Native American Institute of
The Hudson River Valley
The Hudson River Valley
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Native American Institute of
The Hudson River Valley
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HUDSON RIVER ALMANAC Compiled by Tom Lake, Hudson River Estuary Program Naturalist <<<<< OVERVIEW The presence of black flies, sultry days, and a real mix of rather unrelated stories are all good indications that spring is winding down and summer is not far off. <<<<< HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK 5/25 - Croton-on-Hudson, HRM 34: This morning as I was walking around
a small pond I spied the adorable pointy whiskered face of a river otter
staring at me from the water close to shore. We seemed equally curious until
the otter realized I was accompanied by my dog (oblivious to its presence) and
decided to submerge and leave. <<<<< NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 5/21 - Hamilton County, HRM 286: We were sitting in our plastic kayaks
in the almost dry Indian River bed near the confluence with the Hudson River.
We were waiting for the daily Indian River Dam water release to wash us down
to the Class III white water stretch of the Upper Hudson Gorge. A young adult
bald eagle flew overhead, close enough for us to hear his wing beat, enjoy the
bright yellow beak, and spot a few remaining speckled feather patches on the
underside of his wings. We guessed he was doing a "fishing commute"
upstream from the Hudson to the Indian River lakes. 5/21 - Beacon, HRM 61: My biggest carp yet at Long Dock: 18 lb. 4 oz.,
32" long. And another that weighed 12 lb. 6 oz. The big one may be a hard
act to follow, but the season is young. The bottom of the bay off the dock
must be paved with golden shiners; I caught a couple of them as well, and the
ones I didn't catch were busy stealing my bait most of the day. 5/21 - Fishkill, HRM 61: While sitting in my yard, enjoying the aroma
of lily-of-the-valley wafting on the air, a pair of catbirds were busy
searching for nesting materials. One of the catbirds attempted,
unsuccessfully, to break apart some small twigs. The bird moved across the
lawn nearer to me to seek out a "snake skin." The snake skin in
question was a latex glove my wife had used to handle her potting soil and
plants, but it had fallen off a table. After pecking at it a number of times,
the bird relented since it could not break it apart or carry it off. 5/21 - Staten Island, New York City: I delighted in the raucous calls
of yellow warblers, American redstarts, black-throated green warblers,
Baltimore orioles, and red-eyed vireos, as they sifted through the almost
mature, but still soft vegetation of a tiny Staten Island wood lot. Below the
birds, below the beeches and oaks, below the shadblow now developing fruit,
was a solitary pink lady's slipper orchid. Behind them all, a brand new mega
supermarket. 5/22 - Newcomb, HRM 302: There I was, sitting at my desk at the
Adirondack Park Visitors Interpretive Center, quietly working away, when
"Whack!" - something hit the window. I peered out and saw a small
warbler sitting on the ground looking all rumpled. I grabbed my "Bird
Rescue Unit" (a cardboard box) and rushed out. I found it, scooped it up,
placed it in the box with a roll of paper towel to hold it in place, and
closed the lid. After an hour or so sitting on my desk, it started to bump
around, so I knew it must have recovered. I took the box out on the back deck,
opened the lid, and - zip - out it flew, a lovely magnolia warbler. 5/22 - Hunter's Brook, HRM 67.5: The succession of the seasons had
changed this tiny brook from an icy maelstrom in later winter to a shady,
sultry stream in late spring. The icy pelting of March's sleet was now the
insane buzzing of blackflies. The wool and down of winter was now t-shirt,
shorts and sandals. Any observation effort that takes you to the same place
over time has that reward. Pondering these profound realizations, I moved
through a haze of gnats and a bouquet of honeysuckle and Dame's rocket to find
that my glass eels nets were totally empty. While the research will continue
through the end of the month, whatever determines when these tiny fish arrive
from the sea has been turned off. [One of the signs of the waning spring season is the appearance of Dame's rocket along the river and its tributaries. This non-native wildflower comes in white, pink, violet, and purple. Its wonderfully sweet fragrance accompanies me in late May as I make early morning checks of pots, traps, nets and other education and research collection gear. Tom Lake.] 5/22 - Town of Wappinger: Mama, one of the two mated bald eagles, was
perched alongside the nest on a limb feeding on what might have been a
catfish. While no other eagles were in sight, on two recent evenings three
eagles were in the nest tree, two adults and one immature. The adults were the
