Hudson River Almanac 10/23/21 - 10/29/21

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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Hudson River Almanac
October 23 to October 29, 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

Our Highlight-of-the-Week took an ordinary seven days and transformed them into a memorable week. Any “first” is notable with a river that has been studied and chronicled for more than 400 years. In the air, seasonable departures from American robin to turkey vultures to red-shouldered hawks dominated.

Highlight of the Week

Lyre goby10/25 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Our staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak began our daily regimen of five seine hauls unaware that we would be making history.

Hauls one and two were in the river proper; hauls three-to-five were in the Beczak Tidemarsh. Collectively, we netted, identified, and released four fish species, naked goby, Atlantic silverside, mummichogs, and an initially unidentified goby. Among the crustaceans we collected were comb jellies, moon jellyfish, and grass shrimp (Palaemon sp.).

A photo of the unidentified goby caught in the Beczak Tidemarsh was sent to Bob Schmidt and Jeremy Wright at the New York State Museum. Jeremy thought it was a lyre goby (Evorthodus lyricus). Under the microscope, Bob confirmed it as a lyre goby (it was familiar to him as he had seen the fish in the Caribbean).

After a brief investigation, Bob confirmed that the Beczak education staff had caught not only a new fish species for the Hudson River, but quite possibly the first record of this fish north of Chesapeake Bay. The river was 64.58 Fahrenheit (F), salinity was 4.32 parts-per-thousand (ppt), and the dissolved oxygen (DO) was 8.13 parts-per-million (ppm). (Photo of lyre goby courtesy of Tom Lake)
- Jason Muller, Gabriella Marchesani, Michael Castro, Sukaina Rashid

[The Beczak Tidemarsh is not a natural tidal wetland. It was constructed by Beczak in 2004. Tom Lake]

Natural History Entries

*** Our 19th Annual A Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor was held on October 14. Summaries for three sites have just arrived and we present them here.

White sucker10/14 – Hudson River HRM 157-134: For a seventh consecutive year, “Team Stamford” (DEC’s Region 4 Fisheries) organized a group effort—15 staff members from seven different programs—in support of our 19th Annual A Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor. Our team goal (as always) is to combat the “Nature Deficit” in America by showcasing live river fishes to many of the local participating grade school science classes. This popular event has expanded into the upper (non-tidal) Hudson River, including stations along the Hoosic, Mohawk, and Schoharie Creek.

River sampling was conducted at three different locations over a 36-mile range in the upper estuary using 14 staff crewing Region 4's electro-fishing boat at Troy, Coeymans, and Hudson. For event day, our team of professionals combined forces with faculty, staff, and parents to educate students on the various topics of river ecology such as testing water quality, safely handling fish, proper identification of species, shoreline seining, and answering many questions. Students also learned how we use backpack electro-shocker for fishes at Schoharie Creek.

Team Stamford was able to reach nine river stations in 2021, reaching 328 students and accounting for 12% of all students participating river wide. Notables among the 300 fishes of 28 species during the two days of the event were blueback herring, alewife, rosyface shiner, shorthead redhorse, chain pickerel, striped bass, and walleye.

Thanks to all our dedicated staff and volunteers. Hopefully, as we gain more participation in coming years, we can inch closer to a better appreciation and understanding of the dynamic Hudson River watershed. (Photo of white sucker courtesy of Scott Wells)
- Scott Wells

10/14 – Schodack Island, HRM 138: Chatham 7th grade and AP Biology and Project Based Learning Class students enjoyed a beautiful day on the east bank of the Hudson River at Schodack State Park for our 19th annual A Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor. The students used nets and water testing equipment to study the river’s fish and macro-invertebrates, track the river's tides and currents, and test the water quality. With water temperatures in the 60's F, the students were eager to don chest waders and get into the river to seine for fish. They caught catfish, banded killifish, black crappie, smallmouth bass, and spottail shiner. They observed the current shift from north to south, and the tide’s rise and fall. They also spotted a bald eagle, a belted kingfisher, double-crested cormorants, and various gulls. Tugboats plugged along pushing barges full of fuel oil and gravel.
- Tom O'Dowd, Sandy Fischer,

Sherman Creek Park10/14 – Manhattan, New York City: Fifty fifth graders from Dos Puentes ES in Manhattan celebrated the 19th annual A Day in the Life of the Hudson and Harbor at Sherman Creek Park on the Harlem River. The students had a great time in this beautiful urban enclave, seining for fish and collecting water samples. The salinity was 15 ppt, DO was 6.5 ppm, and the water temperature ranged from 69-72 degrees F throughout the day.

