Red-throated on New Year's Eve

Saturday, New Year's Eve. Today felt very spring-like for the last day of December. It was calm, cool, and partly cloudy with light showers. The high  temperature was a mild 55 degrees.

All seemed still and quiet too. Yet that would change.

While walking along the edge of the Atlantic Ocean at Sandy Hook, just hours before the turn to a new year, I spotted several small two-tone birds in the water. They were white and dark, almost grebe-like with small pointed heads and bills tilted upwards. 

(A Red-Throated Loon in winter plumage seen recently riding a wave on the ocean side of the Sandy Hook peninsula in New Jersey)

 

Quickly looking through my Sibley field guide, I found out these curious birds were Red-Throated Loons in winter plumage.  All dozen were foraging for fish in the shallows of the ocean.

From the beach I watched as the red-throats with their long, straight, spear-like bills plunged swiftly in the ocean to catch a fish. About 3 minutes later, a loon would turn up with the catch of the day, swallowed head first. 

(A loon with a small fish in its beak)

 

Loons are skillful and agile swimmers. Their bodies have evolved well to their aquatic lifestyle. Loons can use their large webbed feet for propulsion and may spend 5-10 minutes underwater trying to grab hold of prey.

Though quick divers, these red-throats would not have this foraging area unaccompanied for long. Almost immediately, loads of gulls showed up by the dozen from the bay side of the Hook. The gulls, mostly a collection of Black-backs and herring gulls, would swoop low and then emerge with no fewer than 6 small fish in each gull's beak. It was a massacre! 

(Gulls and loons foraging for fish)

From what I could tell through binoculars. The fish were small. Up to 6 inches in length. The upper sides were  green-yellow and the underside was a pale white. The sight of a metallic-silver stripe running the length of the fish was a give-away. I realized that these fish were Atlantic Silversides.  Although mostly found in the shallows of Lower New York Bay from spring to fall, the small fish move away from the estuary and enter deeper water during the winter. Unluckily for these fish there would be few survivors on this run. Each passing ocean wave revealed more silvery fish in hard beaks. 

What a show on the last day of the year! I was watching real nature in action. A sunset search for fish by Red-throated loons and a mob of gulls near Sandy Hook, downstream from New York City. I didn't expect to see this. 

Although loons are common winter visitors to coastal waters of New York and New Jersey, they still tend to take on an aura of enchantment. Perhaps because loons are beautiful birds often associated with wilderness and natural landscapes up north. 

Unfortunately, by the time migrating Common or Red-throated Loons arrive to local waters in October, they have already lost their splendid breeding plumage. What is often seen are dull and silent birds that have left their true identity up north.Gone are the actual red-throats that make this bird special to see. It is replaced by more white feathers.

Yet, the sight of a Red-throated loon even in winter is special. It is the smallest and slimmest of the loons, and it breeds the farthest north than any other loon. Red-throats nest in low tundra wetlands, bogs, and ponds in northern Canada , Alaska, and even the northern most coast of Greenland. This bird is truly an Arctic breeder. Yet it can be found in the winter dining on fish not far from city streets in New York City. 

(A loon diving swiftly in the water to catch its prey)

The loons fly south to the coast for the winter to find food. Since the winters in northern climates are too cold for loons, these fish-eating birds depend on ice-free salty waters to eat.

Having watched the loons forage for an hour or so I thought it was a wonderful lead-in to 2012. I look forward to many more wild and extraordinary encounters in or near one of the most urban coastlines in the world - Lower New York Bay.

Happy New Year!

Brown Pelican in Lower NY Bay

Below is a report of bird sightings in Sandy Hook Bay & Raritan Bay. The report is provided from New Jersey Audubon. It is from their Voice of New Jersey Audubon section on the webpage. The report is current as of Thursday December 29, 2011.

To me, the most amazing sight was the juvenile Brown Pelican near Atlantic Highlands in Sandy Hook Bay. Even pelicans are attracted to the bright lights and the big city view of New York, or maybe just a school of fish. 

Juvenile Brown Pelican

 ---------------------------------------------------------

A drake EURASIAN WIGEON was discovered in Perth Amboy on the Dec 26 Raritan Estuary CBC (Christmas Bird Count).  The bird was in Raritan Bay off the foot of 2nd Ave on the west side of the NJ Transit bridge.  On Dec 28 the bird was seen off the Cornucopia Princess Parking lot off Riverside Dr.

