| OVERVIEW
This week’s Almanac spans the watershed from the High Peaks of the Adirondacks downriver more than 300 miles to the Upper Bay of New York Harbor. It features diverse flora and fauna from fall flowers and ripening berries to snakes, birds, otters and fish.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
 9/25 – Manhattan, HRM 4.5: I manage a building on West 45th Street in Manhattan (Hell’s Kitchen). Today I noticed something different on one of the numerous glue traps we have scattered around the basement to help keep the water bugs (American cockroach) situation under control. Upon further inspection I saw that it was a DeKay’s snake. After a quick run to a local grocery store to purchase a bottle of cooking spray, I applied it liberally to the trap and snake. With a little delicate maneuvering, I had the little snake free. I took the snake home to Staten Island where it was released into a nice wooded area not far from my house. [Photo of DeKay’s snake (northern brown snake) courtesy of Sean Gannon.]
– Sean Gannon
[The northern brown snake, or DeKay’s snake (Storeria dekayi), is a small, non-venomous snake found in damp, vacant lots, gardens, and basements, often in urban settings. Tom Lake.]
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES
[Note: A “Cape May warbler” photo used in last week’s Hudson River Almanac last week was mislabeled. It was a yellow warbler.]
 9/18 – Croton River, HRM 34: The mouth of the Croton River was filled with bunker (Atlantic menhaden) from “peanut” size up to about a pound. Many birds were enjoying the easy feasting. In Croton Bay I saw several great blue herons, a great egret, osprey, belted kingfisher, and my first of season pied-billed grebe. [Photo of great blue heron eating Atlantic menhaden courtesy of Edward Mertz.]
– Edward Mertz
[Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) are a species of herring that spawn in salt to brackish water. Adults, also known regionally as bunker, mossbunker or pogies, and their young-of-the-year, also known colloquially as peanut bunker or penny bunker, are found by the millions in the estuary in summer, providing forage for striped bass, bluefish, osprey, harriers, eagles, and seals. Tom Lake.]
9/21 – Manhattan, HRM 13.5: It was one day past new moon and, at midday, the tide was the highest I’ve seen at the inlet of Spuyten Duyvil Creek; fifty feet of the path was awash with children wading among the wavelets. A few hours before the equinox the plants looked like late summer. Jimson weed was six feet-tall in places; the salt-tolerant seaside goldenrod in several inches of brackish water was in full bloom and groundsel bush flowers were opening. (It’s not a groundsel, despite the name). Yam-leaved clematis was in bloom as well. On the path up through the Clove jewelweed had been succeeded by flowering clearweed that was now as tall as I’ve ever seen it. Up on the ridge, asters and white snakeroot were suddenly blooming everywhere along with panicled tick-trefoil and bluestem goldenrod, another late bloomer. Sassafras was already shedding its red and yellow leaves and there were also tulip tree leaves of red and brown. I found black walnut fruit on the path; the nuts buried in the lemon-lime-scented flesh. Poison ivy and Virginia creeper were starting to turn red and so was sumac – the leaves of sumac all seemed to be drought-stressed. Pokeweed berries and porcelain berries were ripening and the Amur honeysuckle bushes had their red, translucent berries in abundance, promising more of these invasives in the future.
– Thomas Shoesmith
9/23 – Norrie Point, HRM 85: The Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve celebrated its 35th anniversary with an interactive “Science on the River” open house at Norrie Point Environmental Center. Eager participants (250) had the opportunity to touch live eels, learn about sturgeon, go rod and reel fishing as well as seining, make nature art, and engage in many other activities that informed them about the Hudson River.
– Chris Bowser, Jim Harrington
9/23 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Participants in our Saturday River Explorers program at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak used our seine to catch an array of fishes including Atlantic silverside, banded killifish, mummichogs, naked goby, and young-of-the-year [YOY] striped bass. Other estuarine life included blue crabs, comb jellies, moon jellyfish, and shore shrimp.
– Elisa Caref
9/24 – Albany County, HRM 146: I got out to the Albany Pine Bush Preserve early this morning, secretly hoping for the mythical Connecticut warbler. I was greeted by a fall warbler bonanza none of which were Connecticut warblers. The dozen I was able to identify were Nashville, Wilson’s, pine, magnolia, common yellowthroat, black-and-white, black-throated green, black-throated-blue, northern parula, prairie, palm and American redstart. I suspect all those warblers flitting through the trees were on a mission to distract me from the Connecticut warbler that must have been skulking through the undergrowth.
