THE HERON

Serving the Townships of Smithtown and

Northwest Brookhaven

Spring 2017

A Message from the President 2

Sounds at Sunset 3

The Life Journey of One Canada Goose - Reporting Tagged Birds 4

Rare and Unusual Bird Sightings 5

Gut the EPA? What a Great Idea! 6

Where the Birds Are 8

What’s in a Name 9

Young Birders Corner—Please Don’t Feed Waterfowl 13

Bird of the Month—The Chimney Swift 14

Woodcock Walks at Avalon Park & Preserve:

Tentative Dates:

Wednesday, March 8, 2017—6 p.m.

Saturday, March 11, 2017 - 6 p.m.

Thursday, March 16, 2017—7 p.m.

Please check website or Facebook for final updates

Saturday, March 11, 2017:

Avalon Park & Preserve Bird Walk, 9 a.m.

Frank Melville Memorial Park/Mill Pond

Bird Walk, 11 a.m.

Sunday, April 2, 2017, 9 a.m.

Off the Beaten Path Bird Walk at Nissequogue River State

Park – The Less Traveled Areas of Nissequogue River

State Park. Meet at park office, 799 St Johnland Rd., Kings

Park, NY, Rain date – Sunday, April 9

Saturday, April 8, 2017:

Avalon Park & Preserve Bird Walk, 8 a.m.

Frank Melville Memorial Park/Mill Pond

Bird Walk, 11 a.m.

Saturday, April 22, 2017 – 1-3 p.m.

Kingsland Wildflowers Earth Day Lecture and Green

Roof Garden Tour Joy Cirigliano lectures on "My Yard is 'For the birds' -

What Birds Look For in Urban and Suburban Yards and

Why They Need to be There", Hosted by New York City

Audubon. Location - 520 Kingsland Ave., Brooklyn, NY

Sunday, April 23, 2017, 8 a.m.—Lily Pond Preserve,

Annual Diane Spitz Memorial Bird Walk and Clean Up,

meet at Steuben Blvd. entrance. Please bring gloves and

bags; we will be picking up trash as we bird.

Saturday, May 6, 2017—9 a.m.

Off the Beaten Path Bird Walk at Sunken Meadow State

Park—The Less Traveled Areas of Sunken Meadow. Meet

at the park office. One Sunken Meadow Pkwy. Main park-

ing lot—Field #1

Sunday, May 7, 2017—9 a.m.

Birding by Kayak or Canoe (additional info on page 3)

Saturday, May 13, 2017:

Avalon Park & Preserve Bird Walk, 8 a.m.

Frank Melville Memorial Park/Mill Pond

Bird Walk, 11 a.m.

Sunday, May 14, 2017 - West Meadow Wetlands

Spring Bird Walk, 7:30 a.m. Meet at kiosk at entrance to

Trustees Road.

Sunday, May 21, 2017—Birding Trip to Central Park

See Page 4 for details

Calendar of Events

2

A Message from the President

Joyann Cirigliano

Spring 2017

Powerlessness: that sense of helplessness one feels when

one cannot fix, influence, or affect a problem, issue, or

situation. I have that feeling right now. The current politi-

cal climate, which many people might assume would be

the case, is not the reason. Nope, it's the weather. Last Sat-

urday, at dawn, (yes, I'm one of those who wakes with the

sun...even on weekends,) I heard the usual morning terri-

torial birdsong from my local white-throated and song

sparrows, cardinals, chickadees, a couple of white-

breasted nuthatches, the Carolina wren and an American

robin. Beautiful, yes? Not really, no. Robins should not

be setting up territories on February 18th. They shouldn't

even BE on Long Island until the first week of March.

Then yesterday, in my mid-Suffolk North Shore neighbor-

hood, I looked at my silver and red maples with dismay.

They should be blooming in mid-March at the earliest, yet

on February 24th they were in full bloom - all over my

neighborhood - not good. If we get hit too hard with frost

or a snowstorm – technically, this is still considered

"winter" - we will lose a multitude of summer seeds. In

addition, today I noticed my tulips are coming up, three

weeks earlier than usual. My snow crocuses are almost

ready to bloom...two weeks earlier than I've ever recorded

them blooming. I also saw aphids swarming today, a

month early. While the gardener in me might rejoice, the

ecologist in me shudders, because it means that it may

soon be warm enough, for long enough, to trigger insect

eggs to hatch, or adults to emerge, especially the native

moths and butterflies which overwinter as pupae, with no

leaves to lay eggs on or to eat. Or if leaves emerge too

early, a late frost may kill both the leaves and the insects.

And the birds, which count on them to feed their own

young, will also suffer. All of these things are part of a

complex food web, and things are out-of-phase. And I'm

watching it happen...

So, yes, I have a sense of powerlessness. There is no mas-

sive thermostat I can turn down to drop the temperature

where I live to stop spring from coming too early, to stop

the freak spring snowstorms and cold-snaps that seem to

be happening with more regularity, or the ridiculously hot

summer spikes in temperature we keep having. There is

no giant hose to turn on to halt a localized drought in my

county, and I can't build a giant wall to deflect a hurricane

from my shoreline. All of these things are brought about

by the changing weather patterns we humans have created

in the last 210 years of industrialization. And yes, I am

powerless to stop extreme weather events. So, when I

begin to feel hopeless, I recite my personal version of the

Serenity Prayer:

Wherever the strength and power come from, please give

me the tranquility and balance to accept the things I can-

not change, the knowledge, ability, and courage to change

the things I can, and the wisdom and intelligence to know

the difference.

I cannot stop the tide. I cannot argue with a hurricane. I

cannot reason with a flood or a drought. But what I can

do may stop the underlying issue. I can mitigate climate

change. I can use less fossil fuel, get solar panels, renew,

reuse and recycle. And I can do something just as im-

portant. I can SPEAK UP!

