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The Delaware River is the longest free-flowing river east of the Mississippi and a waterway of great majesty that calls to countless hearts, soothes many a ravaged spirit and sustains innumerable life forms. As a unit of the National Park System, its many features can be enjoyed by the public. Learn more at www.nps.gov/upde/index.htm).

As a child, I was taken to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia on a family camping trip. The impactful experience helped to launch my lifelong love of the natural world as I plied a small camera to … more

By SANDY LONG | 4/14/21

This young-of-year spring peeper, photographed in July 2019, has already gotten a chance to grow somewhat. Spring peepers are close to full size at the end of their first summer and become mature in one year. The “crucifer” in the last part of their scientific name is named for the “X” or the cross that appears on their back. It can be seen faintly on this individual.

Springtime serenade

We’ve had some mild days, enough so that several species of reptiles and amphibians have been making appearances. Some of their favorite areas this time of year are small ponds and wetlands. … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 4/7/21

$Who would want to protect the Delaware River and the natural resources of its watershed? With the reversal of the Delaware River Basin Commission’s recent fracking ban, the pressure to leave a healthy legacy for future generations has been lifted. What a relief!$

Free to frack, what a relief

Rumor has it that fracking can now proceed at full force following the Delaware River Basin Commission’s (DRBC) remarkable reversal of its decision to ban hydraulic fracturing for natural gas … more

By SANDY LOAM | 3/31/21

This wood duck pair was one of a few on a spall pond in Shohola, PA. As with many bird species, the male is more colorful. Wood ducks nest in abandoned woodpecker nest cavities or in the tops of broken off trees. They sometimes find their way down chimneys due to this behavior.

Winter wildlife viewing opportunities

March 12 was promising to be a somewhat mild day—at least milder than we have had during the last week or so. Temperatures were forecast to rise into the 50s. It was about 7:30 a.m. when I went … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 3/24/21

Seize your power when it comes to social media. The Pike County Conservation District (PCCD) has launched a new series using the hashtag #ResourceSaturday to raise awareness of Pennsylvania’s rich natural resources. The initiative supports the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP), which collects information regarding the Commonwealth’s biological diversity and develops County Natural Heritage Inventories (CNHIs). Every other Saturday, PCCD will feature inventory sites such as Egypt Meadow Lake (shown here) on its social media, using the posts to link to the inventory. The public is invited to explore the state’s natural heritage and to participate in the conservation of Pike County’s ecological resources. Post your photos of these sites with the hashtag #ResourceSaturday, and PCCD may share your pictures on its page. Visit www.facebook.com/pikeconservation, www.instagram.com/pike_conservation or www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/Resource.aspx to learn more. Then go global by celebrating #InternationalDayofForests on Sunday, March 21 and #WorldWaterDay on Monday, March 22.

Feeling frustrated? Act on it!

Unusually high temperatures during the second week of March have ignited spring fever in many of us. Although it’s a welcome relief from the cabin fever fostered by the taxing weather … more

By SANDY LONG | 3/16/21

Red-bellied woodpeckers are medium-sized woodpeckers, about the size of a northern flicker. This is a pair of them in a nest cavity they built in a dead black birch. There were young in the nest at this time, but too small to see in the entrance. Look for adults carrying food items and listen for begging calls from the young.

The percussionists of the forest

We think of percussionists when we listen to our favorite music; chances are there is a drummer or some other musician beating a cadence of some sort with the rest of the band. Like us, nature has … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 3/10/21

Adult male tree swallows are small songbirds with tiny black bills, deep charcoal flight feathers and black masks around the eyes. They are characterized by brilliant blue feathers above and white feathers below.

Noise impacts songbirds

The almost-unimaginable yet historic decision by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) to permanently ban fracking in the Delaware River Watershed was announced on February 25. Eleven years of … more

By SANDY LONG | 3/3/21

Outcrops that have small springs or seeps during the warm weather are good areas to find frozen stalactites of water over the winter. Even a very low flow of water seeping from between rock layers is enough to make huge frozen columns if it stays cold long enough.

Frozen waterscapes

We are past the middle of February, and the mild start of winter has now given way to more seasonable conditions. More temperatures in the single digits, as well as snow and ice, have resulted in a … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 2/24/21

Watch for artful expressions of ice while taking a winter walk.

Winter woes and wonders

Here we are in the heart of winter, surrounded and confounded by massive amounts of snow. That such wondrous stuff can also wreak havoc upon our lives is a given at this time of year. As we forge our … more

By SANDY LONG | 2/17/21

What looks like a small choir practicing is a small flock of brown-headed cowbirds. They like open fields and yards; if your yard is large enough to raise livestock, you may see this species around. Cowbirds are “Brood Parasites.” They do not build a nest of their own. Instead, they take over the nests of other species and proceed to raise their own young. Cowbirds will come to feeders.

