Spring Updates

The preserve has really greened up in the last couple of weeks, and there are lots of new arrivals on the trails! Last Sunday was especially exciting for our local birders as a Summer Tanager was spotted on the preserve, a pretty rare sighting for Tifft! While I don’t have any pictures of the bird (a male bird to be exact) I do have some pretty cool facts about the Summer Tanager:

-It’s the only entirely red bird in North America

-Males are all red, while females usually have yellow/olive coloration. Although it is rare, females can be entirely red as well.

-They are specialized wasp and bees eaters. 

-They can catch an insect midflight, and will beat it against a branch to kill it. Tanagers will also rub the bee or wasp stinger off on a branch before consuming it.

-They spend most of their time in southern forests, and winter in northern South America.

If you have any pictures of the Summer Tanager that you’d like to share, please email me at nature.tifft@gmail.com. Be sure to include your full name so I can give you photo credit! Thanks in advance see you on the trails! 

Northern Flicker

Cherry blossoms near the Vistor Center

Barn swallows have already started on their nest for this season

Our Oriole feeder is open for business,  complete with oranges and grape jelly!

Finally, it's Springtime!

It’s the moment we've  all been waiting for…spring has sprung at Tifft! Monday was a gorgeous day, and lots of animals were spotted making their first appearance after this cold, long winter. Along with the animals featured in the blog, I also spotted two snapping turtles sunning themselves on a rock near Lake Kristy. Our resident Osprey pair has made their returned to Tifft, we’re hoping they have a successful clutch this spring! Stop by Tifft to see all the action! See you on the trails! 

Woodchuck

Keep the green coming!

Red-winged Blackbird

Dekay's Brownsnake

Garter snakes sunning themselves on the bridge

How Egg-citing!

In honor of Eggstravaganza this Friday, we decided to do a little "egg-speriment"...hatching chicken eggs! We received 12 eggs and placed them in our incubator to develop, which takes around 21 days for chickens. 


About a week ago we candled the eggs to see which ones were developing. Turns out all 12 had growth, meaning we could potentially have 12 chicks on our hands! 

Early this morning our first chick hatched! A couple of other eggs have pipped, meaning the chick has begun to hatch, but so far no new chicks are here yet. In the meantime we are enjoying this little gal/guy (not sure which sex yet). 

Be sure to join us and the chicks at Eggstravagnza, March 29th 10am-2pm. This drop-in program is a celebration of all animals that hatch from eggs, including chickens! There will be indoor crafts, outdoor walks, and live animals. Remember to bring 6 hard boiled eggs to dye with our natural Easter egg dyes! For more information call 825-6397. The program is $7 per person, children under two are free!

See you on the trails!

Duck, Duck, Goose!

I captured this trio of winter waterfowl on Lake Kirsty.  

"Duck, Duck, Goose" or Female Mallard (left) Male Mallard (right) and a Canada Goose!

Canada Goose dabbling for food in Lake Kirsty 

Going Under!

Still looking for a frosty treat...

Program Pictures

Although it’s been cold and windy on the preserve, our visitors have been staying toasty warm in the Visitors Center enjoying our public programs. We've had some great winter programs, including a presentation about winter insects, and a snake program celebrating the Year of the Snake in the Chinese Zodiac.

Did you know that there are insects active during the winter cold?  Entomologist Dr. Wayne Gall helped us explore these frosty creatures, and brought in specimens for participants to examine.
Some of the specimens we inspected were snow scorpions, snow fleas, and winter stoneflies.

Winter Stoneflies preserved in alcohol 

Getting a closer look with the hand lens 

Winter insect specimens under the microscope

Visitors also had the chance to get up close and personal with live snakes during our “2013 Year of the Snake at Tifft” program. Our volunteer Mary graciously provided her personal snake collection for the reptilian meet and greet. Everyone had the chance to handle the snakes, while learning some cool facts about snake adaptations. Here are some interesting snake facts to share:

Our Visitors getting to know a Ball Python! 

• Snakes use their muscles and scales in locomotion, to help grip, pull, and push their bodies along. A snake’s scales must touch the surface in order to move, so they’ll have a hard time moving on a slippery surface like glass.

Corn Snake

• Snakes lack eyelids and an external ear.

These visitors are looking at a Dekay's Brown Snake. You can find this small snake right here at Tifft!

Dekay Brown Snake close up

• Snakes that are consider “pit vipers” have specialized pits between their eyes and nostrils. These pits help them sense temperature changes as infrared rays, so they can essentially “see heat.” Snakes will utilized this sense to help find dying prey after the prey has been initially injected with venom through the snake’s bite.

• Snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards. 

Be sure to check out Tifft's upcoming programs on the Buffalo Museum of Science website. You can also learn about new events on our Facebook page and Pinterest site. 

See you on the trails! 

Pinteresting News!

Tifft Nature Preserve now has a Pinterest page! Create a Tifft-inspired board with pins of your favorite Tifft animal, history of the preserve, and our latest upcoming events. Check it out at http://pinterest.com/tifftpreserve/

 Happy Pinning!

Winter Scenes

After a couple weeks of no snow, the preserve has a light dusting once again! Despite the cold and wind, the animals are still present around Tifft. We've had numerous feeder birds, like woodpeckers and cardinals, along with frequent deer visits around the cabin and mounds. One lucky school group even spotted a beaver on a afternoon tour near the lodge on Heritage Boardwalk! Unfortunately, no one managed to snap a shot for the blog. Perhaps we'll have better luck in the future, in the meantime enjoy these quite winter moments at Tifft. 

Nature and industry in winter

Mosquito Junction

Tracks in the snow over the frozen marsh. Not sure what creature made these, possibly mink or a skunk.

Some cold, old cattails on a winter day.