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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust 31, 2000 - A guide to oceanfront flora and fauna1 OA • The Suffolk Times • August 31, 2000 A to oceanfront flora and fauna This week our kids and their friends went camping over at Hither Hills State Park at Montauk and they invit- ed us to spend a day with them. It' s a great place to camp but it's a devilish place to try to get a reservation. You have to call in for reservations almost a year Focus ahead of time and even then, if you are not lucky, you can lose out. The worst part of getting over there is getting through the South Shore traffic. If you think we have traffic here on the North Fork, it is nothing compared to what you will run into outside of Southampton, Water Mill, Bridgehampton and East Hampton, but we did make it and were glad to hit the long straight stretch of road that leaves Amagansett and heads towards Montauk. On either side of the road in the sandy soil are scrub pines, bearberry, reindeer moss, and in some of the wet spots you can even find cranberries along this long and straight path head- ing east. When we see the tall radio tower to our north, we know we are almost to the campground. The old radio tower still has its osprey nest midway up its 300- foot -high structure. From there it is only a short way to the camp- ground. Once there we found kids rid- ing bicycles, people walking along just enjoying the open air, and, of course, the surf always in your mind as it fills in the background of sound. Setting off on a dune walk After greetings by all, the campers sort of settled down to their own indi- vidual chores and we were given a chance to take a walk around and familiarize ourselves once again with this ocean - dune area. There are cuts through the dunes that you should take when you want to get out on the beach so as not to disturb the main body of the dune. These little cuts pass along through the beach grass ( ammophila), which is the foothold of the dunes. It's around the stems of this grass that sand is blown and creates the dunes that pro- tect the island from the ravages of the sea. Here and there we saw huge clumps of salt spray rose (rosa ON NATURE by Paul Stoutenburgh Let the Suffolk Times send your PERSONAL MESSAGE. Birthdays Anniversaries Special Occasions Call Christina for details 298 -3200 rugosa), not a true native but an escapee from the Orient that's become a part of our seashore. The rose hips stand out in their bright red - orange color, some almost the size of golf balls. They can be eaten raw, although, I am sure, most would find them a bit on the sour side and full of seeds. We used to collect them and use them in making some of our jams. They always added a bit of color that made the jams look more inviting. We had been familiar with rose hips in Vitamin C supplements but only recently did we discover rose hip jam sold commercially in a specialty shop. To our surprise we noticed it was a product of Bulgaria. Of course, we couldn't pass that up. We had to purchase a jar for future use. Here and there among the dune grass we found the beach pea, which is almost finished for the year. The little, now -dried pods were still clinging to the vine. The beach pea is a welcome addition to the dune area with its violet - colored flowers and minia- ture pea pods, which, by the way, if caught before the insects get into them, are edible and taste very much like the garden vari- ety. Then just outside the dune, before we get out onto the beach itself, is the dusty miller plant that has velvety gray -green leaves and spears of insignificant yellow flowers. It, too, is an immigrant and is found all along our seaboard, where it seems to enjoy the often harsh environment of the beach. Dusty miller can also be found in your garden center and can be added to your home garden. Out on the beach itself are the rem- nants of sea rocket, probably the first plant to grow after the surf finishes washing up on the beach. It has a very minute lavender flower, but its leaves are the important part. Pick one of the leaves and taste it. It has a salty taste and can be added to a salad to give it an extra spicy richness. So we have the first plant after the surf, the sea rocket. As we walk up the beach toward the dunes we hit the dusty miller, then scattered among the dunes are the beach peas. Of course, then the dune grass takes over the whole area and helps create the dunes. We find the highest concentration of rosa rugosa in the protected area in back of the dunes along the roadsides of the campsite with its rose hips showing through almost like blossoms. The flowers usually come in shades of pink but there are also beautiful heads you will see three, four or even five monarch butterflies at one time sipping the nectar so important for their energy boost. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife around the campsite but we knew Mr. Raccoon had been around, as we were warned by the rangers not to leave food out for the always - inquisitive bandit. Deer surely should have been around, but I' m sure the activities around the campsites kept them in the deep woods to the north. We did see some rabbits that came Suffolk Times photo by Paul Stoutenburgh These miniature pea pods with their tiny peas follow the lavender blossoms of the beach pea that grows In the sandy soil all along our shorefronts. They taste very much like our garden variety, but it would take a lot of gathering to make a meal. SOUTHOLD TOWN ANIMAL SUER ADOPT ME Call 7654J11 hoof thy e NORTH FORK ANIMAL tIOSPITAL 58605 ROUTE 25, SOUTHOLD TEL:165 - 2400 MORSEL 3- year -old- female, large, all black. "I was abandoned at the North Fork Animal Hospital!" stands of pure -white blossoms. Because of my limited walking abili- ty I wasn't able to see all the plants of the seashore; one in particular I missed was seaside goldenrod. The plants are seen throughout the sum- mer growing with their big, long - pointed leaves, but it is not until the fall during the months of September and October that the big yellow heads appear. This is the largest of our seaside plants and grows right on the edge of the dunes. It is one of the plants that nourishes the monarch butterflies as they migrate south. Often if you find a nice plant with a series of golden out to enjoy the grass that had been planted around the sites. Then, of course, there are always the gulls that are on patrol and, as I've mentioned before, they have become more and more brazen, some actually swooping down and taking your ham- burger or steak right off the hot grill. This actually happened to us the last time we camped here and so this year we cooked inside a screened shelter away from the hungry gulls. P.S. Had two calls this week you might be interested 10A • The Suffolk Times • August 31, 2000 A guide oceanfront flora and faun Suffolk Times photo by Paul StoutenburghTheseminiaturepeapodswiththeirtinypeasfollowthelavenderblossomsofthe beach pea that grows in the sandy soil all along our shorefronts. They taste very much like our garden variety, but it would take a lot of gathering to make a meal. i ms weex our xtas ano tneir trends went camping over at Hither Hills State Park at Montauk and they invit- ed us to spend a day with them. It's a great place to camp but it's a devilish place to try to get a reservation. You have to call in for reservations almost a year FQCU$ ahead of time and ONeventhen, if you are not lucky, you NATURE can lose out. by PaulTheworstpart $toutenburgh of getting over there is getting through the South Shore traffic. If you think we have traffic here on the North Fork, it is nothing compared to what you will run into outside of Southampton, Water Mill, 13ndgehampton and East Hampton, but we did make it and were glad to hit the long straight stretch of road that leaves Amagansett and heads towards Montauk. On either side of the road in the sandy soil are scrub pines, bearberry, reindeer moss, and in some of the wet spots you can even find cranberries along this long and straight path head- ing east. When we see the tall radio tower to our north, we know we are almost to the campground. The old radio tower still has its osprey nest midway up its 300- foot -high structure. From there it is only a short way to the camp- ground.. Once there we found kids rid- ing bicycles, people walking along just enjoying the open air, and, of course, the surf always in your mind as it fills in the background of sound. Setting off on a dune w_c/ After greetings by all, the campers sort of settled down to their own indi- vidual chores and we were given a chance to take a walk around and familiarize ourselves once again with this ocean -dune area. There are cuts through the dunes that you should take when you want to get out on the beach so as not to disturb the main body of the dune. These little cuts pass along through the beach grass (ammophila), which is the foothold of the dunes. It's around the stems of this grass that sand is blown and creates the dunes that pro- tect the island from the ravages of the sea. Here and there we saw hugeclumpsofsaltsprayrose (rosa rugosa), not a true native but an escapee from the Orient that's become a part of our seashore. The rose hips stand out in their bright red - orange color, some almost the size of golf balls. They can be eaten raw, although, I am sure, most would find them a bit on the sour side and full of seeds. We used to collect them and use them in making some of our jams. They always added a bit of color that made the jams look more inviting. We had been familiar with rose hies in vitamin U supplements but only recently did we discover rose hip jam sold commercially in a specialty shop. To our surprise we noticed it was a product of Bulgaria. Of course, we couldn't pass that up. We had to purchase a jar for future use. Here and there among the dune grass we found the beach pea, which is almost finished for the yeas The little, now -dried pods were still clinging to the vine. The beach pea is a welcome addition to the dune area with its violet - colored flowers and minia- ture pea pods, which, by the way, if caught before the insects get into them, are edible and taste very much like the garden vari- Then just outside the dune, before we get out onto the beach itself, is the dusty miller plant that has velvety gray -green