A juvenile BROWN PELICAN was photographed in Sandy Hook Bay, from Atlantic Highlands, Dec 28.  Another juvenile BROWN PELICAN was photographed off Manasquan Inlet, following a commercial fishing boat back to port Dec 29.

Four RAZORBILLS were noted off the lower portion of Sandy Hook Dec 28.  Another RAZORBILL was in Manasquan Inlet Dec 27.

A female REDHEAD has been on the waterworks pond at South Amboy through Dec 26.

Sea Star Washes Up After Storm

You never know what you might find walking along the beach after a storm. A walk on the ocean side of the Sandy Hook peninsula this morning revealed a Forbes Sea Star washed up at the high tide line. 

I couldn't tell how long this little stout, five armed fellow had been dead, but I estimated it wasn't long. The sea star was still intact, so the gulls didn't get to it for a morning meal.

Most likely it was kicked ashore by really strong winds the other day. The high winds produced large ocean waves, some over 4 feet tall , which scoured the bottom of the ocean to pick up benthic creatures and deposit them on the beach. If sea stars set too close to the shore, they are vulnerable to a vigorous surf.

Sea stars are not fish as their nickname "starfish" implies. Marine scientists prefer to use the term “sea star” rather than “starfish” because this animal is an invertebrate not a fish. Sea Stars belong to a group of animals called echinoderms, which means "spiny skin." They are related to brittle stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and sand dollars.

While the Forbes Sea Star is probably the most common sea star along the coast of New York and New Jersey, it is still a prize to find one, beautiful to see, and sad when you find one lifeless.  

Great Blues Still in the Bay

As a post-Christmas treat, I was fortunate to spot a Great Blue Heron near Plum Island in Sandy Hook Bay. The light of a new-dawn day caught the Great Blue in its grip. Like a statue, the bird stayed stationary long enough for a few quick pictures.

It didn't take long, though, for this young Great Blue to notice my company. It looked at me several times, then flew off over the bay displaying its tremendous wingspan.  

At around four-feet tall, the Great Blue Heron is the tallest native bird in Lower New York Bay. This big-bodied and long-necked heron is as well one of the most familiar and widespread birds of the bay. It can be found in marshes, swamps, tide flats, and near ponds, lakes, and coastlines. Yet, Great Blue Herons are so secretive, silent,  and statuesque that the sight of a just one bird is still a delight.

At first I didn't know what was out in the marsh. This lofty bird was standing so still and stiff. Its color was so dingy and dim compared to a usual adult Great Blue Heron. 

When I recognized it to be a heron, my guess was that it was a second year Great Blue. Most likely born at either Hoffman or Swinburne Islands, two small artificial islands in Lower New York Bay and located off Staten Island. These two remote islands are well-known nesting sites for wading birds (including herons, egrets, and ibis) commonly seen in the New York/New Jersey Harbor and surrounding waterways. The wading birds often use Sandy Hook Bay and other natural areas in the harbor to forage.  The islands are managed by the National Park Service. New York City Audubon monitors the population status of the wading birds as part of their Harbor Heron Project. 

It is not uncommon to see Great Blue Herons during the winter. They normally remain in the bay year-round, unlike most other wading birds seen in Lower New York Bay that migrate south for the winter.

It helps that these tall birds have a highly variable and adaptable diet. A Great Blue will forage not only for fish, but frogs, turtles, snakes, insects, rodents, and even smaller birds. This diverse diet helps to sustain many Great Blue Herons over cold winter months around Lower New York Bay.

The Sandy Hook Bay Seals are Back

It was Christmas Eve along Sandy Hook Bay, a piece of the much larger Lower New York Bay and located downstream from the hustle and bustle of lower Manhattan. The windswept shore was empty of people. Indeed, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, or for that matter even a gull.

It was chilly, windy day. Gusts up to 25 mph brought a shuddering chill to my exposed face. Nonetheless, the weather was sunny, bright and beautiful. A textbook day to search the edge of a winter beach for marine mammals.  

(While seals will be present all winter, they are never quite easy to see with their dark bodies in the distance)

 

The tide was ebbing. I was optimistic at spotting a few Harbor Seals. Usually, the first seals of the winter will show up around Christmas Eve in Sandy Hook Bay. They arrive  long distances from either Long Island Sound or Nantucket Sound following schools of fish.

