Photos by Tom Rivers
BARKER – These kayakers were out in Lake Ontario last evening for a spectacular sunset. They are out in the water near the Lighthouse Christian Camp in Barker, about 2 miles west of the Orleans County line.
The Toronto skyline can be seen in the background.
These kayakers paddle back to shore.
This group of three had fun riding a Jetski on the lake.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Josh Ketry, a bird enthusiast from Buffalo, scans the sky for a pair of Swallow-tailed Kites. Those raptors normally are in Florida but are making a rare appearance in New York.
KENDALL – The church parking lot at the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Kendall has been drawing a crowd of people from all over the state in recent days.
There have been as many as 40 to 50 people in the lot, holding binoculars or peering through telephoto lenses.
Josh Ketry was able to get a photo of one of the birds in flight. He has come to Kendall three of the past four days to observe the Swallow-tailed Kites.
They are chasing a “life bird,” a pair of raptors from down South. Two Swallow-tailed Kites are making a rare appearance in the state. Birding enthusiasts theorize they were knocked off their normal path from the hurricane.
The two raptors have been spotted in Kendall for the past 10 days. But they didn’t become a big draw until Sunday, when birders started sharing on social media and websites that the Swallow-tailed Kites were hanging around Route 272 (the Monroe-Orleans Countyline Road) near the Creek Road intersection.
Josh Ketry, 41, of Buffalo was in Pennsylvania on Sunday on a birding expedition when a friend texted him about the Swallow-tailed Kites in Kendall. Ketry immediately changed course and drove 3 ½ hours to Kendall. He was back Tuesday and again today.
“This is a lifer so I’m chasing it,” he said.
He has been able to photograph the two birds. They are bright white with black on their wings and back. They tend to glide in the air. Ketry said they have been observed eating cicadas and dragonflies while in Kendall.
Ketry started getting into birds about 3 ½ years ago. He enjoyed the outdoors and hiking and wanted to make it more exciting. He set a goal of seeing an owl on a hike. They it became seeing eight different types of owls.
His list has continued to grow and he has made many friends through the hobby.
“It gave me a quest,” he said. “I’m fascinated by them.”
Lisa Scheppke of Queens and Josh Ketry of Buffalo chat in the parking lot of the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Kendall late this morning. Crowds have been in the church parking lot since Sunday drawing birders from all over the state.
Cornell University has many online resources to help people identify birds, and alert them to rare bird sightings. Click here to see Cornell’s entry on the Swallow-tailed Kite.
The Swallow-tailed Kites have been crowd-pleasers so far. Ketry said hundreds of people have been able to make the sighting. They two have the added draw of flying in a pair, and they haven’t just passed through the area briefly. They have stayed for more than a week, allowing birders to mobilize to try to see them.
Lisa Scheppke, 53, made the trip from Queens in New York City. She has been a birder for about a decade. She will often go a trips with friends to see birds. It is typically a solitary hobby, with long walks through trails and the woods to see the birds.
She reached Kendall last evening but missed the two Swallow-tailed Kites. She was back at 8 this morning. She was feeling discouraged until they made their first appearance of the day at about 10:45 a.m. They tend to be spotted first in the day at 11 a.m.
Stacy Robinson left her home in the Adirondacks at 4:30 this morning to drive to Kendall to see the Swallow-tailed Kites.
“They are a beautiful bird,” she said, holding her binoculars. “This is unusual too because they are a pairing.”
Scheppke, after seeing the Swallow-tailed Kites, said she was likely headed to the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge in Central New York on the way back to NYC.
Stacey Robinson left her home in the Adirondacks at 4:30 this morning and arrived in Kendall at 10:30. Fifteen minutes later the trip felt worth it when she saw the Swallow-tailed Kites. Two of her friends from Albany and Ticonderoga also drove to Kendall and urged her to make the trip.
Robinson said she has been birding the past eight years “obsessively.” She is retired as an assistant at an animal hospital. She said birders check their social media and online communities to see if there have been life bird alerts.
“Birders are very good about sharing information,” she said. “You never know when the next one is coming.”
She said the hobby has taken her throughout the region, to small towns, nature preserves and wildlife refuges.
