[NatureNS] West Ironbound Island

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I've had time to make a further analysis of West Ironbound Island on the ba=
sis of my visit there on June 17.  Things on the island were a lot quieter =
than during the past three years=2C but my visit was later also.  During th=
e other years I had been out around June 7-8.  There was a previous outing =
there which I missed.

=20

Getting right to the point in regards to statistics.  On the visit of June =
4 or so of this year I'm told that all of the double-crested cormorant nest=
s had occupants.  I counted only 38 nests on my visit=2C which is way down =
compared to the last number of years.  Also=2C these nests were empty=2C in=
dicating that they all have been abandoned.  There was no indication of you=
ng or adults returning to the nests to feed young.  It would be interesting=
 to know the cause of the failure=2C whether it was human based or otherwis=
e. =20

=20

The good news is that the great blue heron colony is flourishing.  My estim=
ate last year of 7-10 nests was low.  There is a section of forest on the i=
sland which is interior and very hard to access due to blown down trees and=
 the understory being very thick.  At the location where I visited and made=
 my estimate last year there was an actively calling chick=2C which I saw. =
 Whether more than one chick was present in the nest I'm not sure as I did =
not hang in the area long.  I wanted to leave minimal disturbance.  I belie=
ve that the other nests were stil being incubated as I could hear at least =
7-8 adults vocalizing above me.  Now=2C further along and into the interior=
 of the island I could hear a lot of chicks vocalizing.  This is in an area=
 that I did not see.  From the number of chicks that I could hear=2C I woul=
d raise the nest count there to between 15-20.  There could actually be mor=
e=2C but without making an actual venture into the thick understory=2C it i=
s hard to tell.  Had I done so=2C I would have been to pooped to make it ar=
ound the entire island.

=20

Herring Gull breeding was again healthy.  I would estimate at least 100 pai=
rs=2C which actually is down from last year.  I only counted 55 nests=2C bu=
t apparently earlier there were a lot more=2C that no longer are apparent. =
 I saw numbers of chicks all around=2C 26 actually.  There were likely plen=
ty more that were unseen and further down on the rocks.  Lots of quano was =
being dropped when one ventured down into the rock zone along the shore.  T=
oo much and to close for my liking=2C so I observed from a distance only.  =
When you stepped back and watched the rocks were alive with young birds=2C =
whereas if you were closer only one or two were apparent.

There were still a total of 45 unhatched eggs on the nests still being incu=
bated that I saw and a lot of these were starting to hatch. =20

=20

I could not determine any young greater black-backed gulls.  There again th=
ough they might have been further out along the rocks and I might not have =
seen them.  I would estimate at least 30 nesting pairs on the basis of adul=
ts present.  There were three apparent GBBG nests that had eggs in them yet=
.

=20

Black Guillemot numbers were far less then last year.  I only saw four adul=
ts.  I still have not been able to confirm that they are nesting there.

=20

Blackpoll warblers were present again for a forth year in a row.  This time=
 I saw both male and female birds.  In total there were three singing males=
 and one female.  I was unable to confirm any nesting again.  The female di=
d not appear to be collecting food for young at this point.

=20

All other species that I observed were expected and similar to my last visi=
t.  There were far fewer species though.  Noticeably missing was red-eyed v=
ireo. =20

=20

I took lep pictures to key out later.  I'll let those who are interested kn=
ow what species I saw.  I saw a few which escaped the camera also.  There i=
s one moth species also prevalent on the island.  I'll have to try and key =
it out and might need to draw on other experts later.

=20

The only other thing that I would like to mention is goodly numbers of comm=
on eider adults=2C but few young.  There was one large grouping of young wi=
th adults near Crescent Beach=2C with about 30 young and another pair of fe=
males with two young only.

