Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society

08/30/2026

Michelle Brigman spotted this handsome male American Kestrel in, of all places, a pear tree....so, NOT a partridge (think...on the first day of Christmas...), but a Kestrel in a pear tree...hee hee.

08/29/2026

Announcing the 2026 DOAS Charter Bucket Raffle!

Raffle tickets are now available online, $5 for one, $20 for five! Seven great prizes! Many, many thanks to the generous donors!

Visit the following link to buy your tickets now: https://doas.us/2026-charter-dinner-raffle-tickets-on-sale-now/

08/28/2026

Jack Peneston has been visiting the Adirondacks and captured a few pretty shots of a Common Loon.

08/27/2026

Hawk Watch on Franklin Mountain officially starts today!

Here's some important information from Tom Salo:

Migration is happening and we've been getting ready. The Franklin Mountain Hawk Watch will start this week with full coverage beginning Thursday, August 27. There may be some other coverage this week, but it isn’t scheduled. Broad-winged Hawks and other early migrants are expected at this time.

You can improve your chances of seeing raptors by visiting during peak periods. You can find migration timing for target species at the hawkcount website - https://www.hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=361.

It also helps to show up during “good” weather. For most species, good flights happen when the wind blows briskly from the northwest, especially following periods of rain and the passing of a cold front. These conditions are ideal for the larger soaring species that concentrate along the ridge in the mid to late season. Broad-winged Hawks, which we see in September, are a bit of an exception. They prefer thermals, which tend to form with light winds and some sunshine.

Raptor numbers tend to peak during the middle hours of the day. However, birds do move early and late, especially on good flight days. Broad-winged Hawks are not usually seen in numbers until either the fog lifts or temperatures start to warm.

While we are planning to hire a full time counter in 2027, we are still interested in training more volunteer counters. Volunteers will be needed to cover the periods outside the hired counter’s contract period (August and December), and their days off. Counting requires experience and skill, and there is a vetting process. If you have an interest in possibly becoming a FMHW counter, please contact me. If you have hawk counting experience elsewhere, contact me about how you might help.

To help develop the skills of future spotters and counters, We will be conducting 3 Flying Raptor ID Workshops for beginners this fall. One will be at the annual Open House (see below). The others will be on Monday 9/14 and Monday 10/26 at 10:30 am. The 45 minute workshops will be followed by skill development with live birds. If you are interested in the Monday workshops, registration is required. Contact me to register.

You may find yourself at Franklin Mountain and no official counter is present. I would appreciate it if you would record the migrating raptors you see each hour and email me that information when you can. It may not be included in the official tally but those numbers are helpful for us to understand what we missed.

Visitors are always welcome. If you are new to Franklin Mountain, directions and other information can be found at https://doas.us/research/franklin-mountain-hawkwatch/. Please consider supporting FMHW by joining Delaware-Otsego Audubon, or in other ways - visit https://doas.us/membership/.

Our annual Open House will be Saturday October 3 from 10-2. It starts with the ID workshop at 10 am. There will be live birds, refreshments and the flying raptor identification workshop. See our calendar at https://doas.us/calendar/.

I hope to see you on the mountain this fall.

Tom Salo
[email protected]

08/26/2026

Unsure about the best plants that encourage Monarch Butterflies to thrive?

Out of all of the free resources we provide at the Xerces Society, by far the most popular are those that help people plant with pollinators in mind. That's why we're proud to roll out our most comprehensive plant-finder tool yet, Plants for Monarchs, which will help you take your butterfly garden from a dream to a concrete plan in just a few simple steps.

Plants for Monarchs. Find the Right Plants for Monarchs in Your Area. By the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

08/25/2026

Rambling with Rick Bunting...

"Yesterday, I knew the morning fog was going to dissipate and give way to sunshine so I headed to Unadilla in the hopes of seeing the Lady of the Perch one more time. The reluctant one has been returning to her birthplace long after her siblings have flown the nest. The last two times I have visited, the adults where not there with her so the begging has ceased, but apparently she is having a hard time leaving home. I will stop by in a day or so to check on her again. Shortly after I took these photos I went inside the town office to use the rest room and when I came back out she was gone. So here is a little collection of photos of her doing her morning stretches and who knows, this might be our last look at this beautiful youngster. Enjoy! Rick"

08/24/2026

Act Now for a Strong Endangered Species Act!

In the more than 50 years since the Endangered Species Act (ESA) became law, 99 percent of the species it has protected have been saved from extinction. Some, like the Bald Eagle, ʻIo, and Brown Pelican, have had recoveries so successful that they’ve been removed from the ESA.

Today, more than 100 bird species depend on the federal protections of the ESA, and dozens more are waiting in the wings for a chance to be listed and begin their recovery. Species like the Kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill) and Florida Scrub-Jay could face significant impacts from recent regulatory changes that have weakened habitat protections and will make it harder to conserve species. Species needing protection in the future could be harmed by new requirements to weigh economic considerations against listing decisions. At this pivotal moment for the ESA, lawmakers need to hear from you. Urge your Members of Congress to reject attacks on the ESA.

American Bird Conservancy is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States, and donations are tax deductible for U.S. residents. As a member of our online community, you will receive periodic emails (including newsletters and project updates) from which you may unsubscribe at an...

08/23/2026

“Always find a reason to laugh. It may not add years to your life but will surely add life to your years!”

Barred owlet from Michelle Brigman's lens.

08/22/2026

"It is with great sadness that I report to you of loss of our dear Leucy, the leucistic red-tailed hawk who, until recently, graced the skies above Rockefeller State Park. As birds are want to do, Leucy may have dropped too low as she flew across the road, as we believe she was hit by a car.

Death is part of life. We will miss our dear Leucy but will keep an eye open for another who may join our family at some time unexpected.

Safe journey, sweet Leucy.
Ranger Su, Rockefeller State Park

Thanks to Michelle Brigman for all the wonderful images of Leucy!"

08/21/2026

Sasa Lin was recently in Madagascar where she captured several stunning photos of Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs. Varecia variegata is a large, critically endangered primate endemic to the rain forests of eastern Madagascar. It features striking black-and-white fur, a fluffy neck ruff, and loud, raucous calls that carry up to a kilometer through the forest canopy.