I can (and do) sign petitions, write petitions, write letters

and make calls to my elected officials, big businesses, and

others, explaining to them, cajoling, and beseeching them

to fix the issues. I can (and do) boycott products to make

my point. I will not participate in a one-day gas boycott

because I consider that pointless, but I can and do boycott

one specific petroleum brand. Can you imagine what

would happen if everyone did this to one specific compa-

ny? It sure would make a point, wouldn't it? It's in our

best interest to speak up. NOW. Yes, it's time-

consuming, yes, it's a pain in the...well, you know, and yes

it's work, but it's becoming more and more apparent that

it's necessary. Margaret Mead stated it well, “We have

nowhere else to go...this is all we have. - We won't have a

society if we destroy the environment - Never doubt that a

small group of committed citizens can change the world;

indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

It's time, people. It's time.

3

Spring 2017

Sounds at Sunset Sue Avery

It is an early spring sunset, cold, still and glorious with a

thin crescent moon. A deepening golden sky silhouettes

the filigree of branches on bare trees. We meet in anticipa-

tion to observe a spectacle that is first detected by sound

and our ears are primed. There are twitters, clucks and

chips as birds settle down for the night. Our puffy coats

swish as we walk along paths crisp and crunchy with old

snow. Dogs are barking in the distance as if communi-

cating with each other in the gloaming. A flash of white

tail betrays a deer crashing through the winter-worn grass

behind us. We begin to feel a dampness rising as dusk sets

in. The ping from a car door being locked is a false alarm.

It almost sounds like the “peent”– the very sound we have

all been waiting for - the mating call of a male woodcock.

Further along the trail we hear the deep-throated “who-

who hoo” of a great horned owl, and then another from

across the meadow. I am thrilled to hear the sound of owls

hooting and stand still for a while, listening as the first

stars twinkle above. The thrill continues, as a low-flying

bird seems to come out of nowhere. A rounded shape of a

bird, with its tell tale beak visible, flies past us and lands

in the long grass nearby. It immediately starts its “peent,

peent”. I press a “high-five” with one of my companions

as we realize that the woodcocks are indeed here for their

courtship ritual. Then the performance begins. As we hear

more peents around us, the first-sighted male lifts itself

incredibly high and almost out of sight, a mere speck in

the darkening sky. We lose track of it, but soon a whirring

and kissing sound can be heard as it plunges earthward.

Perhaps, an impressed female bird has viewed this full

feat of love from amongst the dried stalks of grass. The

hooting owls are no longer the center of our attention. For

now, in this meadow at dusk, the woodcocks own the

show.

Four Harbors will be holding evening woodcock walks in early

March. Dates will be posted on our website. Hope to see you

there!

Photo of Woodcock nestling by Sue Avery

COME JOIN US!

Birding by Kayak (or Canoe) - Sunday, May 7, 2017, 9 a.m.

Join us on a kayaking or canoeing trip down the Nissequogue River, on Sunday, May 7th. Meet at Paul T. Given Coun-

ty Park (across from the Smithtown Bull on West Main Street/Route 25, Smithtown at 9 a.m. High Tide at River's

mouth is 9:48 a.m. Low tide is at 3:56 p.m. We'll be looking for spring migrants: warblers, ducks, and other waterfowl,

the elusive and shy clapper rail, American bittern, and other less secretive shorebirds, osprey and other raptors, includ-

ing the possibility of an immature eagle and turkey vultures. We will launch by 10-10:30. Portage will be available for

a small fee, or one can paddle back after tide turns at 3:56 p.m. at River's mouth. Trip generally takes 2-3 hours with no

stops, but we will definitely be longer depending on sightings, stops, and crowd size. The main part of the river is 5.5

miles long. Bring water/beverages, snacks/lunch, sunscreen, binoculars, camera, ziplock bags or other waterproof bags,

a light jacket, and a kayak, paddle and pfd (life jacket). Kayaks and canoes will also be available for rent. Call Joy

Cirigliano (631)766-3075 for more information. Rain date is May 21 @ 8 a.m. High tide is at 7:43 a.m. at River's

mouth; low tide is at 1:58 p.m. at River's mouth.

4

The Life Journey of One Canada Goose-

Reporting Tagged Birds

A tagged Canada Goose was discovered by those of us

conducting the Christmas Bird Count on December 27th.

Canada goose GV9 was subsequently reported by Luci to

the USGS Bird Banding Lab. We were all delighted when

Luci received a response, and would like to share that re-

sponse with you.

Dear Luci Betti-Nash,

Please forgive a strange and unsolicited mail from Den-

mark, but I write to thank you very sincerely for reporting

your exciting observation of Canada Goose GV9. We have

been catching Canada Geese in West Greenland for some

years now because we originally thought that Greenland

White-fronted Geese were the only indigenous geese

breeding in West Greenland. However, in recent years we

have found that there is sub fossil evidence that small Can-

ada Geese (potentially Cacklers) were commonly eaten by

the Greenlanders not so long ago. Furthermore, we have

recently found that the interior Canada Geese that are now

so common in west Greenland have been there for at least

100 years based on shot specimens.

We have been very keen to know where these Canada

Geese go in winter as we assume these are all wintering in

North America. We have neck banded many geese, and

have good numbers of resightings of these that help show

where they go outside the breeding season, but we are al-

ways so very happy to receive information about any of our

geese and their amazing annual migrations.

GV9 was caught and banded as an adult female in an area

called Isunngua, where the lakes have no Greenlandic

names, so our banding crew have given them letter names!

