Desirée L. Narango
@dlnarango.bsky.social
Conservation Scientist @VTecostudies studying ecology of plants, insects, and birds. Crazy Cat(erpillar) Lady #urbanecology #forestecology #speciesinteractions #conservation #globalchange
what I'm up to --> http://www.desireelnarango.com
what I'm up to --> http://www.desireelnarango.com
Check out this amazing fall migration track from our female Gray Catbirds we studied this summer! This lady picked up on that big night of Sept 29th and made a nice 40 miles per hour flight from western massachusetts down to Philadelphia! We're excited to see where she is picked up next!
October 15, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Check out this amazing fall migration track from our female Gray Catbirds we studied this summer! This lady picked up on that big night of Sept 29th and made a nice 40 miles per hour flight from western massachusetts down to Philadelphia! We're excited to see where she is picked up next!
You can read an excellent piece about our work this summer by our lead bander Anna Peel:
vtecostudies.org/blog/2025-mo...
vtecostudies.org/blog/2025-mo...
September 12, 2025 at 1:05 PM
You can read an excellent piece about our work this summer by our lead bander Anna Peel:
vtecostudies.org/blog/2025-mo...
vtecostudies.org/blog/2025-mo...
And of course the obligatory sunrise and mountain peak photos. This view never ever gets old
September 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
And of course the obligatory sunrise and mountain peak photos. This view never ever gets old
We’re up on the Mt this week for Bicknell’s Thrush but the spruce-fir is buzzing with migratory birds! Surprisingly the top is very dense with migrants (mostly young) despite the low food and cold conditions. Here’s a few of our bycatch friends. (All birds captured under USGS BBL and state permits)
September 12, 2025 at 12:59 PM
We’re up on the Mt this week for Bicknell’s Thrush but the spruce-fir is buzzing with migratory birds! Surprisingly the top is very dense with migrants (mostly young) despite the low food and cold conditions. Here’s a few of our bycatch friends. (All birds captured under USGS BBL and state permits)
Not ever day that longhorn cuckoo bees (Triepeolus sp.) out number the bumblebees during surveys! Three species yesterday on one plot. All on blue vervain (verbena hastata) which appears to be heavily favored by this genus
August 27, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Not ever day that longhorn cuckoo bees (Triepeolus sp.) out number the bumblebees during surveys! Three species yesterday on one plot. All on blue vervain (verbena hastata) which appears to be heavily favored by this genus
Worked from home this week to play catch up on papers but the cat distribution system had other ideas. Needless to say I haven’t gotten anything done because snuggles took priority.
August 23, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Worked from home this week to play catch up on papers but the cat distribution system had other ideas. Needless to say I haven’t gotten anything done because snuggles took priority.
Now that you’re super stoked about #moths from #mothweek, check out a paper I published this year that I’m very proud of.
Spoiler alert: the tree composition in a forest fragment predicts the abundance of specialist and generalist moths. More #keystoneplants = more moth diversity
#plantanoak
Spoiler alert: the tree composition in a forest fragment predicts the abundance of specialist and generalist moths. More #keystoneplants = more moth diversity
#plantanoak
July 28, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Now that you’re super stoked about #moths from #mothweek, check out a paper I published this year that I’m very proud of.
Spoiler alert: the tree composition in a forest fragment predicts the abundance of specialist and generalist moths. More #keystoneplants = more moth diversity
#plantanoak
Spoiler alert: the tree composition in a forest fragment predicts the abundance of specialist and generalist moths. More #keystoneplants = more moth diversity
#plantanoak
Fall migration has started! Techs caught a bay-breasted warbler this morning. The start of the molt migrants that don’t breed on Mt. Mansfield, but spend 2-3 weeks molting fresh plumage for the rest of their journey.
#mansfieldsongbirds
#mansfieldsongbirds
July 23, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Fall migration has started! Techs caught a bay-breasted warbler this morning. The start of the molt migrants that don’t breed on Mt. Mansfield, but spend 2-3 weeks molting fresh plumage for the rest of their journey.
#mansfieldsongbirds
#mansfieldsongbirds
Here’s 1 year of blue vervain (verbena hastata) growth from plugs planted in our experimental #nativeplant gardens last year. Lots of activity!
#vceecotypeproject
#pollinators
#buglove
#gardensforwildlife
#vceecotypeproject
#pollinators
#buglove
#gardensforwildlife
July 18, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Here’s 1 year of blue vervain (verbena hastata) growth from plugs planted in our experimental #nativeplant gardens last year. Lots of activity!
