A Project of the Hudson River Estuary Program
Compiled and edited by Tom Lake, Consulting Naturalist
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Overview
The autumn raptor migration was in full flight. Many species arrive from points north and northeast and depart toward the south, south-southwest at what seems to be naturally predetermined intervals through August and September. From Putnam County, we had a remarkable reminder of the incredible time depth of human presence in the Hudson Valley.
Highlight of the Week
 9/14 – Bronx, New York City, HRM 16: Walking along Van Cortland Lake, I was fortunate to spot an American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus). Although southern New York is one of the rare areas where they are year-round residents, Audubon indicates they have become much less common in the southern end of their breeding range. They hide very well along the Phragmites, common at Van Cortlandt Lake, so I was glad to see that this one granted me a brief human audience.
Since bitterns are rarely seen but more often heard, the "ter" in "bittern" is actually related to "Taurus" because of the bull-like sounds they make. It's been theorized that the final "n" got added by word association with their cousin, the heron, that used to be called a “Hern.” (Photo of American bittern courtesy of Mike Leveille)
- Scott Ahearn
[Essex County’s (Adirondacks) Mike Corey has annual visits from one or more American bitterns. They take up seasonal residence in his “back forty” where a wetland/pond provides suitable habitat. Mike knows when they’ve arrived each season by hearing their “bad plumbing” call. Tom Lake]
Natural History Entries
 9/11 – Hudson Highlands: With sober memories of 9-11 on my mind, I took a solo night-hike on a wooded trail in the Hudson Highlands. With senses at high alert, the forest at night unveils a complex community of life, largely through sounds, smells, occasional sightings, and the stinging bites of mosquitoes reminding us they are there.
Even on the darkest of nights, as this was, on a well-worn trail it is possible to find your way by the feel of the soil, shadows or the absence of shadows, and a good bit of intuition. Even with that bit of magical navigation, there are times when a good headlamp is a must.
As I hiked up a slope, I sensed more than saw, movement on the periphery of my head lamp's narrow cone of light. It was a full-blown striped skunk, an arm's length away, and going my way. I must have been upwind of the scent. I froze. I decided not to challenge him for the lead.
At the top of the hill, in full stride, I walked right up to a 27-inch-long copperhead stretched across the dirt path. Had I not had my head lamp on, I would have stepped on the snake. I got as close as I dared to get a photo of the head, but after a minute or so, the copperhead slithered away into the underbrush. (Photo of eastern copperhead courtesy of Tom Lake)
- Tom Lake
[The eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper, endemic [native] to eastern North America. Adults grow to a typical length of 20–37 inches). Within its range, it occupies a variety of different habitats favoring deciduous forest and mixed woodlands. It is often associated with rock outcroppings and ledges. During the winter it hibernates in dens or limestone crevices, often together with timber rattlesnakes. In New York State, copperheads are restricted to the southeastern corner of the state, particularly the Hudson Highlands. Al Breisch The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State (2007)]
 9/11 – Putnam County: We live in a late 1800’s home near the Hudson River and had recently begun re-seeding bare spots in our lawn. While raking the soil and pulling out a few large stones, my son discovered something hard in the ground just a few inches below the surface. As he washed off the dirt, he recognized it as an “arrowhead.” We had no way of knowing its significance or what it represented, except that it looked authentic. A photo of the point reached the Hudson River Almanac where its identification and significance were determined. (Photo of Lamoka point courtesy of Sylvia Wallin)
- Sylvia Wallin, Christopher T. Wallin
[Sylvia’s 87-millimeters-long (mm) projectile point is a Lamoka. Artifacts, in this instance stone modified by human hands, have a series of physical attributes. Not unlike identifying a fish by it fins, a tree by its leaves, or a salamander by its spots, the stemmed neck, weak shoulders, and overall dimensions if this artifact suggest that this is a Lamoka.
However, this is not an “arrowhead.” Lamoka points were part of a closely related suite of point types that featured a stemmed base where it was hafted (attached) to a wooden shaft. This time period is referred as the Narrow-stemmed Tradition (NST). Collectively they date to about 4,200 years ago, more than twenty-two centuries before bow-and-arrow technology reached the Hudson Valley from the Midwest. Sylvia’s artifact was either a spear point, a knife, or a 'dart' point for an atlatl or spear-thrower, the precursor to the bow-and-arrow. The point appears to have been fashioned from a cryptocrystalline sedimentary rock called chert, specifically a type of Helderberg chert possibly from a quarry near Coxsackie, 70 miles upriver.
