Nature's Notebook

 This season has been a bonanza for Northwest Corner eagle watchers, with an apparent pair of adult bald eagles taking up winter residence on and around Lake Wononscopomuc in Lakeville. Wildlife photographer Scott Whalen sent in this latest photograph of one of the pair, as well as another of a sub-adult bald eagle taken at the same lake.

 The recovery of the bald eagle in the past two decades, and its concomitant increase in numbers in New England, is one of the great success stories of conservation, and particularly of the federal Endangered Species Act, which was signed into law by, of all people, Richard M. Nixon. So robust have eagle populations become that it is now proposed they be "de-listed" altogether, moved off the endangered species list from their current "threatened" status.

 Nevertheless, it should not be assumed that the presence of eagles in winter means that they are nesting here. To nest, bald eagles usually need an ample territory alongside a large body of water, as well as a degree of removal from human disturbance. As a consequence, in recent years there have been only two successful breeding pairs in all of Connecticut, as far as I know: one at Barkhamstead Reservoir and the other along the Connecticut River.

 Of course, I would be glad to be proven wrong.

 Bald eagles generally breed from mid-March through April. Their nest is a large, bulky mass of sticks and grasses placed high in a tree and reused from year to year.

 For eagle lovers who can’t get enough of the majestic raptors, there is a second species in our region, just slightly farther afield. For quite a few years now, a pair of golden eagles has nested on Stissing Mountain in Pine Plains, N.Y. It can be challenging to distinguish these two large raptors, especially between individuals that have not reached classic adult plumage. Golden eagles tend to have more "buteo-like" proportions — think of a dark, oversized red-tailed hawk — while even young bald eagles possess a conspicuously huge beak. [Editor’s note: Buteo is a word used to refer to soaring birds of prey.]

 Finally, if you are a raptor fan like me, keep an eye on on the op-ed pages for raptorphile Tony Piel’s filings from Patagonia, mixing descriptions of birds such as the awesome Andean Condorwith succinct political analysis!

 Fred Baumgarten is a naturalist and writer. He can be reached at  fredb58@sbcglobal.net . His blog is at thatbirdblog.blogspot.com. 

 

Latest News

Club baseball at Fuessenich Park

Travel league baseball came to Torrington Thursday, June 26, when the Berkshire Bears Select Team played the Connecticut Moose 18U squad. The Moose won 6-4 in a back-and-forth game. Two players on the Bears play varsity ball at Housatonic Valley Regional High School: shortstop Anthony Foley and first baseman Wes Allyn. Foley went 1-for-3 at bat with an RBI in the game at Fuessenich Park.

 

  Anthony Foley, rising senior at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, went 1-for-3 at bat for the Bears June 26.Photo by Riley Klein 

 
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

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Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit lakevillejournal.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

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