Caught Stealing

12 Crows chased this thief back to the farm located at the edge of the world

Adirondack Winter Birding

Gray Jay was the only photogenic species we found at Ferd's Bog, but we were pretty thrilled with Boreal Chickadee on Oregon Plains Road and Pine Grosbeaks along the way. No Black-backed Woodpecker again-much time spent around Bigelow Road. We were scared away by a mute resident on Oregon Plains Road right when a great cluster of birds showed up. He didn't take kindly to people birding on what I assume is a public road however remote it might be.We have had bad luck with running into strange characters out in the wild, so we pushed ahead without seeing the Boreal Chickadee that was surely running with that crowd. A group of White-winged Crossbills flew over us as this dude ominously approached.

Snowmobiles were out in numbers. Kind of like a gas smelling, raucous invasive species.

Gray Jay

Bloomingdale Bog

Oregon Plains Road

Barred Owl

Gray Jay 

Winter Birding and Wandering

Common Redpoll

Common Redpolls, we did have a Hoary in here somewhere

Black Vulture, Lewiston New York 

Guru

Oatka Creek 

Hamlin Beach State Park 

Lapland Longspur

Merlin munching on a House Sparrow in Buffalo, New York 

Red-cockaded on the wrong side of the survey line

I pulled down the road and immediately noticed a different, disturbing feel. There is a typical slapped-together apartment complex on the right-hand side and to the left harbored nice forest habitat. I noticed on the left that trees were cleared, little shrubs and piles of branches were the focus on the horizon, and thin naked deciduous trees randomly pockmarked the landscape. I pulled over and snapped a few photos for masochistic perpetuity. I heard cars zooming by on the main road; I sunk slightly into the newly turned wet earth, and was eventually chased back into the car by the wind.

Once you get past this, it turns into a beautiful road flanked by Long leaf pine habitat.

I continued looking for the orientation landmark where we usually pull over. It's a gate with a chain and a green sign to the park. I saw the house that usually sits just past our landmark, but thought my memory was being sieve-like and kept driving. I decided to continue to the second spot down at the end of the road before turning around and parking at the gate. 

I saw the Red Cockaded Woodpecker along with Pine Warblers and Brown-headed Nuthatches. I enjoyed   the quiet, and a soft floor of fallen pine needles. Sure I'm wrong, but every time I return to New York I say that we don't have any trees. Not like these.

This Red Cockaded had bands on its left leg. 

I crept back down the road making sure I didn't miss the gate this time. Subconsciously I knew why I missed the gate, but I was hoping it wasn't true. I drove past the house and slowed near my landmark where I saw the fallen chain on the ground where the gate once blocked the path-the green sign was completely missing.

It was all gone. The clearing was on both sides of the road-the landscape a smattering of fallen trees and pine bows and branches; twisted, hacked up trunks disobediently jutted from the ground. The only thing missing was smoke rising from the earth and it was very easy to imagine given the scenery.

Before 

I walked slowly into the ravaged area thinking about how much I loved this path that led into the forest that was now completely open on one side. Two deer ran into the remaining woods. I thought about how much I dislike the way everything is going, how it feels hopeless and unavoidable. We are too far gone and not enough people give a shit and even if we do give a shit it doesn't matter. We're fucked. We destroy things. Part of this clearing was Red-cockaded Woodpecker habitat which is an endangered species.

After

I called the parks department to find out what happened. Was the land sold? Will the entire street fall to the same destruction? No. The park is not open to the public yet and it's been this way for years- she said this portion will not be open for a long time, but still, the boundary line was surveyed wrong. Apparently the original owner had it resurveyed and the line was moved-by how much, I don't know. The parks system tried to buy the land from him, but he declined. Of course they're not happy with what he's doing with it, but it's his property. Such is life. She was gracious and thankful for my concern and said, "We have RCW's at the other site." (Which isn't open yet, but will be some time this year)
I never mentioned the woodpecker, but she knew exactly who she was dealing with.

I'm not accusing the owner of violating the Endangered Species Act and I doubt that RCW's were nesting on  this particular plot, but down the road they certainly are, so I hope that habitat stays in tact. She mentioned that they were going to turn that portion into camp grounds. Eh. Er. At any rate, this is more about expressing my interactions with the natural world, and how in love I am with the uncompromising juggernaut  of modern life. I'm sure it will be fine. Everything will be just fine.

Chuck will's widow song recorded in May of 2011 across from the gate that once had trees:

Awareness:

U.S Fish and Wildlife apparently did a presentation for Boiling Springs Lake, North Carolina and has a nice explanation about the long leaf pine habitat and the protection of this species  http://www.fws.gov/raleigh/pdfs/BSL/BSLSLideShow_Sept.19.pdf

This whole experience made me think of the documentary Ghostbird and the fate of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. http://ghostbirdmovie.com/ Gut wrenching.

Endangered Species Act Legacy Pledge Endangered Species Act