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 IV. Each month, we'll be adding another excerpt from the book that corresponds to the current month.

March 1997
March 2 - Verplanck - A male merlin sent birds fleeing for safety into some blue crab pots. The merlin then perched disappointedly upon the pots. Cal Greenburg

Ossining - Crocus were in bloom in sheltered locations. Yvone Gourdine

March 13 - Ossining - Henry Gourdine recalled that this was the date when most Hudson River commercial fishermen would abandon their winter fishing through the river's ice in anticipation of the impending spring season. By March 17 they would be back out on the river, this time in boats, setting long hickory poles by driving them into the soft bottom. Against these poles up to 1200 feet of gill net would be tied through most of April and May to catch spawning American shad as they ascended the Hudson. And when would they quit? Henry stopped fishing for shad when each row of nets caught less than 100 shad over the course of a tide. That usually occurred in mid-May.

March 19 - Croton Point - A single snow goose rested among a flock of Canada geese in the picnic area of Croton Point -- what a beautiful bird! Brenda Freeman-Bates

The Hudson
The Hudson River was really cool,
We missed four class periods in school.
A lot of people got wet 'cause of play,
We don't get to go to the Hudson every day.
Chris Letts was really nice,
I think he'll eat anything, including mice.
I liked this trip very much,
I hope the Hudson and I keep in touch.
Lauren Stabile, Pearl River Middle School, Pearl River, NY
March 20 - Croton Point - On the south side of the point the forsythia was in bloom. I heard bluebirds and towhees singing. From the chilly waters of the old clay pits came the first tentative peeps of the spring peepers, "Like ghosts of sleigh bells in a ghost of snow," as Robert Frost described it. All this and our winter residents, the eagles were still here. Christopher Letts

March 22 - Croton Point - Last night's southwest wind brought new arrivals to the point. Small flocks of flickers and phoebes were numerous, and half a dozen kestrels were on the landfill. More than 250 snow geese (called "snows" by birding enthusiasts) swept over the point and kept on up the river. A few minutes later I once again heard the calls of the snows and watched a flock of 150 geese come out of the south, sweep over my head and disappear into the north. They were flying in formation the entire time, but this flock was half Canada geese. It was an enduring moment, not the accidental crossing and momentarily mingling of two separate flocks. For the several minutes I observed, the flock was truly integrated. Christopher Letts

March 24 - Peekskill - A sure sign of spring: coltsfoot was in bloom along the roads. Christopher Letts

March 25 - Croton Point - The river was glassy this morning, and I watched large fish making swirls across the breadth of Croton Bay. Nothing indicated feeding activity, and the swirls were scattered and infrequent. Gizzard shad? Striped Bass?

A flock of about 90 snow geese barked its way over the marsh, crossed the point and headed north. I noted that a single snow, present for ten days in the company of Canada geese, was gone.

Maybe a last for this season: in an oak on the southern tip of the point sat an immature bald eagle. I was surprised to see it so late. Truly, this has been an eagle winter. As I've gone into the field with binoculars and spotting scope the eagles have been a treat to see, but the real story for me has been the eagle watchers. Children with their parents waiting at school bus stops comment on where the birds were yesterday, and suggest better places for me to look. An old man cleaning out his car at Senasqua Park gave me a brief lecture on why the birds are in one place today, another tomorrow. A Metro North engineer on the Poughkeepsie-Manhattan run offered that he has been seeing them for years. I expressed interest and he spent a half-hour naming every vantage, every tree, where he has seen the eagles, all the way down to Greystone station. Christopher Letts

March 27 - Furnace Brook - Mourning cloak butterflies were in flight along Furnace Brook. Christopher Letts