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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 06, 1988 - Perusing the Flora and Fauna of the Barrier BeachPerusing the Flora and Fauna of the Barrier Beach By Paul Stoutenburgh We decided to take an ocean walk last week and so headed for Shinnecock. Southampton Town has probably one of the finest stretches of sandy beach found anywhere in the country. Like other things that many of us have taken for granted, we often do not appreciate the uniqueness of these vast spans of moving sand. Not living with the roar of the ocean in our ears, a visit to the ocean is always a treat. Perhaps that is why years ago when the op- portunity to become a naturalist on the seashore at Fire Island became available, I jumped at it and it's probably why that Last Week's Solution same ocean beach still lures me today. There is an extra plus for the birder who goes for an ocean beach walk at this time of the year for it is the time when, if conditions are right, he or she might get a glimpse of the magnificent flights of hawks that pass along the outer beaches. What it takes in weather is a high pressure area to the west that brings a good northwest wind to us. It's onthesewindsthatthe hawks and other birds make their passage south. Unfortunately, we chose a day that the southwest wind, our on -shore breeze was blowing. We saw only a few hawks. Once a merlin flew right over our heads and gave us a real good look at this rather unusual hawk. It was a great thrill for both of us. Then besides a few kestrels, we had a marsh hawk with its characteristic white rump working low over the dunes to our left. As we watched this dark - phased hawk work back and forth in its westerly direc- tion, it stirred up a huge flock of tree swallows that were feeding on the abundant bayberries so indigenous to this sandy area. These tree swallows use the outer beaches to migrate through and on the right day it seems like a continuous stream as they feed on insects while in flight. Today the wind was not favorable and so they gathered together to feast and refuel for the next leg of their journey when more favorable winds would prevail. I believe tree swallows are the only swallows that can survive on something other than in- sects. This might account for why we see stragglers often as late as November along the south shore. They can survive on bayberries. We could tell fall was upon us, for the seaside goldenrod was starting to bloom. This is our latest goldenrod to blossom and we'll find traces of it blooming right up to frost time. It' s a rugged and colorful plant that is often found right under the dune line taking the full fury of the ocean spray. It is the time of the year when the dune grasses are forming their seed heads. This one plant is the key to the barrier beach's success. Without its annual abundance of seeds that propagate into new plants for the next year and the prolific underground run- ners that extend the plant into new loca- tions, there would be no barrier beach. It is this beach grass or Ammophila (meaning sand lover ") that captures the blowing sands that create the dunes that hold back the mighty ocean. Of course, there are other plants that help, such as the salt spray rose whose rose hips are now ripening. These tasty but seedy orange -red hips make a good snack on an ocean walk and when collected and culled of their seeds, can be made into a tart but tasty jam. Beach plum is also a salt spray - tolerant shrub that does well in the dune line. Here again the fruits make one of the seashore's best jams. The first plant to take the fury of the B7 ocean spray and stinging wind - blown sand is sea rocket. Its glory days are just about over and what you'll see now are mostly seed pods on an almost leafless plant. When tender and young the leaves make a snack food and often are gathered for salads later. Dusty miller, an immigrant from the far East, has made itself at home along the en- tire eastern seaboard and does its part in protecting the barrier beach. Everywhere we looked we saw old plant friends. The beach pea with its now dry pods held the secret for next year's plants. Sea spurge, that prostrate plant of the dunes, still held on with its deep root system and flat foliage letting the sea spray and wind -blown sand howl above it. Back at the car we emptied our shoes and socks of sand and then headed west along Dune Road slowing up here and there to en- joy a pair of mallards feeding or a view of the now - crimson Salicornia that nestled close to the road. The great salt marsh that spread to the north of the road was flooded with the new moon's spring tide. It was here we saw eight or nine of the tall thin - necked great white egrets standing like statues busy stalking minnows in the inundated marsh. Their hunting technique is a masterpiece of slow motion. Our driving and stopping to observe must have startled a great blue heron that was feeding close to the road for it flew up in fright, beating away on its huge six -foot wings.