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March 06, 1980 - Robinson Crusoe Island In Middle of the PeconicRobins Island: A Unique Wildlife Habitat (EDITOR'S NOTE: The controversy over whether Robins Island should be developed or purchased by government and kept as a sanctuary is expected to come to a head in the next few weeks. Here, columnist Paul Stoutenburgh gives a naturalist's -eye view of the island.) It is hard to find a Robinson Crusoe Island within a stone's throw of New York City, but Robins Island in Peconic Bay is just that. It has long, sandy beaches where you'll find no footprints in the sand. Its rolling, wooded hills and broad meadows, Senators Asked for elp on Gas Page 3 coupled with the clear, unpolluted waters around it, make it a unique area for the wildlife that abounds on and about the island. It is a wildlife paradise. The north bar that extends out into the North Race has been formed by littoral drift of the sand along the west shore. Where this long tail joins the island, you'll find the only common tern colonies in the bay. Black skimmers also nest here, along with the piping plover whose nests you'll also find sprinkled all along its sandy shores. This long, sandy tip provides a Fire Guts House on Shelter Is. Page 2 natural breakwater for the cove that cups the entire north end. Here is a safe harbor for man and bird alike from stormy easterlies and the continual southwest winds of summer. On this northern shore is a 200 -by -20 -foot heavy duty dock. It is this dock that provides access to the island. Magnificent Architecture There are no paved roads on the island, only single lane gravel roads that extend in all directions through the predominately oak forest. Up from the dock about 1000 feet is the old hunting lodge that served as a guest house for the visitors to the island. Alongside this is one of the most magnif- icent but uncompleted examples of Eng- lish architecture. The date on the chimney is 1917. It is my understanding that this large beautiful home was never completed because of the death of the owner's wife. In back of the tern colony on the north, the area spreads out into a semi -open swale spotted with clumps of dune grass, seaside goldenrod and high tide bush. Many a black duck and mallard, teal and (continued on page 6) Village Seeks Temik Federal Water Grant Page 3 Warning On Way Page 2 Southold Town and of the Incorporated Village of Greenport. Serving Shelter Island. Entered at the Post Office, Greenport, N.Y., as 2nd class a Q An Official Newspaper of W One Hundred and Twenty-Third Year No. 34 Thursday, March 6, 1980 Subscription $12.00 a year in advance. Single copi a w 0� r� o! D c~n m u.i c.^ *' O z: Z ti r Robins Island: A Unique Wildlife Habitat (EDITOR'S NOTE: The controversy over whether Robins Island should be developed or purchased by government and kept as a sanctuary is expected to come to a head in the next few weeks. Here, columnist Paul Stoutenburgh gives a naturalist's -eye view of the island.) It is hard to find a Robinson Crusoe Island within a stone's throw of New York City, but Robins Island in Peconic Bay is just that. It has long, sandy beaches where you'll find no footprints in the sand. Its rolling, wooded hills and broad meadows, Senators Asked for elp on Gas Page 3 coupled with the clear, unpolluted waters around it, make it a unique area for the wildlife that abounds on and about the island. It is a wildlife paradise. The north bar that extends out into the North Race has been formed by littoral drift of the sand along the west shore. Where this long tail joins the island, you'll find the only common tern colonies in the bay. Black skimmers also nest here, along with the piping plover whose nests you'll also find sprinkled all along its sandy shores. This long, sandy tip provides a Fire Guts House on Shelter Is. Page 2 natural breakwater for the cove that cups the entire north end. Here is a safe harbor for man and bird alike from stormy easterlies and the continual southwest winds of summer. On this northern shore is a 200 -by -20 -foot heavy duty dock. It is this dock that provides access to the island. Magnificent Architecture There are no paved roads on the island, only single lane gravel roads that extend in all directions through the predominately oak forest. Up from the dock about 1000 feet is the old hunting lodge that served as a guest house for the visitors to the island. Alongside this is one of the most magnif- icent but uncompleted examples of Eng- lish architecture. The date on the chimney is 1917. It is my understanding that this large beautiful home was never completed because of the death of the owner's wife. In back of the tern colony on the north, the area spreads out into a semi -open swale spotted with clumps of dune grass, seaside goldenrod and high tide bush. Many a black duck and mallard, teal and (continued on page 6) Village Seeks Temik Federal Water Grant Page 3 Warning On Way Page 2 ROBINS ISLAND Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh Robinson Crusoe Island In Middle of the Peconic (EDITOR'S NOTE: The controversy over whether Robins Island should be developed or purchased by government and kept as a sanctuary is