I’ve never seen anything like it! An actual blue jay migration! It all started Saturday May 11 at 10:45 a.m. Just a trickle at first, bright and bold Blue jays coursing over Silver Eel Cove. Then a steady stream of at least 40 noisy migrants flooded into the woods.

It took half an hour of scurrying around her “scrape” (nest) for this piping plover to finally settle down, because five killdeer were being territorial. There are fewer than 2000 pairs of this “threatened” species on the Atlantic Coast.

A rare sighting on Fishers Island: the veery, a small North American thrush. FIConservancy naturalist Justine Kibbe caught this image of the veery, May 3, when it hopped toward her near Silver Eel Pond.

The 2019 Spring Migration Bird Count will be Sun. May 19 at 8 a.m. Meet at the Community Center. First, however, come to the Parade Grounds Sat. May 18 at 3 p.m. for a brief tour and a tutorial by the experts on the best way to count birds.

The Fishers Island Fire Department (FIFD) conducted a successful controlled burn on selected sections of the Parade Grounds and Elizabeth Airport March 26. FIConservancy relies on FIFD volunteers to coordinate their ongoing training with annual prescribed burns necessary to maintain a healthy natural habitat. (Jane T. Ahrens reporting and photo)

The Fishers Island Conservancy in February awarded Fishers Island School senior Nicolas Hall, “The Edwin Horning Research Grant for Environmental Conservation” to study the effect of acidifying sea water on the soft shells of oysters.

Silk nests of the eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americana) began showing up on South Beach Road in late April. Not to worry! Contrary to popular belief, these nests will not kill trees, plus they provide food for bluejays, orioles, chickadees and nuthatches.

FIConservancy Naturalist Justine Kibbe walks and bikes Fishers Island from end to end. Her pictures, captured with patience and thoughtful attention, reveal the beauty of this Island.