It’s Truly Spring

On my early morning walk today I heard and saw the wonderful sounds and sights of spring. Since it was still quite dark, closest to my house I started seeing ‘glow worms’ – the larvae of fireflies. At this time they’re not developed into…

Hellbenders Released

On Tuesday, August 6, 2013 20 young hellbenders were released into the Allegany River. These large salamanders, listed as an animal of special concern in New York since 1983, were raised at the Buffalo Zoo in a partnership with the NYS DEC. No fewer…

Peepers & Wood Frogs & Glow Worms, Oh My!

I take essentially the same walk every day – one mile up the hill & back on my dirt road – often at the same hour.  Some may find that boring, I find it fascinating to watch the little changes from day to day….

S is for Spring… and Salamanders!

The prediction for this weekend is warm temperatures in the 50’s. It won’t be long before the vernal pools on our Lillibridge property swell with runoff from the old-growth forest and prepare to host a wide variety of salamanders for their annual mating ritual….

Yes, We Have Salamanders!

This past week we’ve been checking out the vernal pools on the Lillibridge Property hoping to see “the big walk” of the forest salamanders. Last Thursday’s cold and snowy night, we were rewarded with a spectacular site of dozens of spotted salamanders in a…

Salamander Spring!

Took a picture of the vernal pool behind the kiosk at Lillibridge in anticipation of the annual spring migration of salamanders to the pool. Can’t wait to catch a glimpse of the “big night”. You can follow our progress here or if you’re a…

Do Nature Shots

By nature shots we don’t mean anything like jello shots. Instead, point your camera at all things natural. Shoot video or stills. Edit and organize your work, and submit it into our third annual Pfeiffer Nature Center Film Festival! We’re looking for amateur photography…

Tadpole Update

6/30 Update: Dr. Peter Ducey from SUNY Cortland graciously responded to our request for tadpole ID, indicating that likely candidates are wood frogs and american toads. I’m quite sure they’re not toads due to the shapes of the egg masses, so we’re left with…

Tadpole Tales

There’s a ditch near my house that is home to MANY tadpoles. I stop and watch them every day on my walk. Earlier in the season I would have told you that they were probably either wood frog or peeper tadpoles since I saw…

Young Love

It’s spring, and a young man’s fancy turns to love. So does a young hawk’s, a young newt’s, a young chipmunk’s, a young…well, you get the picture. Last month I couldn’t sit on my porch or take a walk without feeling like I should…