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LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

A Natural History of Conewago Falls—The Waters of Three Mile Island

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Category: “Taiga Merlin”

Posted on May 19, 2022May 19, 2022

Photo of the Day

Birds of Conewago Falls in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed: "Taiga Merlin" — A “Taiga Merlin” (Falco columbarius columbarius) with an Eastern Kingbird snatched from midair. Both these species are accomplished fliers that rely upon aerial pursuit to catch their prey, the former preferring small birds and the latter flying insects.

Plastics are not only an unsightly environmental nightmare, they put all of us in danger in the event of a fire. It doesn't matter whether you're a firefighter, an E.M.S. provider, a police officer, a municipal planner, or just a citizen concerned for the safety of one's self and family, you need to know the hazards and what to do about them. Don't wait; click this image to visit our Riverside Firemen's Retreat page and get informed.

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2017 Autumn Migration Count (16)
2018 Autumn Migration Count (1)
Bird Feeding (38)
Birds on Radar (14)
Eating Invasive Species (3)
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Forty Years Ago in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (13)
In the Doghouse (4)
Photo of the Day (145)
Planting for Wildlife (60)
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TMI Unit 2 Accident (8)
Uncle Tyler Dyer (13)
Voyage of the S. S. Haldeman (2)

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In the current…

Sightings on a Beautiful Spring Morning April 23, 2024
Photo of the Day April 18, 2024
Solar Eclipse of 2024 April 9, 2024
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Accidents and Their Impact on Susquehanna Wildlife March 28, 2024
Prescribed Fire: Controlled Burns for Forest and Non-forest Habitats March 24, 2024

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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM:

WARNING: BIG FOOTPRINT ALERT!

The lower Susquehanna valley's native wildlife and plant communities continue to be decimated by the expanding range of the planet's most invasive beast: BIG FOOTPRINT (Homo sapiens macrovestigiorum). These are merciless, destructive animals. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!

Hierarchical Index

Animals (Animalia)
Astronomy
Bacteria
- Spirochaetes (Spirochaetota)
  - Spirochaetes (Spirochaetia)
    - Spirochetes (Spirochaetales)
      - Spirochetes (Borreliaceae)
        
        Borrelia burgdorferi
Birds on Radar
Climate
- Drought
- Dust Storm
  - Saharan Dust Storm
- Floods
  - Hurricane Agnes
  - Tropical Storm Lee
- Ice Age
- Ice Scour
- Rainfall
- Sun Halo
- Tornado
Early Naturalists
- Beck (Dr. Herbert H.)
- Linnaean Society of Lancaster City and County
Extinct Species
Geology
- Erosion
  - Floodplains
- Gettysburg Basin
  - Gettysburg Formation
    - Triassic redbeds
  - York Haven Diabase
    - Conewago Falls
      - Pothole Rocks
Habitats
Hawk Watches
Landmarks
Non-native/Introduced Species
- Invasive Species
Physiographic Provinces
Plants (Plantae)
- Conifers (Pinopsida)
  - Cypresses (Cupressales)
    - Cypresses (Cupressaceae)
  - Extant Conifers (Pinales)
    - Pines (Pinaceae)
- Flowering Plants (Angiosperms)
Pollution and Stream Impairment
Prions
- Prions in Humans
- Prions in Non-humans
Stream Rehabilitation
Tributaries
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Alphabetical Index

Why are those ducklings in the storm drain?…and so on.

Today, the fate of wildlife diversity, both locally and globally, is largely determined by the actions of sprawling masses of humans. If the conservation/preservation mindset of the public at large fails to broaden beyond lawn care, outdoor recreation, pet-keeping, and the hysteria of cute animal rescue, then at-risk species will have no real chance of long-term survival.

What does all that mean? It means you can stop feeding ducks now. It’s a good start.

Hand-fed waterfowl like these Mallards (polygamous form) quickly domesticate and lose their instinct to migrate. They soon become accustomed to human activity and begin wandering fearlessly into traffic where they are hazards not only to themselves, but to people too. Their incessant foraging within a small range pollutes water, degrades fisheries, and obliterates aquatic food chains, often extirpating entire populations of native plants and animals from local streams and wetlands. The irony of it all: duck feeding damages vital resting and breeding habitats needed by migrating waterfowl, the truly wild ducks and geese. So if you really love ducks, don't feed them. See how easy that is?

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