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Home My WebLink AboutJanuary 30, 2003 - The East End's frequent flier January 30, 2003 • The Suffolk Times � e as � n s re uen . ler ... �� irP,� . :.-"�~�� ..1 . � `. � ::��: ", ��'�MyNIOuI�� III 6.�;�� ... U°� �� "., �� . - . ,M.:,, . : : � r;yr : ,a.«... : . , � ,.,.� ..�..>., �� .,,.�.,us�u..-, ' ..,�,..`�>, y�� , �� . � -� � �� xaes r�, ._�„.„��nr ----�«.,,... �i.._ M-r�—�..*-,�,,,.„�,wnann-.,_ ��""".,.....,..u-. � .�,� ��;, ,,.�.....: r.�_«..K:,�.��.�n�x,uA .<,...,,,. ,�..... . .. ...:...m:,w ., . .;, �-• ;:�.• �:uw ._ , Tlmes/Review photo by Paul Sroutenburgh With this cold weather most of the ceeeks and bays are frozen over. In the last open water you'll probably flnd the red-breasted mergansers diving for snails,small crabs and sleeping killifish as survival food.The male red-breast- ed merganser is a handsome bird and he's already courting the much-less- gaudy female. L�,T's xEtvtitviscE ABovT a bird starlings flock together to feed and you're all familiar with.As a matter roost.If you know of their roosting of fact,if I were to ask you what the area,you have probably watched most common bird on the North them funnel in by the hundreds.The Fork is,I wonder if you'd say it was roost I'm most acquainted with is a the common starling? If so,you'd be great phragmites marsh.The starlings right.We have flocks of hundreds, roost deep in it and spend the night sometimes thou- there.At dawn they rise like some sands,of them great plume of smoke,thousands F��:V$ drifting back starting off on their quest for food. �N and forth here Most will split up into smaller groups on the North of 50 to 100.When there's little dan- NATURE Fork,trying to ger from predators,they fly in loose b Paul make it through groups.When hawks are about,the Y Stoutenburgh the winter. flock will fly in a tight ball of whirling During the wings that seems to confuse the hawks winter we see and provide safety for the flock. IYs remar a e t at t is �r as done so well in such a short time,for it t e area.No matter what the weather, as only introduced here in the late the machines kept going.We turned 1800s.Today it is found in every state. around and headed back to It's a native of Europe and Great Ponquogue Bridge,that long bridge Britain.It seemed to us that in our that connects the outer beach to the travels around,whether in Florida, mainland.If you know where to turn Texas,Canada,Alaska or Iceland,star- just before the bridge you can get to lings would always be there at the air- an area that is left from the old bridge port to greet us. and now used as a fishing pier.It's As I sit at my desk looking out, always good to drive down to see if small groups of starlings come into the there is anything of interest.The only bird feeders and suet and seem to thing we found was a female DEC gobble up everything in front of them. officer.We pulled up alongside and In winter the bird is blackish,speckled asked if she had seen any snowy owls with white or gray.This speckling have to admit it helps keep down the or anything of interest.All she could gradually disappears in late winter unwanted insects,so I'll have to let point to were a few rugged mer- when the bill of the male changes him share my suet and bird seed. gansers diving off the beach.So once from dark gray to yellow.I see this Each year Barbara and I make a again we were disappointed and change in one or two of the starlings point of traveling over to the south turned around and headed this time that are in my yard right now,which is side to check on winter birds.We go to' over the Ponquogue Bridge to the a hopeful sign that the joys of spring Westhampton,then head for the end,where we made the same are not that far away. bridge that crosses over to Dune approach on the other side to the old These birds have appetites for any- Road where we travel eastward to- bridge that runs parallel to the new. thing that is edible:my bird seed,suet, �,ard Shinnecock Inlet. Here again a fishing pier had been or in the summertime just about any Usually along this road we pick up a made.We stopped the car and I got insect that moves,from the earthworm snowy owl,a bittern or some of the out to a biting north wind and to the Japanese beetle or wasp—any- �,onderful ducks like pintails,shovel- walked to see if there was anything thing that gets in its way.It's a fero- ers,etc.,but not this time.We saw worthwhile around.Two brants •��ere cious feeder on insects and does good none of these and were very disap- feeding along the rocks.These birds, in that respect.To someone interested pointed.Of course,we have had terri- small versions of geese,were almost in wildlife,it's a curse,for when it bly cold weather for the last three wiped out when the eel grass epidem- comes to nesting time the starling will weeks and most of the water was ic took over in the '30s.As you may drive out the woodpeckers,crested fly frozen except for out in the bay,where recall,the eelgrass in our bays and catchers,bluebirds;it takes over any- the north wind with its accompanying creeks disappeared.It was the main thing that has a cavity nest.Manmade waves kept the area open. food for the brant but somehow they structures are ideal,whether it's a After we passed all the houses we have been able to hang in there and, birdhouse or the loose clapboard on came to the natural area where we as the eelgrass is starting to come my barn,where it will squeeze under saw black ducks snuggled down on the back,they,too,are making their and build its nest. frozen edge;the strong north wind return. I've even seen starlings building seemed not to affect them at all.As The only other bird I saw was a their nests behind the big signs at we watched,other black ducks came female hooded merganser,a little out King Kullen.Any cavity will do.One in and dropped down in their magnifi- of place for I usually think of them in of the things that helps them be so cent descent to join the rest on the icy freshwater,but all the freshwater is prolific is that they usually have two marsh edge. frozen by now.I did see a small spar- broods a season and on some occa- We drove along until we came to row,but the wind was blowing so and sions even three.Another thing in Shinnecock Inlet,where we found a the water was running out of my eyes their favor is that they live so long. massive project going on rebuilding so I couldn't quite focus on it with lfiere was a bird banded in Islip some the jetty.Monstrous boulders,huge my binoculars.I had hoped for some- years ago and recaptured in the same ranes and other machinery littered thing interesting like a seaside or an spot 11 years later.That sounded pret- Ipswich sparrow,but no,I'd have to ty good to me until I looked in my let it go and say it was probably noth- encyclopedia and found that over in ing more than a song sparrow.How Belgium one banded starling lived for this little ball of feathers was able to 20 years. make it this far through this cold win- So Mr.and Mrs.Starling,like so ter is just a miracle.I was glad to get many things in this world,have a good back in the car and head for home. side and a bad side.For the grape But before we left the area,we made grower and the farmer with his corn a stop at Tully's Fish Market to get and early peas,he's a real problem. some of their very good chowder.It For the bird watcher,he robs the nest- warmed us and tasted good besides. ing sites of our native birds and there- Our trip was not too productive,but fore is not appreciated.However,in it did get us out and we were able to the overall view of this bird,I think I'd once again see nature in the raw.