A Project of the Hudson River Estuary Program
Compiled by Tom Lake, Consulting Naturalist
While enjoying outdoor spaces, please continue to follow the CDC/NYSDOH guidelines for preventing the spread of colds, flu, and COVID-19. To find out more about enjoying DEC lands and New York’s State Parks, visit DEC’s website #Recreate Local; https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/119881.html
Keep at least six (6) feet of distance between you and others.
Wear a cloth face covering in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Avoid close contact, such as shaking hands, hugging, and kissing.
Wash hands often or use a hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
Avoid surfaces that are touched often, such as doorknobs, handrails, and playground equipment.
DEC recommends avoiding busy trailheads. Find the trails less traveled and visit when trails may not be as busy during daylight hours.
Overview
While it was difficult to get past the NEOWISE comet’s visit, a once every 6,800-year event, the estuary was bursting with millions of young-of-year-fishes of a dozen species, led by striped bass and river herring.
Highlight of the Week
 7/17 – Ulster County: I had a perfect sky tonight to photograph the NEOWISE comet using a Satellite 300 millimeters (mm) camera lens. (Jim Yates photo)
– Jim Yates
[The Near-Earth Object (NEO)—Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), celestial object was discovered by a team using the WISE space telescope under the NEOWISE program on March 27, 2020. It was classified as a comet on March 31 and named NEOWISE on April 1. From the infrared signature, scientists have estimated that the comet’s nucleus has a diameter of about three miles. NEOWISE makes its closest approach to the Earth on July 22. On that day, the comet with a near-parabolic orbit that takes 6,800 years to complete one circuit, will be 64 million miles from Earth.
Comets, often referred to as “dirty snowballs,” are mostly made of dust, rocks and ice, the remnants of deep time when the solar system was being formed more than 4.6 billion years ago. In the distant past, people thought of comets as “long-haired” stars that would appear unpredictably in the sky. The “tail” of comets, like NEOWISE, are actually the leading side as the solar wind “blows” the tail away as the comet makes its circuit around the sun (the solar wind is a stream of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the Sun’s corona). Comets do not produce light of their own. The colors we see are the reflection of the sun’s light off the comet. Tom Lake]
Natural History Entries
 7/11 – Kingston, HRM 92: Around midday, I spotted a large, very pale object flying across the yard. What else could it be but a luna moth (Actias luna)? Sure enough, it landed in the grass long enough to be photographed. Its wings looked a bit worse for wear, but it eventually took off and flew away. It has been many years since I have seen one and never in broad day light before. (Nancy Beard photo)
– Nancy Beard
 7/11 – Ulster County, HRM 78-76: This was a brief survey of how our new generation of monarch butterflies was doing. I checked the milkweed plants in a field off Route 209 just south of the Routes 44/55 intersection where I found four eggs and five monarch caterpillars of various stages. Earlier, in a search off Route 209 near Boicemill Road, I came upon one half-inch-long monarch caterpillar. As the sun rose this morning, I found one egg on milkweed in my own garden. Later, as the sun set, I found another egg on milkweed just off the Route 299 pull-off at Humpo Marsh. (Betty Boomer photo)
– Betty Boomer
7/11 – Putnam County, HRM 52: Indian Brook Falls is no more than a half-mile upstream from the Education Center at Constitution Marsh. While at the falls today, enforcing the No Swimming rule, I noticed some movement on the surface of the brook. Through binoculars I could see that it was a northern water snake making its way up onto the rocks below the falls. It slowly inched its way up the rocks and then picked its head up, almost like it was enjoying the water splashing. Suddenly, it had a small shiny fish in its mouth. It took the snake a few moments to get it positioned, then quickly swallowed it. Moments later, it had another fish in its mouth. I have seen water snakes at this waterfall before, but never was I gifted with such a show.
– Lauren Martin
7/12 – Saugerties, HRM 102: There have been no harbor seal sightings in Esopus Creek for a week. The male harbor seal was last seen on July 5th (Day 324). However, a seal was spotted just upriver in the last week, and this may signal the Saugerties seal has expanded his range. Given recent sightings in Esopus Creek, the sunken houseboat may be his home base and he may return.
