| OVERVIEW
This week featured sightings of two rather rare creatures – a sandpiper and a lizard. The late-summer flight of the nighthawks seems to have begun and the shorebird migration picked up its pace as well.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
 8/13 – Westchester County, HRM 46: While hiking in the Hudson Highlands at midday, I came upon a northern fence lizard perfectly camouflaged on a rock face. [Photo of northern fence lizard courtesy of Steve Rappaport.]
– Steve Rappaport
[The northern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) is listed as a threatened species in New York State and is only known from a few sites in the lower Hudson Valley. By comparison, five-lined skinks are much more widespread. This sighting represents a new location and is a very important record. The new location will be passed along to the New York Natural Heritage Program whose mission is to facilitate conservation of New York’s biodiversity by providing comprehensive information and scientific expertise on rare species and natural ecosystems to resource managers and other conservation partners. Jesse Jaycox.]
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES
8/12 – Cohoes, HRM 157: There were more shorebirds early this morning at the Cohoes Flats than I ever recall seeing there. Lesser yellowlegs, semipalmated plovers, and least sandpipers had double digit counts. Also mixed in were semipalmated sandpipers, pectoral sandpipers, solitary sandpipers, greater yellowlegs, and killdeer. They were all viewable right from the shore at Falls View Park.
– John Kent, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
8/12 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Our Nyack College Fishing Club Research Squad began our day this morning at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak. In our ongoing study of catch-per-unit-of-effort, we made a dozen seine hauls and caught six species of fish and four species of invertebrates. Among the fish were Atlantic silverside, northern pipefish, and young-of-the-year [YOY]) bluefish, striped bass, and Atlantic menhaden. Among the invertebrates were blue crabs, shore shrimp, sand shrimp, and comb jellies. The river was 76 degrees Fahrenheit and the salinity was 12.0 parts-per-thousand [ppt].
Our second stop, in midday, was seven miles upriver at Piermont Pier. Here we made 14 seine hauls and caught eight species of fish and three species of invertebrates. Notable among the fish were Atlantic silverside, mummichog (killifish), as well as YOY bluefish, striped bass, alewife (river herring), and Atlantic needlefish. Among the invertebrates were blue crabs, comb jellies, and moon jellyfish. The river was 78 degrees F and the salinity was 7.0 ppt.
– Peter J. Park, Daniel Kaluka, Ye Chan Sung, Maridalia Lillis,Tiffany Lillis
[Atlantic needlefish (Strongylura marina) are a saltwater species that has been able to adapt to inshore waters to the point where, defying their literature, they have spawned in freshwater. A while ago, a larval or post-larval Atlantic needlefish was caught by Steve Stanne in freshwater at Kingston (river mile 92). That fish was of a size that suggested it was only a week or two old. A good indication as to how dynamic their presence is in the estuary, in his Biological Survey of the Lower Hudson Watershed (1937), J.R. Greeley calls the Atlantic needlefish “rare,” and notes that they “spawn in saltwater.” Needlefish are often found on the surface where they do line-of-sight predation with their long, tooth-studded jaws. They have a ventrally-adjusted lateral line that allows them to be directly on top and still maintain use of this sensory organ. Tom Lake.]
8/13 – Germantown, HRM 108: Monarch butterflies were definitely on the move. I saw my first a couple of weeks ago and now I am getting them regularly on the Columbia/Dutchess County border.
– Mimi Brauch
 8/13 – Putnam County, HRM 54: I was hiking in Fahnestock State Park with some friends when we spotted a monarch butterfly. In past years they were so common that we barely found them noteworthy to mention. We started checking the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), one of the host plants for monarch butterflies, and did find a monarch caterpillar, about two inches long. It would soon be going into its chrysalis stage later to emerge as a butterfly. [Photo of monarch butterfly caterpillar courtesy of Jim Steck.]
– Jim Steck
8/13 – Constitution Marsh, HRM 52: It was a perfect day for a canoe trip in the marsh with a guide from the Audubon Center. The tide was nearly high in late afternoon when we put in on Indian Brook. Across two hours on the water we saw a great egret and a great blue heron fishing and an osprey perched on a deadfall overlooking the water. We were delighted by the many plants that were in bloom: Along the brook we saw yellow cutleaf coneflowers, monkey flowers, and water hemlock. Among the narrow-leaved cattails, the dominant flora in the marsh, were many big rose mallows and wild rice (Zizania aquatica) in its various stages of flowering. Mild water-pepper was blooming as well, and lots of pickerel-weed, but arrow-arum was finished. We saw a lot of spatterdock but did not get close enough to see if they had any flowers. The real treat was the truly weird flowers of common broad-leaved arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia). Its green spheres are not fruit, they are the carpels (seed-bearing structures, the innermost whorl of a flower); the stamens are in the part that looks like a flower.
