I hope there are some schools in KY that study waterways the way some schools
along the Hudson do.
We have a friend up there who does exactly this. She mainly subsitudes in grade
school, then takes her classes out on the Hudson estuaries., wading, netting,
and identifying and learning how this all fits. The kids love it and she gets
all of the sub work she wants.....She is very good with butterflies, as well. I
think this is mainly in private schools.
Preston in Browder
Subject: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Weekly Digest
Bulletin
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| Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor - October 14 |
| 10/14/2021 |
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Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program
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Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor
Today, October 14, shorefronts along the Hudson River and the piers of New York
Harbor are busy with activity as thousands of students armed with seine nets,
minnow pots, and water testing gear collect data on the Hudson’s fish and
invertebrates, track the river’s tides and currents, and examine water
chemistry and quality, during DEC’s 19th annual A Day in the Life of the Hudson
and Harbor. DEC Facebook Live is stream seining activity from two sites:
Swindler Cove in New York City and Norrie Point Environmental Center in
Staatsburg. The live streams will be available on DEC's Facebook page for
several weeks.
New York students from elementary through college partner with DEC and
environmental educators to collect scientific data using hands-on field
techniques to capture a snapshot of the river’s ecology at more than 60 sites
along the Hudson. The data collected by students provides insights into an
ecosystem spanning 160 miles of the Hudson River and New York Harbor and is
posted online after the event. Participating classes represent the diversity of
the school population in urban and rural communities along the estuary. This
year, over 3,800 students and educators from more than 68 schools are
participating.
More than a field trip, “Day in the Life” gives students the opportunity to don
waders or use a fishing rod to collect data on many of the Hudson’s 200-plus
species of fish. Most are young fish, evidence of the Hudson’s importance as a
nursery habitat. Some years students catch surprising fish like seahorses,
conger eels, and needle fish. Students also examine the physical and chemical
aspects of the river with a wide range of equipment such as dissolved oxygen
and pH kits, to high-tech refractometers and simple plastic hydrometers to
measure salinity and find the salt front – the leading edge of dilute seawater
pushing up the estuary.
"Day in the Life” is sponsored by DEC’s Hudson River Estuary Program, in
partnership with the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve and the
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University.
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| Hudson River Almanac 10/02/21 - 10/08/21 |
| 10/15/2021 |
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Hudson River Almanac
October 2 to October 8, 2021
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A Project of the Hudson River Estuary Program
Compiled and edited by Tom Lake, Consulting Naturalist
Love Our NY Lands
State Lands Belong to All of Us
All New Yorkers and visitors should be able to access, enjoy, and feel welcome
on state lands. These lands belong to all of us, our families, and our
neighbors. While enjoying these shared spaces, be respectful of other visitors.
Share trails, treat people with kindness, and leave things as you found them
for others to enjoy. All of us have a responsibility to protect State lands for
future generations. For more information, visit:
https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/119881.html
Overview
It was heartening to see schools and their students participating, in-person,
in Hudson River programs in these COVID-recovery times. We also heard sage
advice from a herpetologist expert on applying caution on our autumn roadways,
much as we do each spring.
Highlight of the Week
10/2 – Saugerties, HRM 102: This was Day 789 for the male harbor seal with tag
number 246. Although our photos today were of a single seal, we somehow felt
there were actually two seals, a larger one that popped up a few times and then
disappeared, and a smaller one that followed us about breaching and doing
flips. Locals asked if we had seen the seals (plural) and I asked if there were
more than one, and they thought there was. We await photos. (Photo of harbor
seal courtesy of Michael Kalin)
- Julie Elson, Michael Kalin
[We have yet to fathom one marine mammal (seal) in freshwater for 26 months,
and now we may have a second. Tom Lake]
Natural History Entries
10/2 – Albany, HRM 145: Recently I had the opportunity to observe one of the
largest insects in our area: the European praying mantis (Mantis religiosa).
They were imported to North America from Europe in the 17th century to combat
crop and garden insect pests. I photographed a 70-millimeters (mm) male today;
females can reach 90-mm.
I used to think they were called ‘praying’ mantis from how they snatch their
prey with wicked front claws.
