Hudson River Almanac
January 20 - January 26, 2018
Compiled by Tom Lake, Hudson River Estuary Program Consulting Naturalist

OVERVIEW

With many upland portions of the watershed locked up in ice, the open water of the estuary became a haven for wintering bald eagles. As an early harbinger of migratory fishes to come, we had our first harbor seal of the winter.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK

1/21 – Verplanck, HRM 40.5: In midday, I spotted a harbor seal in the river just off Steamboat Dock. All I saw was its head above water. At first, I thought it was a river otter, but soon recognized it as a seal.  As soon as I aimed my camera the seal went under. We were near the top of the flood tide as the seal made its way farther from shore and headed downriver. (Photo of harbor seal courtesy of Terry Hardy)
- Terry Hardy

[Hudson River estuary seals documented in the Hudson River Almanac across 24 years include: harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), hooded seals (Cystophora cristata), gray seals (Halichoerus grypus), and harp seals (Pagophilus groenlandicus). The harbor seal is by far the most common. Tom Lake]

NATURAL HISTORY ENTRIES

1/20 – New Hamburg, HRM 67.5: I counted seven bald eagles out on the ice off the mouth of Wappinger Creek. At least two adults had bands but were too far away to see the colors. In a winter like this one has been so far, with ice locking up much of the watershed, the estuary becomes a fusion point for eagles from all over the Northeast and Canada. When you look at eagles on ice floes in January, it is impossible to know where they call home.
- Tom Lake

1/20 – Verplanck, HRM 40.5: There were several adult bald eagles on the river ice from Steamboat Dock this morning. One of them had a silver band on its left leg. I was unable to see the color of the band on its right leg.
- Debbie Lephew

[The silver band would be from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The color of the other band would have given us a good idea where the eagle had been banded as a nestling. U.S. states and Canada have their own colored bands. Tom Lake]

1/21 – Minerva, HRM 284: At midday, I spotted an adult bald eagle perched in a dead snag off Route 28N near Moxham Pond. Below the eagle’s perch was a road-kill white-tailed deer. The raptor had a red wash around the base of its beak. It had no doubt been snacking.
- Mike Corey

1/21 – Saugerties, HRM 102: The Esopus Creek, above tidewater, spills over a 77-foot-high dam. The creek upstream behind the dam freezes over during cold winters. So far this had been such a winter. I was checking ice conditions for a fishing program six days away and was hoping the ice would hold. There was 11" of hard black ice in a cove above 12 feet of water. It was plenty good for ice fishing. An hour of prospecting in the cove, jigging tiny lures, produced the usual fare: 4 pumpkinseed sunfish, 3 bluegills, 2 yellow perch, and one dinner plate-sized black crappie.
- Tom Lake

[“Black ice” is actually clear but the dark depths beneath absorb daylight making it appear black. Black ice is the best ice, the strongest, often the first ice of the season, free of snow, slush and impurities. Black ice is what everyone who ventures onto a frozen body of water hopes for. Tom Lake]

1/21 – Kingston, HRM 92: The flood tide had piled a thick shelf of ice on the beach. Out beyond was some open water where ice floes drifted and ducks lazed. Among the waterfowl were common goldeneye (50) and lesser scaup (40). A thousand gulls formed a cordon around the waterfowl. And then there was pandemonium. The birds rose almost as one, gulls bumping into ducks. Right in the middle was an immature peregrine falcon moving the fastest. It was not inconceivable that the falcon might be interested in one of them, and by fleeing en mass, the falcon was left with a difficult decision. The raptor ended up streaking away and the bird assemblage eventually made its way back to the river.
- Tom Lake

1/21 – Verplanck, HRM 40.5: We conducted an eagle count this morning from the Verplanck waterfront. “Eagle counts” are useful when winter creates floe ice on the river. This morning we counted six adults and 13 immatures. [Terry Hardy had spoken with a birder who was at George’s Island, a mile downriver at sunrise today, and he reported that there, more than 100 bald eagles out on the ice.]
- Dianne Picciano, Phil Picciano

1/21 – Verplanck, HRM 40.5: We took a drive to view wildlife at Haverstraw Bay from Verplanck’s spectacular Steamboat Dock. As soon as we arrived, we saw an adult bald eagle lift off from an ice floe and a pair of wood ducks floating nearby. Through binoculars, we could see more eagles perched on ice floes out near the river’s channel markers. Our combined tally was a dozen eagles. As the afternoon waned, we found more adult and immature eagles moving about on the wing. Our late-day count was 16 perched in silhouette in trees across the river near the Stony Point lighthouse. By day’s end we had seen at least 28 bald eagles.
- Dave Lindemann, Mary Lou Lindemann

1/22 – Saratoga County, HRM 171.5: I checked the river below the Lock 4 dam in Stillwater this afternoon and found, widely spread out, common goldeneyes and Canada geese. I also found a pretty good assortment in the open water behind the Route 125 Bridge. Highlights included a female Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica), distinguishable from common goldeneye with its orange bill and the steep forehead) and a drake redhead.
- Ron Harrower (Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club)