#vceecotypeproject
#pollinators
#buglove
#gardensforwildlife
#vceecotypeproject
#pollinators
#buglove
#gardensforwildlife
Tis the season for fun field work, awesome data collection, learning and mentorship, beautiful days on the mountain, and baaaaaabies
#vcemansfieldsongbirds
#ornithology
#pollinators
#vermont
#vcemansfieldsongbirds
#ornithology
#pollinators
#vermont
July 15, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Tis the season for fun field work, awesome data collection, learning and mentorship, beautiful days on the mountain, and baaaaaabies
#vcemansfieldsongbirds
#ornithology
#pollinators
#vermont
#vcemansfieldsongbirds
#ornithology
#pollinators
#vermont
The pollinators we’re seeing in the garden plots are good and all, but dang was I excited to see this gorgeous creature 💚💚💚
Black swallowtail caterpillar on Zizia aurea
Black swallowtail caterpillar on Zizia aurea
June 25, 2025 at 10:49 PM
The pollinators we’re seeing in the garden plots are good and all, but dang was I excited to see this gorgeous creature 💚💚💚
Black swallowtail caterpillar on Zizia aurea
Black swallowtail caterpillar on Zizia aurea
And a bonus wood thrush nest, which was way easier to find!
June 21, 2025 at 8:33 PM
And a bonus wood thrush nest, which was way easier to find!
Fun day of Saturday field work! Helped my mentee Kevin band and find gray catbird nests. Getting around the habitat is no joke, but the weather was gorgeous!
#femalebirds #ornithology #vceinthefield
#femalebirds #ornithology #vceinthefield
June 21, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Fun day of Saturday field work! Helped my mentee Kevin band and find gray catbird nests. Getting around the habitat is no joke, but the weather was gorgeous!
#femalebirds #ornithology #vceinthefield
#femalebirds #ornithology #vceinthefield
Heck ya white river junction @dunkindonutscoffee.bsky.social . Love the native plant landscaping! Way to go supporting biodiversity! Take my money! 🌱🐛🐦
June 20, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Heck ya white river junction @dunkindonutscoffee.bsky.social . Love the native plant landscaping! Way to go supporting biodiversity! Take my money! 🌱🐛🐦
May 27, 2025 at 7:59 PM
New paper! If trees are closely related, does it matter where they are from to plant-eating insects? We raised >950 Promethea moth caterpillars on 14 Prunus species to answer that question. Turns out, it matters a lot! Non-native trees = Lower performance
OA paper here: doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...
OA paper here: doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...
May 21, 2025 at 8:47 PM
New paper! If trees are closely related, does it matter where they are from to plant-eating insects? We raised >950 Promethea moth caterpillars on 14 Prunus species to answer that question. Turns out, it matters a lot! Non-native trees = Lower performance
OA paper here: doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...
OA paper here: doi.org/10.1002/ecs2...
Beautiful but chilly day on the lakeshore for Birdathon+! I’m up to 40 species so far. What’s your guess for how many I get?
All winged things count that are id’d to species.
All winged things count that are id’d to species.
May 20, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Beautiful but chilly day on the lakeshore for Birdathon+! I’m up to 40 species so far. What’s your guess for how many I get?
All winged things count that are id’d to species.
All winged things count that are id’d to species.
Spent some time out in the field yesterday to enjoy some birdy bycatch. Nothing is better than bird banding in the morning and pancakes for brunch. 💜
Baltimore Oriole, American Redstart, Mourning Warbler, and Least Flycatcher
Baltimore Oriole, American Redstart, Mourning Warbler, and Least Flycatcher
May 19, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Spent some time out in the field yesterday to enjoy some birdy bycatch. Nothing is better than bird banding in the morning and pancakes for brunch. 💜
Baltimore Oriole, American Redstart, Mourning Warbler, and Least Flycatcher
Baltimore Oriole, American Redstart, Mourning Warbler, and Least Flycatcher
New Paper!
We tested the effectiveness of keystone plants by examining moth communities along both an urbanization gradient & forest composition gradient. Spoiler alert: tree species matters!
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Pic: Kit Straley
We tested the effectiveness of keystone plants by examining moth communities along both an urbanization gradient & forest composition gradient. Spoiler alert: tree species matters!
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Pic: Kit Straley
May 8, 2025 at 11:42 PM
New Paper!
We tested the effectiveness of keystone plants by examining moth communities along both an urbanization gradient & forest composition gradient. Spoiler alert: tree species matters!
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Pic: Kit Straley
We tested the effectiveness of keystone plants by examining moth communities along both an urbanization gradient & forest composition gradient. Spoiler alert: tree species matters!
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Pic: Kit Straley
And my Canadian lousewort came back! It’s a hemiparasite of other plants
May 6, 2025 at 1:14 PM
And my Canadian lousewort came back! It’s a hemiparasite of other plants
May 6, 2025 at 1:07 PM
A student of mine is starting a new project on catbirds this summer and I am weirdly excited to learn more about these goobers
May 5, 2025 at 11:34 AM
A student of mine is starting a new project on catbirds this summer and I am weirdly excited to learn more about these goobers
Orpine (live-forever) is coming up in the northern woodlands. An invasive succulent found along roadsides in New England. Seems to crowd out other early spring flowers like trillium and trout lily. Immensely satisfying to remove. Two years of pulling & this year I have only a handful to remove.
May 1, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Orpine (live-forever) is coming up in the northern woodlands. An invasive succulent found along roadsides in New England. Seems to crowd out other early spring flowers like trillium and trout lily. Immensely satisfying to remove. Two years of pulling & this year I have only a handful to remove.