However, their trivial name, “religiosa,” is from the Latin religio, and
translates as “sense of piety,” or “pious,” as in praying, recognizing the
praying posture of their front legs. They also have beady compound eyes that
tilt like a sci-fi creature. (Photo of praying mantis courtesy of Mario Meier)
- Mario Meier
[Note: One-inch equals 25.4 millimeters (mm) Tom Lake].
10/2 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 56 south-migrating raptors at the Hook
Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 33. Turkey
vulture, a kettle of 28 that streamed southwest, led non-raptor migrants.
We had a most unexpected sighting for early October, albeit an almost
summer-warm afternoon, a golden eagle. We marked it as an adult showing a
slight golden "hood-look” in some views. It was flying north of the watch,
crossed the Hudson River going west, circled higher north of Rockland Lake,
slowly drifted higher to the west-southwest, but never closer than 1.5 miles.
- Tom Fiore, Brian Rosenstock, Doug Morel, Raimund Miller, Tim Parton
10/3 – Little Stony Point, HRM 55: The day was turning to dusk and the
quarter-mile hike to the river was through a haze of vicious mosquitoes. On the
water, or even better in the water, the biting was diminished. The river
retained its autumn warmth at 71 degrees Fahrenheit (F). For the first time in
a long while, salinity was detectible (barely) at less–than one
part-per-thousand (ppt).
Our catch of young-of-year striped bass and blueback herring was unremarkable
except in quantity. While they all fell in the 58-68 mm total-length range, the
number per haul was almost staggering. Blueback herring, in particular, are
very fragile; any amount of time out of water can be fatal. After a few robust
catches, we halted. There was no need to cause unnecessary mortality; we had
learned all we needed to know.
Our activity had collected a number of beach-goers including younger students.
Despite a quick return back in the water, a few blueback herring were not
destined to survive. Some still went “belly up,” as fisheries people term it.
We could tell that the onlookers felt uneasy. Our explanation was both succinct
and helpful: In small doses, a few fish can be the price of acquiring
knowledge. Nothing goes to waste in nature. Eels, bluefish, blue crabs, and sea
birds need to eat as well. We stood back and suggested some patience. Within a
few minutes, a squadron of ring-billed gulls descended on the shallows and did
not leave a trace. (Photo of of ring-billed gull courtesy of Terry Hardy)
- Tom Lake, A. Danforth
10/3 – Newcomb, HRM 302: This was the peak of our fall foliage. Our September
precipitation was well above average with just over 5-inches of rainfall.
Surprisingly, the High Peaks were still frost free. (Photo of Autumn in the
Adirondacks courtesy of Charlotte Demers)
- Charlotte Demers
10/4 – Yonkers, HRM 18: With the new moon approaching, we saw significant
high-tide catches this week, something quite uncommon at the Sarah Lawrence
Center for the Urban River at Beczak.
Today’s high count was reached by comb jellies (Ctenophores) with 83. Atlantic
silverside (67) also came in numbers. Young-of-last month’s blue crabs (15-90
mm) completed the catch. The river was 70 degrees F, salinity was 8.49 ppt, and
the dissolved oxygen (DO) was 6.6 parts-per-million (ppm).
- Jason Muller, Gabriella Marchesani
[Blue crab measurements (size) are taken in millimeters (mm) point-to-point
cross their carapace. Tom Lake]
10/5 – Yonkers, HRM 18: This morning, the staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center
for the Urban River at Beczak hosted seniors from Dwight High School in
Manhattan. While species diversity (number of species) was less than usual,
species richness (the number of individuals per species) after eight hauls of
our seine was incredible.
With no surprise, Atlantic silverside was high count among fishes with 546. We
also found young-of-year striped bass and one mummichog. Comb jellies continued
their high numbers with 408, accompanied by three moon jellyfish and seventeen
blue crabs. The river was 69 degrees F, salinity was 9.4 ppt, and the DO was
6.2 ppm.
- Jason Muller, Eli Caref
Our afternoon seine was less successful as we found no silverside, a rarity.
Our catch was totally invertebrates with a dozen blue crabs and 82 comb
jellies. The river temperature and salinity remained the same, and the DO was
up a bit to 6.74 ppm.
