News
Word of the Week: Endothermy. How are honeybees like penguins?
3+ hour, 9+ min ago (346+ words) But what about a honeybee colony? Collectively, individuals in honeybee colonies (as well as ant and termite colonies) act as a superorganism: a group functioning as a single, unified entity with individuals specializing in accomplishing different roles. Initially, honeybees prepare…...
Composite photo of male and female dark-eyed juncos
22+ hour, 31+ min ago (165+ words) Composite photo of male and female dark-eyed juncos'The Berkshire Eagle The feathers of adult male dark-eyed junco, left, are dark gray with white on the belly. Adult females, right, show the same color pattern, but their gray feathers are lighter…...
An unexpected winter visit from a yellow-bellied sapsucker
1+ day, 22+ hour ago (530+ words) Bill Danielson recounts a fleeting winter encounter with a yellow-bellied sapsucker, capturing a few unforgettable photos and reflecting on the joy of watching for the unexpected." I spend hours and hours of my free time sitting and watching the birds…...
FLO-SELECT-3.JPG
2+ week, 19+ hour ago (42+ words) FLO-SELECT-3.JPG'The Berkshire Eagle "There's support for both parents and kids in [FOL]," said Christine Callahan, a parent and member in the organization. "We share toys and occupational therapy equipment, and baby sitting resources, and all sorts of different things....
A year of birds at the feeders: Species counts, surprises and setbacks
2+ week, 1+ day ago (594+ words) A year of birds at the feeders: Species counts, surprises and setbacks'The Berkshire Eagle The brown thrasher is a big, bright, beautiful bird with captivating yellow eyes. Happy New Year everybody! As is customary at this time of year, I…...
Birding in the middle of nowhere
2+ week, 2+ day ago (599+ words) Hawaiian black-necked stilt at Ke'lia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui." As we fly into Maui, bare-topped, reddish volcanic islands emerge from the deep blue sea. The plane descends. A tropical paradise, like a developing polaroid picture, appears: Palm trees,…...
From childhood crafts to field science, a birder’s passion takes flight
1+ mon, 5+ day ago (680+ words) Columnist Bill Danielson reflects on childhood gifts, early scientific inspirations, and unforgettable encounters with ruffed grouse, setting the stage for a deeper story to come next week. A rare and wonderful sighting of a ruffed grouse hen standing in the…...
Annie Oakley aimed high with her Kentucky rifle in shows for Pittsfield and North Adams in 1895
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (1032+ words) Annie Oakley, seen here in 1894, had a sure eye and an accurate trigger finger. "My mother " was perfectly horrified," Annie Oakley once said, "when I began shooting and tried to keep me in school, but I would run away and…...
Woodpeckers bring life and rhythm to November’s quiet woods
2+ mon, 5+ day ago (411+ words) A pileated woodpecker digs into a tree branch. "No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, / No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! " / November!" ("November," Thomas Hood, 1844) Taptaptapping comin' from the woods. Our feeders are up and are becoming…...
How the Berkshire Bird Observatory is studying the secret lives of saw-whet owls
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (1556+ words) Berkshire Bird Observatory Director Ben Nickley talks to a group of visitors about northern saw-whet owls that the group captures in large "mist nets" set up at Jug End State Reservation in Egremont on Oct. 16. EGREMONT " "Awws" filled the quiet…...