Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Coyotes and turkey vultures

I grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the 1970's and 1980's, but it wasn't until the late 80's or early 90's that I recall ever seeing a turkey vulture or hearing about coyotes in this area. Nowadays turkey vultures are in the sky every day, and coyotes are common too. It's not like I wasn't paying attention - I have a vivid memory of a Sunday in 1979 1978 when hundreds of seagulls descended on Nanticoke (PARADE magazine featured a cover story on Star Trek: The Motion Picture that day.) So is it my imagination, or are these animals more common in NEPA than they once were?

In a highly peripatetic society, it's increasingly difficult to find many people who have been in any one place long enough to have observed the gradual (and sometimes sudden) changes that the decades have brought. What about you? Have you noticed specific environmental changes where you live?  Leave a comment describing what you've noticed!

2 comments:

Stan Mera said...

I used to pick elderberries for wine around the first week in September (2001) now I picked them the last week in July. Black walnuts are falling off the trees now compared to last 2 weeks in September and first 2 weeks in October (2008). Concord grapes in my backyard are ripening already compared to second week in September (1999).

Michelle HD said...

http://wnep.com/2012/02/13/vulture-watching-with-rick-koval/