The 2021 Great Backyard Bird Count

We have been having some somewhat significant snowstorms after a quiet start to winter. Even though you may have been stuck in the house in the midst of the storm, you likely had some birds at your … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 2/10/21

You won’t find a living warthog anywhere in Pike County, but you can see it as a taxidermy mount in the Columns Museum, along with other animals (bear, deer, wolf) donated by local world traveler and avid hunter John Gallaso.

Pike County’s historic nature

Looking for something to combat the impacts of quarantines and restrictions imposed by the ongoing pandemic, in addition to the creep of cabin fever? The Pike County Historical Society (PCHS) is … more

By SANDY LONG | 2/3/21

The ringed bill can be seen in this photograph as well as some other identifying features. Many species of gull appear similar from afar, so binoculars will help in areas where there may be multiple species of gull.

Gulls of the Delaware

When I check out areas of the Delaware or Mongaup rivers for eagles, it’s not just the eagles I am looking for. Eagles are foraging for fish, including fish that were stunned or killed by … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 1/27/21

Opportunities abound to participate in citizen science projects pertaining to birds like this white-breasted nuthatch. Project Feeder Watch (www.feederwatch.org) is ongoing through Friday, April 9. (Also see www.celebrateurbanbirds.org.) Take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count from Friday to Monday, February 12 to 15. Learn more at www.birdcount.org. All are projects of the outstanding Cornell Lab of Ornithology (www.birds.cornell.edu/home).

Bird balm: an antidote to anxiety

It’s safe to say that the first weeks of 2021 have not provided the hopeful optimism we’ve all been craving as we attempt to move forward and put the madness of the past year behind … more

By SANDY LONG | 1/20/21

Eagles migrate here for the ability to forage for fish, so they tend to be where there is open water. If the river is covered in ice, seek out swift water areas of the river as well as confluences, such as the Lackawaxen River confluence at the Delaware River. If it is a mild winter with little or no ice, the eagles have more of a choice and will be more spread out.

Winter eagle viewing in 2021

Bald eagles in Canada have been making their migration trip south to areas with open water in order to dine on their favorite food, fish. The Delaware and Mongaup river systems, along with … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 1/13/21

“To put your hands in a river is to feel the cords that bind the earth together,” wrote Barry Lopez, recipient of the National Book Award in 1986 for his nonfiction work, “Arctic Dreams.” Many who live in or visit the Delaware River region have been inspired by a similar sense of kinship with this iconic river.

‘Simply walking’ into 2021

“I have spent much of my time simply walking,” wrote Barry Lopez in “River Notes: The Dance of Herons,” a pocket-sized but powerful delve into Oregon’s McKenzie River … more

By SANDY LONG | 1/6/21

This is Walker Lake in Shohola, PA a day after the most recent storm of December 21. There are 15 inches of snow on the ground here, but very little of it is sticking to the trees; only the thick boughs of the white pines at the right lower part of the frame are holding some snow...

A white Christmas

Winter started this year with a snowstorm that averaged from one to two feet of snow that fell mostly through the night. Some areas of the northern tier of Pennsylvania and across the border to New … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 12/30/20

Sound travels in waves that emanate from a source. Although a silent expression of a different natural process, it’s easy to imagine the waves depicted in this ice puddle as illustrations of sound.

The solace of natural sound

Many years ago, on a silken starlit night, I sat peering into the dancing flames of a campfire, mesmerized by the occasional dervish of blaze and smoke. It swept into the inky sky by gusts of air … more

By SANDY LONG | 12/23/20

A saw-whet owl flying nearby triggered this self-portrait. In this image, the owl is too close for a good focus. It may have seen the trail cam or the illuminator and decided to check it out. Saw-whets are the smallest owl in our region, even smaller than the screech owl.

Wildlife viewing by remote

You have probably seen pictures on the internet of deer or other wildlife taken with remote cameras. Maybe you even have one of these so-called “trail cams” in your backyard. Whether you … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 12/16/20

The Streeters became enraptured with raptors—and with one another—after scraping up enough money to buy good binoculars with which to go birding together. “Those blessed with knowing Stephanie can appreciate what a treasure she was,” wrote Jan Lucciola following Stephanie’s recent death. Jan has worked with the Streeters at the Delaware Valley Raptor Center for more than 30 years. “Her love of animals was boundless, her knowledge endless, her grace, compassion and generosity infinite. There is so much about her to be celebrated and missed.”..

Taking flight

Having helped countless birds resume their wild lives, the woman whose long “fascination with the feather” led to an impactful life as a bird rehabilitator and conservationist has herself … more

By SANDY LONG | 12/9/20

A male turkey, or “Tom,” is shown here. Like many species of birds, it is the more colorful sex of the species. The blue and red pigment on the head is more vivid, the breast and wing feathers show more iridescence, and longer “beard” feathers are present on the breast. You can see the beard of this male off the left side of the breast.

Turkeys on the table, turkeys in the field

With the Thanksgiving holiday taking place last week, many of us still have turkey on our mind. If we dined on turkey, it was probably the domestic-farm-raised turkeys bought from the store, though … more

By SCOTT RANDO | 12/2/20

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Currently viewing stories posted within the past 2 years.
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