October 06, 1988 - Perusing the Flora and Fauna of the Barrier BeachPerusing the Flora and Fauna of the Barrier Beach
By Paul Stoutenburgh
We decided to take an ocean walk last
week and so headed for Shinnecock.
Southampton Town has probably one of the
finest stretches of sandy beach found
anywhere in the country. Like other things
that many of us have taken for granted, we
often do not appreciate the uniqueness of
these vast spans of moving sand.
Not living with the roar of the ocean in our
ears, a visit to the ocean is always a treat.
Perhaps that is why years ago when the op-
portunity to become a naturalist on the
seashore at Fire Island became available, I
jumped at it and it's probably why that
Last Week's Solution
same ocean beach still lures me today.
There is an extra plus for the birder who
goes for an ocean beach walk at this time of
the year for it is the time when, if conditions
are right, he or she might get a glimpse of
the magnificent flights of hawks that pass
along the outer beaches. What it takes in
weather is a high pressure area to the west
that brings a good northwest wind to us.
It's on these winds that the hawks and other
birds make their passage south.
Unfortunately, we chose a day that the
southwest wind, our on -shore breeze was
blowing. We saw only a few hawks. Once a
merlin flew right over our heads and gave
us a real good look at this rather unusual
hawk. It was a great thrill for both of us.
Then besides a few kestrels, we had a
marsh hawk with its characteristic white
rump working low over the dunes to our
left.
As we watched this dark - phased hawk
work back and forth in its westerly direc-
tion, it stirred up a huge flock of tree
swallows that were feeding on the abundant
bayberries so indigenous to this sandy area.
These tree swallows use the outer beaches
to migrate through and on the right day it
seems like a continuous stream as they feed
on insects while in flight.
Today the wind was not favorable and so
they gathered together to feast and refuel
for the next leg of their journey when more
favorable winds would prevail. I believe
tree swallows are the only swallows that
can survive on something other than in-
sects. This might account for why we see
stragglers often as late as November along
the south shore. They can survive on
bayberries.
We could tell fall was upon us, for the
seaside goldenrod was starting to bloom.
This is our latest goldenrod to blossom and
we'll find traces of it blooming right up to
frost time. It's a rugged and colorful plant
that is often found right under the dune line
taking the full fury of the ocean spray.
It is the time of the year when the dune
grasses are forming their seed heads. This
one plant is the key to the barrier beach's
success. Without its annual abundance of
seeds that propagate into new plants for the
next year and the prolific underground run-
ners that extend the plant into new loca-
tions, there would be no barrier beach. It is
this beach grass or Ammophila (meaning
"sand lover ") that captures the blowing
sands that create the dunes that hold back
the mighty ocean.
Of course, there are other plants that
help, such as the salt spray rose whose rose
hips are now ripening. These tasty but
seedy orange -red hips make a good snack
on an ocean walk and when collected and
culled of their seeds, can be made into a tart
but tasty jam. Beach plum is also a salt
spray - tolerant shrub that does well in the
dune line. Here again the fruits make one of
the seashore's best jams.
The first plant to take the fury of the
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ocean spray and stinging wind -blown sand
is sea rocket. Its glory days are just about
over and what you'll see now are mostly
seed pods on an almost leafless plant. When
tender and young the leaves make a snack
food and often are gathered for salads later.
Dusty miller, an immigrant from the far
East, has made itself at home along the en-
tire eastern seaboard and does its part in
protecting the barrier beach.
Everywhere we looked we saw old plant
friends. The beach pea with its now dry
pods held the secret for next year's plants.
Sea spurge, that prostrate plant of the
dunes, still held on with its deep root system
and flat foliage letting the sea spray and
wind -blown sand howl above it.
Back at the car we emptied our shoes and
socks of sand and then headed west along
Dune Road slowing up here and there to en-
joy a pair of mallards feeding or a view of
the now - crimson Salicornia that nestled
close to the road. The great salt marsh that
spread to the north of the road was flooded
with the new moon's spring tide. It was here
we saw eight or nine of the tall thin - necked
great white egrets standing like statues
busy stalking minnows in the inundated
marsh. Their hunting technique is a
masterpiece of slow motion.
Our driving and stopping to observe must
have startled a great blue heron that was
feeding close to the road for it flew up in
fright, beating away on its huge six -foot
wings.