Nothing at first. Scanning the shore, though, I noticed a small sandbar or sandbank. It  was starting to form in the middle of the bay (about 150 yards from where I was standing). 

(A young seal jumping out of the water to the left)

Sure enough, out on this insignificant little sandbar, a number of seals were starting to appear. Here was my first sight of the winter population of Sandy Hook Bay Harbor Seals. They will call this place home for the next three months or so. Some years, as many as 140 seals haul out on sandbars and beaches inside the bay.

As the tide continued to fall, more of the sandbar became exposed above the surface of the water and an influx of seals hauled themselves up onto the bare wet sand. By dead low tide, there were at least 30 Harbor Seals spotted.

From what I could see through my binoculars, the seals looked healthy, good sized, and their skin was shiny, like a seal you might see at an aquarium. Except these seals were wild and free - the best way to see any animal!

Many of the older seals were lying in the center resting and digesting their latest meal, while younger, immature  seals located on the edge of the sandbar were more active. They would slip into the water for a minute or two before hauling out to take a break, then slide back into the water. 

Sandy Hook Bay seems to be a favorite winter place for many seals to rest, relax, and enjoy. The site seems perfect for their needs. The bay is protected from large ocean waves, there are sandbars and remote beaches to rest during the daytime, and it sits adjacent to a deepwater sea channel that leads to traveling fish.

 

Throughout the winter in Lower New York Bay, the seals can forage for winter flounder, blackfish, eels and sliver hake. These fish can be found in the coldest months and are plentiful when many other species of fish are not. 

All looked good on this Christmas Eve. I was enjoying the pleasure of seeing seals in the bay. Then  out of nowhere  a rude kayaker arrived. He approached too close to the sandbar and scared all the wary seals away. What a jerk. Bah humbug!

Kayakers need to be especially careful when paddling in the water with seals because the boats have the same profile as a shark and can stress an entire group of seals. Boaters and kayakers need to observe a safe minimum distance of fifty yards (or 150 feet) away from seals.

Beach walkers, especially a person walking a pet, need to take care NOT to make their presence known — either visually or audibly — when you come across an individual or a group of seals. Seals may flee into the water immediately when they hear or sight a human. This flight disrupts their habits and may endanger their health.

Please maintain a minimum distance of 150 feet from any marine mammal in the water or on the shore to prevent a disturbance. View them from a distance. It is illegal to harass, kill, or possess any marine mammal (dead or alive) in the US. Seals can also give a serious, bacteria-laden bite, despite those big, sad, "come hither" eyes.

If you think a seal is in distress, do not touch or approach it. Contact the police or a park ranger and give the seals exact location and a description of the animal. You may also contact directly the Marine MammalStranding Center in NJ at (609) 266-0538 or the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation in New York City at (631)369.9829

This Holiday - Make a Difference for America's Wildlife!

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas! Please do not forget to protect wildlife this holiday season.

An endangered Leatherback sea turtle

Many of our nation's wildlife species are in trouble. The number of species on the federal Threatened and Endangered Species list has doubled in the last ten years, with over 1000 species listed and many more in the pipeline. We must do more to address problems early on to prevent species from becoming endangered in the first place. Five years ago, the United States Congress and the Administration made an important decision to invest in wildlife and vital natural areas by creating the State Wildlife Grants Program. This program provides federal money to every state for conservation efforts aimed at preventing wildlife from becoming endangered. The Wildlife Conservation Society helps leverage these federal funds using private and foundation assistance through the Wildlife Action Opportunities Fund. This makes the State Wildlife Grants program a win-win for wildlife! Please urge your members of Congress to support the State Wildlife Grants program. As of April 23, 2009, 54 Senators and 87 Representatives have signed letters supporting the State Wildlife Grants Program.

Please help by going to the Wildlife Conservation Society/ New York Aquarium wildlife website at
 http://www.nyaquarium.com/help-wildlife/take-action.aspx

A Mild Winter Solstice in NY Harbor

The winter solstice arrived at 12:30am this year. Yet unless you live in northern Maine, you might think spring just blew in. The high temperature today was 58 degrees F. Normal highs are supposed to be in the mid to low 40s. 

