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June 06, 1991 - Working the East End Bird WatchCS The Suffolk Times • June 6, 1991 Working the East End Bird Watch By Paul Stoutenburgh From May 25 to June 25 throughout all of Long Island a Long Island Colonial Water Bird and Piping Plover Survey is being conducted by the Seatuck Research Program in coopera- tion with the New York State Department of Environmental Con- servation. A group of us work the East End beaches to report the status primarily of terns and plovers. Because of their nesting on our beaches from earliest times one can see the problems they are running into as man and his ever- expanding population take over these important locations along our bays, Sound and ocean. We can try to solve the problem by educating the public of the birds' plight and thereby have man and bird live together with mutual benefit. The Nature Conservancy has hired Tern Wardens to help. They work closely with the beach owner and the public by designating these sensitive nesting areas with signs and string en- closures. This helps keep people and vehicles out of where the birds are pri- marily concentrated. Sunday proved to be the ideal time to start my part of the survey. Surveys can be taken in many different ways. 1 chose Sunday's outing to be done by boat, or I should say canoe. I just rigged my old Grumman canoe of 40 years vintage with a sail and sideboards and was anx- ious to try it out. Knowing the winds of sailing I took along my little two -horse outboard that is light and easy to handle just in case the wind didn't cooperate. A lunch was packed, life jackets thrown in for easy sitting and we were soon down at the dock ready to shove off. The weather had cooperated and given us a beautiful day, but regrettably no wind. So we started first by paddling and as the tem- perature rose we switched to the out- board. We purred along like a miniature African Queen through the winding creeks and out into the bay. Sunday Morning Quiet Sunday mornings are notoriously quiet on the bay and this one found few Focus on Nature enthusiasts out to appreciate the quiet beauty of the morning. Least terns were working and dropping into the mirrored waters of the creek. They, like most wild creatures, seem to spend most of their life in pursuit of food. They'd hover 10 to 15 feet above the water and then plummet down with folded wings. There'd be a small splash where the bird entered the water, and then a fluttering of wings and up it would come empty - mouthed only to fly above and try all over again. We counted eight tries, each time the same hovering, diving and trying again. It finally succeeded and flew off. I knew it was too early for young but knew all too well the peace offering that was be- ing taken back to its mate — something like a box of candy for your best girl but here a shining silverside would be offered. The combined effort of the survey people will cover all the shores on both the North and South forks at least once during the survey period to see if any new colonies of nesting plovers have moved in. Today's effort would be the shores of Robins Island, the jewel of the Peconic. Most know by now it lies in Peconic Bay between Southampton Town on the south and Southold Town on the north. Its future has been shrouded in confusion and even today there are new rumors and uncertain rum- blings about development and preserva- tion. Because the island is private, it is off - limits to surveyors and so my trip today would be by water. On the north end a long half -mile tongue of sand stretches out into what is locally known as the North Race. The sand bar almost touches Buoy No. C3 and many a novice boater not knowing this has run aground by trying to cut the buoy short. Sandy strips like this are common throughout our inland waters on the East End and are vitally important as resting and feeding areas for shorebirds of all sorts on their PIPING PLOVER — Because terns and plovers nest on our beaches they run headlong into man's activities. annual migration. As we approached the quiet waters of the anchorage that is cradled in the north end of the island, we could see hundreds of turnstones and sanderlings along that low sandy strip. A few gulls dozed at the extreme end but most were off nest- ing at this time of the year on the is- lands to the east. Photographed Years Ago We passed the spot on the island where 50 years ago I photographed my first nesting piping plover. Here also terns nested and would bombard you if you entered their nesting site. Further along the shore was the debris of docks and floats that had been mangled by storms; as we rounded the northeast point we could see boulders along a rocky shore. Above loomed the great 54325 Main Road, Southold, N.Y. 11971 • 516 -765 -5500 JUST -FOR - FUN - PICNIC HORTON POINT LIGHTHOUSE Saturday, June 8, noon Bring your own picnic and friends. Lawn games. Tower and Museum Open. Soft drinks for sale. Everyone Welcome! PARADE ANTIQUE AUTO CLUB OF AMERICA Sunday, June 16, 11 a.m. Place: Down Main Road and up Youngs Avenue to Horton Point Lighthouse. On view at Lighthouse Park Returning down Youngs Avenue at 2 p.m. to Southold Historical Society Main Road Museum Complex. sand and clay banks of the east side. Ospreys nest in the tall oaks along the edge and scolded us for intruding on their privacy. At the south end we could see boaters in the South Race hoping for what that area is best known for — fish. By now the sun was strong and our stomachs told us it was time for lunch. The wind had started up and so we put up the sail and headed around the south end. Roseate terns and common terns rested on that spit of land, probably resting before going on to their fishing grounds in the Peconic. The west side of the island is the most spectacular with its 80 -foot sand banks that keep free of growth because of the continuous erosion every year. We gave wide berth to the osprey that nested on the great glacial boulder lying off this shore and wondered how many other unseen rocks lay scattered beneath us. The wind died off to such an extent that we finally had to put the motor on once again. With sail still up and mo- tor, we traveled along the beach watch- ing the bank swallows pick up insects and then head back to their string of holes on the banks above. Later we'd find two least tern colonies and two or three piping plovers. We'd completed one part of our survey and still had three more to do. Perhaps we'll get to them next week. If the weather holds out, as it has, and there are no heavy rains we could have a good year for ground - nesting birds; that is if man understands their plight and gives a helping hand by staying away during this critical nesting time. Heip After Divorce A recovery group for divorced or separated people meets on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at Church of the Open Door, Main Bayview Road, Southold. Men and women are welcome. For more information, call Joni at 765 -1373.