Have you been hearing a lot of really loud racket lately — especially in the early morning? The woodpeckers in my woods have been hammering away on the loudest percussive instruments that they can find for the last month or so.
As with all birds, springtime is the mating season for woodpeckers as well. And in an effort to lay claim to their respective territories, males look for surfaces that will resonate their messages to steer clear — loud and clear. Those surfaces can include anything from metal roofs and gutters to roadside traffic signs. In my case, it’s the plywood backing on my posted signs.
I have found and photographed these birds staking their territorial claims in woodpecker Morse Code on many occasions by following the sounds. First one will hammer away and then another responds on the opposite side of my property. It seems that they have chosen my boundaries to represent theirs but they are taking a toll on my posted signs in the process.
Butterfly Invasion
My woods are also loaded with Red Admiral butterflies this year. So is my windshield. After a trip to Elmira and back one day last week, I could hardly see through the glass by the time I arrived home. And the last thing that I wanted to do on the road was turn on the washers and wipers — especially while driving into the sun.
News sources are describing a butterfly invasion in the Northeast and southern Canada, which is being blamed on the early warm weather this year. The burst is supposed to be a combination of a larger emergence of this native species and waves of migrants moving in from southern states.
All I know is that the stains on my windshield are the same color as dandelions, which is one of the blooms that the butterflies have been drawing their nectar from.
Fishing News
The fishing season for many popular warmwater sport fish, including walleye, northern pike, pickerel and tiger muskellunge opened last Saturday. This includes catch and release fishing for black bass (largemouth and smallmouth bass) in many waters across the state and the special trophy black bass season on Lake Erie, where anglers may keep one 20-inch or longer fish per day.
Check the current New York State Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide to make sure that the waters you want to fish are open to catch and release angling. Muskellunge fishing season and the regular harvest season for black bass both open on the third Saturday in June (June 16).
And don’t forget, you can still hunt for a tom turkey up until noon and then fish for a lunker in the afternoon for the rest of the month—unless you’ve already bagged your birds. In that case, you can simply fish all day.
Have you been hearing a lot of really loud racket lately — especially in the early morning? The woodpeckers in my woods have been hammering away on the loudest percussive instruments that they can find for the last month or so.
As with all birds, springtime is the mating season for woodpeckers as well. And in an effort to lay claim to their respective territories, males look for surfaces that will resonate their messages to steer clear — loud and clear. Those surfaces can include anything from metal roofs and gutters to roadside traffic signs. In my case, it’s the plywood backing on my posted signs.
I have found and photographed these birds staking their territorial claims in woodpecker Morse Code on many occasions by following the sounds. First one will hammer away and then another responds on the opposite side of my property. It seems that they have chosen my boundaries to represent theirs but they are taking a toll on my posted signs in the process.
Butterfly Invasion
My woods are also loaded with Red Admiral butterflies this year. So is my windshield. After a trip to Elmira and back one day last week, I could hardly see through the glass by the time I arrived home. And the last thing that I wanted to do on the road was turn on the washers and wipers — especially while driving into the sun.
News sources are describing a butterfly invasion in the Northeast and southern Canada, which is being blamed on the early warm weather this year. The burst is supposed to be a combination of a larger emergence of this native species and waves of migrants moving in from southern states.
All I know is that the stains on my windshield are the same color as dandelions, which is one of the blooms that the butterflies have been drawing their nectar from.
Fishing News
The fishing season for many popular warmwater sport fish, including walleye, northern pike, pickerel and tiger muskellunge opened last Saturday. This includes catch and release fishing for black bass (largemouth and smallmouth bass) in many waters across the state and the special trophy black bass season on Lake Erie, where anglers may keep one 20-inch or longer fish per day.
Check the current New York State Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide to make sure that the waters you want to fish are open to catch and release angling. Muskellunge fishing season and the regular harvest season for black bass both open on the third Saturday in June (June 16).
And don’t forget, you can still hunt for a tom turkey up until noon and then fish for a lunker in the afternoon for the rest of the month—unless you’ve already bagged your birds. In that case, you can simply fish all day.