It was close to 60 degrees around 2pm on the first day of winter

On this darkest day of the year when we only experience about nine and half hours of daylight, it was a balmy, breezy,  and beautiful solstice day. Who would have thought on a day with temperatures in the high 50s the Sun would be at its farthest point from the equator.  The sun at noon only rose to 26 degrees and 30 minutes above the horizon. Not very high in the sky at all.

Okay, sure. While the solstice is the darkest day of the year, it is not often the coldest. The Atlantic Ocean takes a long time to heat up and cool down. In December, the ocean still has  some of its summer warmth. Typically, the coldest days of winter do not occur until late January or February. 

The low elevation of the sun in late December reduces the amount of daylight to only about nine and half hours

Compared to the brutal winters in the last two years, I will certainly take a mild, dark December solstice.  

Young Green Sea Turtle in Lower NY Bay

A sick young turtle was recently found at Sandy Hook. On Friday, December 16th, someone (don't know who) spotted on the bayside of Sandy Hook a young Green sea turtle. The turtle was cold and in shock.

CleanOcean Action (COA) was notified and the turtle was brought to the Sandy Hook NRA ranger station where COA staffers at the direction of the New Jersey Marine MammalStranding Center (MMSC) folks picked up "Stevie the Sea Turtle" (COA staff named him). The MMSC also cares for sick and injured sea turtles.

Photo provided by COA on their Facebook page

MMSC staff drove the sick turtle down to South Jersey to the Stranding Center. Staff will be caring for him for awhile before releasing him much farther south than New York Harbor. According to the MMSC, this 2-3 yr-old Green Sea Turtle should be in Florida by now, but the cold waters shocked him into being unable to swim south! He was cold to the touch and needs some southern sun!

Photo provided by COA on their Facebook page

On Saturday, December 17th, it was reported by MMSC staff that the turtle was better and recuperating nicely , but his blood sugar levels were low.

Snowy Owl at Sandy Hook, NJ

Today I could feel winter bearing down on me. Another cold snap had taken over the region. Up north, Cape Cod had received 1 to 3 inches of fresh snow. Around Lower New York Bay, no snow, but it was a clear cold day with brisk north winds gusting as high as 20 mph.

With the onset of winter along the northeast Coastal Plain, many birds were being pushed down south in search of ice-free waters and snow free ground to forage for food. Mergansers, sparrows, finches, and buffleheads were all on the move. 

A female Snowy Owl recently seen at Sandy Hook, NJ

 The surprise of the day was seeing a Snowy Owl (an icon of far north Canada) perched on top of a dune on the ocean side of the Sandy Hook peninsula. Another harbinger of winter along the coast.

I got lucky. Seeing a Snowy Owl is really a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Fortunately for me, I happened to run into a bunch of birders who were out counting birds for the annual Christmas Bird Count. They were kind enough to tell me about their Snowy Owl sighting. This was going to be my first sighting of a Snowy Owl in the wild. I was thrilled! 

Snow Buntings flying swiftly around the Snowy Owl

The owl blends in well with the bland surroundings

As I arrived to the beach, the Snowy Owl sat quietly within a small patch of beach grass. The same place where there is a large nesting Least Tern colony in the summer. The bird watched me across the barren sandy beach with cold winds whipping around me and rough surf further on. There was a large flock of Snow Buntings that swept behind the bird.

The owl was dark and heavily barred. It was really not all that snowy. In fact it was not all that white. If I didn't know better, I would have never seen this big owl. In the distance it blended in really well with the faded surroundings.  

My guess was that this Snowy Owl was a first-year female. Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America make clears that females are usually darker and more heavily barred overall than males. First-year birds are usually darker than adults, and first-year females are normally the darkest. Even though this Snowy Owl had a white face, it was dark, dusky, and heavily barred. The owl was also large, just over two feet in height. Females are commonly larger than males. I would be very surprised to find out that this bird was not a female. It had all the markings of a female including thick dark bars on the tail feathers.

People at Raptor Trust have also told me that many of the Snowy Owls that show up in the New York - New Jersey region during the winter are primarily immature males or females. In years when populations of  lemmings and voles are low in the high Arctic tundra, juvenile Snowy Owls frequently do not have a hunting territory of their own, so they migrate far and wide in search of food. When the owls arrive to our region they are often hungry and stressed. 