– Eric Molho, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
 9/24 – Ulster Landing, HRM 97: We hauled our 30-foot seine at low tide at Ulster Landing Park. The near-shore water temperature was 75 degrees Fahrenheit. We caught a mixed bag of white perch, spottail shiners, and hogchokers, as well as YOY striped bass and river herring. In with the fish we also found five quarter-size blue crabs. We will show off a selection of our catch to our fourth-graders before releasing them after school. [Photo of hogchoker courtesy of Steve Hart.]
– Steve Hart, Deb Fraleigh
9/24 – Bedford, HRM 35: There were few raptors on the move today at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch. Sharp-shinned hawks (25) were the high count. The sighting of the day was a kettle of eight black vultures in late afternoon. Non-raptor observations included monarchs (9), cedar waxwings (92), and a morning flock of common mergansers (15) flying southwest.
– Silvan Laan, Charlotte Catalano
9/24 – Manhattan HRM 5: The air temperature reached 91 degrees F, today tying the record high for the date.
– National Weather Service
9/25 – Essex County, HRM 295: The Blackwell Stillwater was hot this afternoon (88 degrees F). In our river boats, me in my Hornbeck lightweight canoe and Yvon in his 12-foot Vermont-built rowed skiff, we managed a pleasant drift catching smallmouth bass, sunfish, a solitary yellow perch, and fallfish that seemed extraordinarily large. The largest one (foot-long) was remarkably colorful–metallic silver-white on the belly blending into a brassy-copper tinge on the back with air-brushed pink-to-purple tints on the pectoral fins and gill covers. [Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) are a minnow, sometimes referred to as “poor man’s trout”; they will take lures when trout refuse.] Yvon sighted what he thought was a beaver emerging from a weedy inlet but which turned out to be a river otter. The otter was indifferent to his presence and he was able to watch the animal for some time before it disappeared back into the marsh.
– Lance Biesele, Yvon LaMarche
[The Blackwell Stillwater is a flat-water stretch of the Hudson River several miles downriver of Newcomb. – Tom Lake]
9/25 – Town of Poughkeepsie, HRM 75: The air temperature reached 91 degrees F today tying the record high for the date.
– National Weather Service
 9/25 – Westchester County, HRM 36: With the air temperature at 90 degrees F at Brinton Brook Sanctuary today, it was difficult to believe autumn began this week. But many fall flowers were blooming including several species of goldenrod, several species of asters, silverrod, great blue lobelia, white snakeroot, Asiatic dayflower, butter and eggs, and nodding ladies’ tresses orchids. The flowers were visited by a number of butterflies including painted ladies and monarchs. I was especially wishing the monarchs well, as they had a long migration ahead. [Photo of painted lady butterfly courtesy of Edward Mertz.]
– Edward Mertz
9/25 – Bedford, HRM 35: Cooper’s hawks were on the rise today at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch – nine migrating birds, a season high. Sharp-shinned hawks (25) were again the high count. It was interesting to see nine turkey vultures congregate in both the first and last hour (post- and pre-roost), but being more dispersed during the day. Non-raptor observations included monarchs (25) and cedar waxwings (6). Ruby-throated hummingbirds and common nighthawks seemed to have disappeared.
– Silvan Laan, Charlotte Catalano
9/25 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Students from the Reformed Church Nursery school joined us for some seining at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak. The enthusiastic preschoolers helped us catch naked gobies, mummichogs, a school of Atlantic silversides (53), and YOY striped bass. While the fish were interesting, the four and five year-olds were also excited by the blue crabs, shore shrimp, moon jellyfish, and comb jellies.
– Elisa Caref
9/25 – Manhattan, HRM 1: We checked our research sampling gear in Hudson River Park at The River Project’s sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac at Pier 25. In our crab pots we found three adult blue crabs 100-160 millimeters [mm] long as well as a tautog (180 mm) and a large oyster toadfish (270 mm).
– Siddhartha Hayes, Juliana, Gissel
9/25 – New York Harbor, Upper Bay: I counted 39 bird species today in a survey of Governors Island. Among them were six migrating warblers including black-and-white, orange-crowned, American redstart, black-throated green, palm and yellow warbler. Both white-crowned and white-throated sparrows were present as well as a single Baltimore oriole.