While stone tools cannot be directly dated, prehistoric dates are arrived at by creating a long series of radiocarbon dates derived from organics such as bone, ash, and shell found in direct association with stone tools.
Who made and used Sylvia’s Lamoka point? Truthfully, we do not know. However, given the location along the Hudson River, our best guess is they were ancestral Munsee or Leni-Lenape people, ancestors of those who met the Dutch on the river 2,500 years later. These Algonquian-speakers were hunters, gatherers, fishers, and foragers. Their band likely consisted of families and extended families, trusted friends, clan members and others, perhaps totaling 35-40 people. Hunting territory was their prime resource, so they were highly mobile, moving from place to place where they could best exploit the seasonal floral and faunal opportunities. Sylvia’s yard may have been a spring fishing camp where they would spend a month or two, and go to the river to catch herring, shad, and sturgeon. Or maybe an autumn camp where they would stay for a while to hunt waterfowl in the wetlands and tidemarshes. With this artifact in hand, and closing your eyes, you might be able to visualize the scene 4,200 years ago, perhaps even smell the wood smoke. Tom Lake]
[Much like bald eagle nests, rattlesnake and copperhead dens, fields of prickly pear, and stands of orchids, exact locations of archaeological finds are kept vague to protect the sensitivity of the site. Such finds can be subject to the all-to-often unbridled zeal of collectors. Archaeological sites on which I have worked have suffered middle-of-the-night visits after vandals heard rumors of “Indian artifacts” and dreamt of “Coronado’s Gold.” Tom Lake]
[One inch = 25.4 millimeters (mm)]
9/11 – Bedford, HRM 35: This was our biggest day of the season so far. The northwest winds in the morning brought us our first decent broad-winged hawk kettles. Shortly after the winds shifted to southwest, activity died down dramatically and osprey became the main species cruising through. Among the 371 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, broad-winged hawk was high count with 296; osprey was next with 46.
- Richard Aracil, Abbey Butler
9/11 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 140 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. broad-winged hawk was high count with 74; osprey was next with 27. This morning we had a close fly-by of an adult red-headed woodpecker moving from west-to-east across the summit. Monarch butterflies (48) were migrating as well.
- Tom Fiore, Lianne Ng, Raimund, Max Miller
9/11 – Manhattan, HRM 2: Hudson River Park’s River Project staff checked the sampling and collection gear that we deploy off Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. Our all-star staff made their way through post-Hurricane Ida New York City to check on the Wet-lab and our traps. Today’s collection included two black sea bass (50-60 mm) and one blue crab (100 mm).
-Natalie Kim, Yaritza Morales
[Blue crab measurements are taken in millimeters (mm) point-to-point across their carapace. Tom Lake]
 9/12 – Essex County: I love to get into a kayak just before dawn on Pyramid Lake, paddle to the southern end, place myself well away—at least a couple of hundred yards—from the loons, and observe them as they sleep. Oftentimes I am treated to a concert of their unforgettably haunting songs not long after they awaken. Just before the music began on this morning, I spotted a large raptor circling well above the island treetops. I assumed they were nesting at the top of the rugged hillside on the southeastern corner of Pyramid Lake. As I photographed and recorded the two singing loons, I noticed movement at the back of the lake and was delighted to see an adult bald eagle alight in a tree. (Photo of common loon courtesy of SUNY ESF Newcomb)
- Steve Rock
9/12 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 13 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, broad-winged hawk was high count with four; osprey and American kestrel were next with three each.
- Richard Aracil, Abbey Butler, Tait Johansson
9/12 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 18 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Osprey was high count with 12; bald eagle was next with three.
- Felicia Napier
9/13 – Saugerties, HRM 102: This was Day 20 for the present harbor-seal-in-residence. Last evening, friends reported seeing the seal near a sunken house barge up Esopus Creek. Then, this afternoon, the seal was back in the river at the Saugerties Lighthouse. We still need a photo that includes the tail-flipper tag for certainty. However, if he lost the tag during his 123 days traveling elsewhere, we may never know this seal’s true identity.
- Patrick Landewe
9/13 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 143 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, broad-winged hawk was high count with110; merlin and American kestrel were next with nine each. With the light northwest winds, we were expecting it to be a more active day than yesterday, which it definitely was, although certainly not anything epic. It was a nice day for monarchs (190) as well as ruby-throated hummingbirds (20).
- Richard Aracil, Abbey Butler
9/13 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 88 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Broad-winged hawk was high count with 31; American kestrel was next with 26. An amazing 361 monarchs were counted along with 21 ruby-throated hummingbirds.
