on top of the Harbor Hills Moraine

The Harbor Hills Moraine constitutes the North Shore of LI extending from Western LI all the way out on the North Fork; it's one of the two glacial moraines that forms the backbones of Long Island and it resurfaces on the coast of Rhode Island and on Cape Cod and adjacent islands. The Long Island hills formed by this moraine are a rich habitat but not one with which I have very much familiarity although I have visited a few areas including the North Fork Preserve in Northville. Yesterday I was at a nearby place that was situated on one of the highest points of the moraine and, although surrounded with dense vegetation, afforded some glimpses of LI Sound and even the Connecticut shore. Even with yesterday's strong winds, I was hoping to be able to observe some migration from this vantage point and indeed there was a continuous stream of fast-moving flocks shooting across -- two to four dozen birds at a time! The trouble was that, as far as I could observe, they were all made up of blackbirds  -- Red-wings, Common Grackles and Starlings -- and they were all moving in the wrong direction: east or east/northeast, every single one! The only birds that seemed to be doing it right were a few Am Robins and two Turkey Vultures. The latter were moving west/southwest, gliding moderately high over the hills but in a very odd fashion; they were facing north into the wind and were therefore soaring -- quite successfully I may add -- sideways!

There were some other notable migrants however: two or three Monarch Butterflies. Monarchs have been very scarce on the South Shore this year nor has there been any big influx of migrating butterflies of any species this year. However, in the past week or so, there have been quite a few local species flying including several of the swallowtails (Tiger, Spicebush, Black), American Copper, a few Nymphs and Satyrs (Common Wood-Nymph and Litte Wood-Satyr) and some unidentified Hairstreaks and several different (equally unidentified) Skippers. Ditto with the dragonflies -- no big influx of migrants but some numbers of apparently local species, most of which I have yet to identify.

Eric Salzman