By John Thaxton When a musicologist friend of mine from Manhattan came to the Adirondacks for a long weekend, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and exclaimed, loudly enough for me to cringe when I heard him, “Beethoven’s Fifth!” I looked … [Read more...] about A classical bird song
birds
Silent spring (and summer)?
Longtime bird enthusiast takes stock of sobering declines By John Thaxton My mother always assured me that what I worried about most would never happen, and so I got into the habit of worrying about things I really enjoyed suddenly … [Read more...] about Silent spring (and summer)?
Record-breaking bird: Oldest black-capped chickadee in U.S. recorded in Adirondacks
By Megan Plete Postol The longevity record for black-capped chickadees has been broken by a bird in Inlet. Banded and documented by retired forest ranger Gary Lee, the record-smashing bird’s age was logged at 11 years and nine months. This one … [Read more...] about Record-breaking bird: Oldest black-capped chickadee in U.S. recorded in Adirondacks
Evening grosbeaks, all day long
BIRDWATCH By John Thaxton The first time I saw an evening grosbeak I experienced a neck-snapping déjà vu as I visualized a brilliantly yellow 1956 Ford Thunderbird with a black convertible top that a neighbor used to park immediately outside my … [Read more...] about Evening grosbeaks, all day long
Turkeys on parade
BIRDWATCH By John Thaxton On the way down to Elizabethtown for a Christmas Bird Count, I suddenly found myself slamming on my brakes really hard in order to avoid running over 15 or so wild turkeys wandering around aimlessly on Route 9N—they … [Read more...] about Turkeys on parade
Birding on Fishing Brook
Paddling calm waters yields encounters with 37 species By Mike Lynch Fishing Brook has the feel of a brook deep in the backcountry. The air is often thick with bugs and the sounds of birds. Beaver dams clog the waterway, creating meadows. … [Read more...] about Birding on Fishing Brook