– Donna Mendell, Thomas Shoesmith
8/13 – Piermont, HRM 25: On a morning walk at Piermont Pier just after low tide, I spotted seven diamondback terrapins basking on the rocks of the breakwater. They varied in size and at least three were relatively large; I was able to see the pale “beak” on the larger ones. Female terrapins can get to be more than seven inches carapace length. Also notable were two common terns, an adult and a begging juvenile.
– Linda Pistolesi`
[The diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a turtle of salt to brackish water coastal marshes from Cape Cod to Chesapeake Bay. Their common name comes from the diamond-shaped rings on its carapace. There is a remnant population in the estuary at Piermont Marsh (river mile 25) and they have been reported as far upriver as Verplanck (river mile 40). There are population in Jamaica and Raritan bays that may recruit or exchange individual terrapins. The Piermont population has been threatened in recent times due to habitat loss. Tom Lake.]
8/14 – Green Island, HRM 153.4: It is always nice to see a new face in the net, one that we rarely see in the Hudson River below Albany County. We hoped for river herring as another step in discovering what the young-of-the-year were up to, but caught none. The only fishes that found their way into our net on every haul were spotfin shiners (86-92 millimeters) and spottail shiners. The river was a delightful 76 degrees F.
– Tom Lake, A. Danforth
[The spotfin shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera) is a non-native minnow. They are very common in the Mohawk River. Being native to the Mississippi River watershed, it is likely they made their way to the Hudson from the Great Lakes, at least in part, via the Erie and Barge Canals. Tom Lake.]
8/14 – Palisades, HRM 23: This morning I watched two juvenile five-lined skinks climb up the sunny east side of my office building at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. They were barely three inches long with bright blue tails. Earlier in the morning my colleague had to liberate one from another colleague’s office.
– Linda Pistolesi
[Five-lined skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus) are small lizards, less than nine inches long, and are not rare in the lower Hudson Valley. The bright blue tail of the immature five-lined skink may serve as a survival strategy: Predators grabbing the skink by its colorful tail will find that it breaks off; the skink escapes and eventually regenerates another. Tom Lake.]
8/14 – Manhattan, HRM 1: We checked our collection gear in Hudson River Park during an early afternoon high tide at The River Project’s sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac at Pier 25. Our crab pots had three tautog 185-210 millimeters [mm] long, a black sea bass (180 mm), and three female blue crabs, two of which were gravid (with eggs). As we hauled up the killifish trap, we grabbed a lined sea horse (85 mm) that was clinging to the side. Inside the trap were YOY skilletfish (10 mm) and oyster toadfish (20 mm).
-Ashwin, Ford, Gabby, Grace
 8/15 – Cohoes, HRM 157: I spotted two each of short-billed dowitcher and pectoral sandpiper at the Falls View Park overlooking the Cohoes Flats. However, one of the short-billed dowitchers was acting more like a stilt sandpiper. [It was, in fact, a stilt sandpiper; the last record of a stilt sandpiper in Albany County was in 2013, at Cohoes Flats, by Ramona Bearor. [Photo of stilt sandpiper courtesy of Zach Schwartz-Weinstein.]
– Jeremy Collison, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
[The stilt sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) is an Arctic breeder that winters in South America. We see them only in migration and, in this instance, the late summer shorebird migration. Tom Lake,]
8/15 – Stockport Creek, HRM 121.5:
At the end of the day, after searching four hours for submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), including wild celery (Vallisneria americana), we were paddling to our last observation point when we came upon an immature bald eagle at the mouth of Stockport Creek. The huge raptor was perched on an overhanging snag and did not move as we approached. We found no wild celery at all at any of the 29 observation points surrounding the growing island of river sediment which sits at the mouth of Stockport Creek.
– Doug Reed, Aki Busch
8/15 – Croton-on-Hudson, HRM 34: On the road to Teatown Lake, I came upon three crows harassing an adult red-tailed hawk and her two fledglings. The adult hawk chased the crows, cutting through the canopy of trees with knife blade precision until out of sight. The fledglings perched stock-still in tree branches, crying out forlornly for five minutes, then flew tree-to-tree in the direction of where the adult hawk had given chase. I cannot recall seeing red-tailed hawks chasing off crows; I assumed the fledglings raised the stakes.
