Loading...
October 7, 1999 - What's up, dock? Creek lifeSSA The Suffolk Times • October 7, 1999 What's up, dock? Creek life There's more to fishing than just catching fish, especially when it's snap- per fishing in one of our local creeks. Take for example yesterday, when I thought I'd try to see if any of those sil- very future "tigers of the sea" were still around. It all started down at the dock. Years ago my son and I had built the dock literally from bits and FOCUS pieces we'd col- lected through ON the years. The NATURE locust posts for the pilings were by Paul from my woods. Stoutenburgh They weren't all straight nor were they the same size as the manufactured ones you see in today's slick docks, but I'll guarantee they'll last as long or longer than the manufactured ones. Locust wood has that rare ability to withstand rot even if it's in water, as our poles were going to be. For cross members and the actual walking sur- face of the dock, we used old 2 x 6s and 2 x 8s that found their way into my lumber pile through the years. Seems I can't throw away good wood. The poles or pilings we jettisoned into the creek bottomed with my irrigation pump. Of course, all this had to be okayed by the town Trustees, who do a good job of keeping an eye on what goes on in these most valuable wetlands. So far our homemade dock has weathered all the fury nature has offered. I can remember when all walkways were homemade affairs. Usually they ran over the marsh in the form of a two - plank -wide walkway. In those early days posts were merely driven into the marsh as far as they'd go and 2 x 4s were used for cross braces. Even today, if you look closely during the wintertime when the marsh grass is down, occasionally you'll see remnants of these early boardwalks that led to the water's edge. When I arrived at the dock the tide was on its way out, which meant the water nearest the marsh edge was crys- tal- clear. The reason it was so clear is that the marsh grasses act as filters and take out all the sediments in the water just like your oil filter takes out the impurities in tht mgine oil. Through the years this filtc :d sediment actual- ly collects and adds to the marsh, which gives it that black muddy consistency so common to our local marshes. The grasses themselves have started to change to their fall colors and the creamy seed heads are ripe and ready to do their part in establishing new marshes wherever needed. Heading down the creek It wasn't long before I cast off and the boat was idling down the creek. I'd troll this time and settle down to a relaxing afternoon of fishing. I'd seen baby bunkers feeding in the creek and it was these milling schools that I was counting on to lure the snappers in My hunch was right and I was soon having fun reeling in those fighting young bluefish. In between fish I noticed another fisherman trying his luck but in an entirely different way. It was an osprey, evidently a late traveler that had stopped in to refuel on its way south and was try- ing his luck not with snappers but with, believe it or not, baby bunkers. What it would do was swoop in and drop with claws outstretched in the middle of one of the schools of bunkers in hopes of snagging one. This buckshot ap- proach evidently was not too accurate, for he came up with nothing on his first two tries. That didn't deter him from trying again and on the third try he came up with a shiny prize in his claws. Off he flew to a nearby tree where, I'm sure, he enjoyed his tidbit. Later I'd see the same osprey trying his luck again farther up the creek to the east. My luck was holding up quite well and by now I had eight or 10 silvery fish in my bucket. I watched a cor- morant eyeing me on a nearby buoy. It was drying itself off in the warm after- noon sun. Evidently it, too, was reap- ing the harvest of fish below. These aggressive fish eaters will soon migrate south as the fish move out of our local waters. We see great strings of cormorants flying along the south shore each year as we watch for hawks at Fire Island. Many birds such as flickers, blue jays and a host of other land birds migrate along this lengthy barrier beach as they head southward. Often the strings of cormorants will number from 50 to 100 or more and are often mistaken for Canada geese. sank. No usual dive, no extra motion. It just sank out of sight. I turned the motor off and waited for it to surface. My eyes scanned the water; nothing. Then I saw a tiny head; only the head appeared. It looked around and again just sank out of sight. I waited again and another 50 feet off to my left the head appeared again. By now my boat had drifted closer to it