What's Your Nature?
Become a Nature Up North explorer to share your encounters with wild things and wild places in New York's North Country. Post your wildlife sightings, landscape shots, photos from your outings, and even your organization's events!
St. Lawrence River Log Udders
A blustery day on a short walk at Fort de La Présentation.
Out past the lighthouse, I found beautiful ice formations on the rocks, concrete and driftwood.
With the wind and being around 18 degrees, it was good that it was a short walk, but well worth the exposed hands to work the camera.
A beautiful day to be out actually.
I spent about 30 minutes hanging out with this guy while he hunted fish and chased frogs!
I spend a lot of time paddling on Dexter Marsh and taking photos. I was on my way back to the launch to head home, and a motor boat came up behind me. I moved off to the side to get out of their way, and thankfully spotted this bird (I think a green heron, but I'm new to birding so I'm not completely sure). Not only was he unbothered by the motor, he didn't mind me at all! I sat about 10 feet from him in my canoe while he ran back and forth and hunted fish and frogs. It was a lovely experience to be able to observe him without feeling like he was afraid of me.
Foggy Morning
Walking early morning and the fog was lifting as the sun came up.
Crayfish at Eel Weir State Park
We did some searching for crayfish in Eel Weir state park over the weekend. Water was low and we found many dried up shells along the shoreline. We also caught 10 or so in the water. They all appeared to be Northern Clearwater or Allegheny crayfish. We didn’t find any invasive rusty crayfish.
Volunteer Day at St. Lawrence Land Trust's Hart's Falls
Please join us next Saturday to enjoy Hart's Falls and prepare it for winter. We'll clean trails and clean up any remaining summer debris. We'll have tools and equipment, but please bring gloves, and perhaps lunch to enjoy on the Falls. Hart's Falls is at the intersection of Russel-Pyrites Rd. and Townline Road between Canton and Russell
Hart's Falls from an Eagle's perspective
We stopped by Hart's Falls to see how different it might be after the recent high waters due to Hurricane Debby.
The River itself was already a foot lower than it was at the high the prior day, so I wish I'd had thought of this earlier.
But quite a bit more of the rocks on the upstream side were submerged than we had ever seen on prior visits.
For perspective, both of us are in the picture on the rock.
Higley Fall Fest
On Saturday, September 14th the Friends of Higley Flow State Park will be holding a festival to celebrate the Park and introduce people to its facilities and attractions. While the summer camping season will have ended, the Park remains a destination for other activities. The events are a chance to support the work of the Friends, learn more about the Park, and have some fun.
Why Autumn Pruning is Bad
When I was younger, an old-time arborist I knew used to say “The best time to prune trees is when the tools are sharp.” This guy was beset with shoulder injuries and knee problems because he also believed “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Sadly, both of these old saws are dangerous lies.