The almanac uses observations written by naturalists, river lovers of all ages, and scientists to assemble a journal of the river's unique moments.

The almanac is printed by Purple Mountain Press, Ltd., (800-325-2665) and is lavishly illustrated by Marlena Marallo. It is available for $10, plus New York State sales tax, and $3.50 for shipping. E-mail address is: Purple@mail.catskill.net

These excerpts are taken, with permission from the publisher, from the Hudson River Almanac, Volume III. Each month, we'll be adding another excerpt from the book that corresponds to the current month.

February 1996
February 1 - Verplanck: We had been seeing eagles all winter, here and there, but it was quite a sight to see 14 at once, all riding the ice floes up the river. Ken Bonnes

Montrose - We were walking through the snow behind the sewage treatment facility for the Veterans' Administration Hospital. Near the river at the clay pits we were surprised and startled to come upon an adult bald eagle perched in a tree not 30' off the ground and 30' feet away. Almost immediately our presence roused it from its roost; it rose quickly and flew away. Fred Keesler, Dick Stickles

February 5 - Garrison - My attention was drawn skyward. In the air directly over the Visitors' Center of the Audubon Constitution Marsh Sanctuary, five crows were mobbing and generally harassing a rough-legged hawk. We do not see many rough-legged hawks in winter, and this encounter continued for several minutes. Finally the hawk took off north and the crows, apparently content at their mission being accomplished, headed south. Jim Rod

George's Island - In early afternoon a small group of people were drawn to George's Island to watch a total of 6 eagles, 2 of them adults. They perched, they soared, and several times we were treated to intricate pas de deux -- thrilling to see and mystifying to us. As we prepared to go separate ways, a turkey vulture passed overhead, headed south. Christopher Letts

February 9 - Verplanck - Just offshore a raft of common mergansers - over 150 ducks - drifted down-tide in the current. Dozens of mallards plied the inshore waters searching for sustenance. There was a considerable flow of ice downriver past Indian Point. Well out in the middle of the river a single immature bald eagle was hunched over an ice floe, presumably feasting on a fish. Just off Steamboat Dock a pair of hooded mergansers took a brief respite from flight in an open patch of river before resuming their flight in an open patch of river before resuming their flight to the south and Haverstraw Bay. Jim Rod, of Audubon, felt that their presence on the river was a good indicator of a lack of open water on inland lakes and ponds. Tom Lake

February 10 - Tappan Zee - A three-day thaw had opened the river ice. Now it was water, water everywhere. I was waiting for Catskill and Coxsackie to come floating down after those disastrous floods. Cardinals and mourning doves were paired and singing spring songs. I had seen small groups of cormorants for the last three days two or three at a time. Today a turkey vulture drafted north over Route 9. Christopher Letts

February 16 - Croton River - For some reason, it seems the eagles always fly up the river towards the Croton Dam. During a snow shower I spotted a mature bald eagle flying upriver, though not flapping its wings. It was cruising. My sight of it was lost when it banked right into a pine grove. I would have pursued it on foot, but would only have spooked it due to its excellent eyesight. Bob Pearson

February 19 - Cold Spring - From the village dock the Hudson River was one continuous frozen expanse of white. A mile to the south, on the north side of Constitution Island, an immature bald eagle sat in the top of a large white pine surveying the river. Tom Lake, Phyllis Lake

February 23 - Garrison - At 3:30 p.m. in the open lead of a cove directly south of Constitution Marsh, I spotted 4 drakes and 3 northern pintail hens. After allowing close observation for about ten minutes, the pintails took off and flew north in the Audubon sanctuary -- the first "early ducks" of the spring season, though the marsh and cove were still 90% ice-covered. Our first red-winged blackbird showed up today. Jim Rod

Town of Cortlandt - I'd been getting this itch for the last couple of days, and when my wife pointed out snowdrops in bloom at our back door, I scratched it. For more than a quarter of a century the return of the snowdrops and redwings have caused me to reach for my spiles, buckets, brace and bit. An hour later and a symphony of droplets pinged lively music into 15 buckets, and I was fine-tuning my maple syrup rig, leveling up, cleaning up. Tomorrow I'll fire it up and enjoy another irrefutable sign of spring, the scent of maple steam rolling on the breeze. Christopher Letts, Nancy Letts

Pocantico Hills - We didn't for a moment think that winter was really past, but the signs of the season's change were irrefutable. In Pocantico Hills, 300 red-winged blackbirds alternately yelled "ok-a-lee!" from treetops and frolicked among David Rockefeller's prized cattle. Later a smaller flock flew over Croton Point. They simply weren't here yesterday - took advantage of the southerlies, caught a red-eye, breakfast in Westchester. Christopher Letts

February 27 - Croton Point - The R. T. Waterman Bird Club members visited the marsh and saw a northern harrier hunting for food. In the cove of Croton Bay were many ducks: lesser scaup, ring-necked ducks, buffleheads, and canvasbacks. Barbara Michelin reported a great cormorant fly-by as she was scoping the waterfowl and overhead a bald eagle gave them great views. As they left a lone killdeer was feeding in the grass. An early spring immigrant? February 29 - Croton Bay - At 11:00 AM I watched as an immature bald eagle scooped up a fish off the bay ((or tried to) and then flew south just above the water, scattering gulls every which way. Ann Joseph