| OVERVIEW
We were reminded this week of our relationship with the ocean and the effects of the Gulf Stream in connecting us to tropical waters. The opening day of the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch signaled the expected beginning of the autumn raptor migration.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
 8/23 – Manhattan, HRM 1: When we checked our collection gear in Hudson River Park at The River Project’s sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac at Pier 25, we found a young-of-the-year foureye butterflyfish 15 millimeters [mm] long. This was just the second record of this tropical marine stray in the Hudson River estuary; the first occurred in July 1989, also at The River Project (Pier 26). [Photo of foureye butterflyfish courtesy of Eli Caref.]
– Siddhartha Hayes, Eli Caref, Melissa Rex
[Foureye butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus) are recorded from as far north as Massachusetts where they are quite rare. The literature suggests that all records from our area are young-of-year [YOY] that likely do not survive the winter. With their center of abundance in Florida and the Bahamas, these juveniles probably drifted north as larvae in the Gulf Stream. Bob Schmidt.]
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES
 8/19 – New Baltimore, HRM 131.5: Kelly Halloran and her neighbors have been collecting broken stems and bowls of kaolin pipes (white clay) that have eroded out of the sand on Polly Sherman’s beach for 20 years. Clay pipes are made from a fine white clay called kaolin. While not much in vogue today, these were the mainstay of pipe smokers from Colonial times through the end of the nineteenth century. Most of the clay pipes found in an archaeological context were of Dutch, English, or later American manufacture.
How the pipe fragments found their way onto (into) Mrs. Sherman’s beach is pure conjecture. It may have been a Mohican hunting camp with the hunters trying a new kind of pipe for their tobacco. It could have been a seaman on a Hudson River sloop tapping his pipe on the gunwale and accidently breaking the stem. For three hundred years, Hudson Valley fishermen have gathered on the shore in springtime while their nets fished for shad and striped bass. Or they came from workers at ice houses or the Sherman and Baldwin boatyards. Perhaps all of these. Next week: How old are these pipes? [Photo of kaolin pipe fragments courtesy of Tom Lake.]
– Tom Lake
8/19 – New Paltz, HRM 78: On my dog walk through the Mohonk foothills we came upon a coyote moving slowly through the fields immediately south of Lenape Lane. It was mid-afternoon and this coyote was meticulously searching amongst the grasses. We watched it pounce twice, catching nothing. Between forays through the field, it would periodically stare at us then resume its hunt. Leaving the field, we came upon a great blue heron stalking a beaver pond’s shallows and ended the walk being fooled by a distant monarch mimic. The viceroy butterfly, sitting with wings closed on a purple loosestrife leaf, had me thinking monarch until I got closer and noted its smaller size.
– Bob Ottens
8/19 – Stony Point, HRM 40: We always look forward to our annual monitoring of beds of wild celery (Vallisneria americana), a native species of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), in the Stony Point Marina. This plant had long been plentiful in the cove but was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy (2012). Each August, our monitoring puts us in a canoe moving through the bay, carefully assessing the status of its return. There was no real change this year; beds in the bay’s southern half were back in full force but we did not see any in the northern half. In the southern half SAV beds, there was a noticeable stillness of the water with just some ripples from small schools of fish breaking the surface. An occasional larger fish would scoot by just under the surface and damselflies scurried over the water. The wild celery is working its magic in the river. We also watched an osprey circle overhead and then dive and capture a fish in its talons.
– Brent Turrin, Margie Turrin
 8/19 – Manhattan, HRM 0: Fishing from shore at Robert F. Wagner Park at the Battery can be a slow pick on most days but then there are times when something special shows up. An anonymous (by choice) angler caught and landed a huge black drum today estimated at 30 pounds. [Photo of black drum courtesy of Battery Park City Parks.]
– Craig Hudon, Peter Park, Battery Park City Parks
[Black drum (Pogonias cromis) are uncommon, but not unknown, from the lower river and New York Harbor although their presence has diminished significantly in the last century. Black drum were added to our watershed fish list in August 2010 when an adult weighing nearly 30 pounds was found on the shore at Piermont, river mile 25 (adult black drum can reach 90 pounds). Since then, we have come upon several juvenile black drum in the estuary, from Piermont to Staten Island, for the first time in at least the last half-century. Tom Lake.]
