Hudson River Almanac 10/02/21 - 10/08/21

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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Hudson River Almanac
October 2 to October 8, 2021


A Project of the Hudson River Estuary Program
Compiled and edited by Tom Lake, Consulting Naturalist

Love Our NY Lands
State Lands Belong to All of Us

All New Yorkers and visitors should be able to access, enjoy, and feel welcome on state lands. These lands belong to all of us, our families, and our neighbors. While enjoying these shared spaces, be respectful of other visitors. Share trails, treat people with kindness, and leave things as you found them for others to enjoy. All of us have a responsibility to protect State lands for future generations. For more information, visit: https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/119881.html

Overview

It was heartening to see schools and their students participating, in-person, in Hudson River programs in these COVID-recovery times. We also heard sage advice from a herpetologist expert on applying caution on our autumn roadways, much as we do each spring.

Highlight of the Week

Harbor seal10/2 – Saugerties, HRM 102: This was Day 789 for the male harbor seal with tag number 246. Although our photos today were of a single seal, we somehow felt there were actually two seals, a larger one that popped up a few times and then disappeared, and a smaller one that followed us about breaching and doing flips. Locals asked if we had seen the seals (plural) and I asked if there were more than one, and they thought there was. We await photos. (Photo of harbor seal courtesy of Michael Kalin)
- Julie Elson, Michael Kalin

[We have yet to fathom one marine mammal (seal) in freshwater for 26 months, and now we may have a second. Tom Lake]

Natural History Entries

Praying mantis10/2 – Albany, HRM 145: Recently I had the opportunity to observe one of the largest insects in our area: the European praying mantis (Mantis religiosa). They were imported to North America from Europe in the 17th century to combat crop and garden insect pests. I photographed a 70-millimeters (mm) male today; females can reach 90-mm.

I used to think they were called ‘praying’ mantis from how they snatch their prey with wicked front claws.
However, their trivial name, “religiosa,” is from the Latin religio, and translates as “sense of piety,” or “pious,” as in praying, recognizing the praying posture of their front legs. They also have beady compound eyes that tilt like a sci-fi creature. (Photo of praying mantis courtesy of Mario Meier)
- Mario Meier

[Note: One-inch equals 25.4 millimeters (mm) Tom Lake].

10/2 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 56 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 33. Turkey vulture, a kettle of 28 that streamed southwest, led non-raptor migrants.

We had a most unexpected sighting for early October, albeit an almost summer-warm afternoon, a golden eagle. We marked it as an adult showing a slight golden "hood-look” in some views. It was flying north of the watch, crossed the Hudson River going west, circled higher north of Rockland Lake, slowly drifted higher to the west-southwest, but never closer than 1.5 miles.
- Tom Fiore, Brian Rosenstock, Doug Morel, Raimund Miller, Tim Parton

Ring-billed gull10/3 – Little Stony Point, HRM 55: The day was turning to dusk and the quarter-mile hike to the river was through a haze of vicious mosquitoes. On the water, or even better in the water, the biting was diminished. The river retained its autumn warmth at 71 degrees Fahrenheit (F). For the first time in a long while, salinity was detectible (barely) at less–than one part-per-thousand (ppt).

Our catch of young-of-year striped bass and blueback herring was unremarkable except in quantity. While they all fell in the 58-68 mm total-length range, the number per haul was almost staggering. Blueback herring, in particular, are very fragile; any amount of time out of water can be fatal. After a few robust catches, we halted. There was no need to cause unnecessary mortality; we had learned all we needed to know.

Our activity had collected a number of beach-goers including younger students. Despite a quick return back in the water, a few blueback herring were not destined to survive. Some still went “belly up,” as fisheries people term it. We could tell that the onlookers felt uneasy. Our explanation was both succinct and helpful: In small doses, a few fish can be the price of acquiring knowledge. Nothing goes to waste in nature. Eels, bluefish, blue crabs, and sea birds need to eat as well. We stood back and suggested some patience. Within a few minutes, a squadron of ring-billed gulls descended on the shallows and did not leave a trace. (Photo of of ring-billed gull courtesy of Terry Hardy)
- Tom Lake, A. Danforth

Autumn in the Adirondacks10/3 – Newcomb, HRM 302: This was the peak of our fall foliage. Our September precipitation was well above average with just over 5-inches of rainfall. Surprisingly, the High Peaks were still frost free. (Photo of Autumn in the Adirondacks courtesy of Charlotte Demers)
- Charlotte Demers

10/4 – Yonkers, HRM 18: With the new moon approaching, we saw significant high-tide catches this week, something quite uncommon at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak.