– Patrick Landewe
 7/12 – Little Stony Point, HRM 55: The consistent day-to-day presence of young-of-year fishes along this gorgeous beach at the head of the Hudson Highlands has been amazing. In seasons of weak year-classes, there are gaps and breaks in their presence. Not so this year.
The bag of our net sparkled with silvery alewives (40-58 mm) and pulsed with scores of striped bass (27-49 mm). We quickly measured min-max of the striped bass to get a feeling for the range of sizes and quickly released them. We pawed through the far more sensitive alewives to get the same measure. Most survived their release, but some went belly-up. Science can often create mixed emotions, particularly among young students, when wildlife does not survive collection and analysis. To complete the circle of life in nature, we pointed to the dozen palm-sized blue crabs we had caught and released. They were out there in the swash, waiting—they had to eat as well. Nothing goes to waste.
The one surprise in our seine was tucked into the back of the bag on our final haul: four young-of-year American shad (64-68 mm), the first we had seen this season. The river was 79 degrees Fahrenheit (F), and the salinity had slipped a bit to 3.0 parts-per-thousand (ppt). (Tom Lake photo)
– Tom Lake, Phyllis Lake
(one inch = 25.4 millimeters (mm))
*** Fish of the Week ***
 7/13 – Hudson River Watershed: Fish-of-the-Week for Week 79 is the striped anchovy (Anchoa hepsetus) number 31 (of 231), on our Hudson River Watershed List of Fishes. If you would like a copy of our list, e-mail: trlake7
The striped anchovy is one of two anchovies (Engraulidae) in the watershed, the other being the bay anchovy (A. mitchilli). Striped anchovies are a small, coastal marine species—to 150 mm long—and are found in the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia south to Uruguay. Unlike its close relative the bay anchovy, they are not often found in estuaries. In his Biological Survey of the Lower Hudson Watershed (1937), J.R. Greeley found none.
However, it is possible that the striped anchovy may be a bit more common than we think since at first glance they can be confused with bay anchovies (in the field, we check for distinctively different dorsal fin-anal fin placement).
Even when you are on the lookout, with a seine-full of bay anchovies, it takes a discerning eye to spot a striped anchovy. The most recent example of that was September 14, 2013, when Steve Stanne caught one at Nyack Beach State Park (river mile 31). It was a surprising catch since the salinity was less than six ppt, on the low side for striped anchovy comfort.
Prior to 2013, the last record in the Hudson River Almanac occurred on October 3, 2002, at Englewood, NJ (river mile 13.5). We caught several that day during an elementary school program. They appeared in the seine among many young-of-year bay anchovies, crevalle jack, and northern kingfish. With a broad, silver latitudinal stripe, they are a strikingly impressive fish, so much so that young students often inquire if they can take one home. (Peter Park photo)
– Tom Lake
7/14 – Little Stony Point, HRM 55: We were on the sand again this morning chasing young-of-year fishes that might give us an idea of how well the ocean-run spawners performed this spring. In a repeat of recent days, alewives and striped bass dominated our seine catch.
The alewives seemed to be from two distinct sub-cohorts (47-53 mm; 65-68 mm). By sub-cohort we mean groups defined in this case by size. The distinction is probably the result of earlier-later hatch dates. The striped bass were found along a gradually uniform scale of 38-58 mm. Yearling channel catfish made an appearance (110 mm) as well as young-of-year bay anchovies (22-23 mm). The water was again toasty at 82 degrees F. Salinity has dropped a bit to 3.0 ppt.
