A Project of the Hudson River Estuary Program
Compiled and edited by Tom Lake, Consulting Naturalist
Love Our NY Lands
State Lands Belong to All of Us
All New Yorkers and visitors should be able to access, enjoy, and feel welcome on state lands. These lands belong to all of us, our families, and our neighbors. While enjoying these shared spaces, be respectful of other visitors. Share trails, treat people with kindness, and leave things as you found them for others to enjoy. All of us have a responsibility to protect State lands for future generations. For more information, visit: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/119881.html
Overview
As the river warms, fishes have become more commonly encountered in our entries, even rivaling our bald eagles for space. The spring glass eel season has all but concluded, as least from the citizen science sampling perspective. After a year of on and off closure from COVID precautions, the Erie Canal and Hudson-Champlain canal have reopened for 2021.
Highlight of the Week
5/18 – Manhattan, HRM 2: Hudson River Park’s River Project staff checked the sampling and collection gear that we deploy off Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. Today we found two of our favorite fishes, tautog; one was 80 millimeters (mm), but the other escaped before being measured. The highlight, however, was a pair of oyster toadfish (200, 270 mm), our first of the season! (Photo of oyster toadfish courtesy of Peter Park)
– Siddhartha Hayes, Olivia Radick
[Oyster toadfish (Opsanus tau), known colloquially as “oyster crackers,” are common in New York Harbor. They set up shop on the bottom of the river and, with strong, sharp teeth, they crush and feed on shellfish such as crabs, oysters, and other bivalves. Tom Lake]
[1 inch = 25.4 millimeters (mm)]
Natural History Entries
5/15 – Hudson River Watershed: Have you seen a breeding bird? Whether it’s a bald eagle, American robin, or a scarlet tanager, please consider submitting reports of breeding birds to the current 2020-2024 Breeding Bird Atlas. The current Atlas began in 2020 and continues for five years. This is the third comprehensive statewide survey of birds in New York and your observations will allow researchers to analyze changes since 1980 and contribute directly to their conservation.
To participate, volunteers can make a free eBird account and submit data online through the Atlas website (https://www.ebird.org/atlasny) or via the eBird mobile app. Simply record the species and any breeding behaviors observed. All sightings count. As observations are reported, data can be viewed at: https://ebird.org/atlasny/state/US-NY.
– Julie Hart (New York Breeding Bird Atlas III Project Coordinator)
5/15 – Manhattan, HRM 2: Hudson River Park’s River Project staff checked the sampling and collection gear toady that we deploy off Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. We found that we had caught a crafty lined seahorse that had its prehensile tail wrapped around the mesh of our crab pot. However, the seahorse disengaged as the pot cleared the water and it fell back before we could measure it. Other featured animals included a feisty blue crab (115 mm), a white perch (185 mm), and a stunning tautog (270 mm).
– Siddhartha Hayes, Olivia Radick
[Hudson River Park runs four miles along Manhattan’s west side, from 59th Street to Battery Park. To find out more about our green space, upcoming events, and programs, go to: https://hudsonriverpark.org. Siddhartha Hayes]
5/16 – Town of Wappinger, HRM 67: May 16, 2018—A day to remember. Three years ago, today, a microburst with 95 mph winds came barreling through our neighborhood snapping off several 90-foot white pines, telephone poles, and collapsing power lines. It roared through our yard demolishing a 50-foot-wide path, snapping two silver maples, one a 40-footer, like matchsticks. Two of our neighbors had large trees crash through their roofs.
A microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm, that can cause extensive damage. The high winds from this storm destroyed bald eagle nest NY459 that was in its first season along Wappinger Creek. A pair of 42-day-old nestlings had fallen 75 feet to the ground during the storm. Wildlife rehabilitators rescued the nestlings and they survived. Undeterred, forty days later, the adult pair of eagles from NY459 began the rebuilding process. We often speak of how resilient bald eagles seem to be, and this is one more good example. Their genes of resiliency must be passed on; in three breeding seasons, the adult pair have had six nestlings.
– Tom Lake
5/17 – Esopus Meadows, HRM 87: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater resumed in-person programming today with 15 students from Bulkeley Middle School in Rhinebeck. With seven hauls of our 25-foot seine, we caught 97 banded killifish, two bluegill sunfish, and an adult blueback herring. The water temperature was 65 degrees Fahrenheit (F). As we seined, we were entertained by a bald eagle and two osprey.