Today’s high count was reached by comb jellies (Ctenophores) with 83. Atlantic silverside (67) also came in numbers. Young-of-last month’s blue crabs (15-90 mm) completed the catch. The river was 70 degrees F, salinity was 8.49 ppt, and the dissolved oxygen (DO) was 6.6 parts-per-million (ppm).
- Jason Muller, Gabriella Marchesani

[Blue crab measurements (size) are taken in millimeters (mm) point-to-point cross their carapace. Tom Lake]

10/5 – Yonkers, HRM 18: This morning, the staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak hosted seniors from Dwight High School in Manhattan. While species diversity (number of species) was less than usual, species richness (the number of individuals per species) after eight hauls of our seine was incredible.

With no surprise, Atlantic silverside was high count among fishes with 546. We also found young-of-year striped bass and one mummichog. Comb jellies continued their high numbers with 408, accompanied by three moon jellyfish and seventeen blue crabs. The river was 69 degrees F, salinity was 9.4 ppt, and the DO was 6.2 ppm.
- Jason Muller, Eli Caref

Our afternoon seine was less successful as we found no silverside, a rarity. Our catch was totally invertebrates with a dozen blue crabs and 82 comb jellies. The river temperature and salinity remained the same, and the DO was up a bit to 6.74 ppm.
- Jason Muller, Anna Mitchell, Ishika Joshi

Red eft10/5 – Albany County, HRM 145: Most people plan to check for reptiles and amphibians crossing roads in the spring but I also find them in the fall moving back toward their wintering sites. After three days of rain, I surveyed a stretch of road below Thatcher State Park where I have been checking for the last 40 years.

Yesterday morning’s rescue tally included seven red-backed salamanders alive on the road (also one dead on the road); nine spring peepers alive on the road (also four dead on the road); one green frog alive on the road; two spotted salamanders alive on the road; two spotted salamander metamorphs alive on the road; one adult newt, one red eft (both dead on the road); and two dead on the road hatchling milk snakes.

This morning’s rescue tally included nine red-backed salamanders alive on the road (also two dead on the road); two alive on the road spring peepers (also two dead on the road); one gray treefrog dead on the road; two four-toed salamander metamorphs alive on the road (also one dead on the road). Note: metamorph is the stage where the aquatic larvae of an amphibian have transformed into the terrestrial land form. (Photo of red eft courtesy Mario Meier)
- Al Breisch

[For a good read, see The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State, Al Breisch, et al. (2007)]

Maitake mushroom10/6 – Ulster County: Following two more inches of steady rain, I hit the woods searching for the highly prized maitake mushrooms (Grifola frondosa). I found them—seven large clusters each over a foot across—burgeoning forth around the base a large white oak. I photographed one at 15-inches-across and 4½ lb. Their best-known common name is “hen of the woods”.

This fungus is saprophytic, growing on stumps or at the base of dead or dying deciduous trees, especially oaks. Considered an extreme health food and immune boosting, they also have a delightful taste. (Photo of maitake mushroom courtesy of Mario Meier)
- Mario Meier

[The exact location in Ulster County is intentionally left vague to protect the fungi from over-harvesting. Foragers would rather give you their car keys than disclose a location where prime mushrooms were appearing. Tom Lake]

[Eating some species of wild mushrooms can cause sickness and even death. Despite widespread beliefs to the contrary there is no general rule that allows you to distinguish between a poisonous mushroom and one that is safe to eat. Wild mushrooms should only be considered for consumption after being identified by an expert mycologist and even then, only in moderation with samples of fresh specimens retained and properly stored to aid in identification whenever poisoning is considered a possibility. Joining a mushroom club and participating in lectures, forays and mushroom identification classes is an excellent way to begin to learn all that needs to be known before you should feel that you can competently and independently identify a mushroom as being safe and edible 100% of the time. Steve Rock].

