large heads and short square tails. In flight, their broad wings come to a distinct point.

A broad-winged mystery

Sadly—and strangely—I recently came upon two immature broad-winged hawks, approximately a week apart, that died from collisions with vehicles along Route 6 in Pike County, Pennsylvania. … more

By SANDY LONG | 9/15/21

My son learns how to safely handle newborn baby goats from his grandma.

Babes abundant

After a week of watching too much of the national news, I had the strongest need to use my own media soapbox to talk to you, my readers, about something far more edifying. Babies. I don’t … more

By HUNTER HILL | 9/15/21

This adult spotted lanternfly was spotted in Pike County a year ago. An attempt was made to capture it, but it hopped and flew off, much like the flight of a grasshopper. An hour later, we returned and saw the insect in the same spot and were able to kill it after photographing it. According to the Penn State Extension, there already had been two other confirmed sightings in Pike County.

The spotted lanternfly makes its way to the region

Spotted lanternflies have been in the news of late. They have been slowly but surely expanding their way northward and are now appearing in southern areas of the region. According to the New York … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 9/8/21

Portions of a beautifully crafted Raine bamboo fly rod.

Cutting Cane

I’ve taken considerable pride in my ability to make fishing rods. By “make,” I don’t mean actually making the rod blank itself, but making the cork grips, installing reel … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 9/8/21

It all starts with gently harvesting eggs from broodstock. The eggs are then carefully mixed with milt from a male brown trout.

Future fish

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY – As with a lot of life forms on this planet, it all starts, from humans to trout, with an egg and a sperm. On Tuesday, August 24, the fisheries folks at the New York … more

By TED WADDELL | 9/8/21

The rounded red fruits, or nutlets, of the hawthorn ripen in late summer, providing bright contrast to the saw-toothed green foliage.

Tree talk: Magical hawthorn

Trees are wonderful for many reasons, ranging from aesthetic to functional to mysterious. One of the more tantalizing trees is the hawthorn, valued for its unusual attributes and the folklore … more

By SANDY LONG | 9/1/21

My son’s motto is “You pick 'em, I eat 'em.”

Backyard blackberries

August is a month for making memories. School starts back up and parents document the first days with admittedly more glee than their young academicians. The final days of summer are celebrated … more

By HUNTER HILL | 9/1/21

Some goldfinches are enjoying seed at a nearby feeder. In addition to cleaning the feeder, check your seed supply once in a while for mold or a musty smell (mold can be harmful to birds). Also, if you live in a bear habitat, you may have to get creative with where to put the bird feeder or curtail feeding altogether during bear season. Bears are attracted by seed, especially anise.

PA Game Commission lifts recommendation to cease feeding birds

Since May of this year, some states, including NJ and PA in our region, have experienced a bird mortality event affecting young songbirds (nestlings and fledglings). A recent press release by the New … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 8/25/21

A Rusty Spinner, Pale Evening Spinner, and Pheasant Tail, Parachute Nymph—patterns that work when others do not.

Observations and determinations about fly selection

As most of you know, if you have followed this column since its inception, I’ve a been a big fan of the Rusty Spinner dry fly. In fact, I wrote a column about the fly for the June 15 edition … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 8/25/21

Wood frogs are the first frogs to emerge from hibernation in the Upper Delaware River region. They range up to three inches in length, with pinkish-brown skin and a characteristic dark “robber’s mask” extending from the eye to the eardrum.

Frogs and toads: what to know

Do you know how to tell a frog from a toad? Many of us mistake one for the other. While both are amphibians, once you have the details on how to distinguish these compelling critters, as well as … more

By SANDY LONG | 8/18/21

Whether a little help babysitting or helping with manual labor, my grandparents are always up for the task.

Ain't it grand

One of the most underrated resources I have, as both a parent and as a farmer, is the assistance of family. In particular, as I try to accomplish a fraction of the items on my unending to-do list, … more

By HUNTER HILL | 8/18/21

This is a Monarch butterfly in a friend’s garden in Wayne County, PA. The butterflies spend significant time foraging for nectar, and the migrants make frequent stops during their long trip, keeping themselves re-fueled for their journey. This is a female, and she may have up to 300 eggs to lay, usually 1- 2 eggs per milkweed plant.

Monarchs in August

This summer, there have been some monarch butterflies, but not as many as in years past. Often, they can be spotted on various flowers, feeding on nectar. Gardens with brightly colored flowers draw … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 8/11/21

Clockwise from lower left: A popper, deer hair bug, streamer fly and black woolly bugger. The types of large flies used for bass with a fly rod.

Bass on the fly

When I was in high school, my friend Tony and his father had a routine when it came to outdoor sports. Fortunately, they included me in that routine. When trout season opened, we fished for trout … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 8/11/21

One last glance at our homestead before pulling away with the last load of our belongings...

Goodbye homestead

We sold the homestead. Yes, you read that right, my wife and I finally closed on selling our home of four years on the two acres of homesteading heaven we’ve been cultivating throughout that … more

By HUNTER HILL | 8/4/21

The giant leopard moth is the largest of the eastern tiger moths. Its bright white wings are spotted with patterned black and iridescent blue dots making it easy to identify.

Gypsies and giants

“Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” That quote, attributed to the Sufi poet Jelaluddin Rumi, came to mind when I learned that my editor at the River Reporter, Veronica Daub, … more

By SANDY LONG | 8/4/21

Persistence pays

My notes reveal that there had been no fishing since June 30, so it was time to go to the river. Since my friend, Rod, left for Montana on July 6 to chase trout around the “Big Sky,” … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 7/27/21

Box turtles are usually about eight inches long when grown. In addition to the orange markings, males have orange eyes while females have yellowish-brown eyes. They can be found in woodlands or fields and are omnivorous; they eat a wide variety of insects, amphibians and plants.

The turtle with a security door

In these parts, observing a turtle in the wild is not too uncommon. We can usually spot species such as painted turtles or snapping turtles in lakes and ponds; we also find them trying to cross the … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 7/27/21

The tangled aftermath of the lightning strike.

Lightning insights

A few weeks back, a large hemlock on our hill was struck by lightning during a particularly violent afternoon storm. It exploded from within, raining large tree shards across and down the hill and … more

By SANDY LONG | 7/20/21 | 1 comment

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Currently viewing stories posted within the past 2 years.
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