Loading...
Janyary 13, 2000 - Christmas bird counts: a look back• The Suffolk Times 9 January 13, 2bbb ristmas bir counts: a look back Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh This photo taken on a 1980 Gardiners Island Christmas Bird Count. Snowy owls from the far northern tundra visit us occasionally when their food supply is low up north. This two-foot -high, almost pure white owl Is probably the most handsome of all our owls, and hunts by day. This is the first year I haven't been able to participate in any of the East End Christmas Bird Counts, so I thought it might be fun to look back at some of the highlights of past counts. I started the Central. Suffolk Count in 1953 and I've been on the Montauk Count for over 30 years, working the Gardiners Island area. In 1968, I became the com- Focus piler of the ON Orient Count. It was here I NATURE became aware of by Paul the work of Roy Stoutenburgh Latham, whom I wrote about last week who had done so much concern- ing Christmas Bird Counts. His records in the bird field are unmatched. He first started keeping records for the Christmas Count in 1900. He told me he walked all of Orient to do that count. Later he used a bicycle to get around on such field trips. One time someone had ruined his bicycle while on an outing to Peconic Dunes and he had to walk back to Orient. One of his more adventurous bird count trips was the first count he did on Gardiners Island, in 1905. He and his brother rowed their rowboat across to the island to take the count. They got caught in a snowstorm and spent the night in one of the fishermen's shacks only to awake in the morning to find an eagle sitting on a pole outside the shack. Then they rowed home to Orient. Another time he and his broth- er rowed to Shelter Island for blackber- ries and, finding none, rowed to Gardiners Island where they were able to pick two bushels. Then at night they rowed back and were caught in a fog. Using a compass they found their way back to Orient and hit the beach 200 feet from their goal. Unbelievable. I remember, 75 years after that momentous trip to Gardiners Island, when we weren't able to get to the island by boat because of the extreme weather. Strong winds, ice and spray broke over the jetty outside Three Mile Harbor, where we were to take the boat to the island. The captain said, "No way am I going out in that nightmare!" We didn't want to miss the count so five of us drove to the East Hampton Airport and Dhired a plane to take us over. It was eight degrees when we stepped out of the plane, which immedi- ately turned around and flew off, leaving us for the day. It was worth the extra effort and expense just to be on that magnificent island, plus we had a great day of birding climaxed by a beautiful snowy owl we saw on the beach at Tobaccolot. I actually was able to photograph it in all its wild splendor. more perfect setting cou n --'t e found. Bitter cold, a windswept beach, weathered driftwood scattered about and then, sitting on a tuft of dune grass, this pure -white owl with its searching W yellow eyes. What a day! hat a bird! Another year we hit the jackpot with owls. We were able to chase out of vari- ous clumps of evergreen cover one barn owl, five great horned owls, two long -eared owls and two of the smallest of all owls, the saw -whet owl; plus we heard eight screech owls. The screech owls were picked up by using taped screech owl recordings on portable machines and then listening for their answerine calls. There was a count when the senior editor of Time magazine and his pho- tographer wanted to experience a bird count for an article. They were good sports but didn't know the difference between a chickadee and a chicken. Right at the beginning of the day, Bill, the editor, was promptly initiated into our group when he accidentally stepped into a mosquito drain. One minute he was walking beside me, the next minute he became two feet shorter. Luck was on his side and the tightly laced boots he was wearing kept out the cold soggy ooze. (Lighter footwear would have ruined his day.) As it was he could easi- ly be picked out of the crowd by his black muddy legs. He went on to write the article but I didn't notice any men- tion of the mosquito drain. 15 minutes of fame Roger Caras, CBS television's roving natural history reporter and author of more than 30 books on wildlife, and Charles Frace, world- famous wildlife artist formerly from Mattituck, were with us on the 1967 count. Later Roger decided to do a spot for television about a Christmas Bird Count to show just what a count involved. He brought his film crew to tape the whole experi- ence. One of the highlights of the day was when a northern shrike caught a mouse right in front of us. This small bird is the only member of the songbird family that hunts like a hawk. Called the butcher bird, it was true to its name and hung its victim on a thorn of a tree just as a real butcher would hang a quarter of beef on a rack for later use. Our guests couldn't bel ieve what they were seeing. As the day wound down all parties headed back to our house, where Barbara had hot cider, fish chowder, and cheesecake and other goodies for the 30 or more tired and cold birders. After eat - ng, 'a tally was called s each group added heir bird species to a aster list. Of course, oger had to have this film so special lights were set up and he started to narrate the pro em was when all the TV lights were turned on my poor old house lights began to dim and then the fuses blew and we were left in the dark. What con- So many highlights and memories over the years. There was the time bluebirds were spotted on Shelter Island. Then there was the rare dovekie (an oceanic bird) Gil Raynor not only saw but produced from his coat pocket. this was done in Gil's unassuming modest way. We couldn't believe it. It had been blown inland and was stunned when it hit a telephone wire. I have a note here that in 1985 when creeks and bays were frozen over, we counted in one open patch of water in East Moriches a record of 500 mute swans. It was an incredible sight to see. The remarkable thing about our Christmas Bird Count is that no matter how often you go on those all -day adventures, you always learn something new. Like the time I startled a covey of quail at dawn over in East Moriches. There had been a dusting of snow on the ground and everywhere I walked there was this patchwork of white -and- brown leaf cover before me. I was thor- oughly enjoying myself in this new - made fairyland when all of a sudden 10 or 15 bobwhite burst from their roost- ing circle on the ground in front of me and took off in a wild and frantic dash of wings and swirling snow. I had wit- nessed how quail roost at night. They form a circle on the ground and pack themselves closely together to conserve body heat. Each little ball of feathers looks outward, their tails pointing upward. In this manner each individual acts as a lookout for danger. I'll never forget that bomb - bursting whirl of wings as they disappeared into the gray dawn. A few steps closer and I could see where their circle was. They had settled in before the dusting of snow and left their imprint on the dry leaves where they'd spent the night. It has been fun looking back at some of my bird count experiences, and besides, it reacquainted me with those wonderful days in the field that make life so rewarding and interesting.