REGION — It’s summer, and the snakes are out.  more

Although the name Frank Mele has appeared in this column on more than one occasion, his renown has been associated with the water releases legislation and bamboo fly rods.  That being said, … more

We planned to go fishing on June 2, but when the weather report forecast an 85 percent chance of showers for the western Catskills, the trip was canceled. Next morning, when my friend checked … more

Most people have witnessed it at one time or another. A small bird dives at another, larger bird. Or perhaps a lot of smaller birds vocalize in the same tree in which a larger bird happens to be … more

Some stories live in a bittersweet memory, containing both fondness and infamy alike.  more

This year for the first time, my boys decided—with some structured leading—to plant and cultivate their own crops aside from those in our farm fields. It began with a strange request. … more

On the 8th of October, I was up on a ladder, checking a faulty floodlight on the side of a building. I happened to look down at a bush in a nearby garden and saw something unusual.  I … more

What do you see when you look at the images in this column? Do the dainty circles appear like bowls filled with tiny pebbles, nests cradling eggs, eyes peering back or something else altogether? … more

Pennsylvania was once home to a small animal that resembled a mink or a weasel. When settlers arrived in the 1600s, they observed these mammals in the forests of PA.  more

According to the historical record, the parachute dry fly was likely invented sometime in the 1920s. That same record also indicated that the pattern was first patented in the U.S. and England by … more

While walking on a forested footpath in Pike County, PA recently, I nearly stepped on a fawn lying quietly among leaf litter and emerging ferns. The dappled light and the fawn’s cinnamon-colored fur pocked with white spots merged to create the perfect camouflage for the tiny white-tailed deer fawn to remain unobserved as I passed by, oblivious to its silent presence. more

From what I’m reading, hearing and observing in the field, there is consensus that mayflies worldwide are in decline.  more

You ever feel like that famous race between the tortoise and the hare? Either you got lots of things done really fast and then, after a quick nap, you realize you still didn’t meet your deadlines. Or maybe you’re trudging along steadily, unsure that you’re even getting anything done until finally it all comes to fruition.  more

Spring into early summer is the time when you might hear the most bird calls and see the most activity in fields and forests across the region. Animals are engaged in courtship and breeding; … more

I don’t know exactly when I met Bert Darrow, other than to say it had to be sometime in the very late 1960s or very early ‘70s. more

During the second week of August, the Ten Mile River Scout Camps Alumni Association held a reunion for past campers, leaders and other people involved with the camp. This year’s get-together was named “TMR95,” as it has been 95 years since Franklin D. Roosevelt, chairman of the Greater New York Councils—Boy Scouts of America (GNYCBSA), first took the initial steps in founding the camp in 1927. more

For anyone concerned about the welfare of my chickens, I will start this piece with the disclaimer that NO CHICKENS WERE HARMED in the writing of this content.  As my regular readers will … more

Not everyone knows what a lichen looks like, and many of us have little knowledge of what they are, how they live or why they are so beneficial to our lives. Here’s a primer to notch up your … more

One animal we have largely put out of our minds during the cold winter months is the black bear. People are putting seed in their bird feeders and not worrying quite so much about putting the garbage … more

When we were young men, still in high school, I recall that opening day for us actually began in February. By that time, catalogs from Herters, Sears and Read Tackle had arrived, whetting our … more