Bluebirds are at it again, courting in preparation for their nesting season. I’ve been hearing them sing for about two weeks, so I went this morning, hoping to videotape one in full song. I was not successful, but I did manage to capture something very special… mating feedingbehavior!
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I rose early this morning and drove to a nearby natural area in hopes of getting videos of a Northern Mockingbird. Luck was with me. Shortly after arriving, I found a cooperative singing male and managed to snag some fairly nice footage, with decent sound to boot!
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Our Eastern Phoebe showed up about a week ago. This morning he was singing like crazy, so I shot some video. Have you ever noticed that the male has two different song patterns? …
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Last night was a great night for Wood Frogs, here in upstate New York. The temperature reached nearly 60F during the day and a thunderstorm passed through in the evening. After dark, I drove to one of my favorite locations and hiked through the forest to a small woodland pool …
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In early March, the daytime temperature rose into the low 60s (Fahrenheit) and then it rained all afternoon. This is the magic formula that stirs the mole salamanders into action. Out of the earth they climb and then trek toward their breeding sites …
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This morning, I got up at dawn and went out with my video gear in hopes of getting some nice footage. It was a frustrating session. When it comes to nature immersion, is it really a good thing for me to be driven primarily by my goals, and by the technology I am using to capture images and sounds? The following essay addresses this concern …
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Wintering in the southern states, the American Woodcock (which I affectionately refer to as the PeentMeister) will soon begin its trek northward, arriving on its breeding grounds as early as late February in states such as Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky. The breeding display is remarkable …
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I enjoy making up my own names for birds, especially when I’m not happy with the accepted common name. A case in point is the Northern Cardinal, one of our most common backyard birds here in the East. What have I decided to call it, and why? Read this post to find out!
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Warm spring weather has lured the American Toads into their breeding ponds and pools. Males grab at anything that moves and often clump together in a mass around single females. Amplexus pairs sink to the bottom, and females begin laying their long strings of eggs …
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This morning I went out with one goal in mind: to get video footage of a singing Gray Catbird, silhouetted against the dawn sky. Was I successful? Judge for yourself …
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Of all backyard bird sounds, perhaps the least musical is the song of the Common Grackle. Check out this funny video of males giving their raspy squeaks as they lean forward and puff out their feathers …
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Enjoy this brief video of a snoring Pickerel Frog, that I made way back in 2009 when I first started dabbling in nature videography. Not bad, considering …
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