She was caught as part of a catch of 41 adult Canada Geese

on 20 July 2014 on Lake V, which means she was probably

a “non-breeder” that year, as she was not associated with

goslings at the time of capture. I am afraid I do not have

coordinates to hand for this particular lake, but it lies in the

vicinity of 67° 06’N 50° 28’ W if you would like to see on

GoogleEarth whereabouts this is in the world! This area is

just north of the airport and town of Kangerlussuaq, the

main point of entry into west Greenland and a post war

USAF airbase. Thanks very much for taking the trouble to

report these birds and do not hesitate to contact us if you

would like more information.

For those of you who find a banded bird, submit your re-

port to:

The USGS Bird Banding Lab, Pautuxent Wildlife refuge

at: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/index.cfm

You just answer the questions on the page, and that's

it, pretty painless.

For anyone who does see a banded bird, there are a few

things to note in order to answer the questions:

1-is it a collar or a leg band?

2-metal or plastic?

3-color of band

4-color of letters and/or numbers

5-date and place of sighting

6-condition of the bird, if known

7- species of bird (obviously!)

Please always report banded birds, dead or alive. You will

be rewarded with a wealth of information concerning your

bird and the life journey it has led.

Spring 2017

Birding Trip to Central Park - Sunday, May 21, 2017

Join Four Harbors Audubon for a birding trip to Central Park to view late Spring migrants as they rest up before contin-

uing on via the Atlantic Flyway to their northern breeding grounds. Central Park has hosted up to 30 species of war-

blers, some of which include: American Redstart, Tennessee, Hooded, Cape May, Blackpoll, Northern Parula, Canada,

Wilson's, Blackburnian, and many more. Expect to see warblers, vireos, flycatchers, thrushes, swallows, orioles, all in

full breeding plumage, as well as year-round residents and returning resident breeders. We will be taking an early train

in to the city. Bring breakfast/lunch, sunscreen, insect repellent, See our website or Facebook page for additional infor-

mation as it becomes available.

RSVP: fourharborsheron@gmail.com

5

Spring 2017

I am an addict; I freely admit it, and I am proud of it. My

addiction is to birding; I am a slave to this joyous pursuit

that produces an endorphin-like euphoria. I am not alone;

within our midst dwells a growing community of fellow

addicts. We suffer from the anticipation of the search, the

thrill of discovery, the pleasure in identification, and the

satisfaction in confirmation. This is not a weakness; on

the contrary, we birders consist of a conglomerate of

strengths: we are investigators, researchers, pursuers, and

identifiers. We may travel or remain stationary, bird alone

or with others, report on eBird, or not. Whatever the

course we take, the path remains the same, we live for the

unexpected rarities, the species that pass through or return

during migration, and the beloved local and backyard

birds that grace our everyday lives.

Rarities in the Four Harbors Area

An evening grosbeak, a rare visitor to our area, was

reported feeding at a backyard bird feeder in Stony Brook

on January 21st, where coincidentally, three were also

reported in 2012. According to eBird submissions, there

have been no evening grosbeak sightings in Suffolk

County since the irruption of 2012, so this is exciting!

A Nashville Warbler was discovered at the Setauket

Greenway Trail by Luci on December 26th, and coopera-

tively remained at the site for our Christmas Bird count on

the 27th. The continued presence of the bird was docu-

mented through January 1st.

For at least the third winter running, Setauket Mill Pond

has hosted an Eurasian green-winged teal. The species,

known as the common teal in Europe, is a regular but un-

common visitor to our area. In addition to the Setauket

teal, there have been only 19 other individuals, noted with-

in 26 ebird reports, reported in Suffolk and Nassau Coun-

ties between the years of 2002 and 2016.

A pair of tundra swans were reported on the Smithtown

Christmas Bird Count, and remain at Lake Ronkonkoma

as of the writing of this article.

Other Uncommon Species

This winter, Suffolk and Nassau birders have reported, in

various locations: red-headed woodpeckers, barnacle

goose, Ross’s geese, black-headed, glaucous, and Iceland

gulls, Eurasian wigeon, cackling geese, a Townsend’s sol-

itaire in Southold, a sandhill crane in Wainscott, and a

continuing pair of rufous hummingbirds in Aquebogue. In

addition, long-eared, short-eared, and northern saw-whet

owls have been documented at various locations, includ-

ing Jones Beach.

Rare and Unusual Bird Sightings Patrice Domeischel

Nashville Warbler, Patrice Domeischel

Eurasian Green-winged Teal, Patrice Domeischel

Evening Grosbeak, Luci Betti-Nash

6

Gut the EPA? What a Great Idea! Joy Cirigliano

I have been trying mightily to reserve judgement on our

current President, his administration, and his policies. In

my opinion, everybody has the ability to do what they

feel is necessary to fix what they feel may be an issue. I

don't agree with a number of President Trump's views,

but I find that I do actually agree with some of them. I

do agree that there are a large number of illegal aliens in

our country and something needs to be done to fix the

issue, but I don't think we should summarily deport all of

them and build a massive wall along our southern bor-

der. I think that there should be another healthcare plan

in place before Obamacare is dismantled and the Afford-

able Care Act is revoked. I'm not thrilled that Roe vs.

Wade may be overturned in the near future. I'm of the

opinion that stopping travel from the 7 Muslim countries

of Iran, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Sudan and Yemen

will not stop terrorist attacks, and I find it interesting that

Saudi Arabia, and Morocco are not being banned. And

yes, I agree that U.S. companies should manufacture

their products IN the U.S., more jobs need to be created,

and that American Steel should be used in infrastructure

projects but not at the expense of our air and water...

President Trump signed executive orders to revive the

controversial Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipe-

lines. He could have chosen to help to create wind and/or

solar-power jobs instead. Why didn't he? He also signed

an executive order to expedite environmental reviews of

other infrastructure projects, lamenting the existing

“incredibly cumbersome, long, horrible permitting pro-

cess.” (There's a reason for that – we like clean drinking

water and prefer to breathe clean air, hence strong regu-

lations governing projects and companies, to insure wa-

ter and air quality.) The world’s climate scientists, the

people who use the water supplies near the pipelines,

Nobel Prize winners, and others have explained over and

over why these pipelines are detrimental to both climate

change and the environment, yet President Trump seems

to ignore the explanations in order to keep his promise to

create more jobs. Of course, the oil companies are

thrilled. I'm sure Canada is, too. Unfortunately, those tar

sands up in Canada may be the straw that breaks the

planetary camel's environmental and climatic back.