– Tom Lake, T.R. Jackson, B.J. Jackson
 7/14 – Manhattan, New York City: Our Randall’s Island Park Alliance staff set two killifish traps over the weekend from the ferry dock in the Harlem River. Elizabeth Reeve went to check on them today and found a gorgeous tautog (110 mm) and one mud crab! I had not caught a mud crab at Randall’s Island, so it was exciting to know they were around. (Jackie Wu photo)
– Jackie Wu:
 7/15 – Northern Westchester County: After a disappointing walk in my favorite northern Westchester woods four days ago, when nature provided only a couple specimens of the “Curry Bolete” (Boletus sensibilis) instead of the hoped-for basket-full, she made up for it by dumping over an inch of rain on that same park. I went back today hoping for better results. The runoff had well-watered an area that has proved fruitful in past years, and produced a good pound of lovely golden chanterelles (Cantherellus cibarius) that the slugs had not yet found. Timing is everything! (Steve Rock photo)
– Steve Rock
[Eating some species of wild mushrooms can cause sickness and even death. Despite widespread beliefs to the contrary, there is no general rule that allows you to distinguish between a poisonous mushroom and one that is safe to eat. Wild mushrooms should only be considered for consumption after being identified by an expert mycologist and, even then, only in moderation with samples of fresh specimens retained and properly stored to aid in identification whenever poisoning is considered a possibility. Joining a mushroom club and participating in lectures, forays and mushroom identification classes is an excellent way to begin to learn all that needs to be known before you should feel that you can competently and independently identify a mushroom as being safe and edible 100% of the time. Steve Rock]
 7/16 – Kingston Point, HR 92: The beach at Kingston Point was popular on a day when both the air and water were 84 degrees. We found a quiet cove on the east end and set out our seine. As has been the rule almost everywhere we sampled this early summer, the net filled with young-of-year striped bass (45-55 mm) and alewives (37-60 mm). However, the visual stars of our catch were the banded killifish. The males were replete in their splendid lavender-and-silver bands and the females in subdued shading matching their sandy surroundings. They are one of the best examples in nature of sexual dimorphism. (Phyllis Lake photo)
– Tom Lake, Phyllis Lake
[The term sexual dimorphism translates from Greek as: sexual = male-female, dis = two, morphe or morpho = shape or form, resulting in two forms, shapes, or color patterns. It is found in banded killifish with males showing breeding colors, while the tawny females tend to blend into the background. The latter is seen as an attempt at camouflage, protecting females guarding a nest or their young. Tom Lake]
 7/16 – Norrie Point, HRM 85 We conducted a seining program as part of a series of weekly DEC Facebook Live posts. The Lower Hudson Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM) team had finished removing water chestnuts earlier, so we were excited to see what we could catch. On our first seine we caught three young-of-year river herring, a bluegill, four red-breast sunfish, four pumpkinseed, six young-of-year spottail shiners, a white perch, two young-of-year smallmouth bass, seven young-of-year largemouth bass, and three banded killifish. After our live broadcast, we wanted to take one more haul, just for fun. And, as “last hauls” often do, we caught a special fish: a beautiful green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus). They are not a common catch for us, so the fish’s strong jaw, orange-edged fins, and ringed operculum were joyful to see. The river was 78 degrees F. (Chris Bowser photo)
– Chris Bowser, Kate Cooper, Elinor Stapylton of the PRISM Aquatic Invasives Strike Force Crew.
[The green sunfish is an introduced species, one of 13 sunfishes (Centrarchidae) in the watershed. They are native to the Great Lakes region and upper Mississippi but have been introduced into several Atlantic coastal systems. In his Biological Survey of the Lower Hudson Watershed (1937), J.R. Greeley refers to green sunfish as rare. They are occasionally caught at Norrie Point Environmental Education Center, often as hybrid green sunfish x redbreast sunfish. Bob Schmidt notes that there is a robust population of green sunfish in the Wallkill River watershed, a Hudson River tributary. In fact, it may be the most common fish in the Dwaarkill, a Wallkill tributary in Orange County. Tom Lake]
 7/16 – Cornwall-on-Hudson, HR 57: We had a reptilian visitor on the rugged mountain called Storm King today. It was a timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), our second in three years. The first was a five-footer spotted on August 8, 2018. This one was smaller by a third. (Jonathan Deull photo)
– Jonathan Deull
[Many populations of timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) have been depleted or extirpated due to human persecution, collection, and habitat loss, which is why they are listed as a New York State Threatened Species. Because of this, entries such as this one is intentionally left vague other than to note its general presence in a broad area. Jesse Jaycox]
 7/17 – Little Stony Point, HRM 55: With a long look at Storm King Mountain, we seined with a sense of urgency. Thunderstorms were on their way. The river temperature had gone up again to 83 degrees F, and the salinity had risen to 4.0 ppt. There were no fish surprises in the seine today as the bag predictably filled with young-of-year striped bass (30-57 mm) and alewives (45-62 mm).
