The Fishers Island Fire Department (FIFD) reported a successful planned burn Mar. 27 of 36.04 acres of restored grasslands along the airport runway and on the Parade Grounds. But what do our volunteers actually do to conduct a safe burn in specifically prescribed areas? Don Beck, FIConservancy Board Member and Fishers Island Club golf course superintendent explains…
This juvenile (1st yr. plumage) Common Eider grabs a bite of aquatic plant growth from under the floating FIDCO dock, Silver eel Cove.
From the Field, Video Snippet, Justine Kibbe, April 11, 2019
Black-crowned night herons (BCNH)* appear to be everywhere these days, especially out from under the ferry dock on Fishers Island.
At about three years of age, this heron sports its “adult plumage”.
’Tis the breeding season, with two long, white plumes flitting in the breeze.
*Silver eel Cove
From the Field, Video Snippet, Justine Kibbe, April 11, 2019
Eastern painted turtles gathering between sun and shadow.
From the Field, Field Note, Justine Kibbe, April 9, 2019
Black-crowned Night Heron roosting this afternoon in treetops within Ferguson Museum Sanctuary, Fishers Island. At just about sunset, this nocturnal resident will forage for fish at Duck pond.
With remarks From the Field, this week marks the return of Great Blue Herons as well as Great Egrets, especially in coves northside.
Keep your eyes peeled…
From the Field, Field Note, Justine Kibbe, April 9, 2019
Black-crowned Night Heron roosting this afternoon in treetops within Ferguson Museum Sanctuary, Fishers Island. At just about sunset, this nocturnal resident will forage for fish at Duck pond.
With remarks From the Field, this week marks the return of Great Blue Herons as well as Great Egrets, especially in coves northside.
Keep your eyes peeled…
From the Field, Video Snippet, Justine Kibbe, April 9, 2019
Piping Plover pair returns to Fishers Island. House hunting on Sanctuary of Sands, South Beach.
FIConservancy Naturalist Justine Kibbe has been monitoring Piping Plovers in the South Beach area of Fishers Island for several years. Officially designated a “threatened” species, Piping Plovers are named for their melodic mating call.
Piping plovers eat freshwater and marine invertebrates that wash up on shore. They require a specific habitat to survive and are therefore an indicator of the “health” of a marine area. Their speckled eggs blend seamlessly into the coastal environment. Please tread lightly.
Piping Plover pair returns. House hunting on Sanctuary of Sands, Fishers Island.
Please tread lightly.
From the Field, Field Note, Justine Kibbe, April 6, 2019
There is still a lot to learn about the lives of Piping Plovers during their winter migration. These delicate shorebirds can fly as far as the Gulf of Mexico before returning to the North Atlantic coast. With development and disappearing habitat, we can only imagine the effort these winged visitors expend to come home to this safe sandy spot on Fishers Island.
Although these two Piping Plovers are not banded, I’m grateful to see the “same pair” return after several years of monitoring.
*site fidelity
From the Field, Video Snippet, Justine Kibbe, April 6, 2019