I took with great pleasure then the sight of seeing this Snowy Owl chew on a small bird. There was a unidentified feather sticking out of her beak. The owl was also preening its feathers as well as cleaning its feet, suggesting it had been hunting. Snowy Owls are different from other owls. Snowy Owls are diurnal or daylight hunters, rather than being nocturnal.

Snowy owls are rare winter visitors to Lower New York Bay. In the past dozen years or more, bird-watching accounts have detailed local Snowy Owl sightings only at  Conaskonck Point In Union Beach and Great Kills Park. A few years back a Snowy Owl was seen in nearby Belmar. Recently, a Snowy Owl has been observed since mid-fall at Merrill Creek Reservoir in Warren County, New Jersey. Yet, as far as I know, this was the first report of a Snowy Owl at Sandy Hook.

The Snowy Owl with New York City in the background

I stood along the edge of the dunes to get a good look with my binoculars. Occasionally the owl would gaze upon me with its bright yellow eyes and astute face. To the ancient Greeks, owls were associated with wisdom, and in this age of Harry Potter, owls remain symbols of a wise life.  

As I left the beach to warm up my hands and feet, the Snowy Owl continued to sit quietly and rest in a low hummock where I first spotted her. Although a few Snowy Owls in the past have continued southward in their search for food, others have stayed in the region through late March or early April, depending on weather, while feeding on rodents and small birds. Let's hope this juvenile female makes Lower New York Bay her home this winter. Few natural sights are more impressive than seeing a Snowy Owl perched in sight of the Empire State Building.

Snowy Owls are generally tolerant of people but onlookers shouldn't approach too closely so as to avoid stressing the bird. Her survival rate will be better if she isn't forced to travel too far to search for food.

Bald Eagle Milestone in New Jersey: 100 Pairs

BALD EAGLE RECOVERY REACHES MILESTONE

WITH MORE THAN 100 NESTS NOW IN NEW JERSEY

Find out more about the Bald Eagle recovery in New Jersey from the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

Press Release from NJ DEP:

The dramatic recovery of the American bald eagle has reached a milestone in New Jersey, with more than 100 pairs now nesting in the Garden State, according to a newly released analysis of the species' population.

The survey by the DEP's Endangered and Nongame Species Program counted 102 pairs of actively nesting eagles, plus 11 more pairs in the process of establishing nesting territories. The survey documented a record 22 new nests, of which 16 are in southern New Jersey, four in northern New Jersey and two in central New Jersey.

"The recovery of the bald eagle from one nesting pair in an isolated swamp in southern New Jersey in the early 1980s to more than 100 pairs today is a truly remarkable success story that is a testament to the excellent work that has been done to manage the species, and to how far we've come as a state in restoring and protecting our environment," DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. 

Four-month-old Bald Eagles

The species' recovery from the edge of extirpation is directly related to a ban on the use of DDT, a once widely-used pesticide that caused egg failure, as well as decades of restoration and management efforts by the DEP, which released 60 eaglets from Canada into New Jersey in the 1980s and early 1990s to rebuild the population.

Each January, the Endangered and Nongame Species Program conducts a mid-winter survey as part of a nationwide effort to track population trends. The survey coincides with the time of year when eagles are preparing nests for the breeding season.

Statewide, 75 percent of the nests successfully produced offspring. A total of 119 eagle chicks were hatched, for a success rate of 1.25 per active nest.

The overall number of eagles counted during the mid-winter survey, including nesting eagles and those not nesting, stood at 238. This was 28 percent lower than the record 333 observed in 2010, likely due to snow and high winds impairing the visibility of observers.

Eagles primarily depend on fish for survival. With its broad expanses of undisturbed coastal wetlands, the Delaware Bay region of Cumberland and Salem counties remains the state's stronghold, with 60 percent of bald eagle nests.

Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey

But eagles are being found in many more places. Eighteen of New Jersey's 21 counties now have at least one active nest.

"In addition to the continued increase in the overall numbers of eagles, what's really exciting is that they are being found all across the state in all types of habitats, including along small lakes and reservoirs in northern New Jersey," said Kathy Clark, an Endangered and Nongame Species Program biologist who has worked on the recovery of the eagle since the program's early days.