mated pair but the immature was a mystery. If the young bird was kin, it might
have been one of two fledged in June 2006 from nest NY62A, 500 feet west of
this new nest. With no nestlings to occupy the adults, they may not hang
around as much as summer comes. 5/23 - Lexington, Greene County, HRM 122: We took an after-dinner walk
along the edge of the forest that now covers Bearpen Mountain. From high up in
the sugar maples and hickories we could hear, then see, a prairie warbler,
then two rose-breasted grosbeaks, male and female, the female seeming to sing
a softer version of the male's practiced song. When we stopped craning our
necks and looked down, there was a male scarlet tanager on the ground just a
few yards in front of us on the trail. He was slowly hopping and pecking, like
a robin, but without the upright posture or the head cocking. We watched and
watched. His rich red color seemed to glow. Finally we had our fill and,
difficult as it was, walked away from a scarlet tanager in plain sight. 5/23 - Garrison, HRM 51: Taking a time out to bring my new
granddaughter out to lay on a blanket in the grass for the first time, we were
delighted to enjoy a bluebird, a ruby-throated hummingbird, and a pileated
woodpecker. We also caught the antics of three squirrels hanging upside down,
busily cutting off young branches atop a maple tree. Were they making nests? 5/24 - Saugerties Lighthouse, HRM 102: I watched from the lighthouse
dock this morning as an osprey (one of a pair) glided over the jetty carrying
sticks in its talons. Wings flapping, it hovered momentarily over channel
marker #93 and dropped the sticks on top. With each addition, a haphazard pile
of sticks is gradually taking shape as a nest. [For at least the last decade, we have been teased each spring by the promise of an osprey nest along Hudson River tidewater. As far as we know, none have been successful. Scarborough Light (HRM 32) in the Tappan Zee has been a favorite target. Other attempts have occurred in Haverstraw Bay as well as some locations just south of Albany. Tom Lake.] 5/24 - New Paltz, HRM 78: I saw a lovely olive-sided flycatcher and a
black-billed cuckoo at the Shawangunk Grasslands this morning. 5/24 - New Paltz, HRM 78: I was very excited to see a pair of common
nighthawks zooming around the sky above my backyard this evening. I have not
seen night hawks in at least ten years. I used to see them regularly near the
Mid-Hudson Bridge, as well. Why have they become so scarce? [The disappearance of the nighthawk is a mystery to us all. Years ago they were a reliable sight and sound in our cities and villages. I used to take the kids to "downtown" Coxsackie to watch them. Every year they were regulars in Albany, Poughkeepsie, and Saratoga Springs. On August evenings, we'd look forward to flocks of them circling overhead as they migrated south. Not any more. I heard of only one report from Albany this year. No one seems to know why this is. It possibly could relate to the increase in common crows and fish crows in the urban scene. They might easily prey on the eggs or young. Another possibility is night lighting which is decimating the night flying insects, the main food for nighthawks. Rich Guthrie.] 5/24 - Town of Poughkeepsie, HRM 68.5: We went to Bowdoin Park to walk
the trails and found ourselves taking a trip back in time. As we approached
the point above the south rock shelter, we could hear the sound of drums and
the singing of Native Americans from the fields below. At the lookout, in the
tall dead tree, five turkey vultures were resting on the branches. As we came
down onto the ball fields we encountered a wonderful gathering of Native
people, dancing, and singing. [This Native American Indian Festival was organized by park naturalist Dave Beck. It was held on the park's soccer field, the very spot where an Algonquian Indian village stood as Henry Hudson arrived in 1609. To Native people, this is hallowed ground. The field was "destroyed," archaeologically speaking, during World War I when it was mined for sand. Giant conveyor belts carried glacial sands to barges waiting along the river. Local children were paid to stand by the side and pick off "arrowheads" for a nickel a piece. Many of them are now in a collection at the American Museum of Natural History. Tom Lake.] 5/25 - Town of Cortlandt, Westchester County, HRM 44: As we sat
outside the last two nights, off in the distance we could hear the approaching
calls of what we thought were Canada geese. But as they got closer, the honk
became less defined and more of a muffled clack than that of Canadas. As they
approached overhead last night, I pointed my flood light up in the air as the
flock was just over the tree tops. There were hundreds of them and they were
not Canada geese. They flew in a scattered pattern, not the tight V of Canadas.