Low tide presented some muddy seining, but we still caught 76 mummichogs, four Atlantic silverside, a tiny blue crab, and an assortment of shrimp and other invertebrates. At the end of the day, we all sang “Somos El Barco” and some retro Rick Astley for fun. (Photo of Sherman Creek Park courtesy of Chris Bowser)
- Chris Bowser, Jesenia Laureano, Maggie Flanagan, Zarria Brown, and Queila Cordero

American robin10/23 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 118 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 60; red-shouldered hawk was next with 26. Turkey and black vulture numbers (342) nearly tripled our raptor counts. Non-raptor migrants included four monarch butterflies, American robin (337), and a flock of 55 double-crested cormorants. (Photo of American robin courtesy of Cornell)
- Richard Aracil, Abbey Butler, Karen Troche, Pedro Troche

10/23 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 98 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk led with 45; red-shouldered hawk was next with 26. Turkey vulture (281) and black vulture (18) collectively dwarfed our raptor counts. Non-raptor migrants included more than 1,500 Canada geese and 800 double-crested cormorants.
- Tom Fiore, Tom White

10/24 – Beacon, HRM 61: We found a mid-morning low tide on a beach that favors half tides (due to rocks and mud). The water was a tepid 62 F, making our shorts a comfortable fit. Our limited expectations were met by a handful of banded killifish and young-of-year blueback herring.

My seining partner for the morning was seven-year-old Owen Cato. When I asked him what he hoped we’d catch he said, without hesitation, “a spiny dogfish.” Owen’s answer was so specific that I was wonderfully amazed. At that point, the fish we had caught became secondary as we launched into a long discussion of sharks in the Hudson River.
- Tom Lake, Owen Cato

Spiny dogfish10/24 – Hudson River Watershed: Fish-of-the-Week for Week 144 is the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), number 7 (of 235) on our watershed list of fishes. If you would like a copy of our list, e-mail - trlake7@aol.com.

The spiny dogfish is the only member of the Dogfish shark family (Squalidae) in the watershed. They are found in Atlantic coastal waters from New England south to North Carolina and are classified as a temperate marine stray in the Hudson River. Spiny dogfish can get to 48-inches but are more commonly seen at 24-36-inches. Their name derives from the sharp spine at the front margin of each of their two dorsal fins. Like many sharks, spiny dogfish give live birth to their young (pups).

Spiny dogfish are quite uncommon in the Hudson River. A notable exception was a 35-inch spiny dogfish we picked out of Ron Ingold’s shad net in the Upper Bay of New York Harbor at Edgewater (NJ) on April 16, 1988.

In Bigelow and Schroeder’s Fishes of the Gulf of Maine (1953), spiny dogfish are described as “voracious almost beyond belief, causing considerable damage to commercial fishing gear by cutting nets to get at caught fish.”

Being a shark, they are a handy answer to a common student question, “Do we have sharks in the Hudson River?” As with the barracudas, the image of sharks gives pause to even the bravest students. Spiny dogfish, however, are primarily piscivores. Their teeth are modified for catching and eating live fish and shellfish, including mackerel, herring, crabs, and squid.

In Great Britain and elsewhere, dogfish are considered a culinary delight. For recipes, see The Dogfish Cookbook, Russ Mohney (1976). (Photo of spiny dogfish courtesy of Maine Sea Grant)
- Tom Lake

10/24 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 139 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 49; red-shouldered hawk was next with 39 (our highest daily count of the season). Turkey vulture numbers (249) dwarfed our raptor counts. Non-raptor migrants included a monarch butterfly, American robin (485), and Canada geese (576).
- Richard Aracil, Abbey Butler, Karen Troche, Pedro Troche

10/24 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 60 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk led with 26; Cooper’s hawk was next with eleven. Turkey vulture (148) was overall high count for migrants. Non-raptor migrants included two monarch butterflies.
- Felicia Napier, Steve Sachs, Vince Plogar

Ribbed  mussel10/24 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Our staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak hosted a Mercy College Oceanography class today. Students assisted us in our five daily seine hauls in the Beczak tidemarsh. The sheltered water (63 F) was replete with invertebrates, including 31 comb jellies, moon jellyfish, blue crabs, and a ribbed mussel. Fish included Atlantic silverside and white perch. Salinity in the marsh was 3.79 ppt and the DO was 8.52 ppm.  (Photo of ribbed mussel courtesy of Lindsay Addison)
- Eli Caref, Gabriella Marchesani