leaves and spears of insignificant yellow flowers. It, too, is an immigrant and is found all along our seaboard, where it seems to enjoy the often harsh environment of the beach. Dusty miller can also be found in your garden center and can be added to your home garden. Out on the beach itself are the rem- nants of sea rocket, probably the first plant to grow after the surf finishes washing up on the beach. It has a very minute lavender flower, but its leaves are the important part. Pick one of th leaves and taste it. It has a salty taste and can be added to a salad to give it an extra spicy richness. So we have the first plant after the surf, the sea rocket. As we waix up the beach toward the dunes we hit the dusty miller, then scattered among the dunes are the beach peas. Of course, then the dune grass takes over the whole area and helps create the dunes. We find the highest concentration of rosa rugosa in the protected area in back of the dunes along the roadsides of the campsite with its rose hips showing through almost like blossoms The flowers usually come in shades of pink but there are also beautiful tands of pure -white blossoms. Because of my limited walking abili- ty I wasn't able to see all the plants of the seashore; one in particular I missed was seaside goldenrod. The plants are seen throughout the sum- mer growing with their big, long - pointed leaves, but it is not until the fall during the months of September and October that the big yellow heads appear. This is the largest of our seaside plants and grows right on the edge of the dunes. It is one of the plants that nourishes the monarch butterflies as they migrate south. Often if you find a nice plant with a series of golden neads you will see t ree, Four or even five monarch butterflies at one time sipping the nectar so important for their energy boost. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife around the campsite but we knew Mr. Raccoon had been around, as we were warned by the rangers not to leave food out for the always - inquisitive bandit. Deer surely should have been around, but I'm sure the activities around the campsites kept them in the deep woods to the north. We did see some rabbits that came out to enjoy the grass that had been planted around the sites. Then, of course, there are always the gulls that are on patrol and, as I've mentioned before, they have become more and more brazen, some actually swooping down and taking your ham- burger or steak right off the hot grill. This actually happened to us the last time we camped here and so this year we cooked inside a screened shelter away from the hungry gulls. P.S. Had two calls this week you might be interested to hear about; one was in reference to an albino fawn and the other was about an albino rac- coon, both seen in Southold. 10A • The Suffolk Times • August 31, 2000 A guide oceanfront flora and faun Suffolk Times photo by Paul StoutenburghTheseminiaturepeapodswiththeirtinypeasfollowthelavenderblossomsofthe beach pea that grows in the sandy soil all along our shorefronts. They taste very much like our garden variety, but it would take a lot of gathering to make a meal. i ms weex our xtas ano tneir trends went camping over at Hither Hills State Park at Montauk and they invit- ed us to spend a day with them. It's a great place to camp but it's a devilish place to try to get a reservation. You have to call in for reservations almost a year FQCU$ ahead of time and ONeventhen, if you are not lucky, you NATURE can lose out. by PaulTheworstpart $toutenburgh of getting over there is getting through the South Shore traffic. If you think we have traffic here on the North Fork, it is nothing compared to what you will run into outside of Southampton, Water Mill, 13ndgehampton and East Hampton, but we did make it and were glad to hit the long straight stretch of road that leaves Amagansett and heads towards Montauk. On either side of the road in the sandy soil are scrub pines, bearberry, reindeer moss, and in some of the wet spots you can even find cranberries along this long and straight path head- ing east. When we see the tall radio tower to our north, we know we are almost to the campground. The old radio tower still has its osprey nest midway up its 300- foot -high structure. From there it is only a short way to the camp- ground.. Once there we found kids rid- ing bicycles, people walking along just enjoying the open air, and, of course, the surf always in your mind as it fills in the background of sound. Setting off on a dune w_c/ After greetings by all, the campers sort of settled down to their own indi- vidual chores and we were given a chance to take a walk around and familiarize ourselves once again with this ocean -dune area. There are cuts through the dunes that you should take when you want to get out on the beach so as not to disturb the main body of the dune. These little cuts pass along through the beach grass (ammophila), which is the foothold of the dunes. It's around the stems of this grass that sand is blown and creates the dunes that pro- tect the island from the ravages of the sea. Here and there we saw hugeclumpsofsaltsprayrose (rosa rugosa), not a true native but