Loading...
July 02, 1998 - A Father's Day foray on Hallocks BaySA • The Suffolk Times • July 2, 1998 A Father's Day foray on Hallocks Bay On Father's Day I was invited to lead a group of kayakers through Hallocks Bay in Orient. This is such a special place I couldn't refuse and besides, it would let us once again become Focus acquainted with ON this increasingly popular mode of NATURE recreation. We by Paul were to meet Stoutenburgh where the old Long Island Pro- duce potato dock once was on Narrow River Road. Today, only scattered rocks mark that once busy dock and building site. It must have been quite important to the farming community in those early days, for a long stone jetty was built along the channel that paralleled the beach. Through the years it has settled and been pushed around by winter's ice so that it is now completely under water. I've seen those seaweed- covered jetty rocks when diving for scallops there and they still mark the channel coming in. As we waited for the arrival of our caravan of kayaks and paddlers Bar- bara and I strolled a ways down the lit- tle beach to the south. The first thing we noticed were the yellow and green Department of Environmental Con- servation signs. We'd see more of these along our way later on. They were announcing to all that the state, knowing the extreme importance of these wetlands in Orient, had bought them up so that they would forever remain pristine and untouched for the benefit of all. It was a major un- dertaking and in many cases very con- troversial but in the long run most thought it the best thing to do. It was something like buying the pine bar- rens to preserve the future drinking water that we all someday might have to fall back on. There comes a time when you just can't let things happen by chance. As we walked along, a small sparrow flew up out of the marsh and lit on a dried reed nearby. It gave me a chance to check it out through my binoculars. the water's surface. We paddled quiet- ly but as soon as we approached with- in 50 feet or so, they'd be gone. We'd see evidence of them later on the beach, where we pulled up for a stretch and snack. We now paddled along the north shore of Hallocks Bay with its lush marsh. I explained its many merits, Today the dike is completely covered by greenery and in some places small trees ha'l'e taken root. We see this dik- ing at the Wickham farm in Cutchogue also, but not to the extent that it runs in Orient. At one place we paddled quietly into a small creek. Cabbage seaweed floated here and there while fiddler crabs ran to their burrows along the banks as we approached. This was the mud fid- dler, dark in color to blend in with the dark muddy banks. Later, on a sandy, pebbly beach we'd see the sand fiddler, a much lighter -col- ored crab. It blends well with the beach sand and pebbles. It was on this beach Barbara discovered the white crinkled remains of the eggshells of the dia- mondback terrapin, our saltwater turtle. They had been discovered, dug up and eaten by a rac- coon. There must have been eight to 10 destroyed nests that we could see, all with their dis- carded eggshells. It was sad, but per- haps that's part of the checks and balances that nature provides. For some, however, it was a hard pill to swallow. We'd brought a small seining net along to sample the water and see what it had to offer. We made one pass and came back with hundreds upon hun- dreds of tiny, half- to three-quarter- inch baby shiners or silversides. Here was the nursery area for these juve- niles. They, and probably many other varieties, were reaping the harvest of nutrients that flow out from the wetlands around us. As we snacked and stretched our legs the alarm call of a pair of wil- lets drew our attention. Their flashing white wing patches and long bills identified these large shorebirds. Somewhere they had a nest or perhaps young. On the pebbly beach nearby an endangered piping plover searched for tiny worms and crustaceans while a least tern rested before commencing its endless search for another meal. Our day was perfect. The weather cooperated. The water and scenery couldn't have . been nicer. The group was enthusiastic and seemed to be interested in the world around them. All felt proud of their ability as pad- dlers of kayaks. As for me, it rein- forced the idea that Orient is a very special place, whether it's on land or on one of its many waterways. So if you come to enjoy its wonders, come, but do not disturb its magic. Be like the gliding kayaks: Move in and out silently, leaving nothing but good memories. Proficient paddling At first kayaks were going every which way. For some this was their first experience at paddling these sleek, low -to- the -water craft. It was surprising how quickly things straight- ened out as we headed east. When we approached the other side we noticed the thumb -sized heads of diamond- back terrapins here and there along SIGN UP NOW!!! omtc orkshop nor w to ott og.s BEGINNER'S CERAMIC SEMINAR 8 -week program Thursday evenings 7 - 10 p.m. Dates: July 23 - Sept. 10 HERE'S A GREAT PROGRAM FOR YOUII! Price: $3 per session + cost of materials If you've just discovered ceramics, or you want to brush up on your skills, For more information stop by or Call us at 298 -2660. Registration Deadline is Tuesday, July 14. Bring a friend! Groups Welcomel Remember: check out our kids' programs, tool!! 55 Route 48 Mottituck, NY 11952 (516) 298.2660 Suffolk Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh yak trip to Hallocks Bay In Orient, the "alarm call" from a ; told us of their possible nesting site or young nearby. ds have nested on the south shore for years. Perhaps now n nesting on the north shore as well. such as its ability to manufacture nu- trients for the microscopic plankton that forms the base of the food chain; of its great ability as a natural filter, cleansing the water as the tide moved in and out each day; of its ability to sta- bilize the shorefront from erosion by its rugged root system and how it slowed down storm waves as they tried to wash out the water's edge; and, of course, we couldn't forget the wonderful wildlife habitat the marsh pro- vides. Proof of this was a family of Canada geese that seemed to be enjoying the new tender shoots of the high marsh up in the back. Then there were the snowy egrets, great egrets and blue herons and oth- ers we'd see as we paddled along. We even saw a female gadwall duck that had probably just left its nest to grab a bite to eat. It would soon return where its still -warm eggs awaited the moth- er's warmth once again. Paddling in kayaks puts you low on the water, and with the tide half out we were paddling along the marsh bank at almost eye level. We could barely see over the marsh but had no difficulty in seeing the great dike of earth that had been put up along the upper reaches of the marsh many years ago. Orient, being a semi- farming community with much of its good farmland lying along the water's edge, was susceptible to flooding during hurricanes and extreme high tides. So in the early '40s a dike was built around Hallocks Bay's north side. This prevented the flood- ing of the farmland once and for all.