July 01, 1999 - Camping comfort at Hither Hills112A:* The Suffolk Times • July 1, 1999
Camping comfort at Hither Hills
We wanted to take advantage of
s
Hither Hills State Park at Montauk
t
before the big summer crowds moved
id
in. It was easy to hook up the camper
ti
and, with a few essentials, we were off.
ri
Anyone traveling the South Fork
o
knows by now you have to allow extra
fr
time because of the traffic. We have a
r
bit of it here on the North Fork but
o
nothing com-
pared to the Focus
T
mess they have
m
over there. To us Qty
a
it really didn't NATURE
th
matter for we
th
couldn't get in to by Paul
th
our campsite Stoutenburgh
ly
before 3.
b
When we did arrive it had clouded
s
over and there was an ominous black
p
fog bank hanging offshore. As we
to
stepped out of our pickup at the camp-
y
site (I -11), the first thing we noticed,
A
or should I say heard, was that old
as
familiar rolling of the surf. It's like
d
some mystifying music that was play-
g
ing off in the distance. It would be
ca
with us day and night throughout our
ca
stay. The other thing you immediately
t
notice is the salty air and the tempera-
ture change. It must be at least 10
degrees cooler by the ocean, and why
not? That immense body of water
takes time to warm up. The exact
opposite will take place in the fall,
when the mighty Atlantic has warmed
up during the summer. Then it keeps
our island warmer while inland the
temperature is colder.
In no time our fifth -wheel camper
was set up. In back of us the land rose
harply and was covered with a mix-
re of small trees and thick vines,
eal cover for wildlife. As things set -
ed down, a baby rabbit left the secu-
ty of the brambles and ventured out
n the grass to exercise its newfound
eedom. This would be one of many
abbits born this year. The truth is
my one or possibly two from each
est will make it through the year.
hese early days of inexperience are
ost critical, for now predators lurk
round every turn and bush. There's
e ever - watchful red - tailed hawk or
e marauding owl that is always on
e lookout for an easy meal, especial -
when they have their own young to
e fed. Then, of course, there's the
killful hunter, the house cat, that's
robably the greatest threat not only
rabbits but to a whole range of
yo birds and assorted wildlife.
nd when I say a whole range of
sorted wildlife, I mean things sel-
om thought of, like snakes. I have a
go friend who has a most cherished
t but it has the uncanny ability to
tch snakes, and I don't mean one or
wo but 10 or 20 or more each year.
There's always the fox
Then there's Mr. and Mrs. Fox, who
would never pass up a meal of a
young or old rabbit. Years ago I pho-
tographed a den of foxes on the Terry
farm in Orient and scattered about
the entrance was the telltale evidence
of rabbit for dinner.
Yet I had a feeling that this little
ball of fur that had ventured out from
the safety of the briers was going to
tom petty.
heartbreakers
r
r.
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414 the Sea i1L.L
Suffolk Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
At many campgrounds one has to watch out for all sorts of food robbers, like
bears, raccoons and, here at Montauk, marauding gulls. They will literally
take your hamburger or steak right off the hot grill, to say nothing of what
they will do to food left on the table.
make it, for no sooner had it tasted a
few blades of grass than it was off and
disappeared in the undergrowth.
We had the usual collection of birds
we'd see at home: catbirds, the noisy
house finches and sparrows, the neigh-
borhood mockingbird, the cheery robin
and that black bandit, the grackle, who
wouldn't think twice about robbing a
nest. But of all the standard birds the
one that shown above all the rest, not
in color or form but in song, was the
song sparrow. For those of you who
don't have this cheerful songster near-
by, I feel sorry. It usually builds its
grass -lined nest on the ground and
often falls prey to the nasty habit of the
cowbird, who lays its eggs in other
birds' nests. Then problems arise when
the young cowbird hatches and it takes
over the nest to the detriment of the
host's young. They usually
get pushed out of the nest or
starve because the cowbird
hogs all the food brought in
by the unaware song spar-
row. Her only mission is to
fill the biggest gaping mouth.
Of course, we had our
gulls. One perched on a tele-
phone pole nearby just wait-
ing for someone to leave
food out on the table.
They're so brazen they'll
even take a steak or ham-
burger right off your hot grill if you're
not careful. Talk about nerve. I guess
bears and raccoons are bad, but gulls
do a pretty good job of cleaning the
table if you leave food out.
An interesting bird observation was
the continual flight of single cor-
morants flying from off the ocean to
the northwest. We just happened to be
in line of this homeward trip to what I
assumed was Gardiners Island.
Evidently the birds had been feeding
off in the ocean where the fish were
plentiful. They often work in groups
rounding up the fish, then when their
bellies and gullets are full, they head
for home base where the anxious
young await their arrival. And what a
commotion there is as the birds arrive.
The young thrust their beaks deep into
the mouths of the parent birds to
retrieve the stored fish. With much
jabbing and gulping they retrieve the
goodies. Their heads almost seem to
disappear down the parent bird's
mouth. Then the next in line moves in
to claim its share with the same rau-
cous goings -on as before. I believe if I
had a chart in front of me I could have
plotted the course from the fishing
grounds directly to Gardiners Island,
where there is a huge colony of cor-
morants nesting.
By the way, cormorants are becom-
ing such a problem in numbers that
there is concern they are depleting the
fish population, so much so that there
is talk as to how to keep these fero-
cious feeders in check. This is particu-
larly true in the Great Lakes, where
there are claims they have devastated
the commercial fishing industry.
Just over the dunes that are covered
with the beautiful salt spray rose, in
both white and pink, spreads the end-
less, restless ocean. Already
the roses have formed their
green seeds pods or rose
hips. As the summer pro-
gresses they'll turn crimson.
High in vitamin C, they
make a tasty snack when
ripe, but watch out for the
seeds; they're loaded with
them. Scattered throughout
the dunes is also the beach
pea, a true legume bearing
small edible peas. But don't
plan on having them for din-
ner for it would take all day to get
enough for a meal.
It was good to see that there was a
small colony of least terns nesting on
the busy beach, along with a pair of
endangered piping plovers. Thanks to
the many volunteer watchers and
workers who put up fences, post the
areas, construct enclosures and help
educate the public as to the perils
these little birds face, terns and plovers
are slowly making a comeback.
We chuckled as we sat on the beau-
tiful ocean beach in front of the camp-
ground with its sparkling ocean water
before us. Just a little way down the
beach people were spending hundreds
of dollars to stay in fancy motels with
the same gorgeous beach as ours. It's
remarkable what our federal, state
and county parks have to offer, and
for those who don't enjoy camping,
the parks are always open to day trip-
pers for picnics and swimming.