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January 02, 1997 - A Very Merry Christmas Bird Count26 • The Suffolk Times 4o January 2, 1997 A Very Merry Christmas Bird Count December 21 — the shortest day of the year — and the alarm clock rang at 4:45 a.m. to wake me for the annual Montauk Bird Count. This was to be the first of three bird counts I would partic- ipate in this year. Each count will cover a 15 -mile circle, and seeing Gardiners Island falls within the Mon- tauk Count's circle, that's where I would be today. I traveled with Peter, my son, and his good friend, Kenny. We arrived at Three Mile Harbor in the dark and carried our gear to the boat that took us, along with oth- ers, to that legendary island that lies between the North and South forks. Others joined us and milled about as we waited for our depar- ture. The diesel engine had already been started and was quietly purring below. A cold chill had everyone bundled up in winter gear and now the various back- packs, binoculars, scopes, lunches and extra gear were loaded aboard along with the anxious birders and we were off. We started across the cold, gray bay that had a brisk northwest wind stirring whitecaps as we left the harbor. It was still dark as we headed for our destina- tion to the east. As we passed Lion Head rock, dawn fought the darkness and shapes appeared on the horizon. Oldsquaw ducks burst from the water in front of us as the great monster of a boat roared down on them in the dark. At the dock, pickup trucks awaited us and the various parties were whisked off to cover their assigned areas. Mine was to be the southern part of this great is- land, the area called Cartwright, which includes the area on the mainland to the north about a mile or so and, of course, all the long sandy bar that swings south toward Napeague. How long this long tail of sand extends depends on whether the tide is up or down. We were lucky; the tide was going out so we had two miles of walking to go. Focus on Nature by Paul Stoutenburgh Tools of the Trade I'd carry my scope and binoculars for viewing and, as usual, a camera bag and lens just in case something special came up. We started immediately to add offshore birds to our list: common loons, scoters, oldsquaws, red - breasted mergansers, horned grebes — the list will go on. Inside the loop of Great Pond we found an assortment of freshwater ducks: handsome hooded mergansers, gadwall, widgeon, buffle- head, black ducks, and this list, too, will go on through the day but our mission was to seek out shorebirds that can usu- ally be found at the extreme south end of Cartwright. This long strip of land exposes itself at low tide and makes good feeding grounds for those shore birds who lin- gered behind instead of leaving on their southern migration long ago. On our way out we passed low dunes covered with the tan of dune grass and it was from this area I got my first good bird, a marsh hawk or harrier that works these grassy areas for mice or voles. We have this low- flying, wheeling hawk occasionally NORTH FORK HOLISTIC HEALTH CARE Chiropractic Office Offering modern methods of chiropractic healing and health care on the North Fork Dr. Steven J.N. Chierchie Dr. Christopher Mohl Listen to your body. These are things you need to know. Feelings of pain, muscular tension and tightness, numbness, tingling and aches are warning signals. In most cases, people do not suddenly develop low back pain, headaches, neck and shoulder pain and arthritis. These and other health - related problems develop over time. Some examples of conditions which respond well to chiropractic care are: 1. Lower back and neck pain 2. Sciatica 3. Headaches 4. Pinched nerves 5. Sports injuries involving shoulders, knees, hips and elbows 6. Auto- and work - related injuries. SOMETHING CAN BE DONE!! Chiropractic deals with the underlying cause of the problem rather than treating the symptoms alone. In this way we are able to prevent the reoccurrence of these symptoms and really get to the root of the problem. It is important, therefore, that you listen to your body's warning signals. Our office will provide you with personal and individual care, using the most modem techniques such as acupressure, kinesiology, chiropractic manipulation and traction, with an emphasis on nutrition for a Holistic Approach to Health Care. After fully explaining X -rays and diagnosis we discuss your course of treatment with you openly and understandably. Your walk through life can be a happier and healthier one, but you must make the first steps. WE ACCEPT AS FULL OR PARTIAL PAYMENT: Empire Plan, worker's compensation, no -fault insurance, Choice Care, J.J. Newman, Lawrence Health Care, Travelers, AETNA, AETNA Managed Care, Accessed Manage Care, Magna Care. Monday— Friday 6:30 a.m. -8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. -3 p.m., 24 -Hour Emergency Care Service. WINDS WAY