– Eli Schloss
5/17 – Ulster County: Twenty students plus several staff from the Mount Elementary School gathered on a pebbly Hudson River beach on a gorgeous spring morning. Students put on chest waders and conducted the seining as we hauled our net through the shallows to find life in the river. While our catch was modest—bluegills, spottail shiners, banded killifish, and white perch—to the students they were magical. Three of the four species were native to the river—the bluegill was introduced into the watershed from the Midwest as a sportfish in the 19th century. The river was 64 degrees F.
As a prelude to our seining and to provide a context to our morning on the Hudson, we discussed the genesis of the river. We traveled from the end of the Ice Age, many thousands of years ago, to the arrival of life in the valley, including families of “elephants” (mammoths and mastodons) that roamed the shoreline, to the first people, likely ancestral Mohicans, who seined these very river shallows for sustenance as evidenced by stone net sinkers they left behind. (Photo of Mount Elementary School courtesy of Mario Meier)
– Mario Meier, Dennis Wareham, Simeon Huleatt, Tom Lake
[In a world often overflowing with alien, invasive, misplaced nonnative species, we often speak of “native” species as a counterpoint. When we ask students what we mean by native, we get answers like “it has always been here.” But always is an inexact word. Since the Hudson Valley was covered with more than a mile of ice 20,000 years ago (no one was home), perhaps a better measure is to ask, “was the plant, bird, fish, flower, or mammal here when the first Europeans arrived?” If so, it was native; if not it was introduced later, thus nonnative. Tom Lake]
*** Fish of the Week***
5/17 – Hudson River Watershed: Fish-of-the-Week for Week 121 is the slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus), fish number 136 (of 234), on our Hudson River Watershed List of Fishes. If you would like a copy of our list, e-mail: trlake7.
The slimy sculpin is one of four members of the sculpin family (Cottidae) documented for our watershed. Of the four, however, the slimy sculpin is the only freshwater species; the other three are found in marine waters. The slimy sculpin ranges from northeastern Siberia, across Canada, and then south along the Atlantic coast to Virginia. Adults can grow to 120 mm.
The slimy sculpin is considered a periglacial species, one that was among the first of the fishes to arrive in our watershed following the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet about 15,000 years ago. Other periglacial fishes include lake trout, northern pike, and our New York State fish, the brook trout.
In September 1994, C. Lavett Smith, Curator of Fishes at the American Museum, and I conducted a Town of Olive Fish Survey (Ulster County) for the Town of Olive Natural Heritage Society. As part of the survey, we sampled lower Bushkill Creek at its confluence with South Hollow Brook, both Esopus Creek tributaries. Much like the margined madtom (last week’s Fish-of-the-Week) slimy sculpins prefer clear, cold water streams, living among rocky riffles.
They are primarily insectivores with mayflies contributing 35% of their diet. Therefore, it is not surprising to find them sharing habitats with trout. Using a small seine (10×5-feet), we collected four slimy sculpins (74-78-mm) along with three brown trout (Salmo trutta). (Photo of slimy sculpin with permission by Connecticut Department of Natural Resources)
– Tom Lake
5/18 – Town of Poughkeepsie: The two nestlings in bald eagle nest NY62 had grown to the size of geese, as had their appetites. Today the male brought to the nest a large carp that he caught along the inshore shallows of the river. (Photo of bald eagle with carp courtesy of Bob Rightmyer)
– Bob Rightmyer
5/18 – Selkirk, HRM 135: On June 26, The Carp Anglers Group will have the Second Leg of their Yankee Challenge on the Hudson River at Selkirk (HRM 135) with two teams, one each from Connecticut and New York. Besides the competition, this will also be an opportunity for angers to learn the finer points of carp fishing. More details will be noted as the date draws closer. (Photo of common carp courtesy of Tom Lake)
– Sam Williams
[Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are a nonnative fish having been introduced into North America, specifically the Hudson River at Newburgh, from Europe in 1831 (Boyle 1969:89). They are the largest member of our largest family (35) of fishes (Cyprinidae). Carp are one of the least understood of Hudson River fishes while, at the same time, are one of the most sought-after sport fish. The Carp Anglers Group has previously held successful carp fishing and tutorials at the DEC Norrie Pont Environmental Education Center. Tom Lake]
5/19 – Little Stony Point, HRM 55: We expected a few more fish than showed up in our net. However, as veteran fishermen, we always have ready excuses. We quickly blamed the tide, the season, and even a few small holes in the net. Six hauls of our seine netted spottail shiners, white perch, and banded killifish, all resident species and nothing unexpected. However, as we sorted through the killifish, we noted they were all females. Seining with elementary school students two days before, and twenty miles upriver, we caught killifish that were all males. Happenstance? Sexual dimorphism. The river was 61 degrees F.
