Recent Updates and Interesting Sightings
July 30, 2008
Our final day of bird banding for the summer, as the breeding
season is now over. We banded 45 birds this morning, including
a pair of Indigo Buntings, a Blue-winged Warbler, a Wood Thrush
and several juvenile Marsh Wrens. The wrens are of particular
interest to us... although they are common nesters in Constitution
Marsh, they have declined nationally from large scale habitat
loss.
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Indigo Bunting |
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Blue-winged Warbler |
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Wood Thrush |
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Marsh Wren |
 July
21-22, 2008
We drove up to the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah, New
York to help create a new canoe trail on the Crusoe Creek.
The route was blocked by numerous fallen trees and the only
way to clear it was with chainsaws and muscle. We worked waist
deep in muck, fighting sticks and branches well into the afternoon,
but had to quit when the lightning began.
July 15, 2008
A busy and exciting day of bird-banding today, our fifth morning
out this summer. The most exciting bird of the day was a loud
and powerful male Pileated Woodpecker. We are seeing a lot
of juvenile birds now, including two Gray Catbirds and an
Eastern Phoebe, a staff favorite.
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| Christy and Rich checking mist
nets just after sunrise. |
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| Pileated Woodpecker |
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| Judy (our summer intern) and Gray
Catbird |
July 14, 2008
The marsh hosted a Conservation and Science Program meeting
today, and we were delighted to see our colleagues from Audubon
New York. Audubon's conservation
efforts strive to identify and conserve the highest priority
and most threatened bird species and habitats in New York
State.
 July
13-19, 2008
Mary, our Education Manager, spent the week on Hog Island
in Maine attending an Educators Workshop. She observed tide
pools, walked through spruce-fir forests, birdwatched, and
visited Eastern
Egg Rock to see nesting Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds.
Along with 37 other naturalists and classroom teachers, Mary
learned a lot of great information and honed her skills as
an environmental educator. She highly recommends this experience!
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| Bald Eagle |
July 10, 2008
Our public canoe trips are underway, and are a fun way of
seeing and learning about the Hudson’s wildlife. Sometimes
there are breathtaking sights... a participant took this picture
of a Bald Eagle soaking in the morning sun during a recent
morning trip.
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| Canoeing in Constitution Marsh |
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