December 09, 1982 - Gannets: Nomads of the SeaPage 12
Tbl' December 9,1982
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LIGHTING
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Montauk Highway, Water Mill • (516) 726- 6648/726 -7660
NESTING GANNETS - -These birds nest in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence in
Canada and can be seen offshore here on Long Island during the rest of
the year. Occasionally they'll feed inshore, creating a rare sight of grace
and splendor. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
Gannets: Nomads of the Sea
Just the other day we went on a trip to
the southside that took us along Dune Road
in Westhampton. My how man has left his
mark on that area!
Years ago when we were younger and
full of energy, we'd often go over to that
long stretch of dune and marsh to go
swimming in the ocean. In those days you
just pulled up off the road and headed for
the beach over the dunes. Even then there
were a few houses sprinkled along the road
but nothing like the solid mass of buildings
we saw this last week.
Most of the summer folks had left and as
we drove along by the empty houses we
began to realize how difficult it was just to
get a glimpse of the ocean. We finally did
find one or two places we could turn into
and look out. With our binoculars we
scanned across miles of open water in
hopes of spotting something interesting.
What caught our eye way off on the
horizon was an old familiar sight, barely
visible in the shimmering light. The key to
their identification was the white wings
and black wing tips. They had to be
gannets, those handsome birds of the open
sea.
Anyone fishing offshore knows these
nomads of the sea. Gannets normally
travel north with the migration of fish in
the spring and then back down south as
winter approaches. Yet we've often seen
them in mid - winter off Montauk and
there's hardly a Christmas Bird Count that
doesn't incude gannets.
We were all watching offshore when
someone said, "What are all those birds
down the beach doing ?" In unison all
glasses swung and to the joy of everyone
the birds were gannets. But this time, only
a few hundred yards off the beach. They
must be feeding on a school of sandeels or
some other bait.
In no time we were in our cars heading
for where we thought the birds were
feeding. Sure enough, when we came over
the dunes there they were, in a feeding
frenzy. Gannets, with their six -foot wing
span, plummeted into the sea. Huge
splashes rose all about as they dove giving
the impression that the surface was alive
with breaking fish.
We stood spellbound as over 100 gannets
rose from the water and then plummeted
back into the sparkling sea. Gulls were
mixed among them and were pirating the
gannets' feast. The reason for this was
they could not reach the school fish below
that -the gannets dove for so in order to not
miss out on a meal as the gannets came to
the surface they robbed their precious
catch. Nature was displaying to us a
frantic treat of wild feeding. The school of
fish moved steadily westward with the
birds in hot pursuit -- the day was well
spent.
Let's Look Back
My first real close encounter with these
magnificent birds was many years ago
when our family was camping on the St.
Lawrence River in Canada. We had
worked our way up from Long Island to
Lake Champlain, then to the north follow-
En,QL''GA
ing the mighty St. Lawrence River on its
northeasterly trek to the sea.
There was method in my madness for
this route took us to Bonaventure Island at
the mouth of the St. Lawrence where the
largest gannet colony in the New World
thrives. This is a land of rain and fog but
the gods were gracious to us. We pitched
our tent in brilliant sunshine.
We had chosen the great high spit of land
that points out to sea for our campsite, just
opposite the well known and impressive
Perce Rock. Here we dined on lobsters
fresh from the sea, boiled in sea water
right on the shore. We bought three huge
lobsters for the total sum of $3 and gorged
ourselves until we could eat no more.
That whs over 20 years ago but the
memories of that area will never leave us.
The kids were small then so Barbara
stayed with them while I went out on a
launch to the bird island where I was left to
be picked up in the evening. To be alone on
an island with over 20,000 nesting birds is
almost indescribable.
Birds, Birds Everywhere
Bonaventure Island rose up out of the
sea with shear cliffs to the north. All along
its steep banks were row on row of nesting
white gannets along the ledges. How small
I felt in the rolling boat with those huge
300 -foot cliffs towering above me. When we
reached the island, I jumped ashore to a
small landing that some lobstermen had
hacked out of the rough and picked my
way up through the now wet, fog- draped
greenery.
What a sight lay before me! Below the
great sea stretched out into a hazy fog.
Flying all about were the great white
gannets with their black wing tips and
sleek yellow- tinted heads. At my feet were
nesting gannets by the thousands and
sprinkled among them were black guille-
mots that seemed out of place in this maze
of flying white birds.
I'd almost forgotten what I had come for
as I sat spellbound for an hour before
opening my camera case. I worked in a
wonderland of raw beauty and grace. It
was a day to remember and when I saw
those gannets diving in wild splendor last
week, they rekindled those memories of
that day on Bonaventure Island so long
ago.
Now you can see why I was excited about
seeing those beautiful birds once again.
Just as so many things in the natural
world, they are there for all to enjoy but
it's like fishing, you have to be there when
they are there.
PAULSTOUTENBURGH