We have been following the activity of a young Great Blue Heron on Iona Island in Harriman State Park. Great to have a “pet” that is so easy to care for!

In search of turtles today…found quite a few, but only one species. The Eastern Painted turtle.

The spotted orb weaver takes down a wasp….retribution.

Late July and August are prime months for shorebird migration. The Black Dirt area of Orange County makes for an ideal spot to layover and fuel up for these little long-distance travelers.

The “mimics” were out singing on Iona Island this afternoon. How could I tell which was which? Why it’s easy as 1,2,3!

Spiders, wasps and even wasps that eat spiders! There is always something new to explore in the natural world.

Mid to late August is a pretty good time to look for migrating shore birds in the “Black Dirt” region of Orange County NY.

As shorebirds begin their migration south, Piermont Pier at low tide has the potential to attract many species of these birds to its shallow rich waters.

Today was all about insects…specifically ants and wasps. Fascinating behaviors in both …..

As we move into August, we are assured that we will find many of nature’s most colorful insects, the dragonflies, along the edges of our local ponds.

Forest fires blanketing much of western Canada and the United States have created huge amounts of smoke which the prevailing northwest winds have brought down across northeastern US.

The hummers have finally returned and photographing them is always a real joy.