William Norton, 24, of Hamlin only had to drive about 5 miles to get in position to see the two Swallow-tailed Kites. He has been a bird watcher since he was 16.
He said there are many different colors among birds, and they make distinctive noises.
“It’s just relaxing,” he said about the hobby. “You’re out in nature.”
Frank Forte was one of the 2019 photo contest winners with this photo of The Max Jacob on the Erie Canal.
Press Release, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
WATERFORD – The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is calling for entries for its 15th annual Erie Canalway Photo Contest. Images should convey the unique character of New York’s canals and canal communities.
Entries must be postmarked by Aug. 28. Winning photos will be featured in the 2021 Erie Canalway calendar.
Images will be judged in four contest categories: On the Water, Along the Trail, Canal Communities, and Classic Canal. Judges will select first, second, and third place winning images in each category, as well as 12 honorable mentions.
Submitted images must be taken within the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, which spans 524 miles across the full expanse of upstate New York. It encompasses the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain canals and their historic alignments, as well as more than 230 canal communities.
Download official contest rules and an entry form by clicking here.
Photo by Tom Rivers: A vehicle drives over the Main Street lift bridge in Albion on Friday evening. Orleans County has seven of the 16 lift bridges on the canal.
The State Canal Corp. announced on Friday that all lift bridges and locks are now operating for the navigation season on the Erie Canal.
The Canal system is scheduled to close to navigation on Oct. 14. Maintenance was delayed this spring due to Covid-19 with canal crews operating at a reduced capacity and construction suspended.
The boating season was scheduled to open on May 15 but that was pushed back to June 26. This year is the 196th season the canal is open.
While all the locks and lift bridges are open on the Erie Canal, the state continues to work on locks on other sections of the canal system: Lock C-12 (Whitehall), Lock O-7 (Oswego) and Lock CS-2/3 (Seneca Falls).
The Whitehall lock on the Champlain Canal is expected to open on Aug. 10. The lock in Oswego on the Oswego Canal is expected to open on Aug. 10. The lock in Seneca Falls on the Cayuga-Seneca Canal is expected to open on Aug. 3.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The tugboat Syracuse carries inspectors and officials from the State Canal Corp. on the Erie Canal in Albion on Sept. 14, 2016. The canal will reopen to boaters on Friday.
The State Canal Corporation has announced today that portions of the system will reopen to boaters on Friday. That includes the section in Orleans County and Western New York.
The sections reopening will begin on Friday at 7 a.m. That’s ahead of the July 4 date that was planned for the start of the navigational system during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The season was scheduled to open on May 15, but was pushed back due to Covid-19. The public health emergency delayed the Canal Corp’s maintenance work that is needed before the canal can reopen.
The Canal Corporation has been working to get the system ready since Phase 1 of the state’s reopening started in mid-May for most of the canal system.
“Construction and maintenance activities continue at several locks across the system,” the Canal Corp. announced today.
The canal system is scheduled to close to navigation on Oct. 14.
The lift bridges, including the seven in Orleans County, will be operational each day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. until Sept. 17. From that day until the season closes on Oct. 14, the bridges will be operational from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Orleans has seven of the 16 lift bridges on the canal system. The lift bridges in Orleans include Holley, Hulberton, two in Albion, Eagle Harbor, Knowlesville and Medina.
Click here to see the notices to mariners from the Canal Corporation for more information about other sections of the canal.
RIDGEWAY – Hannah Hill of Ridgeway sent in these photos taken this morning, when she saw a mother possum carrying a bunch of babies on her back on Oak Orchard River Road.
The Orleans Hub has been around for more than 7 years and many people have sent in wildlife photos. I believe this is the first time we’ve had possums featured.
“I know it’s not news, but local and adorable none the less ?,” Hill said in an email to the Orleans Hub.
I didn’t know that the mother possums have a pouch in their abdomens for the babies when they are small. As they get bigger, the babies climb on the mother’s back while she is out scavenging.
Press Release, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Photo by Tom Rivers – A fisherman is pictured at Point Breeze in this photo from May 3, 2015.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced a Free Fishing Weekend for June 27-28. The event is the second of six Free Fishing Days offered in New York State every year.
