|
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.
April 1996 Harbor seals frequently ascend estuaries to freshwater, moving upriver on the flood tide in pursuit of forage, then hauling out on slack tide. In winter they can occasionally be seen ebbing downriver on ice floes. On rare occasions harp seals and hooded seals will also stray into the tidal Hudson. April 2 - Tappan Zee - Robert Garbrielson Sr. reported the first downriver American shad, a single buck shad caught in his anchor net near the Tappan Zee Bridge. Commercial fishermen in the lower estuary were a bit leery about putting their nets in too early because of the overwhelming number of striped bass. Water temperature in the channel was 43 degrees. April 7 - Sleepy Hollow - An inch of slushy snow fell overnight; the forsythia was in bloom. Christopher Letts April 8 - Croton Point - Several osprey sightings this morning. It was nice to have them back with us. South-facing magnolias were blooming and, in places, coltsfoot was in bloom. Christopher Letts April 14 - Croton Point - We watched long as five great blue herons in a perfect V formation passed overhead and disappeared to the north. Dandelions were in bloom. The sharp air had given me an appetite for dinner: dandelion greens and the first shad roe of the year. Christopher Letts Tappan Zee - Robert Gabrielson Jr. took 335 pounds of roe shad and 65 pounds of bucks in his net this morning. They were at least a week late in arriving. April 16 - Tappan Zee - Robert Gabrielson Sr. wondered where the shad were. He caught 76 shad today, 60 of which were roe. Last year at this time the run was heavy. April 18 - Garrison - A black vulture flew over Constitution Marsh today. I saw a pair of greater yellowlegs relaxing on a mat of floating cattail stalks. They flew off, giving their excellent call when I drifted too close in a canoe. An osprey flew overhead clutching a fish. (It appeared to be a herring, but it is a challenge to identify a fish looking up through binoculars while it is being carried away by a bird!) Near our Visitors Center, I observed a field sparrow and a spring azure butterfly. Eric Lind April 21 - Garrison - A palm warbler and a gnatcatcher reappeared today. The carp in the south cove of Constitution Marsh were beginning to stir. Eric Lind Croton Point - Strong southerlies made it easy for a half dozen kestrels and a marsh hawk to hunt the greening cap of the landfill. Their presence seemed accepted by the feeding flock of Canada geese on the slope. A single snow goose in the middle of the flock seemed healthy and showed no alarm as we walked to within twenty-five yards. A loon and a pie-billed grebe floated placidly on the calm waters on the north side of the Point. American toads were singing today. Christopher Letts, Nancy Letts April 23 - Cold Spring - There were a few scattered bloomings of shadbush in the Hudson Highlands. Several days of 80 degrees air temperature had accelerated our flora. Norway maples gave shade today for the first time. Chuck Keene April 24 - Sleepy Hollow - The wild cherry trees were in blossom; the dogwood and the redbud were showing color. Christopher Letts April 28 - Croton Point - The first snowy egret of spring arrived in the marsh. The black cherries were in bloom. Christopher Letts |