1/22 – Saratoga County, HRM 159: I scanned the large groups of gulls at the Crescent Power Plant this morning. I counted seven “white-winged gulls” including two glaucous gulls and five Iceland gulls. A passing bald eagle “shuffled the deck,” but most birds, both herring and great black-back gulls, returned to their original loafing spot. There was no sign of the lesser black-backed gull that had been around a few weeks ago.
- Tom Williams (Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club)

1/22 – Yonkers, HRM 18: We resumed our off season seining this afternoon at the Center for the Urban River at Beczak with no expectations. We were not disappointed. We caught nothing. The fish were offshore and in deeper water where they could find a comfort zone. But it was still a fun and interesting experience seining among the ice floes. The river temperature was 33 degrees Fahrenheit (F), 0.5 Celsius, and salinity was 6.0 parts-per-thousand (ppt). (Photo of winter seining at Beczak courtesy of Elisa Caref)
- Elisa Caref, Jay Muller

1/23 – Town of Wappinger, HRM 67: I had a bobcat prowling around my backyard in the mid-morning yesterday. Being largely nocturnal, the daytime sighting was a surprise. I have a dog but that did not seem to matter to the big cat. The bobcat walked my fence line, occasionally scratching at the ground, as though it was trying to bury something or get under the fence. This morning, a white-tailed deer walked the same path and stopped to sniff the same area where the bobcat had been digging. My dog barked the entire time but neither the big cat nor the deer seemed unfazed.
- Holly Tyrrell

1/23 – Galeville, HRM 74: I was able to spot one of my color-bands on a male American kestrel at the Shawangunks Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge today. The small falcon was hanging out at a purple martin house pole. While I wasn't able to read the code exactly, I was able to determine it was likely the male from the first box north of the parking lot at the wildlife refuge. This is confirmation that at least this bird had not migrated. It makes sense for him to stay close to his breeding territory, if he can, since the grasslands are such high-quality habitat.
- Zach Smith

[I banded 44 American kestrels (Falco sparverius) in Ulster County in 2017, 27 nestlings and 17 adults. All of the adults were given black bands (with white codes) as well as 15 of the nestlings. The other two nestlings received only aluminum bands, If you come upon a banded kestrel, I would love to know about it (zsgavilan@gmail.com), or report the information to: https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/bblretrv/index.cfm  Zach Smith]

1/24 – Columbia County, HRM 113-108: I got out today to check on the river and “my eagles.” These are the adult pairs in nests that I monitor. Many of them were at their nests and had been for a while. The ice was melting and while the river at Germantown was only open in the channel, it was enough for the eagles to gather on the ice. The immature eagles have finally shown themselves. There were nine clustered together on the ice. A little farther north was another cluster of an adult and two immatures. Near Olana, a pair of adult eagles gave a spectacular show flying together – a courtship display.
- Katie Zvokel Stewart, Bob Stewart

[In the last decade or so, there has been less winter migration by Hudson Valley bald eagles. It could be due to warmer winters or, with many more nests, their territories need to be defended. Tom Lake]

1/24 – Saugerties, HRM 102: The ice on Esopus Creek above tidewater was “talking,” mostly long, drawn out groans from a lower register. In the vernacular of ice anglers, the creek was “making ice.” I went out and cut a few holes and as I sat on a five-gallon bucket to jig,  an expansion crack snaked its way across the ice traveling right between my legs – terrifying for the uninitiated. Freezing water expands and the ice has to make way for more ice.
- Tom Lake

1/24 – Yonkers, HRM 18: We invited a group of Lincoln High School students from Yonkers to the Center for the Urban River at Beczak for water quality sampling. Even though it was Regents Exams week, they came in to learn about our water quality testing protocols. The river temperature had risen to 37 degrees F, (3.0 Celsius), the salinity was 4.2 ppt, turbidity was 18.2 centimeters, and the dissolved oxygen was 8.6 part-per-million. All values were within the expected range.
- Elisa Caref

1/25 – Saratoga County, HRM 159:  Two of the redhead ducks I reported on January 14 at the Vischer Ferry Power Plant on the Mohawk River have been present every day since, including this morning. Originally there were two males and a female but now just a male and female. They reliably stay close to the shore just below the dam. Most days, but not this morning (water was too high), there has been a collection of mallards and a pair of northern pintails sometimes mingling with the redheads. (Photo of redhead duck courtesy of Carena Pooth)
- John Hershey (Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club)

1/25 – Cohoes, HRM 153: Our Thursday birders found a good assortment of birds of prey at Albany International Airport this morning, including at least two light-phase rough-legged hawks, a young male northern harrier, and a snowy owl well hidden in a swale. The owl, however, was not well hidden enough to escape the notice of a pair of common ravens that dropped in to investigate (antagonize).
- Naomi Lloyd (Hudson-Mohawk Bird Club)