– Benjamin Cacace
9/26 – Albany, HRM 145: For the third day in a row, the air temperature reached 91 degrees F, tying the record high for each date.
– National Weather Service
9/26 – Bedford, HRM 35: We had a season high for peregrine falcons (2) at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch. Two adult birds offered great views. In mid-afternoon, I was following a male Cooper’s hawk by scope when suddenly a peregrine entered the field; the Cooper’s hawk then chased the falcon. Non-raptor observations included monarch butterflies (26).
– Silvan Laan
9/26 – Yonkers, HRM 18: This was our second class of third grade students from the Ethical Culture School in Manhattan. The eight-year-olds helped us seine the river this morning at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak. Their haul featured Atlantic silversides (49), sparkling brilliantly in the net. Other fish included mummichogs, naked goby, and YOY striped bass. Blue crabs, shore shrimp, moon jellyfish, and comb jellies rounded out the catch.
– Elisa Caref
 9/27 – Saratoga County, HRM 182: Despite a foggy beginning, I counted 34 bird species this morning in a survey of the Saratoga Spa State Park. Included in the count were seven migrating warbler species including common yellowthroat, northern parula, magnolia, pine, yellow-rumped, black-throated green, and Wilson’s warbler. This latter bird took me a long time to identify until the tiny black remnant on forehead and pale grey wing insides convinced me. [Photo of Wilson’s warbler by Donna Dewhurst, courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.]
– Ron Harrower, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
9/27 – Kowawese, HRM 59: We arrived at an evening tide. The river was calm and we hauled our seine a half-dozen times with meager results: YOY striped bass (65-78 millimeters) and a few spottail shiners. In the wake of three days of record-tying air temperatures, the river had risen to 79 degrees F, three degrees warmer than ten days ago, and seven degrees warmer than this date last year. Salinity was 3.0 parts-per-thousand. As we were wrapping up the net, the pair of adult bald eagles from the Sloop Hill nest (NY50) came out of the cottonwoods and circled over the receding tide. We watched them for ten minutes as they had even less success than we had.
– Tom Lake, Phyllis Lake
9/27 – Bedford, HRM 35: Another big day for peregrine falcons (5) at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch. There was a good showing of osprey (11) as well. Otherwise it was quite slow. Non-raptor observations included many monarchs on the wing (46) and, after several days of absence, ruby-throated hummingbirds were back (2).
– Silvan Laan
9/27 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Sarah Lawrence College first-year students helped us seine the marsh today at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak to learn about the ecology of river wetlands. Although we used a short (10-foot) net, speed made up for its size as we quickly hauled the shallows catching Atlantic silverside and YOY striped bass. Also mixed in the seine were blue crabs, moon jellyfish, and comb jellies.
– Elisa Caref
9/27 – Manhattan, HRM 1: We endured the heat (87 degrees F) to check our research sampling gear in Hudson River Park at The River Project’s sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac at Pier 25. In our crab pots we found four blue crabs (125-165 mm), a tautog (220 mm), and a hefty oyster toadfish (275 mm) that weighed more than 400 grams (nearly a pound).
– Siddhartha Hayes, Gissel
9/28 – Esopus Meadows, HRM 87: I sat along the shore today with the sun at my back to see what might come along. It did not take long as soon two adult bald eagles arrived and proceeded to interact (“battle?”) for a few minutes right in front of me. One broke off the engagement and landed in a tree right above my head. The eagle looked down, spotted me, and took off. There were ten eagles, mostly immatures, hanging around between Esopus Meadows and Sleightsburgh Spit several miles upriver. An immature osprey hovered right above me before diving out in the shallows and coming up with a channel catfish. An immature peregrine falcon appeared over the trees and a few seconds later it was out over the water chestnut, chasing a belted kingfisher. The kingfisher made several dives and seemed to throw off the falcon enough to make it safely to shore. There were also five pied billed grebes fishing in the water chestnut not far away. [See banner photo of osprey with channel catfish, courtesy of Jim Yates.]
– Jim Yates
9/28 – Fishkill, HRM 61: I was outside at noon today when I heard the faraway call of geese. I looked up to see a skein of Canada’s going southwest. These were the first I had seen this fall.
– Lee Banner
9/28 – Peekskill, HRM 43: I caught and released three channel catfish today, the largest of which was five pounds, two ounces and and 26 inches long. The fish all appeared to be males – large head, strong jaw structure with pronounced over-bite, body dark blue-black with white belly. I also saw one large carp, perhaps 100 yards offshore, launch itself entirely out of the water and crash back. I had a good view of the carp and it looked to be fully a yard long with a weight of at least 20 pounds.