expected to come to a head in the next few weeks. Here, columnist Paul Stoutenburgh gives a naturalist's -eye view of the island.) It is hard to find a Robinson Crusoe Island within a stone's throw of New York City, but Robins Island in Peconic Bay is just that. It has long, sandy beaches where you'll find no footprints in the sand. Its rolling, wooded hills and broad meadows, coupled with the clear, unpolluted waters around it, make it a unique area for the wildlife that abounds on and about the island. It is a wildlife paradise. The north bar that extends out into the North Race has been formed by littoral drift of the sand along the west shore. Where this long tail joins the island, you'll find the only common tern colonies in the bay. Black skimmers also nest here, along with the piping plover whose nests you'll also find sprinkled all along its sandy .shores. This long, sandy tip provides a natural breakwater for the cove that cups the entire north end. Here is a safe harbor .for man and bird alike from stormy easterlies and the continual southwest winds of summer. On this northern shore is a 200 -by -20 -foot heavy duty dock. It is this dock that provides access to the island. Magnificent Architecture There are no paved roads on the island, only single lane gravel roads that extend in all directions through the predominately ,oak forest. Up from the dock about 1000 feet is the old hunting lodge that served as a guest house for the visitors to the island. Alongside this is one of the most magnif- icent but uncompleted examples of Eng- lish architecture. The date on the chimney is 1917. It is my understanding that this :large beautiful home was never completed Continued on page 14 Page 14 lrbt . tWO 3UbteW March 6, 1980 A Robinson Crusoe Island In Middle of Peconic Bay Continued from page 2 :because of the death of the owner's wife. In back of the tern colony on the north, ,the area spreads out into a .semi -open iswale spotted with clumps of dune grass, seaside goldenrod and high tide bush. Many a black duck and mallard, teal and 'goose have reared their young here. Farther to the south is a large salt marsh with a small, shallow inlet from the bay to a quiet pond. This general north area, with its vast and varied array of plant life, is the most valuable part of the island; for it not only houses the tern colony and duck breeding area, it also supplies an import- ant feeding area for a host of shore birds, :herons, ducks, geese and marsh birds throughout the year. The tern colony, the marsh and pond area make up a tight and valuable natural ecosystem. There are other, smaller, freshwater ponds on the island that should be preserved also, for these oases provide the much - needed fresh water for the birds and animals of the island. On these numerous ponds there are simple water pump windmills that were once used to keep the ponds filled during dry weather. The one on the northeast end of the island is especially nice; .midway down: the west shore is another one by the old clay pits once used in the manufacture of, bricks for the mainland. We are told that ;bricks made here were used in the building ,iof what is now the North Fork Bank in rutchogue. There is no trace today of any Of these mining operations on the island. ►The island also has a unique Indian ,history, with some research work done by a Long Island museum group. There is still much left to learn about the early inhab- itants of the island. Outstanding Osprey Reproduction The osprey population is the most productive of all areas on Long Island, rearing more young per nest than any other area, including Gardiners Island and Plum Island. There were three or four nests of breeding ospreys last year on the island and with encouragement surely this number would increase, and hopefully so, since they are now on the endangered species list of New York State. The west shore of Robins Island in some places pushes out of Peconic Bay in great huge clay cliffs. These impressive and dramatic outcroppings are weird in shape and are the bulwarks against erosion. The ,cliffs provide the site for colonies of bank pwallows and kingfisher nests. The island has a good deer herd but few other types of mammals, as they were eradicated when the area was used for a game preserve. The island has some large overgrown open fields to the south that at one time were used to raise grain for the pheasants that can still be seen throughout the island. Physically the island would be classified as having short rolling terrain with great high clay banks on the west. Throughout the area are glacial boulders that surface through the woodland. The stony beach to 'the east shows these erratics more prom- inently than any other part of the island. The south end, which is a sandy point but much shorter than the northern sand spit, .runs into what is called the South Race. Here the water runs deep and swift. This teardrop - shaped island in Peconic Bay with its rolling woodlands plays host in its perimeters to a vast variety of terns, herons, ducks, geese, osprey and hordes of other webs of life that make this one of the most unique island habitats found in New York State. PAULSTOUTENBURGH Photos by Paul Stoutenburgh