October 30, 1986 - Retracing Old StepsRetracing
Old Steps
By PAUL STOUTENBURGH
Friends from Maine visited us last
week during some of the nicest fall
days we've had this year. Whenever
they are here, they want to pack
every minute with seeing or doing
something here on our East End.
Being people of the outdoors, the
first visit we made was to Meadow
Beach for a shell - collecting walk.
Here the yellow- and orange - colored
Focus on
Nature
jingle shells took top priority. Up in
Maine they are rare but here, in one
spot, we literally picked them up b3
the handfuls. Then there were scal-
lop shells of various sizes and colors
along with razor clam shells, quarter
decks, iridescent mussel shells, false
angel wings, an occasional duck clam
or snail shell and, of course, the
beautifully bleached whelk or conch
shells. All these would be taken back
to anxious grandchildren whose ap-
petites had been previously whetted
by collections of wonderful shells
from Long Island.
On the salt marsh in back, we
scared up six black duck that leapt
out of the marsh almost as if they
were catapulted into the air, their
wide underwing feathers working
full force to get them up and away
from the intruders in their marsh.
Our lonely osprey platform reminded
us of the pair that returns each year
-to raise its young atop this lofty
perch. Throughout the offseason this
spot will provide a lookout for the oc-
casional gull who will play king of
the hill until the osprey returns.
A great blue heron lumbered off to-
ward the other side of the marsh
where he could resume his stalking
of innocent killies that lurked below
his towering watchful eye. The only
other bird we saw was a lonely
kingfisher who sat atop a cedar tree
near the dug canal. He, too, was
waiting for that unexpected killie to
move into range so he could plummet
from his perch and plunge into the
water below in hopes of a meal.
Pumpkins, Roadside Stands
Then there was the pumpkin farm
to visit for selection of that special
pumpkin to take home for a touch of
Halloween. At the farmstands, our
friends loaded up with cauliflower,
potatoes, broccoli, onions and all the
fresh vegetables that come from our
rich Long Island soils. There were
still ripe tomatoes on the stands and
corn that was freshly picked. Up in
Maine their season has been over for
weeks and fresh vegetables were
something to be prized.
We even went over to the South
Side to walk the ocean beach. Our de-
stination was the lonely Cupsogue
County Park that lies on the west
end of the barrier beach, just before
Moriches Inlet: We were the only
ones on this extensive beach except
for three disappointed bluefish
fishermen who had hopes of better
things to come.
The Suffolk Times /October 30, 1986 /Page 13A
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
HORNED LARK - -These little birds are always on feeding on seeds from the meager plant life in these
the go, moving through the open fields and beaches, windswept areas.
We walked the road out towards
the inlet and enjoyed the openness of
the dunes and swale that line this ac-
cess road to the west. Small birds
chirped off to the north and south of
us as we strolled leisurely along. Our
binoculars worked hard, following
the birds' quick movements, only to
have them frustrate us by disappear-
ing just as we were about to focus on
them. But persistence prevailed, and
soon we isolated one or two and found
them to be horned larks.
They are birds of the open
windswept fields and beaches of the
East End. Their life is one of constant
search for tiny seeds that drop from
the few plants growing in this inhos-
pitable area. Yet, like all creatures
of nature, they have found their
niche in which to live. Other birds
could never survive under such bleak
conditions.
Occasionally we'd find our friend,
the song sparrow, scratching about,
but when it gets really hard to take
on cruel winter days, only the horned
larks are equipped to make it out
here. Their feet have specially de-
signed long nails which they use to
hold onto the ground in open windy
areas.
Marsh Hawk Seen
One lonely marsh hawk was off in
the distance working low over the
barren stubble. His white rump and
long narrow wings told us it could
only be this handsome harrier. His
diet of voles, mice and rats, and an
occasional small bird that has let his
guard down makes up the bulk of his
diet. Most of these hawks will spend
the winter further south, where food
is more plentiful, but a few will stay
through the winter until the snow
cover shuts off their supply of mice.
It was good to get reacquainted
with the beach again, to hear the surf
and smell the salt air and watch the
patrolling gulls scavenge along the
beach for some morsel the sea might
have tossed up. I'd spent six summers
on Fire Island's National Seashore
beach and felt at home here among
the dunes.
It was good to have friends visit
and retrace the-old steps we somehow
take for granted. Looking back those
old steps carry wonderful and mean-
ingful memories -- thankfully, they
don't ever wear out no matter how
often they're tread upon.
Everyorie Reads
WIL a SufiOlk Times
NGROUND POOL
Winter cover and winterizing -
chemicals included!
$7495
A small deposit will hold early spring installation.
OUR PACKAGE INCLUDES:
• Mosaic printed liner and padding • 1 H.P. pump • Sand or
D.E. filter • Pre -cast slab or filter • 2 wide mouth skimmers
• 2 returns • Smooth white stone coping • 3 step stainless steel
ladder • 8 ft. diving board • Ropes and floats • Deluxe vacuum
set • Automatic chlorinator • Starter chemical kit • Building permit
(100% FINANCING AVAILABLE)
BUILDER OF BLOCK WALL, VINYL -LINED POOLS
TOTAL POOL CENTER
• Computerized water testing • Replacement parts
• Full line of chemicals •Pool Accessories V/5A
Established 1975 0
• Sales •Service
• In0*1lation M E•Z CLOD
ti
Established 1975 0
• Sales •Service
• In0*1lation M E•Z CLOD