NORTH SHORE AUDUBON SOCIETY

SERVING THE WESTERN NORTH SHORE OF LONG ISLAND, N.Y.

Our mission is: to promote, protect and preserve the environment and the birds that inhabit it through education, advocacy and leadership.






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    SPECIAL FIELD TRIP
    CONSTITUTION MARSH
    Saturday, September 4, 2010
    8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

    NSAS has reserved a tour of Constitution Marsh on the east sde of the Hudson River across from West Point. We need a minimum of six people and a maximum of 12 to canoe with the naturalist through the marsh.

    Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary is a unique and beautiful 270-acre tidal marsh. Common breeding birds include Marsh Wren, Louisiana Waterthrush, Spotted Sandpiper and Viirginia Rail.
    The Education Center's exhibits allow visitors to come face to face with the wildlife of the Hudson River. Jim's walk, the marsh's 700-foot boardwalk, is accessible to anyone who wants to experience the natural side of the beautiful Hudson.

    We will car pool, meeting at Christopher Morley Park and leaving from there at 6:10 a.m. The price is $20 for the guided tour throuh the marsh. Please contact Peggy Maslow (883-2130) ASAP to reserve a spot.


    Book Review: BAYSHORE SUMMER, by Pete Dunne

    I had never read any books by Pete Dunne before or even heard of this famous naturalist and author until this June when he became a staff member at the Project Puffin Hog Island birding camp for 4 days, which I attended. He is the director of New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory. During one of his evening talks at the Hog Island Bird Camp he described chapters from one of his books on the art of phishing. His sense of humor and fantastic delivery as well as knowledge of his subject matter makes him a mesmerizing speaker. Also spectacular is his ability as a leader on bird walks. With his perfect ear and exceptional peripheral vision he finds birds everywhere he goes. He also has perfected the art of phishing. I saw my first winter wren with Pete Dunne after only hearing it on several walks.

    I read a review of his new book, Bayshore Summer, in the New York Times Book Review and thought I would take it out of the library, knowing that the author is entertaining and knowledgeable. I had the impression that this would be a book about birds but it encompasses much more. The natural world of New Jersey’s Delaware Bay is his subject matter. But the book is not just a description of the natural world but a plea to protect this one part of it as a Delaware Bayshore preserve. He worries about its survival, which is threatened by many forces.

    One of the best chapters was on the night sky. I had very little interest in astronomy and almost skipped this chapter entirely. Guessing that Dunne can make anything interesting I did read it and came away a staunch supporter of dimming lights so that the night sky can be seen in all its glory. “It’s not just an aesthetic appreciation of the night sky that is at stake. Light pollution intrudes into the privacy of homes. It misdirects and causes the deaths of tens of thousands of migrating birds. It disorients nocturnal pollinating insects (like moths). It wastes millions of dollars.”

    He describes farming communities in South Jersey along the Delaware Bay and fishing and crabbing expeditions as well as birding areas. I learned something new to me - shorebird adults migrate first, before youngsters. That way there is less competition. “In general, marsh productivity and food availability increases as summer advances.”

    Dunne introduced me to a local author, Dallas Lore Sharp, 1870 to 1929, who described outdoor activities for youngsters. The chapter in Bayshore Summer on the hordes of insects that bedevil humans proved to be my favorite. I am now very familiar with several kinds of ticks and flies.

    I highly recommend this book. I learned a great deal while being entertained by his descriptive and often witty writing
    .
    Peggy Waslow