PROFESSIONAL CENTER North Road, Southold • 765 -5151 Suffolk Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh HOODED MERGANSER — Groups of five to 10 of these handsome little freshwater ducks were seen on Gardiners Island, part of the 15 -mile circle of the annual Montauk Christmas Bird Count. over our fields here on the North Fork. It's a beautiful bird with long thin wings and a white rump. No sooner had I jumped one of these harriers than anoth- er took off a short way down the beach. I watched them in my binoculars with their graceful rocking flight until they disappeared far to the north. My next good bird was a short -eared owl, a bird we often miss but one that is found in this open grassy area we were passing through. It, too, roams these flat areas with its dunes and grass. This one was right at the edge of the grass where I'd been walking. It took me by surprise and drifted out over the bay only to swing back a thousand feet far- ther to the north. I'm sure all of these birds had had an early morning break- fast and were sleeping it off in the sun as I came by. Wind Still Blows Cold The wind still had its sharp sting, even though the sun was up and doing its best to warm up the day. I marveled at the drifting sand that was caught by the stones on the beach. Each had its little tail of sand telling me exactly where the wind had come from. The simplicity and wonder of this beach kept me fascinated as I walked along. Then I saw it, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't just anoth- er piece of white Styrofoam off in the distance. Up came my binoculars and there it was — just what I had hoped for — a beautiful snowy owl. I could see its yellow eyes, surrounded by its white face and black - speckled body and what a sight it made, sitting alongside a piece of beautiful sand - blasted driftwood. He glared back at me and then went about his business of eating something held firmly in his feathered talons. Cold fingers fumbled for the camera that hung from my neck. Clumsy hands, in heavy gloves, could not work the ad- justments. With gloves off, I moved for- ward to get closer but this wanderer from the north would have no part of it and promptly moved up the beach 500 to 600 feet. I called my companions over to have a look and they were delighted at the sight of this regal owl. We then walked up to where the owl had been sit- ting and found the remains of what he had been eating. It was a horned grebe, a sort of small duck. This confirmed my research that snowy owls occasionally take ducks and small birds to augment their regular diet of mice and lemmings. The last we saw` of him was when fie swung out over the bay, disgusted with our interruption, and flew back toward the mainland. Flocks of Shorebirds Now we concentrated on the shore- birds ahead. Flocks of 150 would dazzle us with their tight formation of brilliant white flashes as they swooped and turned. At one point they'd be just a tight group of dark birds flying close to the water, then as if someone turned a light on, they'd bank and their darkness would turn to white — a wild and wonderful scene. Once the group landed we put our scopes on them =and looked them over carefully. Then we'd see turnstones and dunlins mixed in amongst them with an occasional black- bellied plover, all birds of the seashore and nesters of the Arctic on their way south to warmer lands. We'd walk the two miles or so over this stony sandy beach with our scopes and backpacks wearing heavily on our shoul- ders. It was time to turn back. Another hour - and -a -half walk and we'd be back at the airport shack by noon. We'd been walking for over five hours and I was feeling a bit bushed. Lunch revived us and then we broke up into two groups. I'd take the east side of the section to the north and my friends would search out the west side. At 3 p.m. we'd meet at the road that runs through the middle of the island to be picked up. I think I got the better of the deal, for as I looked over the huge banks to the east (80 feet or more in height) there was a sight to behold. Down below on the rocks as I peeked over the edge were seals — I couldn't believe the number. I counted 19 on the first group of rocks and 14 on the other, 33 in all. I'd never seen anything like it before in all the years I've been on Gardiners Island. I looked at them through my binoculars and they appeared as giant sausages bal- anced on the rocks. One rock actually had five on it. They were basking in the sun, glad to be out of the cold water below. Our day ended as the truck picked us up along the road and took us back to the boat. On our trip back the sun disap- peared. The time was 4:19 p.m. Once the sun had left, our watery world outside took on a cold gray look, but inside the cabin of the boat the tired chattering birders were still enthusiastic about the day they'd spent on Gardiners Island. The day was perfect.