- Jason Muller, Anna Mitchell, Ishika Joshi
10/5 – Albany County, HRM 145: Most people plan to check for reptiles and
amphibians crossing roads in the spring but I also find them in the fall moving
back toward their wintering sites. After three days of rain, I surveyed a
stretch of road below Thatcher State Park where I have been checking for the
last 40 years.
Yesterday morning’s rescue tally included seven red-backed salamanders alive on
the road (also one dead on the road); nine spring peepers alive on the road
(also four dead on the road); one green frog alive on the road; two spotted
salamanders alive on the road; two spotted salamander metamorphs alive on the
road; one adult newt, one red eft (both dead on the road); and two dead on the
road hatchling milk snakes.
This morning’s rescue tally included nine red-backed salamanders alive on the
road (also two dead on the road); two alive on the road spring peepers (also
two dead on the road); one gray treefrog dead on the road; two four-toed
salamander metamorphs alive on the road (also one dead on the road). Note:
metamorph is the stage where the aquatic larvae of an amphibian have
transformed into the terrestrial land form. (Photo of red eft courtesy Mario
Meier)
- Al Breisch
[For a good read, see The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State, Al
Breisch, et al. (2007)]
10/6 – Ulster County: Following two more inches of steady rain, I hit the woods
searching for the highly prized maitake mushrooms (Grifola frondosa). I found
them—seven large clusters each over a foot across—burgeoning forth around the
base a large white oak. I photographed one at 15-inches-across and 4½ lb. Their
best-known common name is “hen of the woods”.
This fungus is saprophytic, growing on stumps or at the base of dead or dying
deciduous trees, especially oaks. Considered an extreme health food and immune
boosting, they also have a delightful taste. (Photo of maitake mushroom
courtesy of Mario Meier)
- Mario Meier
[The exact location in Ulster County is intentionally left vague to protect the
fungi from over-harvesting. Foragers would rather give you their car keys than
disclose a location where prime mushrooms were appearing. Tom Lake]
[Eating some species of wild mushrooms can cause sickness and even death.
Despite widespread beliefs to the contrary there is no general rule that allows
you to distinguish between a poisonous mushroom and one that is safe to eat.
Wild mushrooms should only be considered for consumption after being identified
by an expert mycologist and even then, only in moderation with samples of fresh
specimens retained and properly stored to aid in identification whenever
poisoning is considered a possibility. Joining a mushroom club and
participating in lectures, forays and mushroom identification classes is an
excellent way to begin to learn all that needs to be known before you should
feel that you can competently and independently identify a mushroom as being
safe and edible 100% of the time. Steve Rock].
10/6 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 133 south-migrating raptors at the
Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 75;
Cooper’s hawk was next with 25. American kestrel also showed well with eleven.
- Steve Sachs, Tom Fiore
10/6 – Yonkers, HRM 18: The staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban
River at Beczak went seining on a day when our species diversity showed several
changes. For the first time in more than two weeks, we caught shore shrimp
(Palaemon sp.) and sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa). Comb jellies were still
common (34), along with a dozen blue crabs.
Atlantic silverside made a weak showing (7), but the appearance of two bay
anchovies (50 mm) brightened our haul. The river was 70 degrees F, salinity had
risen to 10.12 ppt, and the DO was 5.11ppm. (Photo of bay anchovy courtesy of
Tom Lake)
- Jason Muller, Gabriella Marchesani, Ariel Pennington-Reyes, Michael Castro
10/7 – Town of Esopus: I took my grandsons fishing along the Hudson today.
Using nightcrawlers, we caught the usual white perch by the dozen, as well as
some brown bullheads and yearling striped bass. Then came a huge surprise when
we hooked and landed a 22-inch, 8-10 lb. freshwater drum (Aplodinotus
grunniens). The bright silver and blue-tinted scales made it shimmer. To top
off our incredible day. a 21-inch smallmouth bass pulled out our drag and
skipped on his tail for us. All fishes were unharmed and safely returned to the
water. (Photo of freshwater drum courtesy of Mario Meier)
- Mario Meier
10/7 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 204 south-migrating raptors today at the
Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, sharp-shinned hawk was high count
with 57; American kestrel was next with 53. Turkey vultures, moving in their
biggest numbers so far this season, led non-raptor migrants with 200. At one
point, we had a kettle with a streaming group of more than 100 pass over. We
also counted four monarch butterflies.