“This free fishing weekend could not have come at a better time,” Commissioner Seggos said. “Amid the uncertainty of these challenging times, being home together has allowed many families to get outdoors and experience new activities. Free fishing days provide the perfect opportunity for all New Yorkers – from Brooklyn to Buffalo and from Montauk to Mt. Marcy – to try fishing for the first time and encourage those who have fished before to dust off their fishing rods and get outside.”
DEC encourages all anglers, new and experienced, to recreate locally and seek out fishing opportunities close to home.
Additional Free Fishing Days in 2020/2021 include: National Hunting and Fishing Day (Sept. 26); Veterans Day (Nov. 11); and President’s Day Weekend (Feb. 13-14).
During these designated free fishing days, New York residents and non-residents are permitted to fish for free without a fishing license. Free fishing day participants are reminded that although the requirement for a fishing license is waived during free fishing days, all other fishing regulations remain in effect.
DEC reminds anglers to maintain safe social distancing while fishing this year to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Guidelines to protect yourself and others include:
Photos by Tom Rivers
MURRAY – This snapping turtle is shown last week after it managed to cross Route 31 in Fancher. Many snapping turtles have been seen crossing roads to find spots to lay their eggs.
This deer is in a field along West Bacon Road in Gaines on Monday evening.
The area will see a stretch of warm weather with the highs topping 80 degrees.
This highs for the next several days include 82 today, followed by 84 on Thursday, 84 on Friday, 86 on Saturday and 86 on Sunday.
CARLTON – Six baby swans born about 10 days ago have gained a lot of admirers at Lake Alice. Nancy Good sent in this photo of the family of swans on May 24.
Meghan Snook sent in these photos todays of the six babies with their parents.
Photo by Tom Rivers: A boater is out on Lake Ontario near Point Breeze in this file photo from June 30, 2016.
Press Release, International Joint Commission
Lake Ontario levels peaked early this year at 247.38 feet on May 5, which was 4 inches below the general flood stage and 20 inches lower than the peak in 2019.
Lake levels are expected to continue their seasonal decline through summer, and have fallen 2 inches from the crest to date.
Lower Lake Ontario levels and the continuing high outflows are causing increased currents in the upper St. Lawrence River and also extremely low levels on Lake St. Lawrence, the forebay just upstream of the Moses-Saunders Power Dam. The International Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Board has assessed the situation carefully and, if necessary, will act to augment low levels at this location over the coming weeks.
The Board’s extended general deviation authority (as granted by the International Joint Commission on October 9, 2019) has ended. The Board is no longer deviating by releasing outflows above Plan 2014 prescribed flows, since Lake Ontario reached its peak and began its seasonal decline.
The peak level of Lake Ontario is still well above average, but was reduced by 7 inches owing to deviations from Plan 2014. These deviation totals accumulated over the past several months as the Board attempted to remove as much water as possible from Lake Ontario, prior to spring.
Drier conditions have prevailed in recent weeks, including around Lake Ontario and in the Ottawa and lower St. Lawrence River basins. These are the primary reasons for the recent decline in Lake Ontario levels, which has occurred despite very high inflows from the extremely high upper Great Lakes. These high inflows will continue for the foreseeable future and, in response, Plan 2014 will continue to prescribe very high outflows, which will enhance Lake Ontario’s seasonal decline.
However, the lower and declining levels on Lake Ontario combined with the high outflows through the Moses-Saunders Power Dam that will continue are resulting in very low levels on Lake St. Lawrence that are anticipated to persist for months to come.
This will be the fourth straight summer of well-below-average levels of Lake St. Lawrence, which responds much more rapidly and significantly to increases in outflows than the much larger Lake Ontario upstream. Had the Board not deviated and removed water from Lake Ontario since last spring, Lake St. Lawrence would currently be approximately 6 inches higher.
Photo by Tom Rivers: The sign on the tugboat, Pittsford, is shown on Sunday evening in Albion, where the vessel is stationed.
With the Western New York and Capital Regions each given the green light for phase 1 reopenings, the State Canal Corp. has adjusted its plan for the opening of the Erie Canal.
Nearly the entire system is now planned to be ready by July 4 for the start of the navigational season.