Another executive order signed by Trump directs each

federal agency to establish a regulatory reform task force

to ensure every agency has a team to research all regula-

tions and take aim at those deemed burdensome to the

U.S. economy. I'm sure one of the biggest offenders will

be the EPA, whose regulations pertaining to clean air

and water, are certainly encumbering companies with all

sorts of pesky rules about dumping toxins in rivers,

pumping pollutants into the air... and Trump has called

the EPA a “disgrace” and vowed to reduce the agency to

“tidbits”.

And then there's Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Interior,

the department responsible for the management and con-

servation of most federal land and natural resources, the

man who frequently votes against environmentalists on

issues ranging from coal extraction to oil and gas drill-

ing. The man who has shifted his views on climate

change from pro to con. Since 2010, he has repeatedly

expressed doubt about anthropogenic climate change and

during Senate confirmation hearings on his nomination

as Interior Secretary, Zinke said that humans "influence"

climate change, but did not acknowledge the scientific

consensus that human activity is the dominant cause of

climate change. This is the man in charge of our Nation-

al Parks, Fish and Wildlife Services, US Geological Sur-

vey, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean En-

ergy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental

Enforcement and the Office of Surface Mining, Recla-

mation & Enforcement. He will be the one who hands

out the energy and mineral leases in our national parks.

And Scott Pruitt is now in charge of the EPA. Scott

Pruitt, who claimed the science of Climate Change is

“Far From Settled”. Scott Pruitt, who, in 2014, was

caught in a secretive alliance with oil and gas industry

insiders aimed at tearing down environmental protec-

tions, one of which was Harold Hamm, Trump’s top in-

terim energy adviser and CEO of the country’s largest

fracking company. I'm grateful he declined the position

of Secretary of Energy. That position is waiting to be

filled by Rick Perry, who said during a Senate confirma-

tion hearing that global warming caused by humans is

real, but that efforts to combat it should not cost Ameri-

can jobs. Now isn't that a fine sentiment?

Spring 2017

7

Some recent Headlines about Scott Pruitt:

The Guardian – Feb 25, 2017 - Scott Pruitt vows to slash

climate and water pollution regulations at CPAC - Head of

the EPA told the conservative audience they would be

‘justified’ in believing the environmental regulator should

be completely disbanded.

The Huffington Post – Jan 18th, 2017 - Bernie Sanders Lays

into Trump’s EPA Pick for Doubting Climate Science -

EPA nominee Scott Pruitt believes his personal beliefs on

climate change are “immaterial.” Sanders disagrees.

The New York Times – Jan 14, 2017 – Scott Pruitt,

Trump's EPA pick, backed Industry Donors over Regula-

tors

But the most critical issue with having this person as head

of the EPA is the fact that in his previous position as Attor-

ney General of Oklahoma, he sued the EPA 14 times. He

repeatedly sued the Environmental Protection Agency to

try to block rules intended to protect the nation's air and

water. In all but one of the cases, regulated industry players

also were parties. And these companies or trade associa-

tions in 13 of these cases were also financial contributors to

Mr. Pruitt's political causes. Research pulling these cases

came from Environmental Defense Fund, but it was con-

firmed by The New York Times. Such a waste of time and

money to try to get around the rules that keep our air, soil

and water clean.

I've finally had enough. I trust I'm not the only one. I can-

not stand idly by and watch my planet go up in flames. I

don't like the fact that the EPA and the environment are on

the chopping block. I know we need jobs, but last time I

checked we needed the planet more. Making money will be

immaterial if there is no food to buy with it because noth-

ing grows in drought conditions, or if the ecosystem col-

lapses. Having the funds to buy a house will be pointless if

it's burned down in a fire, flooded out due to extreme storm

surges, or knocked down because of a tornado or hurricane.

Being able to afford bottled water is useless if there's no

clean water to bottle. And how does one purchase clean

air? I think it is past time for environmental services to

have an economic dollar value. How much is it worth to

have a clean river? Fresh air? Open space? I'm done hiding

in a corner. I'm finished with keeping my opinions to my-

self unless asked. I plan on joining others to march on

Washington DC. See the following websites:

https://350.org/april-29-2017-lets-march/

https://www.marchforscience.com/

I will be calling and writing to all of my representatives,

creating and signing petitions, and doing whatever else I

can think of to stand up for what I believe in. I, and others

like me, will be watching every move these men make. I

will continue to lecture and hold workshops about the is-

sues at hand. I will comment on wind turbine and solar

panel placement, fossil fuel use and pesticide and fertilizer

restrictions. I will continue to do everything in my power to

make sure there is still clean air, clean water, clean soil,

biodiversity, open spaces, and a habitable planet for those

who come after me. I will now do so vociferously, with

verve, vim, and vigor. I will not be silent, nor will I keep

my opinion to myself until this crisis has passed. And I

plan on asking everyone I know to help. Because we need

all the voices we can get. For your children's sake and their

children's sake, I hope you do the same. This is not the time

to stay silent.