– Scott Horecky
8/16 – Cohoes, HRM 157: The stilt sandpiper, two short-billed dowitchers, a pectoral sandpiper, a possible Wilson’s phalarope, and many yellowlegs and “peeps” were still present this morning at Falls View Park. Cohoes.
– Zach Schwartz-Weinstein, Tom Williams, Bill Lee, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
[“Peeps” is a collective noun describing five small and closely related sandpipers whose identities can be difficult to determine, requiring careful study of subtly different field marks and behaviors. The term is sometimes more loosely applied to include other small shorebirds. Tom Lake.]
8/16 – Beacon, HRM 61: Our desire to know “what was out there” was never stronger as we waded into the warm river (80 degrees F) with our 85-foot seine. We made only a single, long haul, but as the net neared the beach we knew that we would not be able to slide it up on the sand. The bag was bulging with YOY fishes, easily hundreds, some so small they were squeezing out, escaping through the quarter-inch mesh. To limit mortality (river herring are extremely fragile), we held the seine in six inches of water, checked them over to see if they were all known species and that number 228 was not lurking in the folds, selected a represented sample of 40 fish, and then spilled the bag open to let them all escape. The small percentage that did not make it would be lunch for the blue crabs. There were striped bass (47-55 mm) and river herring, the latter a mix of alewives (48-49 mm) and lots of blueback herring (35-49 mm). If what we think we know is true, in four years we should have a bumper crop of spawning adult blueback herring in the Hudson River. [Photos of YOY alewife (L – big eye, deep body) and YOY blueback herring (R – smaller eye, slender body) courtesy of Steve Stanne.]
– Tom Lake, T.R. Jackson, B.J. Jackson
 
[We have documented 227 species on our Hudson River Watershed Fish List and we are always looking for number 228. Tom Lake.]
8/16 –Manhattan, HRM 2: During a midday flood tide we checking our collection gear at The River Project’s Pier 40 research site. A crab pot yielded an adult oyster toadfish as well as two female blue crabs. We’ve caught more “sooks” (female blue crabs) than usual in the past few weeks, presumably due to mating season. Our killifish traps contained five YOY oyster toadfish.
-Eli Caref
[Blue crabs have several colloquial names known mainly to crabbers: Adult males are called “Jimmys,” mature females are called “Sooks,” and immature females are known as “Sallys.” Tom Lake.]
8/16 – Manhattan, HRM 1: We checked our collection gear during a late morning low tide in Hudson River Park at The River Project’s sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac at Pier 25. The catch was impressive: Our four crab pots had two tautog (235, 250 mm), a gravid female blue crab, and a large male blue crab (135 mm). The killifish traps held many YOY fishes including three skilletfish (10-15 mm), oyster toadfish (20 mm), and three gobies (10-15 mm). The gobies were still too small for us to accurately distinguish them as seaboard or naked gobies.
-Julianna, Ameera, Gabby, Ford Phelps, Melissa Rex
8/17 – Catskill, HRM 114: I saw my first common nighthawk flyover of the season at dusk with a dozen birds putting on a show for a half-hour. Flying at the same time were at least three dozen chimney swifts.
– Barry Wolven
[The common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) is a medium-sized crepuscular or nocturnal bird within the nightjar family, whose presence and identity are best revealed by its vocalization. Their southward migration intensifies in late August. Rich Guthrie.]
8/17 – Manhattan, HRM 2: During a late-afternoon flood tide, we checked our sampling gear at The River Project’s research site at Pier 40. A crab pot held a female blue crab and an adult oyster toadfish. Our killifish traps had seven YOY gobies (still too small to positively identify as to species) and five small oyster toadfish.
– Melissa Rex, Melissa
8/17 – Manhattan, HRM 1: We checked our collection gear during a mid-day low tide in Hudson River Park at The River Project’s sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac. Our killifish traps had captured a YOY striped bass (80 mm) and another tiny goby (10 mm). In a crab pot we found an adult tautog (320 mm).
– Julianna, Justin, Jessica Minker
8/18 – Albany County, HRM 136: I was kayaking this afternoon a mile north of Henry Hudson Park when I spotted an adult bald eagle dipping down into the water for a fish. As it flew off, the eagle moved the fish from one foot to the other. Later, I came upon three bald eagles, an adult and two immatures. The adult was standing in the water and the two immatures (probably its offspring) were on the beach working on an earlier catch.
