Turtles halt flights at JFK airport

"Naturalists said the 185-acre Jamaica Bay may be the diamondback's most popular breeding ground in North America."

Diamond-back Terrapin Turtle - the only turtle that can live in tidal estuaries in the northeast.

Flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport were delayed shortly on Wednesday when about 150 diamondback terrapin turtles were spotted crossing a runway, authorities said.

The reptiles were trying to get to the other side of the runway to lay eggs on the sandy shores of the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, which borders the airport.

JFK airport was built right in the marshland of Jamaica Bay!

Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees operation of the region's airports, pilots from Jet Blue and other airlines halted their flights to let the expectant reptiles pass.

"Flight delays attributed to turtles were minor, about 15 minutes or so," he said.

Port Authority staff rushed out to the tarmac where, between take-offs and landings, they scooped up the turtles and helped them on their way.

Naturalists said the 185-acre Jamaica Bay may be the diamondback's most popular breeding ground in North America.

Baby Oystercatchers in New York Harbor

Sandy Hook is wild spit of sand and cedar trees jutting out at the entrance of Lower New York Bay. It is a long earthy finger that must seem like a natural oasis to many animals near the grueling urban/suburban environment of the New York & New Jersey harbor.  Although the vast scenery of this place is dominated by New York City, certain crooks and corners of the hook can off some of the best wildlife sights and sounds in the northeast. 

Two young American Oystercatchers being watched and cared for by mom and dad

It was around dusk last week. I was out stretching my legs around the bay beach of Sandy Hook.  It was a beautiful evening. The weather was clear and relatively cool. There was even a decent enough breeze out of the northwest to keep the flies and mosquitoes away. 

The American Oystercatcher is a beautiful and distinctive bird living in Lower New York Bay

That evening I was treated to the sight of a newly produced American Oystercatcher family. There were two newly hatched young (most likely no more than a week old) with mom and dad. Here was new life along the edge of one of the most urban coastlines in the world. 

Since American Oystercatchers nest and feed right along the beach, the birds can be threatened by a variety of problems related to human activity including loss of nesting habitat due to coastal development, erosion, oil spills, and predation from introduced predators such as feral cats, dogs, foxes, rats, and raccoons. In New Jersey, the American Oystercatcher was recently upgraded to a species of special concern, in part because of significant threats from development and heavy recreational use of coastal breeding habitats. 

 
Yet, here in the shadow of New York City, these large, conspicuous birds with long, orange-red bills seem to be prosperous. Most likely owing to the fact that Sandy Hook is a protected and managed area for wildlife.  It is a wildlife sanctuary in the farthest southeastern corner of Lower New York Bay. 

 
In early spring, the adult American Oystercatchers met up here after spending time down south for the winter, possibly as near as Barnegat Bay. Once together, the adults selected the perfect nesting area -  an elevated site beyond the high tide mark, generally with a full view of their surroundings. 

 
Once the nest site was selected, both male and female oystercatchers constructed a crude nest made of bits of shells and peddles on the ground.  Then two eggs were laid. Parents incubated the eggs for about four weeks. 

 

All that time, effort, and work was worth it! Two baby chicks have hatched. The next generation of American Oystercatchers at Sandy Hook is alive! 

The parents, however, are not done yet. More work needs to be done by mom and dad. Unlike the young of most shorebirds, such as Piping Plovers,  newly hatched oystercatchers cannot feed themselves right away. They rely primarily on their parents for food and protection for up to eight weeks.

Sandy Hook is a special peninsula of wilderness downstream from hustle and bustle of New York City. It is place where American Oystercatchers can call home. It is also a place where a person can escape the pressures of urban life and still be awe-inspired by the sweet, seasonal sight of wildlife in this restless environment. Summer is here!

A Tough Sunday before the Big Summer Holiday Weekend

Air temperatures rose up into the lower 80s, and water temperatures in Lower New York Bay were in the 70s. Music was blaring out of car radios, the delicious aroma of grilled food could be sniffed a mile away and the beach was a sea of oiled skins and bathing suits.  It was the Sunday before the big 4th of July holiday weekend. School is over for many children and everyone it seemed was headed to the beach to get a jump start on the summer celebration. 

So many cars and people from New York and northern New Jersey came down to Sandy Hook National Recreation Area today that park rangers had to turn away new patrons starting around noon. It didn't let up until sometime after 2:30pm. Ocean Blvd was one long wave of red brake lights. 

People in their cars were turned away from Sandy Hook. There was not enough parking spaces to accommodate all the people that wanted to enjoy the beach on the Sunday before the 4th of July holiday weekend.

A crowded beach at Sandy Hook NRA.

The long summer journey for many folks has begun. The heat is building  and the traffic is tense. Will there be enough space on the beach and parking for everyone? At least there aren't many stinging jellyfish in the water yet.