and I could see its chicken -like bill. This, coupled with its disappearing act, gave me the clues I needed to identify it. It was a pied - billed grebe that is usually found in freshwa- ter ponds. I specu- lated that the abundance of baby bunkers in the creeks drew this grebe off its course. It, too, had stopped to refuel on its way south. We have a horned grebe that visits our saltwater creeks and bays during the winter, but its bill is sharp - pointed. The duck hunters call this grebe the "helldiver" as it has the reputation of being able to duck below the water before the shot from the hunter's gun reaches it. So you see, fishing is more than just fishing. It's what your eyes see around you that makes the day. Suffolk Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh Just last week this usually freshwater grebe was seen feeding in one of our local creeks. The more common horned grebe can usually be seen in our local waters during the winter. Oldtimers called the horned grebe "helldiver." Joseph L. Townsend INSURANCE Serving the North Fork since 1950 HOMEOWNERS • MARINE • AUTO • LIFE 800- 564 -0933 •216 MAIN STREET, GREENPORT • 477 -0153 -- Y -- -- _ ; -.- -- _r -- -- _� -- rk BIRD SEED SALE SUPREME MIX 18.951401b. THISTLE .85 J Ib. VALUE_ MIX 8.751401b. NO -SHELL DELITE, CARDINAL, BLACKOILSUNFLOWER 10.251501b. WOODPECKER+ OTHERS h, NO EARLY ORDER NECESSARY 0 R TO ANYWHERE WILDLIFE RESOURCES J� h Cox La. � Oregon Rd., Cutchogue 734 -2096 Hours are Sat. 4 Sun. 10 - 4 The one I saw on the buoy was a young bird that was probably fledged over on Gardiners Island, where there is a large colony of these skilled divers. Wonderful fall days It between fish I had time to enjoy the sunny, balmy day, and the soft purring of the motor made it kind of dreamy, so I'd occasionally find myself wanting to slip off into a doze. At one time I was aroused from my lethargy by noticing a small duck -like bird ahead. As I got closer I could make it out from its silhouette to be a grebe. Unlike ducks, which have webbed feet, grebes have lobed toes. What made this grebe so unusual was its ability to dis- appear without a trace. This bird just Ro Master the garden A master gardener training program will be offered through Cornell Cooperative Extension in January. Upon completion of 120 hours of instruction, partici- pants will receive certification and will be required to volunteer an equivalent number of hours of horticultural community service. To find out more, contact Caroline Kiang at 727 -7850. thman's Department Store, Inc. arts. toys, injos, go "` "'` Main Road, Southold • 765 -3770 of a Open 7 days, 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 .m. w n h r� w' Suffolk Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh Just last week this usually freshwater grebe was seen feeding in one of our local creeks. The more common horned grebe can usually be seen in our local waters during the winter. Oldtimers called the horned grebe "helldiver." Joseph L. Townsend INSURANCE Serving the North Fork since 1950 HOMEOWNERS • MARINE • AUTO • LIFE 800- 564 -0933 •216 MAIN STREET, GREENPORT • 477 -0153 -- Y -- -- _ ; -.- -- _r -- -- _� -- rk BIRD SEED SALE SUPREME MIX 18.951401b. THISTLE .85 J Ib. VALUE_ MIX 8.751401b. NO -SHELL DELITE, CARDINAL, BLACKOILSUNFLOWER 10.251501b. WOODPECKER+ OTHERS h, NO EARLY ORDER NECESSARY 0 R TO ANYWHERE WILDLIFE RESOURCES J� h Cox La. � Oregon Rd., Cutchogue 734 -2096 Hours are Sat. 4 Sun. 10 - 4 The one I saw on the buoy was a young bird that was probably fledged over on Gardiners Island, where there is a large colony of these skilled divers. Wonderful fall days It between fish I had time to enjoy the sunny, balmy day, and the soft purring of the motor made it kind of dreamy, so I'd occasionally find myself wanting to slip off into a doze. At one time I was aroused from my lethargy by noticing a small duck -like bird ahead. As I got closer I could make it out from its silhouette to be a grebe. Unlike ducks, which have webbed feet, grebes have lobed toes. What made this grebe so unusual was its ability to dis- appear without a trace. This bird just Ro Master the garden A master gardener training program will be offered through Cornell Cooperative Extension in January. Upon completion of 120 hours of instruction, partici- pants will receive certification and will be required to volunteer an equivalent number of hours of horticultural community service. To find out more, contact Caroline Kiang at 727 -7850. thman's Department Store, Inc. arts. toys, injos, go "` "'` Main Road, Southold • 765 -3770 of a Open 7 days, 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 .m.