Posts Tagged ‘winter’

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Outside Story: Winter Bird Rehabilitation

barred owlAn injured barred owl sat in the back seat of a four-door sedan, staring balefully out the window at its rescuer. “I saw him on the side of the road, just sitting there, trying to fly,” the young woman explained to Maria Colby, director of Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation and Rescue. “Other cars were stopping and then circling back around to see if I needed help. His eye looks messed up.”

Colby nodded, her spectacles perched on her nose and her hands protected by large leather gloves with gauntlets. She opened the car door, wrapping the owl up into a towel and whisking it inside her house, to her warm kitchen. The owl panicked, making clicking noises and trying to fly, but Colby kept a firm hold as she administered a few droplets of pain medication into its beak. Then she carried the owl into her triage room and placed it in a small pet carrier. She explained that she would let it rest for twenty minutes until the pain medication kicked in, then do an evaluation and consult with her local veterinarian. She would also report the owl to both federal and state fish and wildlife departments. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, February 8, 2017

15th Annual Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival March 3-5

The Mountaineer in Keene Valley will host the Fifteenth Annual Adirondack Backcountry Ski Festival March 3rd, 4th and 5th, 2017. Backcountry skiing – skiing on natural snow in natural terrain – combines all of the elements of touring, climbing and downhill skiing into one.

Patagonia Ambassador Zahan Billimoria will give a presentation at the Keene Arts Center on Saturday morning. Zahan is an Exum Mountain Guide and has made a ski descent of all the major Teton Peaks among several other accomplishments in the ski world. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Adirondack Tree Bark in Winter

It’s winter. Hardwood trees are bare. But that doesn’t mean the woods are bereft of interest. Winter, when sunlight slants in, is the time when bark comes into its own. Pause to take in the aged-brass bark of a yellow birch, or the hand-sized bark plates on a big white pine.

Bark is beautiful. And practical. A protective tissue, a defense against insects, fungi, fire, and deer, it has a lot in common with human skin. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, February 4, 2017

Adirondack Wildlife: Raccoons in Winter

All mammals experience difficulty sleeping when it becomes too warm. Because of an insulating layer of fat and an exceptionally thick, dense coat of fur, this temperature is far lower for members of our wildlife community in winter than during summer.

From Thanksgiving through early April, several successive nights with the air hovering around the freezing point is warm enough to cause the raccoon to stir from its prolonged winter slumber and emerge from its den. If the wind is light and there is no precipitation falling, this familiar nocturnal marauder begins to explore the surrounding area for anything edible. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 21, 2017

The Adirondack Wild Turkey in Winter

There are only a few dozen species of birds capable of surviving the rigors of an Adirondack winter, and of these, the wild turkey is one that is more closely associated with the warmer and less snowy regions to our south than the boreal woodlands to the north.

While the turkey is traditionally viewed as one the most successful inhabitants of open, temperate forests, the cold-hardy nature of this bird and its resourceful and adaptable traits permit it to survive throughout the Park, even during winters when intense cold and deep snows are the rule for lengthy periods of time.

With its large, round body and small head, the wild turkey possesses a shape well designed for retaining heat. Despite the lack of feathers on its head, the turkey is able to hold its head close enough to its body for much of the day to reduce heat loss from the limited amount of exposed skin that occurs on its face and over its skull. A dense covering of plumage over the core of its body, along with a layer of fat, helps this bird effectively conserve body heat. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 14, 2017

Inside An Adirondack Beaver Lodge in Winter

The lack of a deep covering of snow can be a benefit to some forms of wildlife, and a detriment to others. Yet for the beaver (Castor canadensis), a limited amount of snow on the ground has little impact on this rodent’s winter routine.

Throughout the autumn, when the water around its primary lodge remains open, the beaver scours the shore near and far in search of those select woody plants on which it relies for food. These items are severed at their base and floated to the area just outside the main entrance to the family’s winter shelter and then pushed underwater as deep as possible. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, January 12, 2017

Snowmobilers Reminded to Ride Safely

Rail-Trail Plan Could End Snowmobiling Along CorridorNew York State is reminding snowmobilers to ride responsibly and exercise caution.