But there was a non-fish surprise: comb jellies, uncountable numbers of Beroe’s comb jellies (Beroe’s cucumis), a certain symbol of brackish water. Some comb jellies are able to produce light—an ability known as bioluminescence. Scientist think they use their bioluminess to scare predators away when they are disturbed in the dark. When Chris Letts and I ran well-attended summertime middle-of-the night public seining programs at Croton Point, part of the show was dragging our 250-foot-long seine offshore to set, with a broad Necco-wafer-green curtain trailing as the mesh cut through the clouds of comb jellies. At various times of the season, these were both Beroe’s and Leidy’s comb jellies. (Phyllis Lake photo)
– Tom Lake, Phyllis Lake
[Comb jellies (Ctenophora) are often mistaken for jellyfish but differ in that they have no tentacles and do not sting. Like true jellyfish, comb jellies are translucent, gelatinous, fragile, essentially planktonic, drifting at the whim of the wind and current. They are peanut to walnut-size, often occur in swarms, and are common in warm, brackish estuarine shallows. For a real treat, gently scoop a few with a wet, cupped hand, place them into a small, clear container, and gently rock the water. Their rhythmic, symmetrical, and altogether graceful movements are enchanting. Two comb jelly species, Beroe’s (Beroe cucumis) and Leidy’s (Mnemiopsis leidyi) are found in the estuary (William L. Hopkins, An Atlas of the Biologic Resources of The Hudson Estuary, Boyce Thompson Institute (1977)). Tom Lake]
 7/17 – Manhattan, New York City: I was waiting outside the Post Office on Hudson Street between West 10th Street and Charles Street in the West Village yesterday. There is a restaurant next to the Post Office that was selling frozen drinks from an outside booth and serving tables in keeping with the new Covid-19 regulations. Standing there, I heard the bartender say, “Are there really frogs in Manhattan?” That perked up my ears. He followed with, “Is this thing alive?” I walked over and saw on his metal barstool, a gorgeous and healthy gray tree frog. I picked it up and the bartender gave me a drink container and a lid with an air hole for the frog.
There is a beautiful garden about a block away from where I live. This morning, I placed the gray tree frog in a far corner on a giant southern magnolia tree with lots of shade. Overnight in the container, the gray tree frog had turned a magical light green like that of a luna moth. It was bitter sweet to see the frog leave as it jumped onto a giant dark-green waxy leaf. (Laura Heady photo)
– Robert Shapiro
Summer – Fall 2020 Natural History Programs
DEC Trees for Tribs: The Hudson River Estuary Program’s “Trees for Tribs” program offers free native trees and shrubs for planting along the tributary streams in the Hudson River Estuary watershed and is now accepting applications (deadline is August 1). Our staff can help you with a planting plan. Since 2007, Trees for Tribs has provided more than 40,000 native trees and shrubs for planting along 20 miles of stream with the help of more than 9,000 local volunteers. We are now accepting applications for planting projects.
For more information about the program or to download an application, please visit the DEC website at: HudsonEstuaryTFT.
2020 “I BIRD NY” Challenge
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the start of the 2020 “I BIRD NY” challenges for beginner and experienced birders. The I BIRD NY program was launched by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in 2017, to build on the State’s efforts to increase access to New York’s vast natural resources and promote low-cost opportunities to explore the great outdoors and connect with nature. New York is home to a wide range of habitats that support more than 450 different bird species throughout the year. There are also 59 designated Bird Conservation Areas to safeguard and enhance bird populations and habitats on State lands and waters across the state.
