Natural History Lessons

I find that exploring different ecosystems of Fishers Island will gift a naturalist with the very presence of nature’s wonder.

I find too, that in those present moments of discovery there is often a history lesson for me – of a different sort.

While observing seals far off on two rock clumps on the northeast side of the Island I spied a white piece of fabric poking up through the wet sand.

Thinking to mark the item in my data as “trash” I took a closer look.

Gently, I pulled on what appeared to be an old tattered sleeve of a sailor’s top.

I began to investigate the two patches….

I imagined the uniform belonged to:

1st Class Yeoman “JPK”, a petty officer performing clerical duties for

WW II Naval Amphibious Landing Forces.

A treasure found indeed.

Winter Stillness

There is a hushhhhhh today on Island.

I can see it.

But for a distant call of a Loon across Hay harbor,

A  Herring Gull announcing lunch time on South Beach,

A ripple slides silently out Silver Eel Pond

While snowy sands sit on Dock Beach.

 

Seals in Snow

It was very still amidst snow flurries at Hungry Point this afternoon.

From where I stood I counted 143 Harbor seals on both rock haul-out sites.

A female Cardinal kept me company.

 

Icy Sea Monsters & Sea Smoke

Air Temp: 8 on Island

Ocean Temp: 42 in Long  Island Sound

 

Rock Steady ll

Look closely and compare the December photo of “Picnic Rock" to this

January’s photo and you can see that Chocomount beach is slowly recovering from Hurricane “Sandy”.

 

 

 

Glove Story

I lost my glove last week on Chocomount.
I liked that glove. It fit like one. It held on tight to a pair of binoculars for 6 years helping to observe Northern Fur seals out in the middle of the Bering Sea. It helped to warmly welcome a lot of interesting people into my life with a strong handshake.

So that late afternoon I retraced my footsteps while racing the incoming tide but as the sun began to set I called off the search.

This week I found my glove. At first glance I was so happy to see it hadn’t washed out to sea. Up close though I noticed that surrounded by Coyote paw prints, the tips of its fingers had been bitten off!!

I suppose there’s no love lost between Coyote and me….

Just glove lost.

Beach Recovery

Isabella

She tried to stand her ground when scrublands were swept over by hurricane wind and wave.

Her coastline cliffs are tired and worn with erosion.

Her sands bear the heavy burden of rocks and wood.

She will shore up.

Majestic Isabella

 

Eelgrass Restoration

I believe its natural for a Naturalist to be curious.

On Island:

I have been eager to learn that a large quantity of Eelgrass decay washes ashore in East Harbor. In fact I note every week that high tides appear to deposit more shredded Eelgrass debris on the north side of the island than the south side.

Off Island:

This January I have observed large numbers of Mute Swan inhabiting Wequetequock Cove across the way in Stonington, CT.

Research shows that Mute Swans feed primarily on Eelgrass during the winter. Unlike other grazing waterfowl, swans tend to uproot the plants entirely-and a single swan can consume up to 8 lbs a day!

The result can be destructive with loss of seagrass beds and ecosystem habitat.

Wequetequock Cove empties into Fishers Island Sound.

Now:

  I am even more curious to learn about Eelgrass conservation and restoration.

 

Mermaid’s Purse

I am observing an influx of rectangular egg sacs belonging to the Winter Skate species.  I counted 6 today at the Big Club and South Beach.

Similar looking to the Ray, the Skate is also flattened from back to belly and appears to have “wings”. The species differ though with the Ray bearing live young.

Winter Skate are currently harvested commercially -their wings considered tasty.

The population is often affected by offshore Scallop trawls and can end up as bycatch.

 

Red Right Returning

 It is a rare occasion for me to venture out onto the intertidal zone that forms Race Point.
Very low tides this morning allowed me to quickly navigate across the slippery rocks and wavelets.

When I came to the waters edge

Tugboat wreck seemed to rise out of the ocean.

The old lighthouse seemed just a stone’s throw away.