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.