This year, the Endangered and Nongame Species Program fitted a pair of eagle chicks that hatched at the Merrill Creek Reservoir in central Warren County with solar-powered transmitters that allow tracking of the birds' movement patterns by satellites.

The public can follow the movements of the two eaglets on the reservoir's website at www.merrillcreek.org.  The Conserve Wildlife Foundation maintains a blog about these and the rest of New Jersey's eagles at www.ConserveWildlifeNJ.org

"The tremendous results of 2011 show that species declines can, with hard work and dedication, be reversed," said Margaret O'Gorman, Executive Director of the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey.  "Continued investment in stewardship of wildlife is essential to continuing the recovery of eagles and other wildlife in New Jersey."

The Bald Eagle Research and Management Project is made possible by those who donate a portion of their New Jersey state income tax refund to wildlife conservation and those who purchase Conserve Wildlife license plates for their cars. The project is also supported by the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and federal grants.

"The bald eagle, along with scores of other endangered and rare wildlife species, have a much brighter future in our state due to the work made possible by funds from the tax check-off and the Conserve Wildlife license plate program," said DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife Director David Chanda. "It's not too soon to begin thinking about donating a portion of your refund to this worthy and successful effort."

The bald eagle remains listed as an endangered species in New Jersey. The federal government removed the bald eagle from its endangered species list in 2007. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is overseeing a 20-year recovery monitoring period.

The 2011 bald eagle project report, which includes a map and listing of the distribution of nesting eagles in New Jersey, can be found at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/raptor_info.htm.

 

Fishing Lines, Deadly When Discarded, Pose Threat to Birds in City Parks

By LISA W. FODERARO

Published: December 14, 2011 

NEW YORK TIMES

 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/nyregion/at-new-york-city-parks-fishing-line-and-hooks-pose-another-danger-to-birds.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

Prospect Park, which has been on the front lines of the debate about how to control New York City’s Canada goose population, has a new bird battle brewing. This time, between bird lovers and people who like to fish. 

Animal activists in the Brooklyn park say they have repeatedly rescued waterfowl that have either become tangled in discarded fishing line or been snagged by hooks near the park lake. In July, a baby swan’s right leg was pierced by a barbed fishing hook; in early September, a female mallard struggled to free herself from a six-pronged lure attached to her bill and foot; and last month, a double-crested cormorant hobbled on a rock, a hook embedded in its leg and fishing line wrapped around its foot. 

  Activists have rescued waterfowl from dangers like this discarded fishing line and hook that were removed from a bird.

This fall, the Prospect Park Alliance, which operates the park with the city, posted 30 new signs around the shore of the 60-acre lake, highlighting rules about the proper disposal of fishing line and the fact that barbed hooks are not allowed at city parks. The alliance has also reached out to fishing clubs to spread the message and plans to start an education campaign in multiple languages this spring. 

“We don’t want wildlife to get hurt; we feel very strongly about that,” said Emily Lloyd, the alliance’s president. “We may not get perfect compliance, but over a year or two, I think you can accomplish a lot in changing people’s behavior.” 

Bunches of line left on the shore — with or without a hook — can tie ducks, shorebirds and even turtles in knots, while other birds are injured after nibbling a bit of bait left on a hook and swallowing it. Lead sinkers, too, can poison birds that ingest them. Fishermen also cut lines that get snagged on trees, leaving hooks and lures to drift menacingly in the breeze. And some birds will even use fishing line as nesting material, which can ensnare their young. 

The problem is not new — or limited to Prospect Park. Birders in other city and state parks report similar cases. The Ocean Conservancy in Washington points out that monofilament fishing line, which is made from an individual fiber of plastic, has been in use since World War II, and as the decades pass, it has accumulated in the water and on land. For a quarter-century, the conservancy has organized coastal cleanups throughout the world on a single day in September. Over that time, 1,340,114 pieces of discarded fishing line have been collected, according to the group. 

“Plastics in general are the most persistent forms of marine debris,” said Nicholas Mallos, a conservation biologist with the conservancy. “Once monofilament line becomes loose in the marine environment, it poses a serious threat.” 

Birding groups and wildlife experts say that most fishermen and women are quite likely unaware of the impact on wildlife. The solution, they contend, is more education, as well as the availability of secure receptacles for old fishing line and hooks. Open trash cans easily overflow, they say, and the wind blows the line away. 