Spring 2017

8

President Donald Trump:

Comments: 202-456-1111

D.C. Office: 202-224-6542

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand:

D.C. office: 202-224-4451

Melville office: 631-249-2825

U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin:

D.C. office: 202-225-3826

L.I. office: 631-289-1097

Gov. Andrew Cuomo:

Albany office: 518-474-8390

State Sen. John Flanagan:

Albany office: 518-455-2071

Smithtown office: 631-361-5367

State Sen. Ken LaValle:

Albany office: 518-455-3121

Mount Sinai office: 631-473-1461

State Assemblyman Steve Englebright:

Albany office: 518-455-4804

East Setauket office: 631-751-3094

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Whether you are happy with the current administration or you are discouraged, please

let your elected officials know how you feel about the issues affecting us. Let your voice

be heard.

Where the Birds Are Susan Child Beck

As the weather warms, birders are on the lookout for signs

of spring. We notice the sound of morning bird song, sig-

naling that breeding territories are being established.

Courtship behavior begins. Soon we see birds carrying

nesting material. Our local birds are pairing up, always

fun to watch. The pinnacle of spring is migration. We are

watching for birds returning to our area to breed, but we

are also looking for migrants that stop here to fuel up on

their journey to more northern climates. We will only see

these birds for a short time as they pass through.

Two of my favorite, but different, areas come to mind

when I think of spring birding on Long Island.

Jones Beach State Park, is located on our southern coast-

line. Jones Beach can be reached by traveling south on

either Meadowbrook State Parkway or Wantagh State

Parkway. Either way, head west on Ocean Parkway to the

West End Boat Basin. Plan this trip when the tide is at its

lowest point. You can see some species of shore birds on

the exposed sand bars. Look for American oystercatch-

ers, black-bellied and semipalmated plover, ruddy turn-

stone, sanderling, dunlin, willet, and red knot. A variety

of gulls and tern will be there, some to nest, some still

migrating north. Some terns include: Forster’s, least, and

roseate. Piping plover and least tern are both threatened

species that breed at Jones Beach. Be mindful of protect-

ed areas. While you are at Jones Beach, check out the

grassy shore line for glossy ibis. Your best chance of see-

ing these birds is in May to early June. Look for warblers

and other land birds on the median and at the Coast Guard

Station. Listen and look for killdeer on grassy areas.

Lily Pond Park and Preserve. Lily Pond is located in

Ronkonkoma, at the end of Steuben Boulevard which is

off of Gibbs Pond Road. The park contains many large,

tall oak trees which are a favorite for warblers. There is a

nice stand of pine trees which has been home to great

horned owls. Also, you may see wood duck, great blue

heron, and spotted or solitary sandpiper on the pond. Bal-

timore orioles are summer nesters at the park, and scarlet

tanagers may be seen as they pass through. During spring

migration, a great variety of warblers visit Lily including

Nashville, northern parula, yellow, Blackburnian, yellow-

rumped, palm, pine, American redstart, common yel-

lowthroat, and ovenbird. During spring, at any time, you

might also see a variety of other migrating birds.

Happy Birding!

Spring 2017

9

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Patrice Domeischel

That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet

William Shakespeare

Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos; Orange-

crowned Warbler, Oreothlypis celata; and Blue Grosbeak,

Passerina caerulea. We are all familiar with the common

names of these species, but why are they given a scientific

name? What are the origins of these and other scientific

names? What does it all mean?

Simply said, scientific names eliminate confusion. Before

the Swedish botanist, Carl van Linné, Latin version, Caro-

lus Linneaus, came to the rescue in the 18th century, there

was no unified system to identify living organisms. Within

neighboring regions, you might find the same species, but

known by a different name. Differentiating names between

languages was a problem, and there was some duplication

of names in distinctly separate species as well! For exam-

ple, the robin, American and European, are entirely differ-

ent species. Linneaus (1707-1778), known as the father of

taxonomy, developed a binomial system to name and or-

ganize species that is the foundation for the system we still

use today.

In the system of binomial nomenclature, a two-part name is

assigned to a species. That name, thee scientific name, de-

scribes the evolutionary relationship of the species, and is

italicized, and most times in Latin or Greek. It consists

first, of the genus and second the species. The genus de-

scribes a group with common characteristics, for instance,

the genus of dabbling ducks is Anas. Aythya, the genus of

water birds, includes the divers. The second part of the sci-

entific name may illustrate how a species was perceived by

those who named it. Clues to the origin of the name of a

species may be found in the physical appearance, behavior

or habits of that species, or derived from the place or habi-

tat in which it was discovered. Alternately, the name may

reflect an honor bestowed upon the discoverer or describer

of the species. It most often makes sense, but sometimes

not!

Scientific names sometimes reference plumage details or a

characteristic, either obvious or not.

Cyanocitta cristata, the Blue Jay, is derived from the

word cyaneus, meaning dark blue, kitta from the

Greek kuanos meaning chattering bird, and cristata,

meaning crested.

Oreothlypis celata, Orange-crowned Warbler: Ore-

othlypis, meaning mountain bird, from the Greek

oros, mountain, and thlypis, a bird; celata from the

Latin, celatus, meaning hidden, that refers to the

very rarely seen orange crown on this warbler.

Passerina caerulea, Blue Grosbeak: the Latin, caeru-

lea, meaning cerulean, and passerina, meaning

sparrow.

The scientific names of the Mallard, American Avocet,

Black Skimmer, and Northern Shoveler duck all refer to the

bill of the species:

Anas platyrhynchos, Mallard; meaning flat-billed dab-

bling duck

Recurvirostra americana, American Avocet: an Amer-

ican bird with a recurved bill. Avocet, by the way,

comes from Avocetta, Italian for graceful bird.

Rynchops niger, Black Skimmer: from the Greek

rynchas and ops, meaning beak and face, and the

Latin niger, meaning black.

Anas clypeata, Shoveler Duck: clypeum, from the Lat-

in for shield - so shield-shaped, dabbling duck, re-

ferring to its large bill.

And some names are derived from behavior:

Mimus polyglottos, Northern Mockingbird: Mimus re-

fers to the behavior this species is most famous for

- mimicking other bird songs, as well as the myriad

of other sounds heard during its lifetime, and poly-

glottos, referring to a polyglot, one who is multi-

lingual.