an escapee from the Orient that's become a part of our seashore. The rose hips stand out in their bright red - orange color, some almost the size of golf balls. They can be eaten raw, although, I am sure, most would find them a bit on the sour side and full of seeds. We used to collect them and use them in making some of our jams. They always added a bit of color that made the jams look more inviting. We had been familiar with rose hies in vitamin U supplements but only recently did we discover rose hip jam sold commercially in a specialty shop. To our surprise we noticed it was a product of Bulgaria. Of course, we couldn't pass that up. We had to purchase a jar for future use. Here and there among the dune grass we found the beach pea, which is almost finished for the yeas The little, now -dried pods were still clinging to the vine. The beach pea is a welcome addition to the dune area with its violet - colored flowers and minia- ture pea pods, which, by the way, if caught before the insects get into them, are edible and taste very much like the garden vari- Then just outside the dune, before we get out onto the beach itself, is the dusty miller plant that has velvety gray -green leaves and spears of insignificant yellow flowers. It, too, is an immigrant and is found all along our seaboard, where it seems to enjoy the often harsh environment of the beach. Dusty miller can also be found in your garden center and can be added to your home garden. Out on the beach itself are the rem- nants of sea rocket, probably the first plant to grow after the surf finishes washing up on the beach. It has a very minute lavender flower, but its leaves are the important part. Pick one of th leaves and taste it. It has a salty taste and can be added to a salad to give it an extra spicy richness. So we have the first plant after the surf, the sea rocket. As we waix up the beach toward the dunes we hit the dusty miller, then scattered among the dunes are the beach peas. Of course, then the dune grass takes over the whole area and helps create the dunes. We find the highest concentration of rosa rugosa in the protected area in back of the dunes along the roadsides of the campsite with its rose hips showing through almost like blossoms The flowers usually come in shades of pink but there are also beautiful tands of pure -white blossoms. Because of my limited walking abili- ty I wasn't able to see all the plants of the seashore; one in particular I missed was seaside goldenrod. The plants are seen throughout the sum- mer growing with their big, long - pointed leaves, but it is not until the fall during the months of September and October that the big yellow heads appear. This is the largest of our seaside plants and grows right on the edge of the dunes. It is one of the plants that nourishes the monarch butterflies as they migrate south. Often if you find a nice plant with a series of golden neads you will see t ree, Four or even five monarch butterflies at one time sipping the nectar so important for their energy boost. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife around the campsite but we knew Mr. Raccoon had been around, as we were warned by the rangers not to leave food out for the always - inquisitive bandit. Deer surely should have been around, but I'm sure the activities around the campsites kept them in the deep woods to the north. We did see some rabbits that came out to enjoy the grass that had been planted around the sites. Then, of course, there are always the gulls that are on patrol and, as I've mentioned before, they have become more and more brazen, some actually swooping down and taking your ham- burger or steak right off the hot grill. This actually happened to us the last time we camped here and so this year we cooked inside a screened shelter away from the hungry gulls. P.S. Had two calls this week you might be interested to hear about; one was in reference to an albino fawn and the other was about an albino rac- coon, both seen in Southold. 10A • The Suffolk Times • August 31, 2000 A guide oceanfront flora and faun Suffolk Times photo by Paul StoutenburghTheseminiaturepeapodswiththeirtinypeasfollowthelavenderblossomsofthe beach pea that grows in the sandy soil all along our shorefronts. They taste very much like our garden variety, but it would take a lot of gathering to make a meal. i ms weex our xtas ano tneir trends went camping over at Hither Hills State Park at Montauk and they invit- ed us to spend a day with them. It's a great place to camp but it's a devilish place to try to get a reservation. You have to call in for reservations almost a year FQCU$ ahead of time and ONeventhen, if you are not lucky, you NATURE can lose out. by PaulTheworstpart $toutenburgh of getting over there is getting through the South Shore traffic. If you think we have traffic here on the North Fork, it is nothing compared to what you will run into outside of Southampton, Water Mill, 13ndgehampton and East Hampton, but we did make it and were glad to hit the long straight stretch of road that leaves Amagansett and heads towards Montauk. On either side of the road in the sandy soil are scrub pines, bearberry, reindeer moss, and in some