– Bill Greene
9/28 – Bedford, HRM 35: We had a very slow start at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch today but it picked up somewhat in the afternoon when the sharp-shinned hawks (31) started flying. Non-raptor observations included monarch (8) and the onset of goose migration. We counted 2,244 Canada geese.
– Silvan Laan, Charlotte Catalano
9/28 – Manhattan, HRM 1: On a slightly cooler day (79 degrees F) we checked our research sampling gear in Hudson River Park at The River Project’s sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac at Pier 25. Our catch was meager: a single blue crab (110 mm carapace width).
– Siddhartha Hayes, Ilsa
9/29 – Troy, HRM 153: While birding at the Vanderheyden Preserve in Troy, I looked up at a flock of more than one hundred Canada geese with a single snow goose – first “flakes” of winter – tagging along. They were flying high and fast southbound.
– Naomi Lloyd, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
9/29 – Bedford, HRM 35: There were a few small kettles of broad-winged hawks (23) today at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, as well as a trickle of sharp-shinned (39) and American kestrels (23). Three adult bald eagles flew west together at the close of the watch. Non-raptor observations included monarchs (10), Canada geese (858), and a common loon. We had a stunning observation in mid-afternoon of two great horned owls passing by. They were seen flying north to south along the crest of Eagle Hill, before disappearing behind the foliage.
– Silvan Laan, Charlotte Catalano, Allen Kurtz, David Ahrens
9/29 – Yonkers, HRM 18: We welcomed our third and final class today of third grade students from the Ethical Culture School in Manhattan. The eight-year-olds helped us seine the river at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak. We began just after low tide with not much luck–only moon jellyfish, comb jellies, and a YOY striped bass. Then we switched to our small marsh with our 10-foot net and our fortunes improved. We caught more than 200 aquatic organisms but shrimp ruled the day. Among them were 145 shore shrimp, many popping out of students’ hands. We also caught mummichogs, naked gobies, and more YOY striped bass. Adding to our catch were blue crabs, comb jellies, and moon jellyfish
– Elisa Caref
9/29 – Manhattan, HRM 1: Before the weekend, when our pots and traps are not monitored, we made sure to check our research sampling gear in Hudson River Park at The River Project’s sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac at Pier 25. Our crab pots held three adult blue crabs (120-145 mm) as well as an immature (15 mm). Our killifish traps caught a small skilletfish (10 mm).
– Siddhartha Hayes, Ilsa
9/30 – Saratoga Springs, HRM 182: I went to Loughberry Lake to check for sassafras leaves and discovered that the “real” ducks were coming back. The first ring-necked ducks of the season (35) had arrived. Based on previous years’ observations, the number should build into the high hundreds until the lake freezes. There are a lot of snails in Loughberry Lake, a favorite food of ring-necked ducks
– Ron Harrower, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
9/30 – Cohoes, HRM 157: There were still two black-bellied plovers present at Cohoes Flats this morning. They were along the edge of the flowing water just below the dam. Also present were at least 17 killdeer, a couple of semipalmated plovers, and three greater yellowlegs. I watched an American pipit fly over and an adult bald eagle grab an immature ring-billed gull.
– John Kent, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
9/30 – Albany County, HRM 145: Sparrows were the highlight of a walk this morning at Black Creek Marsh in Voorheesville. Despite the cool, damp, and breezy conditions, the birds were quite active. The “default” sparrow was swamp sparrow, and there were upwards of 50 present. There were also field sparrows, two white-crowned juveniles, white-throated, two savannah, song sparrows, three Lincoln’s, and two eastern towhees.
– Tom Williams, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
9/30 – Town of Stuyvesant, HRM 124: Six birders braved threatening skies, cool temperatures, and a cold north wind to search for fall migrants at Nutten Hook. The wind made it difficult to hear bird vocalizations and kept most of the birds low. Despite these difficulties, the group tallied 32 species including osprey, belted kingfisher, common loon, marsh wren, brown creeper, and swamp sparrow.
– Kathy Schneider, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
9/30 – Bedford, HRM 35: There were very few migrants at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawks (13) were high count. Non-raptor observations included monarchs (4) and far fewer Canada geese (8).
– Tait Johansson, Charlotte Catalano
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 |