Molothrus ater, Brown-headed Cowbird: from the

Greek, molobrus, meaning beggar or parasite, and

ater, Latin, meaning black. This is an apt name for

the parasitic species that is known for their habit of

laying their own eggs in the nests of other species.

Melanerpes erythrocephalus, Red-headed Woodpeck-

er: melas, Greek, for dark, and herpes, meaning

creeper, and erythrocephalus: Greek, erythros, red,

and the Latin, cephala, head. Thus: the Red-

headed Woodpecker.

Some are obvious. Guess the bird species denoted by this

Latin-derived name: Cardinalis cardinalis. Yes, the cardi-

nal!

The origin of some species names can be traced back to the

originator of the name:

Wilsonia pusilla: This was the original name of Wil-

son’s Warbler. Wilsonia, after Alexander Wilson,

who described the warbler in 1811. This warbler is

now known as Cardellina pusilla—pusilla, meaning

very small, and Cardellina from the Italian,

Cardella, the European goldfinch.

Spring 2017

10

Setophaga townsendi, (formerly Dendroica townsendi):

Townsend’s Warbler. Named after John Town-

send, an American naturalist. From the Greek

Setos, meaning insect, and phagein, to eat.

It has been determined that this warbler as well as

many others formerly of the Genus Dendroica

instead belong in the Genus Setophaga. Dendroica

from Dendron, tree, and oikos, home or habitat.

Just to make things more confusing, as you can see from

the paragraphs above, species names are not set in stone.

Periodically taxonomists review and reclassify species

based upon new genetic research and findings proving a

different relationship between species. The most recent

taxonomic reshuffling took place in 2016. But we won’t

get into that today!

So now you know the scientific names of some bird

species. I stress some; we have only touched the tip of this

iceberg! I have not even mentioned species not found in

the United States! Test your memory by matching the sci-

entific name to its common counterpart. Or figure out one

not mentioned above! For example: Northern Cardinal =

Cardinalis cardinalis.

Answers on page 16.

House Sparrow Recurvirostra Americana

Yellow-headed Blackbird Gymnogyps californianus

Northern Mockingbird Rynchops niger

American Avocet Passer domesticus

Blue Grosbeak Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Northern Shoveler Buteo jamaicensis

Downy Woodpecker Anas clypeata

Wilson’s Warbler Passerina caerulea

Black Skimmer Mimus polyglottos

California Condor Cardellina pusilla

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

Red-tailed Hawk Picoides pubescens

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis

For more information regarding taxonomy and nomenclature:

Lederer, Roger and Burr, Carol. Latin for Bird Lovers, Timber Press, 2014.

http://www.audubon.org/news/here-are-biggest-changes-aou-checklist-north-american-birds

https://sbpoley.home.xs4all.nl/ukrb/scientific_names.html

Spring 2017

11

Spring 2017

Four Harbors Conducts Duck Day

and Important Bird Area (IBA)

Counts

Photo Joe Kelly

January 7th was a frigid, snowy day at Blydenburgh Park,

as two of us from Four Harbors, as well as Tracey and

Mike, bird walk regulars, braved the conditions. Visibil-

ity was low, and the wet snow further interfered with our

efforts, leaving wet blotches on glasses, binoculars, and

scope! We were able to count 28 species, only 8 of

which were waterfowl. An active hotspot, teeming with

birds, was found on the drive into the south entrance to

the park, and included 4 purple finches, 2 male and 2 fe-

male type. On the north side of the park, at least 59 rusty

blackbirds, camouflaged by the wetland mud in which

they were feeding, lifted up in waves as we watched and

counted. Waterfowl included: Canada geese, mute

swans, ring-necked ducks, hooded mergansers, American

black duck, mallard, gadwall, and one lone bufflehead.

Long Beach on February 4th:

Five of us searched the Long Beach LI Sound side, the

dock side, and the surrounding grassy areas in 22 degrees

cold, windy, but thankfully sunny weather. Afterwards a

check of the southern environs of the park, viewed from a

residential street vantage point, was conducted. Nine wa-

terfowl species were found including: hooded and red-

breasted merganser, bufflehead, long-tailed duck, greater

scaup, mallard, Canada goose, mute swan, and common

goldeneye . Also seen were two American tree sparrows,

various expected gull species, common loons, belted

kingfisher, and sanderlings. A merlin and 42 snow

buntings were the highlights of the search.

February 18, Sunken Meadow:

What a beautiful, sunny, and warm day! Five searchers

spent over five hours at Sunken Meadow, finding every-

thing from the waterfowl we were primarily there to lo-

cate, to four raptor species including what appeared to be

a peregrine but was reported as a “falcon sp.” Yellow-

rumped warblers, sparrows, great blue heron, several spe-

cies of woodpecker, and cedar waxwings were seen.

Male red-winged blackbirds were heard and seen as they

returned to the area. Fourteen species of waterfowl were

located some of which included one horned grebe, 553

Canada geese - one a tagged individual, 237 greater

scaup, brant, long-tailed duck, bufflehead, and common

goldeneye. Although we searched for a Barrow’s, none

was found! Forty-four species and one other taxonomic

species total, not a bad day!

2016 Christmas Bird Count Results

It was an exciting day for those of us participating in the

117th annual CBC. Our regular circuit included an early 4

a.m. owl search at Luci’s house, East Farm Preserve, Ava-

lon Preserve and at the “screech owl tree” in Mount Sinai.

A successful dawn search for clapper rails followed at

Chandler. At Cedar Beach, we found purple sandpipers,

and horned grebe, goldeneye, and other waterfowl. Misery

Point at McAlister Park turned up two ravens and a pere-

grine falcon in the midst of combat. A cooperative Nash-

ville warbler , found the previous day by Luci, was still

present at the Setauket Greenway Trail. Also giving us

great views was a Merlin with prey, and two more ravens

(possibly the same two seen at McAllister.) A common

yellowthroat was present at Lily Pond.