- Richard Aracil, Amy Dworetzky, Pedro Troche, Tony Wilkinson
10/7 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 204 south-migrating raptors at the
Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 75;
Cooper’s hawk was next with nine. Tom Fiore arrived on the Hook in darkness and
reported a great-horned owl on the trail near the summit. We counted our first
two black vulture migrants of the season. (Photo of great horned owl courtesy
of Deborah Tracy Kral)
- Trudy Battaly, Drew Panko, Avril Armstrong, Perry Didriksen, Tom Fiore, Tom
White
10/7 – Yonkers, HRM 18: The staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban
River at Beczak hosted third-graders this morning from the Dalton School in
Manhattan. The one fish in our seine that caught most of the attention was the
largest American eel we had ever seen. It did not matter that we were unable to
measure the huge squirming eel-- its impressive presence before it slipped back
into the river was sufficient.
Among ordinary fishes, we counted only Atlantic silverside (14). Invertebrates
included blue crabs (6), comb jellies (18), and moon jellyfish (30). The river
was 69 degrees F, salinity had dropped to 8.1 ppt, and the DO was 5.8 ppm.
- Jason Muller, Bella Biane, with the Dwight School
[Since Yonkers (river mile 18) is in the heart of the lower estuary’s Tappan
Zee, it is often a dynamic blending/mixing reach of salt, brackish, and fresh
water. Daily, even hourly values can show significant changes due to tides,
currents, wind, and precipitation. Tom Lake]
*** Fish of the Week ***
10/8 – Hudson River Watershed: Fish-of-the-Week for Week 141 is the golden
shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) number 52 (of 235), on our Hudson River
Watershed List of Fishes. If you would like a copy of our list, e-mail:
trlake7@xxxxxxx
The golden shiner is one of the widest ranging fish species in the U.S. They
are native to the Atlantic and Gulf Slope drainages from Nova Scotia in Canada
to southern Texas, and from the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River
basins west to Saskatchewan in Canada, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas. They are
one of 35 members of the largest family of fishes, the carps & minnows
(Cyprinidae), documented for our watershed,
The golden shiner gained it reputation as a prime live-bait species for
anglers, often farm raised and sold commercially. While they can grow to a
foot-long, most average six-inches or less. Golden shiners feed primarily on
zooplankton and considerable amounts of filamentous algae. (Photo of golden
shiner courtesy of Cornell University - Department of Natural Resources)
- Tom Lake
Hudson River Miles
The Hudson is measured north from Hudson River Mile 0 at the Battery at the
southern tip of Manhattan. The George Washington Bridge is at HRM 12, the
Tappan Zee 28, Bear Mountain 47, Beacon-Newburgh 62, Mid-Hudson 75,
Kingston-Rhinecliff 95, Rip Van Winkle 114, and the Federal Dam at Troy, the
head of tidewater, at 153. The tidal section of the Hudson constitutes a bit
less than half the total distance – 315 miles – from Lake Tear of the Clouds to
the Battery. Entries from points east and west in the watershed reference the
corresponding river mile on the mainstem.
To Contribute Your Observations or to Subscribe
The Hudson River Almanac is compiled and edited by Tom Lake and emailed weekly
by DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program. Share your observations by e-mailing
them to trlake7@xxxxxxx. To subscribe to the Almanac (or to unsubscribe), use
the links on DEC's Hudson River Almanac or DEC Delivers web pages.
Discover New York State
The Conservationist, the award-winning, advertisement-free magazine focusing on
New York State's great outdoors and natural resources. The Conservationist
features stunning photography, informative articles and around-the-state
coverage. Visit The Conservationist webpage for more information.
Useful Links
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration online tide and tidal current
predictions are invaluable when planning Hudson River field trips. For
real-time information on Hudson River tides, weather and water conditions from
sixteen monitoring stations, visit the Hudson River Environmental Conditions
Observing System website.
DEC's Smartphone app for iPhone and Android is now available at: New York
Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App.
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