– Tom Lake, A. Danforth
[Sexual dimorphism is a condition where the two sexes of the same species exhibit different characteristics beyond the differences in their sexual makeup. In the Hudson River Almanac, we see it most often in birds and fish. Differences often include size and color. With fishes as well as birds, females are frequently drab-colored while males are dazzling in their colorful plumage, bars, bands, and stripes. In this context, sexual dimorphism represents a survival adaptation for the young of nest-builder species, where the drab-colored females are the camouflaged guardians. Tom Lake]
5/19 – Bedford, HRM 35: Several nestlings had begun showing themselves at the great blue heron rookery. One nest had three nestlings patiently waiting for the adults to return with food. They will grow rapidly, and it will take a lot of food, usually fish, to keep them satisfied. Another nest had one small nestling showing its head at times with one of its parents. The other three nests had a heron perched on the edge of the nest. When they are very young, an adult heron will be present as a guardian to keep them warm and to protect them from predators. It was a very warm day and the herons were panting to cool off. (Photo of great blue heron courtesy of Jim Steck)
– Jim Steck
5/20 – Waterford, HRM 159: Early this morning, we hauled our seine in the rocky shallows of the Mohawk River just west of the Waterford Flight. Our catch was meager: spottail shiners, golden shiners, and a single northern logperch (90 mm). The Waterford Flight, built in 1915, is a set of locks on the Erie Canal (locks E-2 through E-6) that lifts vessels 169 feet from the Hudson River to the Mohawk River, bypassing the Falls at Cohoes. (Photo of northern logperch courtesy of Karin Limburg)
– Tom Lake, A. Danforth
[The northern logperch (Percina caprodes semifasciata) is a darter as well as a perch, one of seven “perches” (Percidae) found in the Hudson River watershed. More well-known members include yellow perch and walleye. They are native to the Mississippi River system and probably migrated to the Hudson River watershed in the past hundred years through the New York State canal system. They are one of the signatures fishes of the Mohawk River through which they sometimes reach the Hudson via the Erie Canal. Bob Schmidt has noted that the northern logperch subspecies of the Mohawk River have distinct, saddle-like markings.
The Mohawk River is also nationally recognized as a premier walleye sport fishery. Walleye (Sander vitreus) are a relative of the norther log perch (Percidae) that we caught earlier in the day. While we watched, Eric Van Zant caught a gorgeous 26-inch walleye on a lure. Tom Lake]
5/20 – Waterford, HRM 159: Later in the day we watched a crew from United States Geological Survey (USGS) capture brown bullheads and extract their otoliths for aging. Otolith is from Greek oto, meaning ear, and lithos from Greek meaning stone, thus ear stone. Otoliths are a small calcium carbonate structure in the inner ear, specifically in vertebrates. They allow an organism, including fish, to perceive linear acceleration, both horizontally and vertically. Otoliths contain annual growth rings and when sliced, can be counted to estimate the age of a fish. Those in the brown bullhead were about the size of a bread crumb! (Photo of walleye courtesy of Tom Lake)
– Tom Lake
5/20 – Town of Esopus, HRM 85: I made a kayak trip to Louisa Pond in Esopus today. The pond and its shores were a feast for the senses. Calls from red-winged blackbirds, Baltimore orioles, gray tree frogs, and green frogs contributed to the pond’s morning symphony. A particularly curious snapping turtle bumped into my kayak and hung around for a few minutes moving between the kayak and the shore. Male bluegills were guarding their birdbath-sized nests in the shallows, but the highlight of the visit was the abundance of red pitcher plant flowers (Sarracenia sp.). The long-stemmed flowers were popping out of the undergrowth all over the shallow areas of the pond. (Photo of red pitcher courtesy of Bob Ottens)
– Bob Ottens
5/20 – Manhattan, HRM 2: Hudson River Park’s River Project staff checked the sampling and collection gear that we deploy off Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. Today we caught two blue crabs (15, 75 mm), a gorgeous 100 mm tautog, and a pair of lined seahorses (80, 115 mm), the male of which was gravid!