      F I E L D   N O T E S

    Date

    Birds

    Location

    Observers

    Bayville

    		      
    6/22 Least Terns with 3 newly hatched chicks Stehli Beach Jill Vomacka
    7/12 4 Least Terns, 2 adults, 2 chicks Stehli Beach Roseanne Blackburn
    7/12 Least Sandpiper Stehli Beach Roseanne Blackburn
    7/14 6 Piping Plovers (5 juveline), 2 Spotted Sandpipers Stehli Beach Jim Madden
    7/18 2 Black Skimmers, fr. Stehli Beach Jim Madden
    8/8+ 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds yard feeder Jim Madden
    East Norwich      
    8/12 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Black-and-white Warbler, Am. Redstart, Indigo Bunting Muttontown Preserve Helen McClure, Mary Normandia
    8/14 Black-capped Chickadee family, Veery, Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird family, Worm-eating Warbler & 2 Black-and-white Warblers, Am. Redstart, No. Cardinal family Muttontown Preserve Barbara Conolly
    Glen Cove      
    6/17 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, E. Wood-Pewee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, House Finch Welwyn Preserve Allan Lindberg, Rich Kelly
    6/30, 7/12 3 House Finches yard Ralph Cioffi
    7/14 Juveline Killdeer Herbhill Road Ralph Cioffi
    7/17 Warbling Vireo yard Ralph Cioffi
    7/22 Young Osprey, 12 Snowy Egrets, Spotted Sandpiper, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Cedar Waxwing, N. Waterthrush Welwyn Preserve Allan Lindberg, Rich Kelly
    8/7 2 N. Cardinals, male feeding young yard Ralph Cioffi
    8/12 6 Chimney Swifts over yard Zu Proly
    8/14 Black-crowned Night-Heron, Semipalmated Plover, Spotted & Least Sandpiper, Peregrine Falcon, Foster's Tern, Chimney Swift, White-eyed Vireo, Pine Warbler Welwyn Preserve Allan Lindberg, Rich Kelly
    8/17 Turkey Vulture The Mansion Ralph Cioffi
    8/18 16 Snowy Egrets, 7 Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Semipalmated & 5 Least Sandpipers, 4 Chimney Swifts, 39 Chipping Sparrows Welwyn Preserve Ralph Cioffi
    8/19 2 Am. Goldfinches, male with young yard Ralph Cioffi
    Lattingtown      
    7/19 3 Cooper's Hawks, (adult, 2 fledglings) Glen Cove Golf Club Mark Dougherty, John Grella, Mary Normandia
    8/16 2 E. Kingbirds, 20+ Chipping Sparrows St. Josaphat's Momastery Zu Proly, Ralph Cioffi
    8/17 25+ Chimney Swifts St. Josaphat's Momastery Ralph Cioffi
    Mill Neck      
    7/1+ Singing Warbling Vireo yard Barbara Conolly
    7/10,13,15 Sequence of dates of first flight of each of 3 young Ospreys from nest Beaver Lake Barbara Conolly
    7/31 Waterthrush, sp. Shu Swamp Barbara Conolly
    8/1+ Green Heron in nesting habit yard Barbara Conolly
    Port Washington/Sands Point      
    6/12 Pair Killdeer with young, pair Am. Robins with two young Harbor Links Golf Club Virginia Dankel
    6/23 Pair Killdeer with young, nest in parking lot Harbor Links Golf Club Rachel Braver
    7/3 4 Turkey Vultures (3 soaring together heading west) Shore Road Glenn and Antonio Quinn

    SIGHTINGS OUTSIDE NSAS TERRITORY

    South Shore

    		      

    6/23

    Great & Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Heron, Black-crowned & Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Glossy Ibis, Osprey with young, Clapper Rail with 3 young, Willet

    Nature Study Area, Oceanside

    Rachel Braver, NSAS trip

    Suffolk County

    		      

    4/19

    Fish Crowm Pine Warbler

    Caumsett State Park

    Virginia Dankel

    6/6

    2 E. Wood-Pewees

    Caumsett State Park

    Virginia Dankel

    6/13

    		 2 Cedar Waxwings Caumsett State Park Virginia Dankel

    6/28

    Wood Thrush, 4 Yellow Warblers

    Caumsett State Park

    Virginia Dankel

    fr.  - first reported this season

     

    LOCAL BIRDING HOTSPOTS

    These are the best birding spots within easy reach of our members:


    * Alley Pond Park - excellent during spring migration
    * Caumsett State Park - access to Long Island sound
    * Forest Park - excellent during spring migration
    * Garvies Point Preserve - good during fall migration
    * Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge - excellent all year long
    * Jones Beach - Atlantic Ocean view; great all year
    * Muttontown Preserve - best May and June
    * Shu Swamp - unique area; best in spring
    * Stehli & Ransom Beach - view of Long Island Sound; productive in winter
    * Stillwell Woods - open habitat; best in June
    * Welwyn Preserve - view of Long Island Sound; best in spring
    * Sands Point Preserve - scenic preserve at the LI Sound shore


    To learn how to reach these birding spots, go to the SITEFINDER page.