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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOctober 27, 2005 - Marsh adjusts as waters riseServing Long Island's North Fork since 1857 Marsh adjusts as waters rise Focus on Nature By Paul Stoutenburgh How did you like the 13 to 14 inches of rain we had recently? Add the gale force winds to make sure the week's weather was miserable and you've got a mess on your hands. Our part in all this was to keep two small boats pumped out. We'd go put on our rain gear and boots and pick up a couple of five- gallon buckets and we were ready. It seemed every time we went to pump out the boats the tide was high, and I mean very high. One day when we went on our routine pumping spree the road was closed because the water from the nearby creek rose so high it made it impossible to pass through that way. Few people ever see the clapper rail that lives in our creeks; more likely they hear its call: 'Kidick kidick kidick.' Here we see the female fluffed out over her eggs in the dry sand of the lower beach. Times /Review photo by Paul Stoutenburgh As we headed out to the boat I was lucky I didn't wade over the top of my knee -high boots, but Barbara's boots filled up with water just a few feet from the safety of the dock. "Never mind," she said as she sloshed out onto the dock that was just about level with the high water. On our return to the car I had to help her lift her legs high enough to let the water run out of her boots before she got into the car. What a sorry state the boats were in. One had but an inch more to go and it would have sunk. The two small electric pumps were immediately put to use, but they would take all day to pump the boats out, so I got in the half - filled boat and proceeded to bail with the five- gallon bucket wed brought along. That really worked and within 20 minutes the boat was back to normal. (This process was repeated every day for three days during the heavy downpours.) Now that we'd kept the boats from sinking, we had time to look around. By looking into the clear water along the edge of the high -tide marsh, I could see killies having a ball with their newfound grazing area. This new and fertile ground gave them a completely new menu to draw from. Tiny insects, worms and bugs of all sorts provided them what would amount to a Thanksgiving dinner to us. They' d have to eat fast, for the tide was changing and soon their new source of food would be out of reach. Also in the clear water we could see the little marsh aster that's seldom noticed. Usually we see asters in the fall along the road edges in open fields or in the woods. Few realize we have this dainty little white aster growing out on the marsh, with its roots in the saltwater. Here it was under a foot of water, still showing itself to the world. How strange our marsh looked during the peak of those high tides. Our familiar fall marsh had disappeared and in its place was a huge, new lake with only the occasional tops of the tallest marsh grasses showing. Is this what the scientific world is telling us about, the eventual rising of the earth's waters owing to a warming and melting of the polar ice caps? Granted, this problem is still far down the road from us, but were told it has already started. Let's get back to our rains. The Suffolk Times I Marsh adjusts as waters rise Page 2 of 2 Reporter The super -high tide disrupted many of the marsh's residents. The voles that had eaten their way through the fine marsh grass, creating a network of tunnels that were out of reach of the normal high tide, now had to leave the security of their tunneled The North Shore Sun home and retreat to higher, less -known territory. The rabbit that knew the marsh edge like the back of its hand also had to seek new and unfamiliar ground. That reminded me of years ago when we had a flash flood over by wickhams Creek. It rained so hard that a rabbit was caught in a drain that ran under the road. As the water rose higher and higher, it decided this was no place for a rabbit, so it made a dash to safety. The trouble was, there was no land nearby that wasn't under water. So you know what it did — it jumped in and swam just as well as you can imagine. When it got to high land it shook itself and then ran off as if nothing had happened. It was the only time I ever saw a rabbit swim. It proved the old adage that all animals, big and small, know how to swim. While we were pumping the boats out, a clapper rail flew over our heads to get to new ground. Even the clapper rail that lives in the marsh had to seek out its living elsewhere, for the water now was too deep for its short legs. The clapper rail gets its food by probing the soft bog with its long, narrow bill and picking up worms, small Insects, fiddler crabs and any other edible creatures that happen to be nearby. Now it would have to retreat, as we saw it flying over us to an entirely new hunting ground. Back home we were soaked from our outings so rain gear was hung up to dry, wet clothes went into the washroom and showers never felt so good. Writing this after the week of rain and wind, the world is slowly getting back to normal, the sun is shining once again and a good breeze is blowing that will help dry out our soggy world. Still, one doesn't have to look far to see the tattered leaves and broken branches strewn about to be reminded that it was quite an unusual week of wind and rain. 2005 Times - Review Newspapers Terms of Service - Privacy Policy http: / /www2.timesreview.com/ST /stories /313198935500132.php 10/27/2005 The Suffolk Times •October 27, MMarsh adjusts as waters rise HOW DID YOU LIKE the 13 to 14 inches of rain we had recently? Add the gale force winds to make sure the week's weather was miserable and you've got a mess on your hands. Our part in all this was to keep two small boats pumped out. We'd go put on our rain gear and boots and pick up a cou- ple of five -gallon buckets and we were ready. It seemed every time we went to pump out the boats the tide was high, and I mean very high. One day when we went on our routine pumping spree the road was closed because the water from the nearby creek rose so high it Focus ON NATURE by Paul Stoutenburgh Bible to pass through that way As we headed out to the boat I was lucky I didn't wade over the top of my knee -high boots, but Barbara's boots filled up Suffolk Times photos by Paul Stoutenburgh Above: Few people ever see the clapper rail that lives in our creeks; more likely they hear its call: `Kidick kidick kidick: Here we see the female fluffed out over her eggs in the dry sand of the lower beach. Below: This clapper rail is using the `distraction display' to protect her nest. The bird pretends to be injured so that an intruder sees an easy meal and goes after the `crippled' bird. When the bird has lured the danger far enough away from the nest, she flies off, leaving the intruder bewildered. with water just a few feet from t i e safety of the dock. "Never mind," she said as she sloshed out onto the dock that was just about level with the high water. On our return to the car I had tc help her lift her legs high enough to let the water run out of her boots before she got into the car. What a sorry state the boats were in. One had but an inch more to go and it would have sunk. The two small electric pumps were immediately put to use, but they would take all day to pump the boats out, so I got in the half - filled'boat and proceeded to bail with the five -gallon bucket we'd brought along. That really worked and within 20 minutes the boat was back to nor- mal. (This process was repeated every day for three days during the heavy downpours.) Now that we'd kept the boats from sinking, we had time to look around. By looking into the clear water along the edge of the high -tide marsh, I could see killies having a ball with their newfound grazing area. This new and fertile ground gave them a completely new menu to draw from. Tiny insects, worms and bugs of all sorts provided them what would amount to a Thanks- giving dinner to us. They'd have to eat fast, for the tide was changing and soon their new source of food would be out of reach. clear water we could see the little marsh aster that's seldom no- ticed. Usually we see asters in the fall along the road edges in open fields or in the woods. Few realize we have this dainty little white aster growing out o the marsh, with its roots in the saltwa- ter. Here it was under a foot of water, still showing itself to the world. How strange our marsh looked dur- ing the peak of those high tides. Our familiar fall marsh had disappeared and in its place was a huge, new lake with only the occasional tops of the tallest marsh grasses showing. Is this what the scientific world is telling us about, the eventual rising of the earth's waters owing to a warming and melt- ing of the polar ice caps? Granted, this problem is still far down the road from us, but we're.told it has already started. Let's get back to our rains. The super -high tide disrupted many of the marsh's residents. The voles that had eaten their way through the fine marsh grass, creating a network of tunnels that were out of reach of the normal high tide, now had to leave the security of their tunneled home and retreat to higher, less -known territory. like the back of its hand also had to seek new and unfamiliar ground. That reminded me of years ago when we had a flash flood over by Wickhams Creek. It rained so hard that a rabbit was caught in a drain that ran under the road: As the water rose higher and higher, it decided this was no place for a rabbit, so it made a dash to safety.' The trouble was, there was no land nearby that wasn't under water. So you know what it did — it jumped in and swam just as well as you can imagine. When it got to high land it shook itself and then ran off as'if nothing had hap- pened. It was the only time I ever saw a rabbit swim. It proved the old adage that all animals, big and small, know how to swim. While we were pumping the boats HOW out, a clapper strange rail flew over our our marsh heads to get to new ground, Even the looked clapper rail that during the lives in the marsh peak ofhadtoseekoutits living elsewhere, those high for the water now tides. was too deep for its short legs. The clapper rail gets its food by probing the soft bog with its long, narrow bill and picking up worms, small insects, fiddler crabs and any other edible creatures that happen to be nearby. Now it would have to retreat, as we saw it flying over us to an entirely new hunting ground. Back home we were soaked from our outings so rain gear was hung up to dry, wet clothes went into the wash- room and showers never felt so good. Writing this after the week of rain and wind, the world is slowly getting back to normal, the sun is shining once again and a good breeze is blowing that will help dry out our soggy world. Still, one doesn't have to look far to see the tattered leaves and broken branches strewn about to be reminded that it was quite an unusual week of wind and rain.