Outdoors | The River Reporter

Outdoors

Featured Most recent

Currently viewing stories posted within the past 2 years.
For all older stories, please use our advanced search.

234 results total, viewing 1 - 20

This copperhead is resting in a crevice on a ledge in central PA. During the summer, copperheads frequently become nocturnal. Copperheads have dark red or rust-colored hourglass-shaped markings bordering lighter brown patterns. The snakes are usually seen with their head tilting up at about a 45-degree angle. This is not a danger signal for this species. It holds its head like that so that the slitted pupil is perfectly aligned with a 90-degree vertical.

Two venomous snakes are native to our region: the timber rattlesnake and the northern copperhead. Neither is so common that you would see them in front of a diner when you go for that morning coffee, … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 7/24/24

The Delaware River near Callicoon, on its way to Montague.

Managing Delaware River flows

In 1931, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decree that authorized and required the City of New York to release up to 440 million gallons of water per day (681 cubic feet per second{CFS}) to the … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 7/24/24

Youngsters use their pocket journals to make notes while exploring the beaver pond during the 2024 Upper Delaware BioBlitz.

The artful side of science

The world of nature inspires wonder, scientific understanding and artful interpretation of our encounters with it. These elements combined to create another successful Upper Delaware BioBlitz on June … more

By SANDY LONG | 7/16/24

Me and the family have history participating in the annual Perkins race, ever since its origin.

In the running

Traditions are as strong in the country as they are in the richest cultures in the most opulent cities. In northern Wayne County, running, especially cross-country running, has a proud and … more

By HUNTER HILL | 7/16/24

Two-lined salamanders are named for the two lines that border the dorsal band on most individuals, a line on each side. Two-lined salamanders were abundant in stream beds in the area in which the BioBlitz took place. They share the same habitat as the northern red salamander; the fish team netted a couple of larval two-lined salamanders in the water. Like the northern red salamander, two-lined salamanders are under cover during the day near streams and creeks.

On the quest for herps at the BioBlitz

The 2024 Upper Delaware BioBlitz was held on June 28 and 29 at the Highlights Foundation Retreat Center in Boyds Mills, Wayne County, PA. Eight science teams documented every unique species of life … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 7/10/24

Bug Week

As fly fishing anglers, we all wait for spring, the beginning of a new trout season and the many insect hatches that will follow. When I taught at the Wulff school, one of my responsibilities was to … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 7/10/24

This white-tailed deer surprised me during a walk at Promised Land State Park in Greentown, PA. Can you spot the young buck sipping from the stream among the grasses?

Unanticipated offerings

The natural world is filled with surprises, and while some are unpleasant, many are reminders of how lucky we are to experience an unexpected encounter with something delightful, disarming, … more

By SANDY LONG | 7/3/24

New chicks cracking out in the incubator…..

Chicken chores and challenges

I’m a proud chicken farmer. I love having chickens, caring for them, making them healthy and productive, and sharing that with my egg customers. But that’s the shiny postcard face of the … more

By HUNTER HILL | 7/3/24

Learn how to protect yourself from the sun's harmful radiation.

The sun, our skin and our sunscreen

The outdoor life has blossomed in our region, inviting us to embrace nature’s splendor. Usually, I grab whatever sunscreen is left over from previous years and run outside. I know I need to … more

By HEDY SCHNELLER | 7/3/24

At first glance, these two beetles appeared to be Japanese beetles. However, these lookalikes are actually dogbane beetles. They are so named because they feed exclusively on dogbane plants. Like milkweed, the dogbane plant contains cardiac glycosides. The beetles, like monarch butterfly larvae, accumulate glycosides in their bodies, making them an unsavory meal for any would-be predator.

Small things can tell big stories

During mid-June, I embarked on one of many field trips to a site in central PA to find and track some reptile species. On this particular day though, I found a lot of interesting small things. With … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 6/26/24

A typical large Delaware River rainbow, landed at dusk.

Dusk on the Delaware

I began fishing the main stem Delaware River while still in high school. That was in the late 1950s. I learned about the rainbow trout fishery the river had to offer when my friend Ted Boeglin called … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 6/26/24

Ever wonder what happens to the scat deposited by the abundant wildlife living in the Upper Delaware River region? Some of it gets expertly rolled into balls by dung beetles and carted off as a food source. The dung ball behind the beetle in this photo will be rolled backwards to its ultimate destination.

Watch your step!

As children, my sisters and I were often advised to pay attention to where we placed our feet. Kids can be clumsy and a misplaced step causes irreversible harm if you happen to be a toadlet or a … more

By SANDY LONG | 6/19/24

Our greenhouse looks like a dream at night.

Coming home to critters

I’ve been saying for a while that once we get into our new house a lot of things will get easier. Among them, I would have to put my commute to work at the top of the list, given the drastic … more

By HUNTER HILL | 6/19/24

Painted turtles are the most common turtle seen in the region. An aquatic species, they favor ponds, lakes and wetlands. The yellow-and-red markings on the head and edge of the carapace give this turtle its name. They can be up to eight long. Females are most likely to cross roads as they travel to nesting sites, and both sexes may travel later in the summer looking for new water sources.

Why did the turtle cross the road?

Spring is a busy time for many animals, and you might see more animals on the move because many of them are going to or from their breeding grounds. One of the most visible locations where these … more

6/12/24

A large brown trout, caught and released during a recent pale evening dun hatch.

Fishing the pale evening dun hatch

I didn’t learn about these pale little mayflies until one late afternoon at our camp on the upper river. I had not intended to fish until later, after the sun left the water, but instead set … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 6/12/24

Formerly a hellgrammite, this male dobsonfly has emerged as a winged adult.

What the heck is a hellgrammite?

You never know who—or what—you might meet while adventuring around the Upper Delaware River region. While walking on the Roebling Bridge Towpath along the banks of the Delaware River … more

By SANDY LONG | 6/5/24

The first of many trailers to be unloaded at our new house.

Pick, pack, paint, PANIC

Priorities might be another apt “P” word this week. I’ve been making them and readjusting them by the hour. All I can say is that it is now nothing short of full-blown spring and … more

By HUNTER HILL | 6/5/24

The northern water snake is commonly seen around lakes and ponds as it basks in the sun and hunts for frogs, toads and smaller fish. This species has a brighter pattern when young, and the pattern gets darker as the snake gets older. This individual was close to a yard long.

Snakes alive!

Warmer days came with the month of May, and you might have noticed a few more small snakes while walking on trails in the woods, or even in the garden or in the backyard. Many snake species started … more

5/29/24

A Catskill mayfly dun, thought to be in decline worldwide due to a variety of environmental factors.

Aquatic insect decline: An update

In this year’s Fish magazine (River Reporter, April 4), my article regarding the decline of aquatic insect communities in the western United States was reprinted from the Big Sky Journal. In … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 5/29/24 | 1 comment

While wandering “lonely as a cloud” one day, the poet William Wordsworth was heartened to come upon a crowd of daffodils, which lifted his spirits and inspired a poem. ..“A poet could not but be gay,..In such a jocund company. . . ..And then my heart with pleasure fills,..And dances with the daffodils...(Excerpted from “I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud.”).

Perfume abloom

The Upper Delaware River region is vibrant with blooming beauty lately, as spring begins to reach its peak. Showy displays of wild blossoming continue to brighten local landscapes, bringing sweet … more

5/22/24

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 … 12 | Next »

Currently viewing stories posted within the past 2 years.
For all older stories, please use our advanced search.