– Siddhartha Hayes, Olivia Radick
[The lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) is a small to palm-sized fish that swims in an upright position looking much like the Knight piece in a game of chess. They are poor swimmers as fish go and use their prehensile tail to wrap around stationary objects from vegetation to crab pots to maintain their place in the face of strong currents. Male seahorses are notable for their brood pouch in which they carry fertilized eggs deposited by the females. In one of the rare instances in the animal kingdom, it is the males that give live birth. Tom Lake]
5/21 – Waterford, HRM 159: The New York State Canal Corporation has announced the following opening schedule of the 524-mile Canal system.
– Erie Canal: All locks and lift bridges will begin operating at 7:00 AM Friday, May 21, 2021.
– Champlain Canal: All locks will begin operating at 7:00 AM Friday, May 21, 2021.
The Canal Corporation urges all users to register to receive updates through the “Notice to Mariners” notification program at https://www.canals.ny.gov.
– New York State Canal Corporation
5/21– Hudson Valley: One of the signs of the waning spring season is the appearance of Dame’s rocket (Hesperis matronalis) along upland roadsides and along the river and its tributaries. This naturalized wildflower, native to Eurasia and brought to North America in the 17th century, comes in white, pink, violet, and purple. Carried by spring breezes, its wonderfully sweet fragrance fills the air from mid-May through early June. (Photo of dame’s rocket courtesy of Tom Lake)
– Tom Lake
5/21 – Esopus Meadows, HRM 87: On our last morning with the Rhinebeck Middle School, Clearwater educators went seining with the students. We began on high tide and their chest waders were fully immersed—in one case over the top. However, that did not diminish the enthusiasm. We caught 27 banded killifish, three spottail shiners, and two bluegill sunfish. We conducted our water quality testing as well, finding the river at 65 degrees F, the pH at 7.5, and the dissolved oxygen (DO) at 10 parts-per-million (ppm). About then, a large black rat snake—easily more than three-feet-long—slithered past us. Some students were wary while others became engrossed. Once calm was restored, it became a teachable moment about reptiles and their ability to sense movement.
– Bryan Perrin, Eli Schloss
5/21 – Yonkers, HRM 18: There were no glass eels in our fyke net this week at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak. It would appear that the season had ended. However, we did catch other abundant river life. Across the four days we sampled, we caught 29 grass shrimp (15-30 mm), six white-fingered mud crabs (10 mm), five young-of-year blue crabs (18 mm), one small mummichog (14 mm), and a single elver (110 mm). The water temperature fluctuated from 65.7 to 68.0 degrees F and, likewise, salinity ranged from 3.4 to 5.3 parts-per-thousand (ppt).
– Jason Muller
5/21 – Manhattan, New York City: Our Environmental Programs umbrella of RIPA (Natural Areas, Urban Farm, and Public Programming departments) finally got the opportunity to go seining today. Our Randall’s Island Park Alliance Staff began at the Water’s Edge Garden along the Harlem River where the water was 72 degrees F, and the salinity was 21.0 ppt. We made three hauls of our net going against the current and caught eleven Atlantic tomcod (46-60 mm), seven winter flounder (30-45 mm), six bay anchovies (75 mm), a spotted hake (102 mm), and three northern pipefish (170-185 mm). The male pipefish all had prominent brood pouches although the eggs had not yet matured and developed their orange color.
The incredible abundance of river life also included comb jellies, two lion’s mane jellyfish, 131 mud dog whelk snails (their eggs were present on algae), twelve blue crabs (15-60 mm), 26 grass shrimp, and 189 sand shrimp (many with eggs). Sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa) consistently outnumbered grass shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.) throughout the day.