A compilation of all the Smithtown CBC results can be

found on the next page. Four Harbors’ counts are in blue,

the total Smithtown team counts are in red, and the 2015

results are in gray, and listed above the red and blue totals.

12

2016 Christmas Bird Count Results FHAS compilation courtesy Luci Betti-Nash

Spring 2017

13

Spring 2017

Please Don’t Feed Waterfowl By Iris Rosenhagen Drawing by Cayla Rosenhagen

Iris and Cayla Rosenhagen are 12-year old twins who reside

in our area. Both are avid birders and nature lovers.

I’d like to tell you about why you shouldn’t feed waterfowl.

I live in Brookhaven on Long Island, and we’re really lucky

to live where we have so many beautiful parks and pre-

serves. Citizens have worked really hard to protect natural

habitats for wildlife in our town. And that has created many

places for us to enjoy nature. Many people enjoy feeding

human food to wild ducks, geese, swans, and other water-

fowl.

But did you know that Brookhaven actually has a law that

makes this illegal? The purpose of this law is to protect the

health, safety, and welfare of our community by prohibiting

the feeding of waterfowl in Town of Brookhaven parks.

Feeding waterfowl increases the potential for damage to

public parks, can cause water quality problems, and can in-

crease the possibility for the spread of disease to residents

caused by increased rodent populations.

This law applies to all parks, playgrounds, athletic fields,

swimming pools, beaches, boardwalks, marinas, and all rec-

reation areas under the ownership and juris-diction of the

Town of Brookhaven. Many other places on Long Island

have similar laws which often go unfollowed.

You may think that you are helping the birds by feeding

them, but actually you are hurting them and us. Foods like

bread, popcorn, and cereal are junk food for birds. It causes

poor nutrition. Have you ever noticed one of these birds

that looks like she has a droopy wing? That’s called Angel

Wing and happens when waterfowl don’t get enough of the

right nutrients. It’s permanent and they can’t fly so it makes

them vulnerable to getting hurt. By feeding waterfowl, an

unnatural amount of birds flock to one place, that can cause

overcrowding. That leads to water pollution because of too

many bird droppings in one place. People feed them where

the birds go to the bathroom. That results in disease when

they eat food mixed with droppings. Besides feeding water-

fowl, I bet you’ve seen lots of seagulls in a parking lot all

fighting over French fries that someone is feeding them.

This is not the right natural setting for them, and it’s danger-

ous because the birds can get hit by cars. Also, feeding wa-

terfowl causes delayed migration because they stick around

for the food. But if a sudden extreme cold front comes in,

they might not survive it. Feeding them causes other unnat-

ural behavior like swans being aggressive to people. Some

people feel the Mute Swan population has grown too much,

and they are too aggressive. A lot of people say they eat too

much aquatic vegetation and this can hurt other species.

That makes some people want to cull the population by

hunting them and oiling their eggs. If eggs are oiled, they

won’t hatch because oxygen cannot get through the oil-

blocked pores of the eggshell. I want to point out that other

studies disagree with those statistics, and I personally be-

lieve it’s not right to kill the Mute Swans.

Finally, people are not appreciating the birds like they

should be. If there were tons and tons of gold in the world,

people would think of it as an ordinary, everyday item.

When birds are overcrowded in one place because people

keep feeding them, they aren’t looked at as special as they

really are. They go from wonder to pest.

Odds are, if you’ve enjoyed Brookhaven’s parks and fed

waterfowl there, you’re probably an animal lover who

thought you were helping them. But now you know how

you can really help them. Learn more about them and help

to protect their natural habitats. You can still go to the parks

and have fun watching them. Just please, don’t feed them.

14

BIRD OF THE MONTH—CHIMNEY SWIFT Patrice Domeischel

llustration by Cayla Rosenhagen

How do you choose a “spring” bird of the month? So many

compelling species pass through or return during migration:

orioles, vireos, flycatchers, and warblers - flashy little

aviators whose plumage screams “pick me, pick me!” But

what of the chimney swift? This nondescript, sooty gray or

black little bird is often unnoticed until its twittering chatter

draws your attention skyward. Their agile, aerial maneu-

vers as they hawk for insects are reminiscent of swallows,

and they are sometimes mistaken for them. So, let’s reac-

quaint ourselves with the chimney swift.

Chimney swift, Chaetura pelagica, comes from the Greek

Chaetura, meaning “bristle-tail” referring to the stiff spines

on its tail, and “pelagica” meaning “of the sea.” Although

not a pelagic species, one source theorizes that the name

might be derived from an ancient myth where fishermen

would sometimes catch nets full of torpid swallows”. ¹

These birds were at one time known as American swifts

and called so by John James Audubon.

Known affectionately as the “flying cigar,” the chimney

swift has a short body and tail. Its longer wings cross over

its bristle-tipped tail feathers, an adaptation that, along with

its claws, helps the swift to cling to vertical surfaces. Its

family name, Apodidae, means “without feet,” but this is

false. While in flight the swift’s very small feet and short

legs are just not visible. Because the diminutive feet of a

swift make it difficult to perch or stand upright, it will

spend a great deal of time in flight, only alighting during

times of rest or during brooding.

Historically, chimney swifts were known to nest in hollow

trees or caves. With increased human habitation and clear-

ing of forests, available nesting sites became scarce. Swifts

adapted to this loss by nesting in man-made structures such

as chimneys, smoke stacks, abandoned buildings, stone

wells, and air shafts. These additional nesting sites helped

to increase swift population numbers.