8/20 – Ulster Park, HRM 78: When we walked around our pond today, we were delighted to find a large monarch caterpillar (perhaps its final instar) on some milkweed. If all goes well, we should have at least this one representative making its way to Mexico in the fall.
– Peter Relson
[Monarch butterflies bred in the Hudson River watershed migrate south as much as 2,700 miles to a wintering location in a mountain forest near Mexico City. They arrive in large numbers to the same ancestral roosts, often to the exact same trees. The length of the journey far exceeds the lifetime of a single monarch, which is less than two months for butterflies born in early summer. The last generation of the summer lives up to seven months, during which time it migrates to the wintering location. This generation does not reproduce until it leaves the following spring. How monarchs manage to return to the same wintering locale over a span of several generations is a mystery. It is their children’s grandchildren that return south the following fall. Tom Lake]
8/20 – Beacon, HRM 61: The river was still a delightful 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the salinity was maintaining 2.0 parts-per-thousand [ppt]. We were hoping to re-encounter the big schools of river herring from four days ago but the handful we caught in our net (41-51 mm) told us we had missed them. Larger YOY American shad (67-76 mm) were there in good numbers as were abundant young striped bass (52-61 mm).
– Tom Lake, A. Danforth
8/20 – Brooklyn, New York City: Our public seining program at Brooklyn Bridge Park for the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy sampled the East River with much success. With volunteers helping us with the seining, we caught many YOY fishes including striped bass, Atlantic menhaden, and silver perch (50-60 mm). Other fishes included tautog, winter flounder, and Atlantic silverside. Invertebrates were many, including shore shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.), sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa), blue crab, dime-sized long-wristed hermit crabs (Pagurus longicarpus), Asian shore crabs, mud snails, oyster drills, moon jellyfish, and too many comb jellies to count.
– Peter J. Park, Eliza Phillips, Haley McClanahan
8/21 – Town of New Paltz, HRM 78: The red-headed woodpecker pair in Weston Swamp was still bringing food to the nest-hole and driving away birds (starlings, flickers, robins) that chose to come near. A green heron and a common grackle near the nest-hole tree didn’t warrant attacking. There were at least two immature red-headed woodpeckers in the general area (from another pair) and they were likewise driven off. There were at least six adults present; I have seen four at once while hearing two others in different areas of the swamp.
– Peter Relson
8/21 – Town of Wappinger, HRM 67: While the solar eclipse was a total eclipse only within a narrow band across the contiguous United States, the Hudson Valley saw a somewhat lesser eclipse – NASA, via Dave Lindemann, suggested the sun was about 70 percent eclipsed. Perhaps the most notable effect during the eclipse was the way that a clear blue sky became a dull gray, followed by near total silence from songbirds and insects. It was somewhat reminiscent of the September 2015 lunar eclipse when calling barred owls and chorusing coyotes joined a long eerie silence as the moon disappeared.
– Tom Lake
 8/21 – Putnam County: I thought I’d get out to my favorite southern Putnam County parks before the eclipse ruined the light, looking primarily for Lactarius corrugis (milk caps) because they are so tasty when grilled. My wife spotted a perfect young specimen still pushing up leaves and we gathered a few more before we were done. The Russula and Amanita genera were only sparsely represented today, but we found very large specimens of Amanita rubescens (the blusher) and A. bisporigera (the destroying angel). The fall mushrooms continued to manifest well before their usual time. We found several species of Cortinarius, including the lovely blue/violet C. iodes (viscid violet cort), but the fruitings of Clavulinopsis fusiformis (golden spindles) and Pholiota squarrosoides (onion bagel mushroom) were the most impressive today. [Photo of golden spindles courtesy of Steve Rock; see also his banner photo of onion bagel mushroom.]
– Steve Rock
8/22 – Albany, HRM 150: Four birders braved threatening skies this evening at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center looking for migrating common nighthawks ahead of approaching storms. We counted only six, as individual birds, plus two groups of two. The best bird swooped in at 7:55 pm below tree-top level, coursed around the parking lot area just off the ground, and then left after a minute in the fading light.
– Tom Williams, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
8/22 – Piermont, HRM 25: Last week we noted Linda Pistolesi’s encounter with diamondback terrapins at Piermont. The presence of these turtles at Piermont and vicinity has been tenuous in recent times due to human intrusion. Our knowledge of their life history at Piermont is sketchy at best so if you see any diamondback terrapins, at Piermont or elsewhere in the estuary, please report the where, when and other particulars to Hofstra University’s Russell Burke, biorlb@hofstra.edu.