Everyone operating a snowmobile should be familiar with safe riding practices and all applicable laws, rules and regulations. The best way to learn is by taking a snowmobile safety course. To find a course, click here.  A safety certificate is required for youth between ages 10 and 18. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, January 12, 2017

Newcomb Winterfest This Saturday January 14th

Highlighting fat biking, ice skating, sledding and hot chocolate consumption, Newcomb’s annual Winterfest will take place on Saturday, January 14. Events will be at various venues along the town’s stretch of Route 28N.

The 5-mile carriage road to the historic Santanoni Preserve will be open for skiers and snowshoersa where Adirondack Architectural Heritage will be holding an open house featuring tours of Great Camp Santanoni. ESF’s Adirondack Interpretive Center will also have skiing and snowshoeing, in addition to the High Peaks Golf Course’s slopes and snowy expanse. » Continue Reading.


Monday, January 9, 2017

Winter Carnival Reception, Royalty Dinner, New Button

2016 grand marshal and royaltyThe Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Committee has invited the public to the Grand Marshal Reception and Royalty Dinner on Tuesday, February 7 at the Red Fox Restaurant located at 5034 Route 3 in Saranac Lake.

The Grand Marshal Reception will be held from 5 pm to 6 pm and is a free event to welcome the 2017 Winter Carnival Grand Marshal and Royalty. Snacks will be served and a cash bar will be available. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, January 7, 2017

Take Precautions Against Hypothermia and Frostbite

Every winter, I receive questions about hypothermia and about the dangers and symptoms of both hypothermia and frostbite. Most are from concerned parents of younger children.

We’re certainly not strangers to cold weather. After all, this is the North Country. And winter is the season of snowmobiling, snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, ice fishing, ice climbing, winter hiking, winter camping, sledding, tobogganing, tubing, ice skating, snowballs, snowmen, snow forts, snow sculptures, and winter carnival parades. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Questions About Winter Bird Feeding

Back in September, I put out the bird feeder. I try not to do it too early because, well . . . bears. My feathered friends emptied it in hours. A couple of refills later and I decided I couldn’t afford to put out the buffet that early. The weather was warm; natural feed had to be available.

The birds, ever optimistic, still dropped by. I started writing dialogue for them: » Continue Reading.


Monday, December 19, 2016

The Saranac Lake 2017 Winter Carnival Poster

2017-saranac-lake-winter-carnival-poster“Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau has released his poster design for the 2017 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival.

Using the Winter Carnival’s designated theme “Adirondack Wildlife,” Trudeau’s illustration shows “Doonesbury” character Zonker in a canoe amid wildlife and a dramatic mountainous backdrop.

Trudeau, who was raised in Saranac Lake, has created the Winter Carnival poster design since 2012 to benefit the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, December 10, 2016

Adirondack Winter: Hibernating Jumping Mice

Winter is the time when wildlife activity ebbs in the Adirondacks. Many residents of our fields and forests have retreated to shelters beneath the surface of the soil in an attempt to escape this season of low temperatures, snow and ice, and little if any food.

The woodland jumping mouse (Napaeozapus insignis) is one member of our wildlife community that retires to the seclusion of a cushiony nest underground and lapses into a profound state of dormancy, known as true hibernation, for roughly 6 months beginning sometime in mid-October. » Continue Reading.


Monday, December 5, 2016

Invasive Species: House Sparrows in Winter

house sparrowHouse sparrows – those little brown and gray birds that flash mob the bird feeder – are common and easy to see. They’re quarrelsome, noisy, and when they’re on the ground, they move in vigorous hops that remind me of popcorn popping out of a pan.

They’re also an invasive species, scavengers that have hitched their wagons to humans, and at least on this continent, are having a very successful ride. Our farms, lawns, and grocery store parking lots provide all kinds of year-round foraging for these birds, and our structures provide them shelter. From gutter pipes to the bulb rims of traffic lights, house sparrows know how to make themselves at home in human-dominated settings, regardless of whether humans want them there. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, October 16, 2016

How Raccoons Prepare For Winter

racoon washingAlmost every time I checked the game camera last summer – whether it was stationed near the compost, pointed into the field, or hidden at the edge of the woods – I found photos of one of our region’s most outwardly endearing creatures: the raccoon. With their black masks under perfect white eyebrows, their petite black noses, fuzzy ears, and fetchingly striped bushy tails, raccoons are certainly charming to look at. But that soft and cuddly exterior belies a fierce and highly intelligent disposition. » Continue Reading.



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