=20

James R. Hirtle

Bayport

=20

=20

_________________________________________________________________
Internet explorer 8 lets you browse the web faster.
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=3D9655582=

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I've had time to make a further analysis of West Ironbound Island on the ba=
sis of my visit there on June 17.&nbsp=3B Things on the island were a lot q=
uieter than during the past three years=2C but my visit was later also.&nbs=
p=3B During the other years I had been out around June 7-8.&nbsp=3B There w=
as a previous outing there which I missed.<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
Getting right to the point in regards to statistics.&nbsp=3B On the visit o=
f June 4 or so of this year I'm told that all of the double-crested cormora=
nt nests had occupants.&nbsp=3B I counted only 38 nests on my visit=2C whic=
h is way down compared to the last number of years.&nbsp=3B Also=2C these n=
ests were empty=2C indicating that they all have been abandoned.&nbsp=3B Th=
ere was no indication of young or adults returning to the nests to feed you=
ng.&nbsp=3B It would be interesting to know the cause of the failure=2C whe=
ther it was human based or otherwise.&nbsp=3B <BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
The good news is that the great blue heron colony is flourishing.&nbsp=3B M=
y estimate last year of 7-10 nests was low.&nbsp=3B There is a section of f=
orest on the island which is interior and very hard to access due to blown =
down trees and the understory being very thick.&nbsp=3B At the location whe=
re I visited and made my estimate last year there was an actively calling c=
hick=2C which I saw.&nbsp=3B Whether more than one chick was present in the=
 nest I'm not sure as I did not hang in the area long.&nbsp=3B I wanted to =
leave minimal disturbance.&nbsp=3B I believe that the other nests were stil=
 being incubated as I could hear at least 7-8 adults vocalizing above me.&n=
bsp=3B Now=2C further along and into the interior of the island I could hea=
r a lot of chicks vocalizing.&nbsp=3B This is in an area that I did not see=
.&nbsp=3B From the number of chicks that I could hear=2C I would raise the =
nest count there to between 15-20.&nbsp=3B There could actually be more=2C =
but without making an actual venture into the thick understory=2C it is har=
d to tell.&nbsp=3B Had I done so=2C I would have been to pooped to make it =
around the entire island.<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
Herring Gull breeding was again healthy.&nbsp=3B I would estimate at least =
100 pairs=2C which actually is down from last year.&nbsp=3B I only counted =
55 nests=2C but apparently earlier there were a lot more=2C that no longer =
are apparent.&nbsp=3B I saw numbers of chicks all around=2C 26 actually.&nb=
sp=3B There were likely plenty more that were unseen and further down on th=
e rocks.&nbsp=3B Lots of quano was being dropped when one ventured down int=
o the rock zone along the shore.&nbsp=3B Too much and to close for my likin=
g=2C so I observed from a distance only.&nbsp=3B When you stepped back and =
watched the rocks were alive with young birds=2C whereas if you were closer=
 only one or two were apparent.<BR>
There were still a total of 45 unhatched eggs on the nests still being incu=
bated that I saw and a lot of these were starting to hatch.&nbsp=3B <BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
I could not determine any young greater black-backed gulls.&nbsp=3B There a=
gain though they might have been further out along the rocks and I might no=
t have seen them.&nbsp=3B I would estimate at least 30 nesting pairs on the=
 basis of adults present.&nbsp=3B There were three apparent GBBG nests that=
 had eggs in them yet.<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
Black Guillemot numbers were far less then last year.&nbsp=3B I only saw fo=
ur adults.&nbsp=3B I still have not been able to confirm that they are nest=
ing there.<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
Blackpoll warblers were present again for a forth year in a row.&nbsp=3B Th=
is time I saw both male and female birds.&nbsp=3B In total there were three=
 singing males and one female.&nbsp=3B I was unable to confirm any nesting =
again.&nbsp=3B The female did not appear to be collecting food for young at=
 this point.<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
All other species that I observed were expected and similar to my last visi=
t.&nbsp=3B There were far fewer species though.&nbsp=3B Noticeably missing =
was red-eyed vireo.&nbsp=3B <BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
I took lep pictures to key out later.&nbsp=3B I'll let those who are intere=
sted know what species I saw.&nbsp=3B I saw a few which escaped the camera =
also.&nbsp=3B There is one moth species also prevalent on the island.&nbsp=
=3B I'll have to try and key it out and might need to draw on other experts=
 later.<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
The only other thing that I would like to mention is goodly numbers of comm=
on eider adults=2C but few young.&nbsp=3B There was one large grouping of y=
oung with adults near Crescent Beach=2C with about 30 young and another pai=
r of females with two young only.<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
James R. Hirtle<BR>
Bayport<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR>
&nbsp=3B<BR><br /><hr />Internet Explorer 8 makes surfing easier.  <a href=
=3D'http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=3D9655264' target=3D'_new'>Get it now! =
</a></body>
</html>=

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