Young Piping Plover in Lower New York Bay

The other day, during an early evening hike near the tip of the Sandy Hook peninsula, I spotted two juvenile Piping Plovers walking near the side of Sandy Hook Bay, located downstream from New York City. 

A young Piping Plover recently seen at Sandy Hook

Although the view of just two young Piping Plovers might not sound like a big deal, keep in mind these tiny shorebirds, which are about the size of you palm, are federally threatened species. You just can't find them nesting anywhere.  Yet, here was wild nature flourishing on the edge of the largest urban coastline in America. 

Behind me, the day's last light was fading over the hills of Staten island. The young plovers were scurrying around the sandy, shell scattered beach seeking a tasty meal of worms or insects. Even though the youngsters most likely only hatched out of their egg a few weeks ago, they were nearly on their own to forage for food. Albeit carefully guarded by both parents. 

An adult Piping Plover watching closely over the young

What a glorious sight to see new life existing in Lower New York Bay. Here before me was the next generation of Piping Plovers to call this place home.

If all goes well, by mid-September, both adult and young plovers will have departed for their wintering areas down south. Yet, I am sure the urge to reproduce will bring these plovers back to Lower New York Bay to raise a family in the background of the shimmering lights New York City.

Mating has Ended for Horseshoe Crabs

Summer officially begins on June 21st. With the arrival of summer, comes the conclusion of another Horseshoe Crab breeding season in Lower New York Bay. 

For those of you not close enough to see the water on a daily basis, Horseshoe Crab breeding season might not be a big deal. What's so important about a bunch of crabs, right??

First off, the Horseshoe Crab as a species has been around pretty much unchanged for over 350 million years. This little coastal critter has survived before and after the dinosaurs, and countless changes in the climate. Yet, the bay's population of Horseshoe Crabs  has plummeted by perhaps 70 percent in the past several decades. No one is quite sure why. Though not endangered yet, Horseshoe Crabs are in steep decline.

Already a ripple effect can be seen among species dependent upon the Horseshoe Crab. There seems to be fewer migratory birds stopping over in Lower New York Bay to feed and rest. Around  8 species of migratory birds in New Jersey and New York depend upon the 90,000 eggs one horseshoe crab can lay in a season. The fatty green eggs of a Horseshoe Crab are essential to a bird's journey northward to lay eggs. The birds eat horseshoe crab eggs to gain weight needed to get them back to the Arctic for breeding. With the decline in horseshoe crabs, the migratory birds have less and less fuel for their journey.

Over the last few years, worried people have been coming out to count crabs on many full and new moon  nights during May and June. Volunteers with the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council, Brookdale Community College, and the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST)  have sponsored a Horseshoe Crab monitoring program every spring to ensure that this ancient mariner remains a thriving species.

Since it takes between 8 to 12 years for a Horseshoe Crab to reach sexual maturity, it is important that population densities remain high. Also it is important that protection of nesting beaches remains a vital component of coastal conservation plans.  

Anyone can sign up to count crabs. Anyone with an old pair of shoes and a flashlight can come out and play biologist for a night. Since the crabs can be found at different locations around the shoreline of the bay, an actual count is out of the question. Instead, volunteers "sample" the population by counting at five sites around Sandy Hook Bay and Raritan Bay in Monmouth County. They count how many males and females lie within a 1,000 yards of beach. The greatest crab activity tends to be at high tide on nights of either full or new moons. 

To sign up for next year, please contact the Bayshore Watershed Council via their website at www.bayshorewatershed.org.  We cannot continue this important project without volunteers!!!!

The results for Wednesday, June 15th are below. This was the final night for Horseshoe Crab monitoring in 2011.  It was a beautiful evening to be out along the edge of the bay socializing with Horseshoe Crabs!!!

Sandy Hook: Plum Island

131 total crabs

 101 single males
5 single females
6 male/female pairs
1 cluster (2 males/ 1 female)
8 dead males
2 dead females

Atlantic Highlands: Mouth of Many Mind Creek

Total: 70 crabs

59 single males

0 single females

3 pairs

0 clusters

5 dead crabs: 3 males & 2 unidentified sex

Middletown Township: Leonardo Beach

Total:  117 crabs

87 single males

0 single females

15 pairs (male & female)

 Union Beach: Conaskonck Point

Total: 85 crabs

59 single males

0 single females

12 pairs

2 dead crabs, unidentified  

Aberdeen Township: Cliffwood Beach

149 total live crabs
108 single males,
139 total live males, including 31 which were in clusters and 10 females which were all in clusters

0 single females,
11 clusters consisting of 2 or more crabs and all but one cluster included a female;
There was a greater prevalence of brief encounter 2 male clusters than former survey nights presumably due to the lack of females:
There were 3 dead females & 2 dead males.