10/25 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 68 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 35; Cooper’s hawk was next with 12. Turkey vulture was the overall high count among migrants with 125. Non-raptor migrants included four monarch butterflies and 432 American robins.
- Richard Aracil, Abbey Butler

10/25 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 65 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Sharp-shinned hawk led with 38; northern harrier was next with eight. Turkey vulture (115) was overall high count for migrants. Non-raptor migrants included more than 60 Canada geese.
- Tom Fiore

10/26 – Croton Point, HRM 34: In last week’s Almanac, we discussed Crawbuckie Beach, a feature at the confluence of the Croton River and Croton Bay.

Historically, Crawbuckie is spelled Crawbucky, and the name dates back at least 150 years, if not longer. A rich lore of Croton Point fishermen’s ghost tales and Revolutionary War stories have been preserved in the “Crawbucky Tales” recorded by Ossining newspaperman, Frank Pierson.

https://westchesterarchives.com/ht/muni/wchs/crawbucky.html

In the 1920s, Frank Pierson was a journalist in Ossining where he must have heard the tales told by the shad fishermen who gathered on the Hudson River at the place they called Crawbucky. As they sat in their shanties on Crawbucky Beach, just below Croton Point, waiting for the tide to turn so they could haul their nets, they entertained each other with ghost stories and Revolutionary War tales. Pierson wrote down, collected, and illustrated the stories with original watercolor drawings in the late 19th century.

Pierson’s tales are a charming reminder of old-time Westchester, when the arrival of spring along the Hudson River was signaled by the cry, “The shad are running!”
- Marc Cheshire, Village Historian for Croton-on-Hudson

[Crawbucky is a colloquial name used to describe the mile of shoreline between the mouth of the Croton River and Ossining (river miles 33-34). Tom Lake]

10/27 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 76 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, sharp-shinned hawk was high count with 24; red-shouldered hawk was next with 23. The highlight of the day was our second golden eagle of the season, an immature that passed to our southeast. Non-raptor migrants included 138 American robins and many flocks of Canada geese passing over all day—we tallied 1,430.
- Richard Aracil, Abbey Butler, Jack Kozuchowski

10/27 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 68 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Red-shouldered hawk led with 32; red-tailed hawk was next with thirteen. Turkey vulture (115) was overall high count for migrants. Non-raptor migrants included monarch butterflies (2), Canada geese (850), and a common loon.
- Tom Fiore, Ari Weiss, Kristine Wallstrom

Moon jellyfish10/27 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Our staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak conducted our five seine hauls today in the Beczak tidemarsh resulting in an impressive catch. Atlantic silverside (90 millimeters (mm)) was high count among fishes with 64; young-of-year herring (blueback 17, Atlantic 14) were next. Invertebrates included blue crabs, moon jellyfish (79), and Leidy’s comb jellies. The river was 62 F, salinity was 3.97 ppt, and the DO was 8.76 ppm. (Photo of moon jellyfish courtesy of Tim Heusinger)
- Jason Muller, Ariel Pennington-Reyes, Raven Vance

[One inch = 25.4 millimeters (mm)]

10/28 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 114 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, red-shouldered hawk was high count with 34; sharp-shinned hawk was next with 28. Turkey vulture (205) dominated the overall count; they had large kettles of 34 and 29 birds. Non-raptor migrants included 226 Canada geese, 45 red-winged blackbirds, and two common loons.
- Tait Johansson, Abbey Butler, Kevin McGrath, Pedro Troche

10/28 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 68 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Red-shouldered hawk led with 45; sharp-shinned hawk was next with 41. Turkey vulture (90) and black vulture (21) collectively were high count among all migrants.
- Trudy Battaly, Drew Panko, Eugene Gardner, Vince Plogar

10/28 – Yonkers, HRM 18: Our staff at the Sarah Lawrence Center for the Urban River at Beczak hosted a third-grade class from the Dalton School in Manhattan today. Students helped us with eight hauls of our seine through the Beczak tidemarsh. High count, by far, was Atlantic silverside (26). Other fish included young-of-year striped bass as well as mummichogs and white perch. Invertebrates included blue crabs, moon jellyfish, and comb jellies. The river was 61 F, salinity was very low at 2.24 ppt (evidence of a three-days-ago nor’easter), and the DO was 9.15 ppm.
- Eli Caref, Bella Biane

Ladyfish10/29 – Orange County, HRM 66.5: There is an adage about estuaries that no one moment will ever occur again in exactly the same way, that every minute of every hour is unique. Given the immense array of ecological factors that go into an estuarine "moment," is seems mathematically logical.

