An update from Champlain Area Trails (CATS):

Please save the date for a volunteer workday at CATS Essex Quarry Nature Preserve. We will be meeting at Essex Quarry on Friday, November 20th at 1p.m. This will be a fantastic way to see and improve the new preserve and trail as we gear up for our formal opening next summer! Please note that we need to limit the number of volunteers to 10 people given the most recent NYS regulations related to COVID-19 safety. Please RSVP to info@champlainareatrails.com as soon as possible! Bring loppers and gloves. We hope to see you there!

Winter Finch Alert

This winter is shaping up to be an exciting year for viewing “winter finches” in the Adirondacks and Champlain Valley.

Winter finches refer to the groups of finch species that prefer northern boreal or arctic habitat and occasionally irrupt south in search of food.

This year, essentially all of the known winter finch species are already showing up and have been spotted in the Champlain Valley! Among them are Common Redpolls (featured in this photo), Pine Siskins, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, Bohemian Waxwings and Red Crossbills.

You can learn more about these species by reading the 2020/2021 Winter Finch Forecast.

Redpoll photo courtesy of Derek Rogers/CATS