What's Your Nature?
Become a Nature Up North explorer to share your encounters with wild things and wild places in New York's North Country. Post your wildlife sightings, landscape shots, photos from your outings, and even your organization's events!
The space between us
I was visiting the dike area at Upper Lower Lake WMA and very little was to be seen, but with the binoculars I could see some movement at the far side of the frozen lake.
I took a photo, but even with a 600mm lens, it was barely a speck in the picture.
It took me about 30 minutes to get from the dike to the marsh overlook viewing platform, which was near the location of the coyote, but as I figured it was no longer around.
Tree Species Focus: Basswood Best for Wooden Bass
After receiving my first pocket knife at age eight, I wasted no time in launching my career as a sculptor. How hard could it be, I thought, as I gathered 2x4 scrap-ends from behind the garage. To warm up before producing my masterpiece, which I figured would be done by supper, I set about to carve a fish.
Snowy day!
We had a gorgeous 6" of wet snow last night and the groomed nordic trails on the SLU golf course look beautiful. What a great snowy winter we're having!
Barred Owl
While driving around looking for birds with a friend, we got lucky and spotted this Barred Owl perched on some wires over a field! The owl seemed to be hunting - they were turning their head in all directions as if scanning for sounds. When we drove back a bit later the owl was still in the same area, just perched on a tree instead.
10th Annual State of the Rivers Talk
Join us for the St. Lawrence Land Trust's10th Annual State of the Rivers Talk. Dr. Brad Baldwin, Biology, St. Lawrence University will discuss the invasive plant water chestnut in the Oswegatchie River Feb.12th7 pm, Grasse River Heritage Room, 30 Court Street, Canton.. E-mail: stlawlandtrust@stlawlandtrust.org for more information, or check out our Facebook or Instagram Page.
All are welcome.
Seeing each other
With the Upper and Lower Lakes frozen over, the section of Oswegatchie bordering it has become a hunting ground for this Eagle.
It has shown up just about every day for the past week or so, and is sitting in a tree overlooking the river.
I walked out on the porch to attempt to get a photo, but it immediately knew I was there and we looked at each other.
It decided to move on to a different spot, but as I've seen it in that same tree and on the same branch 4 days over the past week, I know it will be back.
Mergansers on the Oswegatchie
A group of common merganser have made this section of the Oswegatchie their temporary home for the past few weeks.
This section of river has had consistently open water this winter, so it's made for a terrific feeding area for these birds.
They don't like when I go out there, and they will swim downstream immediately, but I decided to stay wait them out, and despite it being around 20 degrees it was worth it. As they did make their way back and as I laid in the snow, they swam, dove, ate and chased each other for the next hour.
Long-tailed Weasel
Along Lowland Trail at Indian Creek Nature Center.
CANCELED: Tracking Tracks in Heritage Park
Canceled due to weather.
Join Dan French on Sunday, Feb. 16th at 10am in the heart of Canton for a walk around Heritage Park on a hunt for animal tracks. Learn the basics of animal track identification and what we would expect to find on an island in the middle of the Grasse River.
The parking lot is not plowed in the winter, so park in the lots next to Main Street if you'd like to come! Traction devices are heavily recommended! The trail is packed and frozen from foot traffic.
Pine Tree Canopy
I took this picture while cross-country skiing at Higley Flow for the first time. I enjoyed skiing under the canopy of these really tall pine trees!