The season was scheduled to open on May 15, but was pushed back. The Covid-19 pandemic and the limit on construction activities delayed some maintenance work needed before the canal can reopen.
Last Friday, the Canal Corp. announced most of the canal would open by July 4, but some sections might not open by July 4, including in the Albany region and the section from Lockport west through Tonawanda.
The rest of the canal was cleared for phase 1 of the reopening, including Orleans County which is in the Finger Lakes Region.
Western New York was cleared to reopen today and the Capital Region has met the state’s seven criterion to reopen, beginning on Wednesday.
The State Canal Corp. today said maintenance work needs to be completed at specific canal facilities varies by location and locks along the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals. They will open for passage in a staggered fashion.
Announcements regarding specific lock or regional openings will be communicated through the Canal Corporation’s “Notice to Mariners” notification program available at www.canals.ny.gov. The Canal Corporation said it appreciates the public’s patience during this time.
Here is the updated tentative schedule for the canal’s opening:
Capital Region – Locks targeted for opening by July 4th
• Erie Canal from Lock E-2 in Waterford to Lock E-9 in Rotterdam
• Except for Locks E-7 (Niskayuna), E-8 (Scotia), and E-9 (Rotterdam) – these locks are forecast to open between July 20th and August 10th
• Champlain Canal from Lock C-1 in Waterford to Lock C-12 in Whitehall
• Except for Lock C-12 (Whitehall), which is forecast to open on August 10th
Mohawk Valley Region – Locks opening in phases, targeted for between July 4th & August 10th
• Erie Canal Lock E-10 in Cranesville through Sylvan Beach at Oneida Lake
Central NY Region – Locks targeted for opening by July 4th
• Erie Canal from Oneida Lake to Lock E-25 in May’s Point
• Oswego Canal – except Lock O-7 in Oswego, which is forecast to open on August 10th
Finger Lakes Region – Locks targeted for opening by July 4th
• Erie Canal from Lock E-25 in May’s Point to Locks E-34/35 in Lockport – except Lock E-26 in Clyde, which is forecast to open on July 13th
• Cayuga – Seneca Canal – except Locks CS-2/3 in Seneca Falls, which are forecast to open on August 3rd
Western NY Region – Locks targeted for opening by July 4th
• Erie Canal Locks E-34/35 in Lockport through Tonawanda
Photo by Tom Rivers: This canal boat passes through Albion in September 2018.
The Erie Canal will open by July 4 for its 196th navigational season, the State Canal Corp. announced today.
The season was supposed to kick off today. But the Covid-19 pandemic prevented canal workers from doing needed maintenance to have the system ready for a new boating season.
But the state has begun to unpause with construction work allowed in phase 1 of a four-phase reopening.
The Canal Corp. will work on maintenance and construction projects on a regional basis under the “NY Forward Reopening” plan. The Western New York region and the Capital region remain on pause and sections of the canal in those regions might not open by July 4. The Canal Corp. said the timeframe for those sections is to be determined.
Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes region and those sections should be open by July 4, the Canal Corporation said.
Canal Corporation crews and contractors will mobilize to work sites in the Capital Region, Mohawk Valley, Central NY, Finger Lakes, and Western NY regions as those areas reopen. Maintenance work that needs to be completed at specific canal facilities varies by location and locks along the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals will open for passage in a staggered fashion.
Here is the tentative schedule for canal reopenings by region:
Capital Region – “NY Forward Reopening” Date TBD
• Erie Canal from Lock E-2 in Waterford to Lock E-9 in Rotterdam
• Champlain Canal from Lock C-1 in Waterford to Lock C-12 in Whitehall
Mohawk Valley Region – Locks opening in phases, targeted for between July 4th & August 10th
• Erie Canal Lock E-10 in Cranesville through Sylvan Beach at Oneida Lake
Central NY Region – Locks targeted for opening by July 4th
• Erie Canal from Oneida Lake to Lock E-25 in May’s Point
• Oswego Canal – except Lock O-7 in Oswego
Finger Lakes Region – Locks targeted for opening by July 4th
• Erie Canal from Lock E-25 in May’s Point to Locks E-34/35 in Lockport – except Lock E-26 in Clyde
• Cayuga – Seneca Canal – except Locks CS-2/3 in Seneca Falls
Western NY Region – “NY Forward Reopening” Date TBD
• Erie Canal Locks E-34/35 in Lockport through Tonawanda
As maintenance and construction work commences, most boaters, paddlers, and anglers can access sections of the Canal system for recreational use today. Mariners are advised that some sections of the Canal system will have reduced water levels until such time as the Canal Corporation completes its projects. In addition, navigation aids are not currently in place, but will be installed on the Canal system as the regions open.