One popular design uses PVC piping, mounted vertically. In recent years, it has popped up in marinas on the East Coast and in some New York City parks. The Harlem Meer, a popular fishing spot in Central Park, has had the receptacles in place for several years. The Prospect Park Alliance installed four around the lake earlier this year. 

But in New York City parks, where many recent immigrants fish for their own sustenance (though all the city’s freshwater fishing is supposed to be catch-and-release), language barriers pose a special challenge. 

“Are our educational programs in the appropriate language for the people who are fishing?” asked Glenn Phillips, executive director of New York City Audubon and a former vice president of Prospect Park for education. “I don’t know that we’ve done a good job with that.”
Michael Louie, 34, a printer and freelance writer who belongs to the Brooklyn Urban Anglers Association, said: “I pretty much expect anyone who’s fishing to clean up their own mess. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.” 

On a recent blustery afternoon, a half-hour walk along the Prospect Park lake turned up several bunches of fishing line on the ground. Anne-Katrin Titze and her companion, Ed Bahlman, who said they had rescued 52 waterfowl over the last two years, scooped up line, bobbins and hooks, securing them in a tote bag. “I think enforcement should be the next step,” said Ms. Titze, a film critic and wildlife rehabilitator. 

Vickie Karp, a spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, said parks enforcement patrol officers had issued warnings, but no summonses so far this year for barbed hooks or fishing line. The parks department offered two dozen free fishing clinics this year aimed in part at teaching responsible fishing practices. 

Some critics argue that the pleasure of recreational fishing is secondary to the welfare of wildlife. “I’m a fisherman, and I don’t think people should be fishing in the parks, period,” said Frederick Kress, president of the Queens Coalition for Parks and Green Spaces. 

Dan Mundy, vice president of the environmental group Jamaica Bay Ecowatchers, said he and his fishing companions were careful to carry out any debris. But he believes that other fishermen may simply be ignorant of the potential hazards. 

“Bait shops could put up signs,” Mr. Mundy said. “Most fishermen believe in the environment and enjoy being out there. A lot of times I think it’s just something that goes unrecognized.”

A version of this article appeared in print on December 15, 2011, on page A33 of the New York edition with the headline: Deadly When Discarded, Fishing Lines Threaten Birds in City Parks.

 

Who put the hole in the clam?

Although the Christmas season is upon us, today seemed very much like a spring day. The air temperature reached into the upper 40s and Lower New York Bay was smooth and sapphire. A slight breeze gave hint to the actual season but otherwise it remained sweet-tempered under the sun.

There was a high tide early in the morning . As I walked along the edge of Sandy Hook Bay in Port Monmouth here among the rows of shells I spotted a hard clam shell with an interesting feature. There was a small, flawless round hole on its shell. 

(A Hard Clam shell)

Often when walking on a bay beach I will come across clam shells  and sometimes snail shells with a perfectly round hole, a few millimeters in diameter. I know that many people think that perhaps the hole was made by a gull or a sea star. But in fact it more times than not was made by another creature of the bay. 

Northern moon snails are the most common carnivores that drill holes in clamshells to eat the creature living inside. Moon snails live beneath the sand and feed upon clams by drilling a perfect circular hole a few millimeters in diameter, injecting acidic saliva, then siphoning out the meat. 

The moon snail, a member of the mollusk family, will scrape the shell with its radula, a sort of tooth-covered tongue, to drill a hole in its victim's shell, usually near the hinge. After some time, the snail will then extend a mouth part called a proboscis into the clam's newly made hole in its shell to feed. Yummy! 

(A newly found Northern Moon Snail)

A smaller hole on a clam might have been made by another local snail known as the Oyster Drill. In Lower New York Bay, moon snails and oyster drills are the two most common predatory sea creatures that drill holes into clams, oysters and sometimes even in other snails to feed. 

While starfishes do feed on mollusks, they do not drill holes in the shell. They force the shell open with their strong, muscular arms.  Gulls that find a large clam will frequently pick it up and then drop it high from the air onto a hard surface,  such as a dock or parking lot, to break the shell open.

Without doubt, people are not the only species in the bay to eat clams. We just prefer them in chowder or on a plate, maybe with a cold beer too.