DEC is hosting its annual I Bird NY Beginner’s Birding Challenge, which is open to anyone 16 years of age and younger. To complete the Beginner’s Birding Challenge, participants must identify 10 common New York bird species and submit their challenge sheet to DEC. Entries can be mailed or emailed. All participants in this challenge will receive a certificate of participation and be entered into a random drawing for a chance to win birding accessories. For information, go to: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/begbirdchallenge2019.pdf
In addition to the Beginner’s Birding Challenge, DEC is offering the I Bird NY Experienced Birder Challenge. To complete the challenge, birders of any age must identify at least 10 different bird species found across New York State. All participants in this challenge will also receive a certificate of participation and be entered into a drawing for birding accessories. For information, go to: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/expbchallenge2019.pdf
During the COVID-19 public health crisis, getting outside for a nature break is more important than ever and DEC will continue to encourage new and experienced naturalists alike to participate safely and responsibly in birding and other outdoors activities.”
– NYSDEC
DEC advises New Yorkers to take measures to reduce bear conflicts
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos reminds New Yorkers to take steps to reduce conflicts with bears. Feeding bears either intentionally, which is illegal, or unintentionally through careless practices around properties, has consequences for entire communities. DEC advises everyone who lives in or visits bear habitat, which is much of Upstate New York, to remove items that are attractive to bears. People should take down bird feeders by April 1, store garbage inside secure buildings, and feed pets indoors. These actions are necessary to live responsibly with black bears, protect people, property, and bears. For more information about how to reduce human/bear conflicts, visit DEC’s website.
Guidelines on how to avoid problems with black bears: http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/113258.html
DEC Seeks Birdwatchers to contribute to 2020 Breeding Bird Atlas
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos has announced a call for citizen-science volunteers to help in the development of a comprehensive, statewide survey that takes place every two decades to detail New York’s breeding bird distribution. Starting in 2020, five years of field surveys will be conducted by volunteers and project partners to provide the data that will be analyzed to create the third New York State Breeding Bird Atlas.
“Just as New Yorkers are embarking on the 2020 Census to track human populations and trends, DEC and our partners track our natural populations to evaluate the effectiveness of New York’s programs and initiatives to promote diverse and healthy wildlife,” Commissioner Seggos said. “The Breeding Bird Atlas is a valuable tool to help protect birds and habitat, and I encourage all New Yorkers to get outdoors safely and responsibly and participate in this year’s survey while practicing social distancing.”
DEC is partnering with the New York Natural Heritage Program, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), Audubon New York, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, New York State Ornithological Association, and New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit on this project. When complete, the atlas will provide species-specific details about distribution, maps, and illustrations.
The last atlas was published in 2008, with information on its results available on DEC’s website. Five years of fieldwork by more than 1,200 contributors provided the data for the second addition to New York’s understanding of the state’s avifauna (birds). This substantial book revealed striking changes in the distributions of many of our breeding birds since New York’s first Breeding Bird Atlas was published in 1988. Data showed that half of New York’s 253 species showed a significant change in their distribution, with 70 species showing increases and 58 species showing declines. A comparison study between the first two atlases showed that the distribution of 129 species moved northward an average of 3.58 kilometers due to climate change. The 2020 atlas will provide further data on this shift and climate change’s potential impact on wildlife.
To participate, volunteers can make a free eBird account and submit data online through the atlas website (ebird.org/atlasny) or via the eBird mobile app. Simply record the species and any breeding behaviors observed. All sightings can count. As observations are reported, data can be viewed here: https://ebird.org/atlasny/state/US-NY.
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.
NY’s Outdoors Are Open
#RecreateLocal– Safely and Responsibly
DEC and Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) are encouraging New Yorkers to engage in responsible recreation during the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis. DEC and State Parks recommendations incorporate guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health for reducing the spread of infectious diseases and encourage New Yorkers to recreate locally, practice physical distancing, and use common sense to protect themselves and others. In addition, DEC and State Parks launched a new hashtag-#RecreateLocal-and encourage New Yorkers to get outside and discover open spaces and parks close to home.
Information about the Hudson River Estuary Program is available on DEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html. |
