After skirling fades, Echoes of melodies past Tickle memory

In a feat of literary alchemy, Italian chemist Primo Levi writes in a grandfatherly manner about his ordeal as a slave laborer in Auschwitz. Reading “If This is a Man,” first published in 1958, is like cuddling a tiger as it rips your heart out.

We had another successful year with our purple martin nesting program at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. (Graphic courtesy of refuge staff)

Allison Barkowski of Greece, right, operations and outreach director for Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-NY, visited Iroquois NWR today and met with refuge staff and volunteer Carl Zenger, left, who showed off the case he had built for the Capitol flag Tenney gave him in the fall.

In the fall Iroquois NWR became part of the same Fish & Wildlife Service complex as Montezuma NWR. The two are now under the same manager. To better get to know our new associates, I traveled with Iroquois staff today to Montezuma for its annual volunteer appreciation lunch.

Great turnout tonight, especially given the weather conditions, for Lee Whedon Library’s Fundraising Gala & Auction. Way to turn out, Medina.

Tracks punctuate snow; Word of marsh creatures passing— Seeking safe context

Liberation is Hardest on liberated; Freely flying blind

Figure skaters carve Solitude into surface, Embracing crisp twirls* *Inspired by Maxim Naumo’s performance yesterday in the Olympic short program.

Nothing like a bout of Triskaidekaphobia To sharpen senses

Find small loveliness— An era built on excess Can’t crush what it mocks

A profile of me by an area freelance writer that is appearing on Buffalo Rising website: buffalorising.com/2026/02/from-n…

Happiness always Comes with whiff of rottenness, Doubts about self-worth

Thanks to Andrea Heine for leading this morning’s winter bird walk at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. The intrepid souls who participated were rewarded with an amazing sight: 13 balds congregating on the Mohawk Pool. Well worth braving the conditions.

Bald eagle incubating egg at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. We think the egg was laid at 5:05 p.m. Friday. Link to the nest camera stream available at FINWR.org

Certainly I have Biases, but at least they Were freely chosen

We believe the bald eagle pair our nest camera is trained on at Iroquois NWR had a second egg about 5 p.m. If all goes well, they will take 35 days or so to hatch. If you want to watch the nest camera, there’s a link to it at FINWR.org.

Flytiers fool fish Demagogues dupe denizens Scammers sting suckers

Perfection is still— Art bends toward broken Edge of existence

This just seems appropriate today.