- Tom Fiore, Vince Plogar
9/13 – Manhattan, HRM 2: Hudson River Park’s River Project staff checked the sampling and collection gear that we deploy off Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. Today’s catch was dominated by five blue crabs (130-150 mm) and six black sea bass (40-80 mm).
-Siddhartha Hayes
9/14 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 340 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, broad-winged hawk was high count with 277; osprey was next with 36.
Broad-winged hawks were good during the first two hours with low liftoff, streaming, and forming small kettles. The last hour of yesterday's watch was by far the busiest with low-flying broad-winged hawks looking to settle down in the area, so it made sense that there would be some liftoff this morning. Another a nice day for monarchs (180) as well as ruby-throated hummingbirds (12).
- Richard Aracil, Tait Johansson, Abbey Butler, Kevin McGrath, Pedro Troche, Steve Walter
 9/14 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 414 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Broad-winged hawk was high count with 335; American kestrel was next with 36.
In mid-afternoon, a breeze deflected up the southern cliff of Hook Mountain and a single croaking raven contentedly surfed east-to-west on the resultant invisible wave. Suddenly, a merlin exploded from nowhere attacking the raven and forcing it to reverse course flapping wildly back east. The attack continued out beyond the Hudson River precipice when an interested peregrine falcon also appeared from nowhere, joining the fray. Big mistake! The merlin immediately focused its fury onto the peregrine falcon, driving it down into the North Nyack gulf. All was quiet for a minute when two more merlins appeared high over the summit in full dogfight-play behavior, an exhilarating sight! They vanished again as quickly as they had appeared. We counted 333 monarchs today for a two-day total of 694 (spotted primarily by Vince Plogar) seen flying southwest over Hook’s summit. (Photo of monarch butterfly courtesy of Tom Mitchell)
- John Phillips, Mary Iorizzo, Tim Brew, Vince Plogar, Will Scheck, Verna Manion (excellent spotting by six observers).
9/14 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Our education staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak made five seine hauls today netting 178 fish. It was no surprise that Atlantic silverside was high count with 113 (we never grow tired of seeing or counting them). Young-of-year Atlantic menhaden was next with 53. A most welcome sight was the young-of-year striped bass. Nine of them at 140 mm suggested good growth for the 2021 year-class. Blue crabs that seemingly “own” the Tappan Zee in late summer were also well represented. The river was 76 degrees Fahrenheit (F), and the salinity had dropped to 3.52 parts-per-thousand (ppt).
- Jason Muller, Anna Mitchell, Bella Biane, Ishika Joshi
9/14 – Manhattan, HRM 2: Hudson River Park’s River Project staff checked the sampling and collection gear that we deploy off Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. Today’s catch was a single blue crab (110 mm).
-Natalie Kim, Yaritza Morales
9/15 –Bolton Landing: In last week’s Almanac (see 9/3) we included a photograph of what was thought to be an American Burying Beetle. However, Matthew Schlesinger, Chief Zoologist, New York Natural Heritage Program, alerted us that while it was a burying beetle, it was a far less-rare tomentose burying beetle (Nicrophorus tomentosus). Dr. Schlesinger notes that “the American Burying Beetle has not been seen in New York for many decades.” He is part of a team attempting to reintroduce the species to central New York, led by SUNY Cobleskill. He adds “we hope that someday New Yorkers can simply happen upon an ABB again!”
- Tom Lake
*** FISH-OF-THE-WEEK ***
 9/15 – Hudson River Watershed: Fish-of-the-Week for Weeks 138 is the lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus), number 141 (of 235) on our watershed list of fishes. If you would like a copy of our list, e-mail - trlake7@aol.com.
Lumpfish is classified as a temperate marine stray and is the only member of its family (Cyclopteridae) found, albeit very rarely, in our watershed.
Lumpfish are decidedly oblong and lumpy. While the colloquial or common name “football fish” has been claimed for a species of deep-sea angler fish, the lumpfish looks remarkably like a small football. There are very few forms of wildlife whose common name is a better fit. Bigelow and Schroeder refer to them as “ungainly.” In their 1953 classic, The Fishes of the Gulf of Maine, they refer to them as “lump,” or collectively, “the lumps”.
Adults are found along inshore waters over rocky bottoms from Hudson Bay in Canada to northern New Jersey, and as a rare stray to Chesapeake Bay. Basically, a solitary bottom fish, they feed on isopods, amphipods, small crustaceans, small fishes, and ctenophores, and have a ventral sucking disc that allows them to hold fast in strong currents. Most lumpfish average a foot-long but can reach 23-inches. While they are rarely eaten, their roe, a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, is marketed as an inexpensive caviar.
