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Applying salt to roadways during winter storms improves safety for travelers, but also impacts regional waterways, their inhabitants and drinking water quality. Become a citizen scientist by monitoring the salinity of your favorite stream and utilize free test kits available through the Izaak Walton League at https://www.iwla.org/.

Water watch

Are you water-aware? Do you care about the quality of the water that sustains our lives and nourishes our spirits, while supplying us with a wellspring of wonderful things like beauty, inspiration, … more

By SANDY LONG | 1/19/22

These Christmas gifts I made are just one example of some of the fine woodworking I enjoy on the side.

From frame to finish

I’ve always been accused of being a jack-of-all-trades. At first, it was sort of meant to be an insult, I think, but as I’ve gotten older I discovered there is a second part to the famous … more

By HUNTER HILL | 1/19/22

Two men, kids, and a dog enjoy ice fishing.

Don’t fall in

REGION — It’s possible that, by the time this sees print, there will be ice on the regional bodies of water. One never knows. Should there be ice, and should one wish to go ice … more

1/18/22

This is a newly fledged eagle, about three months old, from a nest on the Delaware River. It decided to land on a nearby river bank. It then proceeded to pick up a couple of sticks and chunks of driftwood and play with them. It appears that the eagle is trying to pull the stick out of the ground. Although this is play, they are honing their skills in the process; I have seen an eagle wading in the shallows, and all at once, come up with an eel in its talons.

Animal antics

It was early morning when I arrived at GAIT Therapeutic Riding Center to volunteer for the day’s classes. The herd of horses had been turned out and some were grazing, while other horses seemed … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 1/12/22

The angle of the late afternoon sun,on the winter solstice.

The shortest day and the fly-fisher’s winter

There is a tradition in our small angling community; I don’t know who started it. I do know it was not me. Originally, it may have been my old friend, Frank, although I don’t recall ever … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 1/12/22

“Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction,” wrote pioneering biologist, E.O. Wilson, whose study of ants (myrmecology) deeply informed his understanding of biodiversity and sociobiology.

Goodbye and good guidance

For the better part of a century, we have been graced with the existence of an impactful individual who recently departed this realm, leaving a legacy of powerful writing born of keen observation and … more

By SANDY LONG | 1/5/22

Happy holidays from my family to yours, from way out here!

A year of the way out here

First and foremost, I want to wish all of my readers happy holidays. Whether you live out here or simply enjoy reading about it, these occasions are often a time when families and friends bridge the … more

By HUNTER HILL | 1/5/22

This adult peregrine launched itself into the air after finishing a meal, a bird it caught in mid-air. Peregrines feed almost exclusively on birds caught in this manner. This was an active nesting area; as the young grow larger, they require more and more food and that keeps both adults busy foraging for the eyases (falcon young). Among the species list of birds brought to this nest scrap was a pigeon and several blue jays.

Peregrine falcon off PA endangered list

There isn’t an abundance of peregrine falcons here. They are not as common in the region as the bald eagle is at the present time. Both species were thriving during the 1800s and into the … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 12/29/21

Winter on the River Test

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to visit England with a good friend for the Christmas holiday. So a on a cold December night, we boarded a TWA 747 for our flight from Kennedy airport to … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 12/29/21

Ziva and Raven tackle the Roebling Bridge Towpath Trail along the Delaware River.

The divinity of dogs

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Dog is God spelled backwards.” It’s a reminder of the many graces bestowed on us by our beloved canine companions. Not the least of these is … more

By SANDY LONG | 12/22/21

Breaking down a large hog, getting ready to make the bacon.

A slice of life

I talk a lot about the way things are out here in the country. Some of the hobbies I enjoy, the lifestyle I pursue, and the work that fulfills my soul. As a somewhat belated update on the latter of … more

By HUNTER HILL | 12/22/21

This male bufflehead has just come up from a dive to the lake bottom. As the sun glints off its neck, you can see some violet and green iridescence. From a distance or on a cloudy day, this male would appear black and white; they are very easy to spot on the water because of their contrasting colors..

The black and white ducks of fall

If you regularly visit area lakes, you may have noticed a very small duck that wasn’t here during summer or early fall. Black and white and rather small, they would have appeared around … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 12/15/21

The Wulff School of Fishing, Beaver Kill Road, Lew Beach.

Teaching at the Wulff School of Fly Fishing

Sometime in early 1978, I received a call from my friend and fisheries associate, Ed Van Put, letting me know that Joan and Lee Wulff had purchased the old Doubleday property on the upper Beaver … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 12/15/21

Pictured here from above, the Eastern garter snake is a thin-bodied snake that typically ranges in length between 18 to 26 inches. While essentially harmless, if provoked it will attempt to defend itself by striking or emitting a foul-smelling fluid from its anal glands.

Considering the snake

Finding a dead snake along the side of the road is unfortunately a fairly common occurrence as these regional reptiles attempt to navigate across our roadways. And while some of us might feel that … more

By SANDY LONG | 12/8/21

While I wait patiently in my deerstand, nature entertains me with a glowing sunrise.

A waiting game

Like thousands of other local hunters, I found myself watching the sunrise from a deerstand on opening day of rifle season. Like many of them, I spent the time surveying my surroundings, taking in … more

By HUNTER HILL | 12/8/21

The northern cardinal is one of the easiest bird species to spot during winter, with the bright red plumage of the male and the slightly toned-down plumage, with red highlights, of the female. Many people associate cardinals with Christmas, as the red plumage projects faith and warmth. Cardinals can be seen year-round in the region; however, the bare trees and snow-covered landscape of winter makes them much more obvious.

Holiday birding

Birding during this time of year is always interesting. Things are still in transition with the last of the fall migration. Some visitors from the north have arrived; you may see buffleheads on lakes … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 12/1/21

The author's old copy of "Matching The Hatch," with the spinners and parachute flies he will fish in the future.

What’s in your fly box?

The other day, while contemplating a topic for this week’s column, I happened to pick up my old copy of “Matching the Hatch,” by Ernie Schwiebert. When I opened the little volume, … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 12/1/21

Can you discern a message in this cleverly carved insect script?

Artfully expressed

For as creative and clever as we humans fancy ourselves to be, the natural world often easily outdoes our efforts—without even trying. As I roam throughout the Upper Delaware River region, … more

By SANDY LONG | 11/24/21

Gary the grouse just wanted to be with people.

The tale of Gary the Grouse and a lumberjack bear

One of the little joys of living out here is the sharing of tales between friends. One outdoorsman to another, you will find there are uncountable tales, some fictitious, others just a small stretch … more

By HUNTER HILL | 11/24/21

In January of 2008, this golden eagle was trapped by the NYSDEC as part of an Upper Delaware eagle study. It was a female adult, weighing in at an even 14 pounds. Goldens are slightly larger than bald eagles. During the spring of 2009, this eagle migrated almost 1300 miles to her breeding territory in northern Labrador. It appeared that she had a nest high up on the side of a gorge that had a stream running through it. Her telemetry worked for two years, and she returned to our region for the second winter.

A ‘golden’ opportunity for eagle-watching in winter

The past few decades have seen a resurgence of bald eagles in the region, thanks to the banning of DDT, as well as efforts by state wildlife agencies to re-introduce the species during the 1970s to … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 11/17/21

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Currently viewing stories posted within the past 2 years.
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