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January 04, 1990 - Battling the Elements to Check on Nature010 The Suffolk Times • January 4, 1990 Battling the Elements to Check, on Nature By Paul Stoutenburgh The Montauk Christmas bird count has an area that includes Gardiners Island. Each year my son and I participate in this rugged outing where we count and identify every bird we see. Of course, we're just a small part of the group's effort. Their grand tally will include over 100 participants and log in Focus on Nature probably more than 120 species spotted and counted. We had planned to fly from the mainland over to the island in my son's plane while the rest of the party were to take a boat from Three Mile Harbor at daybreak and meet us there, but like many plans during this time of the year which depend on weather conditions, things changed drastically. Winds blew up to 50 mph out of the northwest and the temperature hovered in the low 20s, canceling the boat trip and disappointing the birders who waited in the chilly dawn at the dock. In pre- dawn conversations between my son and me our anticipated flight was even considered dubious. A freakish rain with dropping temperatures the night before had left the runway at the airport puddled with ice. "Let's check it about 6:30 a.m. When we arrived the sky had cleared but the wind howled across the fields and the windsock down the runway blew Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh HUNGRY GULLS — Whenever the wind blows strong anywhere along our beaches during the winter, you'll see gulls drifting back and forth in search of food. 90 degrees in the wrong direction. Peter drove up and down the runway in his pickup testing with his brakes to get a feel for the conditions. Strong crosswinds could be a real problem. Nonetheless, he thought it safe; so we loaded the plane and taxied down the runway. After double- checking instruments, gauges and roaring engines, we took off. It was a rough flight, the wind buffeting the little plane as we swung over the mainland and headed for Gardiners Island. We carry over 300 items, including... PURPLE MARTIN HOUSES New VCR Game FULL LINE OF BINOCULARS ABSOLUTELY SQUIRREL -PROOF FEEDERS The Birdwatcher s Companion North Road, (County Road 48), Southold 765 -5872 Open every day 10 -5 (Sunday 12 -5) • Closed Wednesday �a'.. 0 'a i,a a:A , A� White Caps Everywhere It wasn't long before that wonderland I've always ranked as the most significant and beautiful of all our islands came into view. The water below boiled and we could see white, churning waves with streaks of foam being ripped off each wave's crest. No wonder we were being batted about above. A long swing into the wind and we made our approach to the grass strip ahead. Just as we were about to touch down the wind drove us onto the runway and we bumped and veered wildly. Peter corrected for the abuse and we settled on the rough grass strip. It was good to be down. On the flat, exposed runway we really felt the fury of the wind because it had no obstructions as it gained momentum over Gardiners Bay to the west. We quickly headed the plane into the wind and tied it down. Next we unloaded the equipment and food. Barbara had packed two lifesaving lunches with all sorts of goodies and hot drinks. Blessed are those who look out for the weak! My area was the long sand spit to the south that once was made up of a chain of small sand island called Cartwright Island. It was here I hoped to find some of the unusual shorebirds that sometimes linger and would be good additions to our species list. Years ago you could walk directly along the shore to the east but lately the sea has breached the low dunes and there's now a channel I would have to forge. I had brought boots for just such an occasion and I'd carry them as far as the inlet and then swap my shoes for hipboots and wade across. As I headed down the beach I started to realize what was ahead of me: 40-45 mph winds and temperatures in the low 20s gave me a chill factor of around zero. Not only did the salt spray pelt me from the churning sea to the west, it coated my glasses and I continually had to work to keep them clear. Then there was the sand racing across the beach, pitting everything it hit. It's this sand we see that sandblasts bottles and dulls tin cans. I felt akin to Peary and his men as they trekked across the Arctic in those difficult expeditions of long ago. Hundreds of Gulls Where the surf pounded and churned the water along the shore, gulls by the hundreds and perhaps thousands rode the currents, diving down to dip out a morsel being thrown up by the fury. The sky was alive with birds in continual motion. This was just part of the flock that I was to see all the way down to the shore. Many rested farther down the beach, probably exhausted from working in the pre -dawn hours. Ducks huddled along the lee side of the shore. I strained to see what they were. I put my glasses up but the wind would batter my arms and shake so that I would have to sit and rest my arms against my legs to make them steady. No matter how I tried to steady them there always seemed to be motion and the howling wind in my ears. Black ducks — I'd get a count on them now ... 55, 60, 65. The beach had recently been overwashed, probably when the moon was full and now there was little driftwood about. A few lobster buoys, a huge telephone pole but none of the accumulations so characteristic of this famous island. I reached the cut where I'd have to take my warm hiking boots off and put on the cold, black hipboots. Everything you do under trying conditions of cold and winds seems to be a hundred times harder than when it's warm and gentle. My heavy gloves got in the way of untying my laces and so they came off. In no time the feeling in my fingers left and I hurriedly put my gloves back on. I beat my hands against my legs. How cold the boots had gotten. It was like putting your feet into an icy tomb. Now the process was repeated in reverse and the feeling in my feet joined the numbness of my hands. I got up, clapped, jumped around, stomped my feet and headed out on my two -mile walk down the beach. Next week I'll make it to the end and head back to spend the rest of the day birding on Gardiners Island. Check Your Pressure East End Community Services of Southold holds free blood- pressure screenings on the third Wednesday of every month at Barker's Pharmacy, Love Lane, Mattituck, from 9 am. to noon.