10/6 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 133 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 75; Cooper’s hawk was next with 25. American kestrel also showed well with eleven.
- Steve Sachs, Tom Fiore

Bay anchovy10/6 – Yonkers, HRM 18: The staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak went seining on a day when our species diversity showed several changes. For the first time in more than two weeks, we caught shore shrimp (Palaemon sp.) and sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa). Comb jellies were still common (34), along with a dozen blue crabs.

Atlantic silverside made a weak showing (7), but the appearance of two bay anchovies (50 mm) brightened our haul. The river was 70 degrees F, salinity had risen to 10.12 ppt, and the DO was 5.11ppm. (Photo of bay anchovy courtesy of Tom Lake)
- Jason Muller, Gabriella Marchesani, Ariel Pennington-Reyes, Michael Castro

Freshwater drum10/7 – Town of Esopus: I took my grandsons fishing along the Hudson today. Using nightcrawlers, we caught the usual white perch by the dozen, as well as some brown bullheads and yearling striped bass. Then came a huge surprise when we hooked and landed a 22-inch, 8-10 lb. freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens). The bright silver and blue-tinted scales made it shimmer. To top off our incredible day. a 21-inch smallmouth bass pulled out our drag and skipped on his tail for us. All fishes were unharmed and safely returned to the water. (Photo of freshwater drum courtesy of Mario Meier)
- Mario Meier

10/7 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 204 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 57; American kestrel was next with 53. Turkey vultures, moving in their biggest numbers so far this season, led non-raptor migrants with 200. At one point, we had a kettle with a streaming group of more than 100 pass over. We also counted four monarch butterflies.
- Richard Aracil, Amy Dworetzky, Pedro Troche, Tony Wilkinson

Great horned owl10/7 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 204 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 75; Cooper’s hawk was next with nine. Tom Fiore arrived on the Hook in darkness and reported a great-horned owl on the trail near the summit. We counted our first two black vulture migrants of the season. (Photo of great horned owl courtesy of Deborah Tracy Kral)
- Trudy Battaly, Drew Panko, Avril Armstrong, Perry Didriksen, Tom Fiore, Tom White

10/7 – Yonkers, HRM 18: The staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak hosted third-graders this morning from the Dalton School in Manhattan. The one fish in our seine that caught most of the attention was the largest American eel we had ever seen. It did not matter that we were unable to measure the huge squirming eel-- its impressive presence before it slipped back into the river was sufficient.

Among ordinary fishes, we counted only Atlantic silverside (14). Invertebrates included blue crabs (6), comb jellies (18), and moon jellyfish (30). The river was 69 degrees F, salinity had dropped to 8.1 ppt, and the DO was 5.8 ppm.
- Jason Muller, Bella Biane, with the Dwight School

[Since Yonkers (river mile 18) is in the heart of the lower estuary’s Tappan Zee, it is often a dynamic blending/mixing reach of salt, brackish, and fresh water. Daily, even hourly values can show significant changes due to tides, currents, wind, and precipitation. Tom Lake]

*** Fish of the Week ***
Golden shiner10/8 – Hudson River Watershed: Fish-of-the-Week for Week 141 is the golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas) number 52 (of 235), on our Hudson River Watershed List of Fishes. If you would like a copy of our list, e-mail: trlake7@aol.com

The golden shiner is one of the widest ranging fish species in the U.S. They are native to the Atlantic and Gulf Slope drainages from Nova Scotia in Canada to southern Texas, and from the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins west to Saskatchewan in Canada, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas. They are one of 35 members of the largest family of fishes, the carps & minnows (Cyprinidae), documented for our watershed,

The golden shiner gained it reputation as a prime live-bait species for anglers, often farm raised and sold commercially. While they can grow to a foot-long, most average six-inches or less. Golden shiners feed primarily on zooplankton and considerable amounts of filamentous algae. (Photo of golden shiner courtesy of Cornell University - Department of Natural Resources)
- Tom Lake


Adirondacks courtesy of Adirondack Regional Council

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.


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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.