of the wet spots you can even find cranberries along this long and straight path head- ing east. When we see the tall radio tower to our north, we know we are almost to the campground. The old radio tower still has its osprey nest midway up its 300- foot -high structure. From there it is only a short way to the camp- ground.. Once there we found kids rid- ing bicycles, people walking along just enjoying the open air, and, of course, the surf always in your mind as it fills in the background of sound. Setting off on a dune w_c/ After greetings by all, the campers sort of settled down to their own indi- vidual chores and we were given a chance to take a walk around and familiarize ourselves once again with this ocean -dune area. There are cuts through the dunes that you should take when you want to get out on the beach so as not to disturb the main body of the dune. These little cuts pass along through the beach grass (ammophila), which is the foothold of the dunes. It's around the stems of this grass that sand is blown and creates the dunes that pro- tect the island from the ravages of the sea. Here and there we saw hugeclumpsofsaltsprayrose (rosa rugosa), not a true native but an escapee from the Orient that's become a part of our seashore. The rose hips stand out in their bright red - orange color, some almost the size of golf balls. They can be eaten raw, although, I am sure, most would find them a bit on the sour side and full of seeds. We used to collect them and use them in making some of our jams. They always added a bit of color that made the jams look more inviting. We had been familiar with rose hies in vitamin U supplements but only recently did we discover rose hip jam sold commercially in a specialty shop. To our surprise we noticed it was a product of Bulgaria. Of course, we couldn't pass that up. We had to purchase a jar for future use. Here and there among the dune grass we found the beach pea, which is almost finished for the yeas The little, now -dried pods were still clinging to the vine. The beach pea is a welcome addition to the dune area with its violet - colored flowers and minia- ture pea pods, which, by the way, if caught before the insects get into them, are edible and taste very much like the garden vari- Then just outside the dune, before we get out onto the beach itself, is the dusty miller plant that has velvety gray -green leaves and spears of insignificant yellow flowers. It, too, is an immigrant and is found all along our seaboard, where it seems to enjoy the often harsh environment of the beach. Dusty miller can also be found in your garden center and can be added to your home garden. Out on the beach itself are the rem- nants of sea rocket, probably the first plant to grow after the surf finishes washing up on the beach. It has a very minute lavender flower, but its leaves are the important part. Pick one of th leaves and taste it. It has a salty taste and can be added to a salad to give it an extra spicy richness. So we have the first plant after the surf, the sea rocket. As we waix up the beach toward the dunes we hit the dusty miller, then scattered among the dunes are the beach peas. Of course, then the dune grass takes over the whole area and helps create the dunes. We find the highest concentration of rosa rugosa in the protected area in back of the dunes along the roadsides of the campsite with its rose hips showing through almost like blossoms The flowers usually come in shades of pink but there are also beautiful tands of pure -white blossoms. Because of my limited walking abili- ty I wasn't able to see all the plants of the seashore; one in particular I missed was seaside goldenrod. The plants are seen throughout the sum- mer growing with their big, long - pointed leaves, but it is not until the fall during the months of September and October that the big yellow heads appear. This is the largest of our seaside plants and grows right on the edge of the dunes. It is one of the plants that nourishes the monarch butterflies as they migrate south. Often if you find a nice plant with a series of golden neads you will see t ree, Four or even five monarch butterflies at one time sipping the nectar so important for their energy boost. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife around the campsite but we knew Mr. Raccoon had been around, as we were warned by the rangers not to leave food out for the always - inquisitive bandit. Deer surely should have been around, but I'm sure the activities around the campsites kept them in the deep woods to the north. We did see some rabbits that came out to enjoy the grass that had been planted around the sites. Then, of course, there are always the gulls that are on patrol and, as I've mentioned before, they have become more and more brazen, some actually swooping down and taking your ham- burger or steak right off the hot grill. This actually happened to us the last time we camped here and so this year we cooked inside a screened shelter away from the hungry gulls. P.S. Had two calls this week you might be interested to hear about; one was in reference to an albino fawn and the other was about an albino rac- coon, both seen in Southold.