It took over a minute for each flock to pass over us - there were three waves
within one hour and two the night before within twenty minutes. What were
these birds? [Quality, concise, detail-filled observations always help with identifications. Too often, fuzzy eye-witness accounts sound like UFO sightings. In this instance, the season, the calls, the flight pattern and night flight all point to these being brant, a small goose closely related to the Canada goose. Tom Lake.] 5/25 - Croton River, HRM 34: While hiking along the river trail of the
Croton River, spotting the usual suspects of belted kingfishers, great blue
herons, and double-crested cormorants, we noticed something different in our
binoculars. These were not a pair mallards but a pair of common mergansers. We
had never seen them here this late in spring, in this warm weather. They were
very busy feeding; the male would barely lift his head for a second before he
would re-submerge, feasting away. [Common mergansers are generally a winter visitor to Hudson tidewater, arriving in the lower estuary by mid-December.While they more regularly nest in New York's north country and Canada, the State Breeding Bird Atlas shows confirmed nesting records from eastern Dutchess County and Ulster County. Tom Lake, Steve Stanne] 5/26 - Wappinger Creek, HRM 67.5: It seemed like cement blocks were
dropping out of the sky along a mile reach of tidewater. Carp were spawning.
There were explosions, eruptions here and there, as groups of 5-15 lb. carp
rushed into the shallows to consummate their goal. [For years there has been a legend of a Loch Ness-type "monster" in Lake Champlain that the locals have dubbed "Champ" There were photos and video, always grainy, of a long sinewy shape just below the surface of the lake, undulating in a serpentine manner suggesting the neck of a long-extinct plesiosaur. Twenty years ago, Dr. C.L. Smith of the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan investigated the claims and, after many hours of viewing photos and video footage, discovered that these "monsters" were simply huge congregations of large carp, climbing over each other in a spawning frenzy. Tom Lake.] 5/27 - Newcomb, HRM 302: At the edge of the High Peaks, our current
spring bloomers are starflower, foamflower, witch-hobble, painted trillium,
sessile-leaved bellwort. False Solomon's seal and Canada mayflower should be
coming along soon, as should bunchberry, although I haven't seen any buds for
that yet. The chokecherries are getting ready to open, too. 5/27 -Town of Wappinger, HRM 67: They are appropriately named
"chorus frogs." What seemed like hundreds of wood frogs were playing
a concerto for much of the night in the trees next to my bedroom window. At
first it was like listening to falling rain, very loud, but soothing. However,
they were waking me up whenever they changed their chord. What a racket! <<<<< SPRING 2008 NATURAL HISTORY PROGRAMS Norrie Point Environmental Center, Mills-Norrie State Park, Staatsburg [Dutchess County]. Information 845-889-4745, ext:105. - June 14: 3:00-5:00 PM Fishin' on the River! Seine netting, angling. Equipment provided. Free Tivoli Bays Talks: 1st Thursdays, 7:30-8:30 PM, Tivoli Bays Visitor Center [Dutchess County]. Handicapped accessible. Free. Information: 845-889-4745, x105. - June 5: Kayaking the Hudson River Valley, Shari Aber - June 11: 4:00-5:00 PM Wild Wednesdays - Milli-Centipedes: Story hour with live animals. <<<<< HUDSON RIVER MILES The Hudson is measured north from Hudson River Mile 0 at the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan. The George Washington Bridge is at HRM 12, the Tappan Zee 28, Bear Mountain 47, Beacon-Newburgh 62, Mid-Hudson 75, Kingston-Rhinecliff 95, Rip Van Winkle 114, and the Federal Dam at Troy, the head of tidewater, at 153. Entries from points east and west in the watershed reference the corresponding river mile on the mainstem. <<<<< TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR OBSERVATIONS OR TO SUBSCRIBE Share your observations by e-mailing them to trlake7@aol.com by 9:00 pm on the Monday previous to publication. See something really special? Give us a call at (845)297-8935. The Hudson River E-Almanac is compiled and edited by Tom Lake and emailed weekly by DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program. To sign up to receive the E-Almanac (or to unsubscribe), send an email message to hrep@gw.dec.state.ny.us and write E-Almanac in the subject line. Weekly issues are archived at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/25611.html . The DEC website's search engine can find species, locations, and other data in the archives. Conservationist magazine brings nature to your door. Discover New York State Conservationist - the award-winning, advertisement-free magazine focusing on New York State's great outdoors and natural resources. Conservationist features stunning photography, informative articles and around-the-state coverage. For a free, no-obligation issue go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/conservationist.html <<<<< USEFUL LINKS National Ocean Service tide predictions are on line at http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tides08/ . Tidal current predictions are at http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/currents08/ . Information on the movements of the salt front in the Hudson estuary is presented by the U.S. Geological Survey: http://ny.water.usgs.gov/projects/dialer_plots/saltfront.html . Information about the Hudson River Estuary Program is available on DEC's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html Copies of past issues of the Hudson River Almanac, Volumes II-VIII, are available for purchase from the publisher, Purple Mountain Press, (800) 325-2665, or email purple@catskill.net . |