EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: The mourning cloak – the first butterfly of spring
If you were out and about in the woods enjoying some of our nice April days, you likely encountered – and were surprised by — a mourning cloak butterfly. This…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: The Lockport Nature Trail – the ultimate springtime hike
The rich soils of Western New York’s forests support an incredible number of beautiful wildflowers in the spring. April and May see some forest floors virtually blanketed with array of…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: Glory of the Snow
Our springs are too fleeting. They pass by quickly, and amidst the hustle and bustle of our day-to- day lives it is often difficult to stop and enjoy the beauty…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: The brown creeper – the ultimate in avian camouflage
When spring warms up the woodlands here on the lake plains we are blessed by visits from an incredible number of songbirds of an equally incredible number of species. Long…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: Peepers – coming to a spring near you
After getting spring fever during February’s unusual warm spell we were brought back to reality by this week’s winter storm. As you peer out your window it doesn’t look like…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: In appreciation of the dandelion — the Rodney Dangerfield of wildflowers
Whole industries have been built upon the destruction of the dandelion. Think of how often you see the Lawn Doctor’s trucks staged in a neighbor’s driveway; or ponder the advertising…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: Finding Comet Encke, a comet rich in history
Last week you no doubt saw the media celebration of three celestial events occurring all at the same time. There was excitement over a snow moon, a lunar eclipse, and…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: Next week’s sort-of lunar eclipse
The very mention of an eclipse brings a sense of excitement to any skywatcher. Eclipses are not only uncommon, but there’s something eerie in a celestial body disappearing. Next week,…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: What’s with the dead birds in your yard?
In what seems to have become a rite of winter throughout Western New York, it’s almost certain that rural residents living within a couple of miles of large dairy farms…
EXPLORING THE NIAGARA FRONTIER: The Kanyoo Nature Trail
Swallow Hollow, which we profiled in this column in 2016, is far and away the most popular hiking trail in the Iroquois Wildlife Refuge, sometimes affectionately known as the “Alabama…