– Sharon Askew
8/18 – Beacon, HRM 61: We were back on the beach looking for YOY blueback herring. We hauled our seine over and over with not a single blueback to show for it; the large school of young-of-the-year from two days ago had moved on. We did catch YOY striped bass (61-72 mm) as well as American shad (65-82 mm). The river was 79 degrees F and the salinity was about 2.0 ppt.
– Tom Lake, Bob Kacur
[This has been a very unusual and confusing year for blueback herring. Small bluebacks (38-39 millimeters) were caught in the East River in early June; larger ones (51-66 mm) were caught in mid-June at Croton Point – a reversal of what you might expect given their spawning reach far up the Hudson River. Were any of these from the Mohawk River? Or were they from other tributaries (e.g., Rondout Creek) closer to Croton Point or the East River? Or were blueback herring spawning in places that we were not aware of? Tom Lake.]
8/18 – Denning’s Point, HRM 60.5: Acres of water chestnut covered the cove on the north (upriver) side of Denning’s Point. The huge and incredibly thick green mat was providing a hunting stage for wading birds. With 10×50 binoculars, we counted 18 great egrets, four great blue herons, and two green herons stalking the shallows for the multitude of small fish swimming underneath. [By the next morning, the entire contingent of wading birds was gone.]
– Tom Lake, A. Danforth
[Deborah Tracy-Kral and Rich Guthrie describe these congregations of late-summer wading birds as post-breeding wanderings. Carena Pooth counted 25 great egrets here two days ago. Tom Lake.]
SUMMER 2017 NATURAL HISTORY PROGRAMS
Saturday, September 16: 2:00 PM
Eighteenth Annual Hudson River Valley Ramble Seining Program at Kowawese Unique Area, New Windsor [Orange County]. Join Tom Lake, NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program consulting naturalist, to haul a net in the warm shallows to see “who” is home in the river today and then hear their fascinating stories. Wear shorts and sandals and help us seine. For more information, email Tom Lake.
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. The tidal section of the Hudson constitutes a bit less than half the total distance – 315 miles – from Lake Tear of the Clouds to the Battery. Entries from points east and west in the watershed reference the corresponding river mile on the mainstem.
TO CONTRIBUTE YOUR OBSERVATIONS OR TO SUBSCRIBE
The Hudson River Almanac is compiled and edited by Tom Lake and emailed weekly by DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program. Share your observations by e-mailing them to trlake7@aol.com.
To subscribe to the Almanac (or to unsubscribe), use the links on DEC’s Hudson River Almanac or DEC Delivers web pages.
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. Visit the Conservationist webpage for more information.
USEFUL LINKS
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration online tide and tidal current predictions are invaluable when planning Hudson River field trips.
For real-time information on Hudson River tides, weather and water conditions from twelve monitoring stations, visit the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System website.
Information about the Hudson River Estuary Program is available on DEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html .
Smartphone app available for New York outdoor enthusiasts!
DEC, in partnership with ParksByNature Network®, is proud to announce the launch of the New York Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App for iPhone and Android. This FREE, cutting-edge mobile app gives both novice and seasoned outdoorsmen and women essential information in the palm of their hands. Powered by Pocket Ranger® technology, this official app for DEC will provide up-to-date information on fishing, hunting and wildlife watching and serve as an interactive outdoor app using today’s leading mobile devices. Using the app’s advanced GPS features, users will be able identify and locate New York’s many hunting, fishing and wildlife watching sites. They will also gain immediate access to species profiles, rules and regulations, and important permits and licensing details.
NY Open for Hunting and Fishing Initiative
Governor Cuomo’s NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative is an effort to improve recreational opportunities for sportsmen and women and to boost tourism activities throughout the state. This initiative includes streamlining fishing and hunting licenses, reducing license fees, improving access for fishing and increasing hunting opportunities in New York State.
In support of this initiative, this year’s budget includes $6 million in NY Works funding to support creating 50 new land and water access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and others who enjoy the outdoors to more than 380,000 acres of existing state and easement lands that have gone largely untapped until now. These 50 new access projects include building new boat launches, installing new hunting blinds and building new trails and parking areas. In addition, the 2014-15 budget includes $4 million to repair the state’s fish hatcheries; and renews and allows expanded use of crossbows for hunting in New York State.
This year’s budget also reduces short-term fishing licenses fees; increases the number of authorized statewide free fishing days to eight from two; authorizes DEC to offer 10 days of promotional prices for hunting, fishing and trapping licenses; and authorizes free Adventure Plates for new lifetime license holders, discounted Adventure Plates for existing lifetime license holders and regular fee Adventure Plates for annual license holders.
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 |
