September 02, 1993 - More Mysteries of the Natural WorldSeptember 2, 1993 • The Suffolk Times • 9A
More Mysteries of the Natural World
By Paul Stoutenburah
One of our recent beach walks
brought us to the entrance of the creek
where a huge pile of sand was created
from years of dredging. To see better
we climbed up the sand pile which gave
us a full, panoramic view of the whole
area. On that high perch we sat down in
the sand to watch the sun go down over
the marsh that stretched to the north and
west of us. What a delightful scene!
Below spread the marsh in its various
shades of the coming fall season. There
were even patches of light purple where
sea lavender was in bloom. Some sec-
Focus on
Nature
tions of the grassy marsh had tints of
reddish- brown, showing seeds were
ripening. The majority of the marsh is
made up of thatch grass that was used in
colonial times for thatching roofs. The
lower, finer grass is what we call salt
hay. It was used by our early settlers for
bedding and other cattle uses. Today it
can be bought in bales in most good
nurseries for mulching.
In the middle of this expanse of green
is an osprey platform we put up years
ago. Each year it has had its clutch of
young but this year, as we have told
you, we had an unexpected visitor. The
state Department of Endangered Species
came and took one of our healthiest
young to transport to western New York
where there is hope we can help reestab-
lish the population there. That left two
in the nest.
Of the two, one was a runt and when
it came time to fledge, the runt re-
mained in the nest for another three
weeks after the other bird left. We hear
its pitiful call from the nest and even
though it has flown it still comes back
to the nest to beg for food. Apparently,
the adults still feed it, for it sits on the
nest most of the time. Perhaps this one
will be a casualty for if you don't learn
the rules of survival you don't make it
in the natural world.
Will He Stay?
As we watched from our hilltop seat
we wondered if the runt would stay on
the nest during the night. Our answer
soon came for the young bird jumped
and flapped its wings as if beating the
air. Then it took off. It was not the most
graceful flier for it swung down low
from the nest, wings flapping rapidly,
and headed off toward the trees on the
north side where it landed and, I as-
`If you don't learn the
rules of survival you
don't make it in the
natural world.'
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
FIDDLER CRAB —The large claw on the fiddler crab is used to attract
females and ward off competition. Often the claw is broken off. No matter; it
will regenerate a new one but this time on the opposite side.
sume, stayed for the night.
When we came down off the hill we
decided to photograph some of the sea
lavender that grew around the edge of
the marsh. Soon we began to see hole
after hole that had been dug up. We got
curious and looked closer. Sure enough,
here were remains of turtle eggs we had
looked for earlier in the season when we
had seen their tracks on the beach. Evi-
dently the fox or raccoon must smell the
eggs under the sand, dig them up and
make a feast of them. All that remain
are curled -up, dry, white shells on the
surface. Hopefully, some will be missed
to survive another year.
Later, when we walked back along
the edge of the marsh, we found small
mounds of black muck here and there
and wondered what was doing this
digging. Then it came to me. It was
probably a raccoon. They are always
opportunists and with a little digging in
the soft marsh they were probably
rewarded with a crab dinner. The fiddler
crabs on the marsh were the black ones,
in contrast to the sandy - colored ones
you see on the sand flats. Here, too,
nature has given its consent for
camouflage; the black ones for the
muddy marsh, the light - colored ones for
the sandy areas.
As we returned to the cabin in the
quiet of the marsh, a monarch butterfly
floated by. It almost seemed to suspend
itself in an effortless glide. These
handsome orange -and -black butterflies
are heading south on their perilous
journey to warmer climes. It's one of
nature's great stories, their migration
through good weather and storm. Yet,
somehow, there are always those that
make it.
LATHAM"SSTAND
FARM
White Corn & Bicolor Corn
Raspberries • Blueberries
Melons • Peppers • Peachesl
Other assorted vegetables. Excellent quality
OPEN 7 DAYS • MAIN ROAD, ON SCENIC ORIENT HARBOR
One thing monarchs don't have to
fear is being eaten by birds along the
way for they have a toxic taste and the
birds seem to know it. The monarch
butterfly lays its eggs on members of
the milkweed family, which are toxic.
When the larvae feed on the milkweed
they in turn become toxic. This toxic
material is carried through the various
stages of the monarch's life and when it
becomes a butterfly it still carries the
bad - tasting toxins and birds stay away
from it.
As a matter of fact, birds shy away
from another smaller butterfly that
mimics the monarch in color. This is the
viceroy butterfly. It, too, flies
unhampered by birds for it looks so
much like the monarch it is left alone,
even though it has no bad - tasting toxins.
Experiments have proven this theory
well. Eggs of the monarch were raised
on cabbage leaves which had no toxins.
When offered to birds who had been in
contact with monarchs in the field they
refused to eat them because of their
experience with the bad - tasting
monarchs. But, if given to birds raised
in captivity without ever having seen or
tasted a monarch, they would eat them
ravenously. It's all part of the intricate
way nature has evolved to protect some
of its species.
Farther along the marsh I found a
matted -down trail in the low grass that
led from the upland to one of the small
tributaries of the creek. Again I was
puzzled. Perhaps it was a muskrat that
lived in the high ground and traveled
across the marsh to reach water where it
could travel uninhibited in search of
food. Or could it be a mink or weasel. I
know we have them both, although I've
only seen the weasel around here.
More mysteries of the natural world
were seen, some solved and others left
unsolved, making life in the outdoors
always a great adventure.
�EXPLURE THE OCEAN
I ONBOARD ENVIRO -LAB
Step aboard Enviro -lab for a 2 -1/2 hour, first hand, on- the - water,
oceanographic expedition with our experienced instructors.
' Help pull a trawl net and ob- • Sample water to discover its
serve the rich diversity of plants physical and chemical proper -
and animals and how they have ties, and the causes and ef-
adapted to their marine environ-
ment.
• Collect plankton and find out
why they are the basic food sup-
ply in the ocean.
fects of water pollution.
'
Return home with a deeper un-
derstanding forthe value of ma-
rine resources and the need to
protect them.
Highlight your summer with an ocean adventure)
Bring the family for an experience they'll not soon forgetl
Cruises depart from Long Wharf in Sag Harbor.
August 17-18, Aug 21 -22, Aug 25 -29, September 1 -Labor Day.
10:00am- 12:30pm and 1:00pm- 3:30pm.
Adults $13.50, children under 12 years old $10.
Call for reservations 1 -800- 364 -8472
PROJECT OCEANOLOGY