Trends: When Rare Becomes Common

Back in June 1975, our premier Island Naturalist Ed Horning published a small pamphlet: Fishers Island Birds. Its intention was to document the distribution and occurrence of bird species between a five year period from 1970-1975.

Nearly 40 years later I am savoring each moment of data that Ed jotted down.

Very much like monitoring Island sites today, the guide mentions familiar, local Island habitat, rare and common bird species documented seasonally, plus a map so any birder might expect to note an observation again.

A bit of natural history that back then recorded trends in species population data. 

Take Ed Horning’s note on Common Eider:  In 1970, sightings were rare and if they did occur it was only between December and January. But during the five years that Ed “monitored” habitat like Race Point, 6-10 ducks were sighted!

Imagine now, all these years later Common Eider are even more common!

In fact they congregate south side at Isabella and Chocomount and stretch north side now from the castle down….nearly all year!

Monitoring local Common Eider ducks in 2014, I noted they swam still long enough to see them change WITH the seasons.

 

All Ears

Lately, I have been listening very intently to things that go “thump in the night”.
This eerie intermittent growling….

It’s not my stomach, because I have had a midnight snack.

No dogs hiding under the bed.

I toss and turn a bit. In my wildest wildlife imagination maybe there is a litter of Coyote pups in a den under this cottage? The lone Coyote’s tracks I document followed me back from East Harbor and “gifted” me!

I see so many Rabbits on the Island that I tend not to notice them-I really do, but it’s just not like counting Harbor seals. I think if Rabbits all hauled out on big rocks off Hungry Point I would have a better chance at getting a realistic number!

I am grateful though, that Harbor seals don’t dart out in front of me while bicycle riding The Recreational Path.

Rabbits build “warrens” or burrows with connecting tunnels.

And I am learning that just like with the abundance of “everything else” Rabbits do-they “talk” a lot!

 

 

F(e)ather’s Day

For this Barn Swallow Dad…

Helped diligently feed his brood, then

Gracefully flew off to The Golf Course!

 

Wearing Time

The scent of a new born blossom,
The skin of a well worn tree,

Smooth stones ever becoming

Sand,

Oh, Blue Sky!

The eons have been good to you.

Tread Lightly At Big Club Beach

Walk the Wrack Line by all means up at The Big Club Beach.
You will see tiny sand flea crustaceans (Amphipods) hiding beneath strands of Eel grass and hopping off rich colored Kelps. These creatures are an important food source for shorebirds weaving in and out of the waves in this tidal zone

Tread lightly here too.

The other afternoon I observed a Piping Plover pair-“members”  wading on the Wrack Line enjoying lunch.

A threatened species, the Piping Plover population has declined with increased human development and recreation along coastal habitat.

Beachgoers should be alert to this Plover’s defining of territory boundaries.

The birds will often flap around feigning a broken wing to distract “enemies” from nesting grounds. Mostly though, adult Piping Plovers will walk then stop, walk then stop again to avoid detection-blending into the beach background.

**Please remember to keep all dogs on leash during this nesting season!

 

Seeking & Seeing

After an evening of documenting mating Horseshoe Crabs in East Harbor (this is the month to view Limulus Love!) sneaking up on a rare pair of Piping Plovers at The Big Club, and then nearly tripping over an Eastern painted turtle laying her eggs-I arrived home feeling a little tuckered out. Maybe I am taking this Island “monitoring” too seriously, I thought.

But then I burst out laughing as I looked up to see this Tree Swallow perched on the computer monitor!

Evidently, I am not the only one……….