Bob Schmidt investigated Hudson River lumpfish records at the New York State Museum and found a report by ichthyologist Samuel Latham Mitchill of two “lump suckers” (C. caruleus; synonym for C. lumpus), from “the bay of New York,” caught in commercial shad nets on April 11 and May 14, 1815 (On the Fishes of New York 1815).
However, the only Hudson River record is an eight-inch lumpfish I pulled out of Ron Ingold’s commercial shad net at midnight under the George Washington Bridge in May 1992. (Photo of lumpfish courtesy of Tom Lake)
- Tom Lake
9/15 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted only six south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch. Bald eagle was high count with three; osprey was next with two.
- Steve Sachs
9/15 – Manhattan, HRM 2: Hudson River Park’s River Project staff checked the sampling and collection gear that we deploy off Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. Today our traps held a black sea bass (45 mm), an oyster toadfish (210 mm), and one gorgeous tautog/blackfish (315 mm).
-Toland Kister, Helena Kilburn
 9/16 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Our Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak staff made five seine hauls today, and the highlight of our catch was no larger than a quarter: A moon jellyfish!
Among the lesser lights were Atlantic silverside, striped bass, white perch, American eel, and the usual blue crabs. The river was 74 degrees F, and the salinity was 4.77 ppt. (Photo of moon jellyfish courtesy of Tim Heusinger)
- Jason Muller, Diane McKay, Bella Biane
[Young medusae (umbrella-shaped) moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) appear in the lower estuary in summer and early fall. They are true jellyfish, plankton feeders, with several hundred fringed tentacles that serve as sticky collectors of both phytoplankton and zooplankton. Adult moon jellyfish, with a pinkish rubbery umbrella up to ten-inches-across, are most commonly associated with ocean beaches. They are frequently stranded at the high-tide line and, while non-stinging, have startled many a beach walker who happen to step on one. Tom Lake]
 9/17 – Delmar, HRM 143: Across an hour late this morning, Drew Hopkins, Doug Steele, and several other birders watched multiple large kettles of broad-winged hawks migrating south over the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. The raptors totaled at least 1,000 and could easily have been twice that. Other species overhead included turkey and black vultures, American kestrel, osprey, red-tailed hawk, chimney swift, and many monarch butterflies.
- Scott Stoner (Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club)
9/17 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 22 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, broad-winged hawk was high count with seven; American kestrel was next with five. Among the non-raptor migrants were monarch butterflies (18), common nighthawk (17), and ruby-throated hummingbird (2).
- Richard Aracil, Tait Johansson
9/17 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 25 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk was high count with ten; osprey was next with four. Chimney swift (89) led non-raptor migrants.
- Ajit I. Antony
9/17 – Manhattan, HRM 2: Hudson River Park’s River Project staff checked the sampling and collection gear that we deploy off Pier 40 in Hudson River Park. Today, we collected five tautog/blackfish (225-365 mm), three blue crabs (75-120 mm), and two black sea bass (50-175 mm).
-Natalie Kim, Yaritza Morales
Summer-Autumn 2021 Natural History Programs
Hudson Valley Ramble - September 2021
Beginning August 24, you can go to https://www.hudsonrivervalleyramble.com/ramble and download a list of all of dates, times, and locations of the programs offered.
Hudson River Miles
The Hudson is measured north from Hudson River Mile 0 at the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan. The George Washington Bridge is at HRM 12, the Tappan Zee 28, Bear Mountain 47, Beacon-Newburgh 62, Mid-Hudson 75, Kingston-Rhinecliff 95, Rip Van Winkle 114, and the Federal Dam at Troy, the head of tidewater, at 153. The tidal section of the Hudson constitutes a bit less than half the total distance – 315 miles – from Lake Tear of the Clouds to the Battery. Entries from points east and west in the watershed reference the corresponding river mile on the mainstem.
To Contribute Your Observations or to Subscribe
The Hudson River Almanac is compiled and edited by Tom Lake and emailed weekly by DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program. Share your observations by e-mailing them to trlake7@aol.com. To subscribe to the Almanac (or to unsubscribe), use the links on DEC's Hudson River Almanac or DEC Delivers web pages.
Discover New York State
The Conservationist, the award-winning, advertisement-free magazine focusing on New York State's great outdoors and natural resources. The Conservationist features stunning photography, informative articles and around-the-state coverage. Visit The Conservationist webpage for more information.
Useful Links
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration online tide and tidal current predictions are invaluable when planning Hudson River field trips. For real-time information on Hudson River tides, weather and water conditions from sixteen monitoring stations, visit the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System website.
DEC's Smartphone app for iPhone and Android is now available at: New York Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App.
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