Known for “site tenacity,” swifts faithfully return to the

same nesting locations each year, and sometimes over

many generations. It is thought that over time the bird be-

comes familiar with an area, its predators, and local dan-

gers. A stable nest site resulting in repeated breeding suc-

cess will increase the chances of the bird’s return to that

area. Unfortunately, in recent years, chimney swift num-

bers have been in decline. It is thought that the main causes

of this decline are the manufacture of steel-lined chimney

interiors, ones on which swifts cannot cling, and the in-

creased use, by homeowners and businesses, of chimney

caps meant to keep out wildlife. Therefore, site tenacity

may also be due, in part, to a scarcity of alternate nesting

areas.

The nest, built by both male and female, is comprised of

twigs glued together with the birds’ saliva, and resembles a

half saucer. It is attached to the inside of a vertical struc-

ture, the location averaging about 22” from the top. Nest

building may take from 18 to 30 days, but sometimes, the

eggs, are laid in the nest even before it is complete! Incu-

bation of three to five eggs is shared by both adults, and

after 18 or 19 days, the young hatch. Both adults feed the

young until about 30 days after hatching, sometimes with

the additional help of the nestlings’ older siblings. Alt-

hough chimney swifts may gather in groups of thousands to

roost after nesting is complete, there will usually be only

one active nest per structure during the breeding season.

The swift consumes a diet consisting of mosquitos, flies

and termites, caught while in flight, and totaling one third

their own weight every day. They are a natural insecticide!

One of our neotropical migrants, chimney swifts travel to

the upper Amazon basin of Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Bra-

zil at the first sign of freezing weather.

One way you may assist chimney swifts is to erect a Chim-

ney Swift Tower, a man made structure built specifically

for swifts. You may find additional information at this site:

chimneyswifts.org.

¹The Birder’s Handbook, p. 405

Spring 2017

15

LONG ISLAND

NATURAL HISTORY CONFERENCE

Friday and Saturday, March 24-25, 2017 at Brookhaven

National Laboratory Horseshoe Crabs: Global Conservation Icon in Dire

Straits.

Freshwater Fishes of Long Island: What are they and

where did they come from?

Restoring Tributaries and River Herring on Long Island

Herpetofauna of the Northeast Coastal Region

What's so special about the Long Island Dwarf Pine

Plains?

The American beachgrass microbiome: spying on private

conversations underground.

Plankton blooms, decreasing temperatures and recent fish-

kills: is there a connection?

What Every Naturalist Should Know About the Geologic

History and Glacial

Geomorphology of Long Island

From Plankton to Whales: Why our local waters are worth

protecting.

Bluefin Tuna Ecology and Management

Wicked Neat; the Natural History of Vernal Pools.

Long Island’s Role in the Comeback of the Great White

Shark.

Salt Marshes: A Natural and Unnatural History

Plum Island: Biological Linchpin of an Archipelago

To register and for more information:

https://www.longislandnature.org

My Yard, Our Sound

Nature Friendly Landscaping Workshops

My Yard, Our Sound!

You can help the birds and the bees and the fish!

A Maritime Explorium project funded by the Long Island

Sound Future Fund, the Environmental Protection

Agency and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

We can help you transform 100 square feet of your yard

into a butterfly, bee and bird friendly habitat that keeps our

waterways clean and clear for our fish friends!

You will get practical information on how you can trans-

form a lawn into a garden without breaking your back or

the bank! Upon completion of the project you are eligible

to receive a $50 reimbursement towards the purchase of

appropriately sourced native plants!

Requirements:

Your property must be within the Long Island Sound

watershed. That means, the water on your street drains to

the Sound. If you are unsure about your eligibility please

email us for help!

You must have authorizaiton to do the work on the

property of interest.

Select appropropriate plants, lists will be provided.

Share a "before" and "after" photo of your 100 sq. feet.

We can't wait to see your transformation!

Registration required.

All workshops will run from 9:00AM-11:30AM Multiple

dates and locations to choose from - please select a date

that works for you and double check that you know the

location. You only attend one workshop date to partici-

pate!

Dates to choose from: Jan. 28,29, Feb. 18, 19, Mar. 25, 26,

April 29, 30, May 27, 28, June 24, 25.

All workshops are FREE OF CHARGE! Reimbursements

will be within 30 days of expense if all requirements of the

project are met.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/my-yard-our-sound-

nature-friendly-landscaping-workshops-tickets-

31275703471

16

Like us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Four-Harbors-Audubon-Society/152428014767332

Follow Four Harbors on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com\4harborsAudubon

You may also e-mail us at: fourharborsaudubon@gmail.com

BOARD MEMBERS

Joyann Cirigliano, President/

Atlantic Flyway Projects Coordinator

Sue Avery, Vice President

Sue Beck, Treasurer

Elaine Maas, Recording and Corresponding

Secretary/Education Coordinator

Luci Betti-Nash

Bird Walks/Christmas Bird Count Chairperson

Joe Kelly, Public Relations/ Photographer

Jim LaRosa, Web Designer

Patrice Domeischel

Newsletter Editor/eBird Submissions

Conservation Chair: open

Field Trip Coordinator: open

Answers to Scientific Names Quiz

Four Harbors Audubon Society Wants You!

Four Harbors is looking for dedicated people, bird and

nature lovers from all walks of life, to get involved!

Whatever your area of expertise, we welcome you!

Serve on, or head, one of our committees.

Help plant native gardens that benefit our local birds and other wildlife.

Participate in the annual Birdathon and Christ-mas Bird counts.

Help out during special events, and work on conservation projects!

Contact us at: fourharborsheron@gmail.com or fourharborsaudubon@gmail.com

Spring 2017

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos

American Avocet Recurvirostra Americana

Blue Grosbeak Passerina caerulea

Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata

Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens

Wilson’s Warbler Cardellina pusilla

Black Skimmer Rynchops niger

California Condor Gymnogyps californianus

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis