A powerful east coast storm Nov. 1 paved the way for spectacular weather on Fishers Island, and a stroll though the Demonstration Garden proved that FIConservancy’s native plant initiative is alive and well!
The Asian jumping worm, which can grow to eight inches, is identified by the whitish band that mostly circles its body near its head.
Dianne Crary in October reported the presence of “a lot” of invasive Asian jumping worms on her property along Equestrian Road. Unlike the familiar earthworm, which burrows into the ground, this Asian invader, when disturbed, writhes and scatters across the surface of the soil. If touched, it thrashes wildly and may shed its tail.
Living on the surface in woodlands, Asian jumping worms quickly devour fallen leaves and other organic material, turning the surface into loose soil resembling coffee grounds. The loss of leaf litter destroys long-lasting nutrients vital for the survival of trees. Additionally, altered soil inhibits the establishment of tree seedlings and is inhospitable to many native plant species.
Asian worms reportedly have reduced leaf litter in hardwood forests by 95%. A naturalist observed an infested forest in Cortland County, New York, and said that “it was almost entirely bare soil.”
As with so many invasive species, these worms are adaptable and difficult to stop. They are parthenogenetic: they can reproduce without fertilization. The introduction of a single individual is enough to launch a jumping worm invasion. The worms have an annual life cycle. They die in the fall, but leave tiny cocoons that winter in the soil.
What to do? According to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County, “Asian worms are commonly spread through the horticulture trade, both in containerized plants, and especially mulch, which they love. Check bulk mulch before purchasing, and maybe think twice about getting fill delivered to your property.”
For the past seven years, Justine Kibbe has lived on Fishers Island, most of that time as FIConservancy’s naturalist. We say a fond farewell to Justine this October as she leaves Fishers Island.
Through photos, videos and the written word, Justine has recorded nature as it unfolds on Fishers Island, season by season. She has been FIConservancy’s treasure.
“Justine has been the eyes and ears of FIConservancy,” said Tom Sargent, president. “Her beautiful pictures and thoughtful observations have greatly helped us in our ongoing effort to bring nature closer to the heart of the Fishers Island community.”
Connecting with the environment and becoming familiar with its rhythm and verse is just one of Justine’s many gifts. She not only monitored weather, tides, local wildlife species, migratory birds, and the health of seaweed and seagrass, but she also cared deeply about preservation and sharing knowledge.
Justine created “Sanctuary of Sands” on South Beach, which has become a secure home for returning shorebirds. In 2013, she founded the Island Sentinel program where she coached students in the art and responsibility of observation. She also served on the Fishers Island Seagrass Management (FISM) Coalition.
Justine will be missed by the entire Fishers Island community. We wish her the best of luck in all future endeavors!
Justine Kibbe grew up summering on Fishers Island, where her parents renovated an old Fort Wright house on Officer’s Row near Silver Eel Cove. She spent long summer days bicycling, exploring, fishing and swimming, all of which instilled in her a passion for marine environments.
The disappearance of 2.9 billion birds since 1970 has caught scientists by surprise. Common birds, such as the Dark-eyed Junco (above), also known as the “snowbird,” have seen the greatest losses. (Video: Luis Velarde/Photo: Jay McGowan, Macaulay Library at Cornell Lab of Ornithology/The Washington Post)
According to research published online in September by the journal Science, the breeding population of birds in the U.S. and Canada has dropped nearly 30 percent since 1970.
“We were astounded by this net loss across all birds on our continent, the loss of billions of birds,” said Cornell Lab of Ornithology conservation scientist Ken Rosenberg, who led an international team of scientists from seven institutions in the analysis of population trends for 529 bird species.
“These bird losses are a strong signal that our human-altered landscapes are losing their ability to support birdlife,” he said. “And that is an indicator of a coming collapse of the overall environment.”
The study crossed all habitats, from grasslands to the Arctic, shorelines to forests. Common birds—the species that many people see every day—have suffered the greatest losses, according to the study. More than 90% of the losses (more than 2.5 billion birds) come from just 12 families including sparrows, blackbirds, warblers and finches.
Gone are millions of favorite species seen at bird feeders, such Dark-eyed Juncos (down by 168 million) and sweet-singing White-throated Sparrows (down by 93 million). Eastern and Western Meadowlarks are down by a combined 139 million individuals. Additionally, a quarter of all blue jays have disappeared, along with almost half of all Baltimore orioles.
Scientists observed that while it remains vital to save the most endangered birds, the loss of abundance among our most common species “represents a different and frankly more ominous crisis.”
FIConservancy’s focus on grassland restoration comes at a critical time. The study shows that 53 percent of grassland birds, a higher percentage than any other birds recorded in the study, have vanished since 1970.
These findings emerged from new techniques to detect the volume of migratory birds aloft using weather radar, as well as nearly 50 years of bird-monitoring data, including citizen-science records. (The steepest declines among radar stations were in the eastern half of the country.)
“Birds are resilient when we give them a chance—the data show that too. Waterfowl are up by 56%, and raptors have increased by 200% thanks to focused conservation funding and protections,” said John Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The red-winged blackbird—a common sight on Fishers Island and in virtually every marsh and wet roadside across the continent—has declined by 92 million birds since 1970. Justine Kibbe Photo
COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
Much of this is due to the lack of food supply for baby birds. They only eat caterpillars and all of the non-native trees, ginkgo, the new pears, which are invasive have NO caterpillars. A native oak tree hosts at least 400 varieties.
Doug Tallamy has written a book called “Bringing Nature Home”, it is a road map to recovery, he is a scientist, professor and life long bird observer. This book should be in every household with a yard.
~ Sally Ogden
We have taken away the nesting place of many bird species. A large part of the loss is the loss of grassland habitat, an aspect of conservation where Fishers Island is in the forefront. The NY State Department of Conservation website reports that NY has lost 90% of grassland habitat in the state. The Pequot Indians and neighboring tribes routinely burned their fields for cropland and grassland habitat. City dwellers fail to understand the need for this preservation technique. Then the conversion of grassland to shrubland to forest clouds out many species. It is nice to know that Fishers Island is doing its part, but there is much more to be done.
~ Peter Rugg
Adam Mitchell, Ph.D. (in black shirt) helps birders in the Parade Grounds hone bird counting skills the evening before the Sept. 23, 2019 Fall Migratory Bird Count. Tom Sargent Photo
Dr. Mitchell, who led the bird count, submitted the following summary of the three-hour event:
Although this year’s count began under an overcast sky, thick with clouds and fog, we observed a total of 45 species for this year’s survey, which falls within the range of average for past counts in the fall.
We noticed, however, that the number of individuals we observed was far below average: Most species (39 of 45) encountered were represented by only one or two birds. This has been a difficult year for many birds—an incredibly wet and cold spring, followed by an extremely humid and hot summer.
The late start to the growing season may account for so few birds migrating through, as warmer parts north of us may still have plenty of insects to keep populations going. Alternatively, the many tropical storms brewing along the Atlantic could be pushing winds northward, making the southward migration more difficult for many of our distant flyers.
The good news is that Fishers Island has been invaded (in a good way!) with droves of monarch butterflies. Residents have remarked that the Island has not seen monarchs in these numbers for decades. In the first 15 minutes of our bird survey, we observed around 240 monarchs, which exceeds the dozens we have encountered in past years.
Nearly all of the monarchs we encountered were in the westernmost part of the Island: Race Point, Parade Grounds and the Demonstration Garden. This is due, in part, to the ample supply of native, fall-flowering plants found at these stops, which provide a nutritional source of nectar for the butterflies to refuel on their journey south.
Other species of note include a Nelson’s sharp-tail sparrow, a wetland specialist bird, found in the Parade Grounds, as well as Eastern bluebird near the driving range farther up-Island. A pair of merlins were observed near Chocomount, one of which was feeding on-the-go as it circled the group. Barred owls were heard calling outside Barley Cove, and a red-tailed hawk literally ate crow on the Hay Harbor green. The afternoon prior to the official count, we also observed our resident Northern Harrier hawk gliding over the Parade Grounds fields in search of prey, as well as a flock of at least two dozen common nighthawks flying overhead.