All users of the Canal system and adjacent Empire State Trail are encouraged to practice social distancing while using boat launches, trails and other public resources.
The Canal Corporation appreciates the public’s patience during this time and urges all users to register to receive updates through the “Notice to Mariners” notification program at www.canals.ny.gov.
Photos by Tom Rivers
ALBION – This is a nice time of year for a walk or a drive around the neighborhoods of Orleans County. Many of the trees are in bloom, including the cherry tree in the top photo. That tree is in a front yard on East Park Street in Albion.
This dogwood is in front of the rectory for the Holy Family Parish in Albion, at the corner of West Park Street and Main Street. The statutes of a family are in honor of the Rev. Richard Csizmar, the parish’s priest the past 26 years.
There is a freeze watch tonight and Tuesday morning in Orleans County with temperatures in the upper 20s to low 30s. Hopefully the cold weather won’t cause the petals to fall off the trees.
POINT BREEZE – Bob Chaplin sent in this photo he took this morning at 6:15 of the sun coming up at Point Breeze with the Oak Orchard Lighthouse and the Oak Orchard Harbor.
The photo was taken at Oak Orchard on the Lake.
The forecast the next few days includes a high near 70 on Wednesday, with a chance of showers before 2 p.m.
Thursday will be cloudy with a high near 62, followed by a chance of showers on Friday with a high near 55.
Photos by Tom Rivers: George Sokolsky, center, and his friends Jim Balmer, left, and Brad Alexander walk the Erie Canal in Albion while practicing social distancing.
ALBION – Three friends from Brockport are walking stretches of the Erie Canal almost every day, gradually working their way from Brockport to Lockport.
The trio heads west past the Main Street lift bridge in Albion.
That’s about 40 miles along the towpath. The three drive to near one spot, walk 2 or 3 miles, and then turn around and walk back to their vehicle. They do it again the next day, with a new starting about 2 to 3 miles west of where they previously started.
They decided to walk a long stretch of the canal when the pandemic hit which has slowed down commerce and kept many people inside.
“You can still get outside and enjoy planet Earth,” said George Sokolsky, owner of the Magic Works Vacuum Shop in Brockport.
Sokolsky, 76, has owned that business for 36 years. He has reduced his hours during the pandemic. That his given him more time for walks.
He is often joined by his friends, Jim Balmer, 66; and Brad Alexander, 68. Balmer works as a stack tester, measuring air pollutants from industry and other sources. Alexander has been self employed for 46 years.
The trio said there are some benefits of the pandemic. The pace of life has slowed down. That has offered a chance for friends and family to reconnect.
“All of a sudden I have more time,” Sokolsky said while walking the towpath in Albion.
The group has made it to Marshall Road in Medina, with Niagara County not too far away.
George Sokolsky, Brad Alexander and Jim Balmer are enjoying their walks along the canal, seeing the small towns and wildlife along the way. They are pictured on the Main Street lift bridge in Albion. These photos were taken before Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s directive to wear masks or face coverings when social distancing isn’t possible in public.
They have enjoyed the quiet stretches along the canal, seeing turkey vultures, blue herons, deer and other animals.
“It’s a lot more peaceful than I thought,” Balmer said. “My blood pressure has dropped.”
The three friends have also walked at Hamlin Beach State Park since the pandemic hit. They see many families out for walks.
“The people we see they are all outgoing and friendly,” Alexander said. “It’s quite a contrast from when you go into Walmart or Wegmans. You go in there and people are scared.”
Sokolsky urged more people to get out for walks on the towpath or the nearby state parks.
“The canal is a great resource and Hamlin Beach is just wonderful,” Sokolsky said. “I would encourage everyone to just get out and breathe.”