– Tom Lake
8/23 – Esopus Meadows, HRM 87: I spotted a black tern flying around Esopus Meadows this evening. It has been “osprey heaven” here the last few days with several of them catching fish and eating them in the nearby trees. I watched as a young Cooper’s hawk attempted an attack on one osprey and then later on a green heron. All the while the black tern just kept on flying around, seemingly oblivious to the hawk and osprey. All the “peeps” had already taken off in a hurry.
– Jim Yates
 8/23 – Fort Montgomery, HRM 46.5: A beautiful young black bear (Ursa americana) came strolling through the neighborhood in Fort Montgomery on a cool late August morning. I detected a hint of fall in the air and this guy seemed to agree. [Photo of black bear courtesy of William Sherwood.]
– William Sherwood
8/24 – Kowawese, HRM 59: Sunrise on this beach is always a treat. After a cool night, the sun rising over Sugarloaf Mountain warmed the air nicely. As the sunlight hit Sloop Hill, a pair of osprey came out of the cottonwoods to circle over Cornwall Bay, vocalizing loudly. Beneath them was more than an acre of disturbed water and the birds began a series of dives. Were these juvenile Atlantic menhaden? Before long we could see splashes on top and a few fish leaping out of the water. Maybe bluefish or striped bass chasing menhaden?
Our seine catch, however, was not as exhilarating. We caught scores of YOY striped bass (46-64 mm) but only a single blueback herring (57 mm), our targeted species. The salinity was barely 2.0 ppt. In salty summers, the cobbles littering the shallows would have had bay barnacles; today they had a scattering of zebra mussels. Water temperature was 76 degrees F.
– Tom Lake, Phyllis Lake
8/25 – Town of Saratoga, HRM 186: I spent ninety minutes this morning walking on Swamp Road looking for butterflies. Along a stream I found a beautiful cardinal flower (my first). I have read that cardinal flowers in the east are mostly pollinated by ruby-throated hummingbirds. A while later I came upon a Wilson’s warbler in the brush along the road.
– John Hershey, Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club
8/25 – Averill Park, HRM 144: I spotted a single common nighthawk just before nightfall. I have been looking for them but haven’t seen them. When I saw the single individual, I went into an open area and watched for about a half hour, until it got dark, without seeing any more.
– Brian Smith
8/25 – Rhinebeck, HRM 90: During a walk along Old Post Road I saw lots of jewelweed. Its blooms were yellow, not the orange that is supposed to indicate a plant whose leaves and stems can be used to make a salve to treat poison ivy. Closer to where I live, there’s a big clump of Japanese anemone (Anemone hupehensis); the plant is said to have originated in the Hupeh Province of eastern China. For several years, at this time of year, that bed of anemones has attracted bumblebees from sun up until dark. It’s easy to see the yellow pollen baskets (corbiculas) on the bumblebees’ legs as they collect the pollen. It is nice to see an introduced species put to good use.
– Phyllis Marsteller
8/25 – Bedford, HRM 35: The highlight from our first day of the season at the Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch was a single osprey. Non-raptor observations included a ruby-throated hummingbird, cedar waxwings, ravens, and one eastern kingbird flying southwest in the last hour that was apparently migrating.
– Silvan Laan, Anna Butler, Tait Johansson
[The observation point for the Hawkwatch at Chestnut Ridge is at an elevation of about 770 feet, with a 180-degree view oriented to the east. Birders have been observing migrating raptors from Chestnut Ridge since at least 1978. Tait Johansson.]
SUMMER/FALL 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 trlake7@aol.com
Saturday, September 23, 2:00-5:00 PM
Science on the River at the Norrie Point Environmental Center, Staatsburg [Dutchess County]. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Research Reserve invites the public to celebrate National Estuaries Day. Help take a sediment core from the cove and discover what it can teach us. Canoe a tidal marsh of the Hudson (weather and space permitting). Enjoy a live birds of prey program. Help fish the waters around Norrie Point to find out who lives there. See how the types of organisms living in a stream indicate its health. Learn what SAV means and why it’s important to the river. Also, many games and activities are planned especially for our youngest visitors. This program is free and most exhibit areas are wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 845-889-4745 x109.
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 |