With recent news articles highlighting the drastic, long-term decline of birds in North America, it is critical that we continue to monitor our migrant and resident populations as they make landfall on Fishers Island. It is also important to acknowledge the strides that the Fishers Island Conservancy has made towards reducing that decline on the Island, with the grassland restoration project providing habitat to numerous species of wildlife, including those considered threatened or endangered.
When you have members of the community remarking on how they haven’t seen so many monarchs in years, or how beautiful the birds are in your grassland, you know you’re doing something right.
BIRD LIST
American crow
American goldfinch
American kestrel
American robin
Barred owl
Black-bellied plover
Black-capped chickadee
Blue jay
Brown thrasher
Canada Goose
Carolina Wren
Common eider
Common grackle
Common yellowthroat
Double-crested cormorant
Eastern bluebird
Easter Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
European starling
Greater black-backed gull
Gray catbird
Great egret
Herring gull
House finch
House sparrow
Laughing gull
Mallard
Marsh wren
Merlin
Mourning dove
Mute swan
Nelson’s sharp-tailed sparrow
Northern cardinal
Northern flicker
Osprey
Pileated woodpecker
Ring-necked pheasant
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Red-tailed hawk
Red-winged blackbird
Song sparrow
Tree swallow
Tufted titmouse
White-breasted nuthatch
Yellow warbler
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Adam B Mitchell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Entomology
Department of Wildlife, Sustainability, and Ecosystem Sciences
Tarleton State University
This female yellow garden spider (Argiope aurantia) was sauntering across the Recreational Path east of the driving range in mid-September. FIConservancy Photo
Also known as orb weavers and Argiopes, these spiders are common on Fishers Island and in much of the United States. They produce a zig-zag band in the center of their webs, called stabilimentum, which arguably reflects light to attract flying insects into the web, and, at the same time, prevents birds from accidentally colliding into the web and destroying it.
Argiopes are beneficial for gardens, fields and anywhere you are trying to reduce the mosquito population.
Spider information courtesy of Adam B. Mitchell, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Entomology, Department of Wildlife, Sustainability, and Ecosystem Sciences, Tarleton State University.
Crickets here are still high-pitched and butterflies are still high flying. Swirling within clusters of busy dragonflies, and darting past reigning Monarchs, is the Orange Sulphur. While this insect varies in color, it appears nearly neon against tawny grasses or nearly invisible within honeysuckle and clover.
These quiet days of September are perfect for learning more about butterflies.*
Find a bench warmed by the sun within native meadows across from Silver Eel Cove, and you’re bound to see just how “social” these brilliantly colored insects are, flitting from one flower to the next.
Some populations gather enough nutritious energy feeding on plants (aster family) within Parade Grounds to migrate south. Others stay behind and overwinter here on Fishers Island.
*The painted lady butterfly is one of the most ubiquitous butterflies in the world and is identified by the shape of its wings and its eyespots, particularly evident on the underside of its hind wings. The butterflies flare with orange when flying and are sometimes mistaken for monarch butterflies.
*According to the National Geographic Society, the two-inch painted lady butterfly can migrate nearly 2,500 miles, starting from Europe, traversing obstacles such as the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa’s mountains and the Sahara Desert. Unlike monarch butterflies, chemical signatures in the painted lady wings reveal that they can make the trip in a single generation.
From the Field, Field Note by Justine Kibbe, Sept. 9, 2019
For many diverse species of shorebirds, Fishers Island has become the best “next stop” for fall migration, with tepid tidal pools, thick salted wrack lines and sand dunes buffered with tall beach grass. Birds returning to this ideal habitat feed, rest and recover morning, noon and night.
Demonstration Garden is a busy third stop on Fall Migration Bird Count.
Mark your calendars for the 2019 Fall Migration Bird Count Sept. 22, 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Meet at the Island Community Center. Bring binoculars.
Following Audubon bird count rules, Dr. Adam Mitchell and two additional experts will lead birders, making 15 five-minute stops from West End to East End. At each timed stop, the birders will count birds and call out what they see.
Not sure how to count birds? Come for a tutorial and quick tour of the Parade grounds Sept. 21 at 5 p.m. Meet at the Parade Grounds.