Later in the day at the Little Hell Gate Salt Marsh on the East River, the water was also 72 degrees F, and the salinity was 23.0 ppt. From several seine hauls there, our catch included 433 mummichogs (45-100 mm), a gorgeous little white mullet (45 mm), and two Atlantic silverside. Many of the male mummichogs were in their breeding colors while some of the females were very rotund with eggs. (Photo of sand shrimp courtesy of Molly Jacobson)
– Jackie Wu, Jhanelle Mullings
Spring 2021 Natural History Programs
Hudson River: Striped Bass Cooperative Angler Program
You can share your fishing trip information and help biologists understand and manage our Hudson River striped bass fishery.
– Here’s how it works: Fill out a logbook provided by us whenever you fish on the Hudson River (by boat or from shore). You can also use our survey123 app and record your trips using a smart phone or computer. Record general location, time, gear used, what you caught (or if you didn’t catch anything) and return the logbook when you are done fishing for the season.
– You’ll receive an annual newsletter summarizing the information in addition to the latest news regarding regulations and the river. Whether you catch-and-release or take home a keeper, you can be part of the Cooperative Angler Program. Online logbook instructions can be found here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/hrcoopanglerelogbook.pdf
Join today by contacting: hudsonangler or call 845-256-3009
Day-in-the-Life Videos (Hudson River Estuary Program)
The Day-in-the-Life Team and DEC produced three interactive videos from live footage at three geographic areas of the Hudson River estuary. Watch each one with your class to explore the Hudson River at your own pace. Watch the video pertaining to your region along the River or watch all three!
Students can collect data virtually alongside our partner organizations with their data sheets and an online Clearwater fish key.
Upper Estuary (Poughkeepsie to Troy and beyond):
• Video
• Data Sheet
Lower Estuary (Yonkers to Beacon/Newburgh):
• Video
• Data Sheet
NY Harbor (and connected waterways):
• Video
• Data Sheet
The Estuary Live! (Hudson River Estuary Program)
Our environmental education programs are broad, varied, flexible, and dependent on the needs and interests of your students. These distance-learning programs can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and are available on ZOOM, Google classrooms, or Webex platforms. Pre-program materials from our Virtual River content include videos and lesson plans for students to explore before their Estuary Live! program. Students are encouraged to ask questions which creates an interactive learning environment, rather than a lecture. Estuary Live! is often hosted from an outdoor location but is dependent on the weather and cell service. The Norrie Point Environmental Center has three indoor sets (The Library, The Lab, and The Classroom) that allow us to stay connected during lessons and give students a feeling of being here with us.
Program types and a brief description of the topics:
Wildlife (e.g., amphibians, turtles, and fish)
Hudson River basics, e.g. geography, tides, salinity, turbidity, temperature, basic ecology.
Climate change
American Eels
Stream Study: macroinvertebrates, e.g., adaptations, habitat, and human impact.
Educators can schedule a program for their students:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScr6Sidcq70JL3xLvubH1J-WfAkRMsR6AWvUtHsdcOiUvXrcw/viewform
Contact Maija Lisa Niemistö email:maija.niemisto
Follow Us On-Line:
Check out our wonderful Tide Finder video (3 minutes) with Chris Bowser marking the extreme highs and lows of a full moon tidal cycle: Tide Finder video
Virtual River website: Virtual River Website
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. 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
The Conservationist, the award-winning, advertisement-free magazine focusing on New York State’s great outdoors and natural resources. The 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 sixteen monitoring stations, visit the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System website.
DEC’s Smartphone app for iPhone and Android is now available at: New York Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App.
Save the date for Outdoors Day 2021 on Saturday, June 12!
Outdoors Day is a free, open-house style event held in conjunction with National Get Outdoors Day. Try a new outdoor activity or introduce your family to old favorites like hiking, archery, paddling, and fishing. Bring the whole family and spend the day having an outdoor adventure!
2021’s event will be modified to meet COVID-19 guidelines including mask and social distancing requirements.
Check out photos from previous events on our Flickr album (link leaves DEC website) or view the event video on our YouTube channel.
Don’t forget to share your photos using #OutdoorsDayNY!
Information about the Hudson River Estuary Program is available on DEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html. |