On this day thirty-nine years ago (1982), a moment occurred that, as far as I know, has never been repeated. I was drift-fishing in the ebb current of the warm-water outflow from the Danskammer Point Power Generating Facility with a small silver spoon (artificial lure) when a large school of small herring erupted from the water. Something was chasing them. At almost the same time a dozen foot-long silvery flashes appeared and one hit my lure. The fish was an acrobat, leaping from the water, swapping ends, before splashing back. The hook pulled free but then another one struck. This one leaped boat side and landed on the gunwale, teetering there for a few agonizing seconds before flopping into the boat. The rest of them dispersed never to be seen again, and I've been looking for 39 years. (Photo of ladyfish courtesy of Tom Lake)
- Tom Lake

[This was a school of ladyfish (Elops saurus), a tropical relative of the tarpon. Tropical marine strays, including larvae, aided by the Gulf Stream and warming inshore waters of the Mid-Atlantic, are not uncommon in the lower estuary. We quite regularly see jacks, and on very rare occasions we catch grouper, snapper, bonefish, and small barracuda. Ladyfish, however, have managed to remain an elusive memory. Tom Lake]

10/29 – Bedford, HRM 35: Among the 102 south-migrating raptors today at the Bedford Audubon Chestnut Ridge Hawkwatch, red-shouldered hawk was high count with 39; sharp-shinned hawk was next with 32. Turkey vulture (134) still moving in numbers. Non-raptor migrants included northbound American Robins (1,621), common grackles (930), and a common loon.
- Richard Aracil, Abbey Butler, Pedro Troche

Atlantic silverside10/29 – Croton Point, HRM 34: The air was a cool 41 F, and a fresh but chilly northeast breeze met us on the beach. Residue from the recent nor’easter was strewn on the beach’s high tide line—all manner of floatables stacked up in a long and jumbled row. We made four empty hauls of our net and were halfway off the beach before the notion of “just one more” struck. This last haul cut into a huge school of young-of-year Atlantic silverside, no fewer than a 100 fish (35-50 mm)—our seine glistened like silvery tinsel. The freshened river’s salinity was a surprisingly low 2.0 ppt, and the temperature had dropped to 58 F. (Photo of Atlantic silverside courtesy of Tom Lake)
- Tom Lake, A. Danforth

Peregrine falcon10/29 – Hook Mountain, HRM 31: We counted 44 south-migrating raptors at the Hook Mountain Hawkwatch today. Red-shouldered hawk and sharp-shinned hawk tied for most with 14. Two peregrine falcons flew rapidly from the northeast, south in powered flight with constant wing beats. Finally, they separated with one carrying on southwest and the other turning back. Turkey vulture (60) was high count among all migrants. (Photo of peregrine falcon courtesy of Deborah Tracy Kral)
- Ajit I. Antony, Jeff Berman, Liza Antony, Vince Plogar



Blue crab courtesy of The River Project

Autumn 2021 Natural History Programs and Events

Funding Available for Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Initiative
Fish are an important part of a healthy diet, containing high quality protein, essential nutrients, healthy fish oils, and low saturated fat. However, fish in some New York water bodies contain chemicals at levels that may be harmful to health. To help people make healthier choices about which fish to eat, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) issues advice about eating fish you catch. One of the water bodies for which NYSDOH has fish advisories is the Hudson River.

The Hudson River Fish Advisory Outreach Project’s goal is for all Hudson fish and blue crab consumers know about, understand, and follow the NYSDOH advisories. To this end, Health Research, Inc. and NYSDOH announce the availability of a total of $90,000 per year to develop partnerships with local groups. Applications for funding must serve populations that fish or are likely to eat fish from the Hudson River in Albany, Bronx, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, New York, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Ulster, Washington, and/or Westchester counties. Priority audiences are women under 50 (childbearing years), families with children under 15, minority, low-income, low-literacy, and limited-English proficiency individuals.

Maximum awards are for $15,000 a year. Government entities and community based not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply. Applications are due December 1, 2021. For details, visit the project’s Request for Applications website.
- Audrey Vangenechten, NYS Department of Health

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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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.