1/25 – Town of Wappinger, HRM 68: We usually see red foxes in our yard a couple of times a year, but in the last few days several red foxes have crisscrossed our yard multiple times, often vocalizing their hoarse bark as they go. We saw single foxes many times on two days and three times saw two stunning foxes with beautiful red coats running together. One of the single foxes had a darker coat. The foxes trotted close, seemingly oblivious to my presence, once within ten feet of where I was standing. I'm guessing they were at the height of their breeding season and very preoccupied.
- Melissa Fischer

1/25 – New Hamburg, HRM 67.5: I spotted three bald eagles on the river this morning just off shore of the New Hamburg Yacht Club. One of them stayed a bit upriver and was constantly scolded by the other two, a short distance downriver. There is a new nest (NY 459B) near there and this might have been its mated pair. The third adult may have been a winter migrant (unattached adults will frequently test the fidelity of established pairs). (Photo of bald eagles on ice courtesy of Eileen Albro Stickle)
- Eileen Albro Stickle

1/26 – Beacon, HRM 61: We were about one hour into the flood tide this afternoon when I spotted a lesser black-backed gull among herring gulls, ring-billed gulls, and three immature great-black-backed (possibly herring) gulls out on the shallow flats off Riverfront Park.
- Carena Pooth

[In 24 years of the Hudson River Almanac, we have recorded 14 species of gulls in the watershed, along the tidewater Hudson, the Mohawk River, and adjacent uplands: black-headed gull, Bonaparte's gull, Franklin's gull, glaucous gull, greater black-backed gull, herring gull, Iceland gull, ivory gull, laughing gull, lesser black-backed gull, little gull, mew gull (common gull), ring-billed gull, slaty-backed gull. Tom Lake]

1/26 – Verplanck, HRM 40.5: Looking south from Verplanck’s Waterfront Park, we counted 21 eagles on the ice, five of them adults, the rest immatures. Some were huddled together on small ice floes, two and three at a time
- Dianne Picciano, Phil Picciano

1/26 – Manhattan, HRM 1: Perhaps it was the weather, the ice, or just the season, but for two weeks fish have managed to avoid our collection gear in Hudson River Park at The River Project's sampling station on the lighthouse tender Lilac at Pier 25. The net of our collection today included shore shrimp, a sea anemone, and a lone, juvenile spider crab.
- Siddhartha Hayes

[The common spider crab (Libinia emarginata) is found in Atlantic coastal waters from the Canadian Maritimes to the Gulf of Mexico. Their body is palm-size but their legs can grow to a foot-long. They will become more common in late winter and spring as the water warms. Tom Lake]

WINTER-SPRING 2018 NATURAL HISTORY PROGRAMS

Saturday, February 24 - 1:00 p.m.
The Changing Ecology of the Hudson River Flyway
Tom Lake, Hudson River Estuary Program’s Consulting Naturalist
Five River Environmental Education Center, Delmar
Hosted by the Audubon Society of the Capital Region with Southern Adirondack Audubon
For information, e-mail John Loz 

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 Conservationist - the award-winning, advertisement-free magazine focusing on New York State's great outdoors and natural resources. 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 twelve monitoring stations, visit the Hudson River Environmental Conditions Observing System website.

Information about the Hudson River Estuary Program is available on DEC's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html .

Smartphone app available for New York outdoor enthusiasts!
     DEC, in partnership with ParksByNature Network®, is proud to announce the launch of the New York Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App for iPhone and Android. This FREE, cutting-edge mobile app gives both novice and seasoned outdoorsmen and women essential information in the palm of their hands. Powered by Pocket Ranger® technology, this official app for DEC will provide up-to-date information on fishing, hunting and wildlife watching and serve as an interactive outdoor app using today's leading mobile devices. Using the app's advanced GPS features, users will be able identify and locate New York's many hunting, fishing and wildlife watching sites. They will also gain immediate access to species profiles, rules and regulations, and important permits and licensing details. 
 
NY Open for Hunting and Fishing Initiative 
     Governor Cuomo's NY Open for Fishing and Hunting Initiative is an effort to improve recreational opportunities for sportsmen and women and to boost tourism activities throughout the state. This initiative includes streamlining fishing and hunting licenses, reducing license fees, improving access for fishing and increasing hunting opportunities in New York State.
     In support of this initiative, this year's budget includes $6 million in NY Works funding to support creating 50 new land and water access projects to connect hunters, anglers, bird watchers and others who enjoy the outdoors to more than 380,000 acres of existing state and easement lands that have gone largely untapped until now. These 50 new access projects include building new boat launches, installing new hunting blinds and building new trails and parking areas. In addition, the 2014-15 budget includes $4 million to repair the state's fish hatcheries; and renews and allows expanded use of crossbows for hunting in New York State.
     This year's budget also reduces short-term fishing licenses fees; increases the number of authorized statewide free fishing days to eight from two; authorizes DEC to offer 10 days of promotional prices for hunting, fishing and trapping licenses; and authorizes free Adventure Plates for new lifetime license holders, discounted Adventure Plates for existing lifetime license holders and regular fee Adventure Plates for annual license holders.

Copies of past issues of the Hudson River Almanac, Volumes II-VIII, are available for purchase from the publisher, Purple Mountain Press, (800) 325-2665, or email purple@catskill.net