At this time, the Fishers Island Conservancy expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Ellie Kelly. Ellie was an honorary of our Board, as well as a recipient of The Conservation Award in 2022. She had a profound commitment to preserving the beauty of Fishers Island. As we fondly remember Ellie, let’s pay tribute to her by carrying on the meaningful work she cherished.
We are excited to share the official tally of bird species encountered during our annual bird count, along with the “running count” that includes birds observed over the past two days. This fall’s birding event was remarkable, with a grand total of 50 species recorded during the count. Adding the additional 7 species spotted in the running count, we reached an impressive total of 57 species! (See list of bird species below.)
This year brought us some extraordinary birding moments, which we attribute to the recent major storms that grounded much of the bird activity in the days leading up to the count.
With a decade now behind us, we’ve successfully completed our 10th year of the migratory bird count. The data collected during these ten years will serve as a valuable resource for analyzing trends in bird activity on our island.
Here’s the list of species we encountered in our Fall 2023 Migratory Bird Count.
Thank you to all who participated.
| Fall 2023 Bird Count |
|---|
| American crow |
| American goldfinch |
| American kestrel |
| American redstart |
| American robin |
| Belted kingfisher (running) |
| Black-capped chickadee |
| Blue jay |
| Brown thrasher |
| Black & white warbler |
| Bobolink (running and confirmed; congrats Tom!) |
| Carolina wren |
| Cedar waxwing |
| Chimney swift |
| Chipping sparrow (running) |
| Common eider |
| Common grackle |
| Common loon (running) |
| Common yellowthroat |
| Cooper's hawk |
| Double crested cormorant |
| Downy woodpecker |
| Eastern phoebe |
| Eastern towhee |
| European starling |
| Greater black-backed gull |
| Great blue heron |
| Golden-crowned kinglet |
| Gray catbird |
| Great egret |
| Herring gull |
| House finch |
| House sparrow |
| Laughing gull (running) |
| Mallard |
| Merlin |
| Mourning dove |
| Mute swan |
| Northern cardinal |
| Northern flicker |
| Northern harrier |
| Northern mockingbird |
| Red-bellied woodpecker |
| Red-tailed hawk |
| Northern rough-winged swallow |
| Osprey (running) |
| Savannah sparrow |
| Salt marsh sparrow |
| Swamp sparrow (running) |
| Song sparrow |
| Tufted titmouse |
| White-breasted nuthatch |
| White-throated sparrow |
| Yellow-billed cuckoo |
| Yellow warbler |
| Yellow-rumped warbler |
Bird watchers scan the skies looking for birds to include in the biannual migratory bird count on Fishers Island.
Join us for our 2023 Fall Migratory Bird Count alongside our University of Delaware experts, Emily Baisden and Will Almeida.
Event Details:
What: FIConservancy 2023 Fall Migratory Bird Count
When: Sunday, October 1, 2023 @ 8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Where: Meet at Fishers Island Community Center
Make sure to bring your binoculars!
Following Audubon bird count rules, birders will make 15 five-minute stops from West End to East End. At each timed stop, birders count birds and call out what they see.
The outcomes from these bird counts play a crucial role in assisting scientists and conservation groups in mapping bird populations. Furthermore, they provide valuable insights into the distribution and frequency of various bird species within our local environment.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday
Time: 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM-?
Location: John Thatcher Native Garden
Join Us:
Calling all nature enthusiasts and bug lovers! Get ready for another Bug Night adventure with entomologist Dr. Adam Mitchell. Embrace the opportunity to see insects in a whole new light! Bring your friends and family for an exciting evening of discovery and learning.
What to Expect:
Explore the world of insects under the guidance of an expert entomologist and expand your knowledge of local insect species.
Witness a variety of critters drawn to large white sheets illuminated by vapor lamps.
Learn about the fascinating lives, behaviors, and habits of insects that call
the John Thatcher Native Garden home.
Let’s marvel at the magic of insects together. See you at Bug Night!
Note: Event details are subject to change. Please check our website or contact us for any updates.
Enter near the theater to explore fun activities and expert-led stations for all ages.
Connect with nature and have fun with family and friends! See you there!
Coastal debris coordinator, Michele Klimczak has been collecting garbage on Fishers Island for about two decades – and full time for the FI Conservancy since 2018. In these past three years she has helped to remove more than 32,000 pounds of garbage from our shores, with no end in sight. Much of the trash Michele finds is tiny plastics that may be easy to overlook, but can be detrimental to our natural environment.
To learn more about how Michele’s efforts are so vital for the wildlife that inhabit our beach community and why more may need to done beyond our shores to help combat the growing problem, please see the article posted on Inside Climate News:
Michele Klimczak’s passion for cleaning the beaches of Fishers Island led to a full-time, year-round job, but she still can’t keep up with the flood of plastic waste.
By Devin Speak
Inside Climate News
June 20, 2023
Photo Credit: Devin Speak
An osprey sitting on a new perch, April 2023 Photo: Jay Cushing
Please join us with experts, Dr. Adam Mitchell from Tarleton State University, and the University of Delaware team, Emily Baisden and Will Almeida, for our annual spring migratory bird count on Sunday, May 7.
What: FI Conservancy 2023 Spring Migratory Bird Count
When: Sunday, May 7, 8am—10:30am
Where: Meet outside the Fishers Island Community Center & BYOBinoculars
Following Audubon bird count rules, birders will make 15 five-minute stops from the West End to the East End of Fishers Island. At each timed stop, birders count birds and call out what they see. Our experts will lead the count and answer your questions about migratory birds.
We hope to see you at this fun, informative outdoor event, celebrating the spring season at Fishers Island.
FIConservancy Team
| ZONE | WEIGHT (LBS) | TIME (HOURS) |
| NO ZONE | 0 | 43 |
| E4 | 3,001 | 272 |
| N1 | 1,483 | 258.5 |
| N5 | 657 | 86 |
| N6 | 825 | 123.5 |
| S2 | 2,841 | 433.5 |
| S3 | 926 | 140 |
| TOTAL | 9,733 | 1,356.5 |
| ZONE | WEIGHT (LBS) | TIME (HOURS) |
| JANUARY | 1,006 | 105.5 |
| FEBRUARY | 777 | 98 |
| MARCH | 703 | 113.5 |
| APRIL | 656 | 65.5 |
| MAY | 982 | 120 |
| JUNE | 833 | 131.5 |
| JULY | 854 | 144.5 |
| AUGUST | 864 | 136 |
| SEPTEMBER | 627 | 119 |
| OCTOBER | 622 | 88 |
| NOVEMBER | 845 | 139 |
| DECEMBER | 107 | 18.5 |
| TOTAL | 8,876 | 1,279 |
| ZONE | WEIGHT (LBS) | TIME (HOURS) |
|---|---|---|
| JANUARY | 697 | 93.0 |
| FEBRUARY | 572 | 72.0 |
| MARCH | 898 | 107.5 |
| APRIL | 826 | 103.5 |
| MAY | 585 | 84.5 |
| JUNE | 625 | 103.5 |
| JULY | 461 | 121.0 |
| AUGUST | 672 | 151.5 |
| SEPTEMBER | 634 | 119.5 |
| OCTOBER | 659 | 95 |
| NOVEMBER | 464 | 100 |
| DECEMBER | 775 | 108 |
| TOTAL | 7,868 | 1,287 |
Tom Sargent
If you’re on-Island and haven’t yet checked out Ferry Park, please do. Lucinda Herrick and others had a vision to upgrade the land and shoreline berm by the entrance to Silver Eel Cove, and we were happy to partner with the Fishers Island Ferry District to help them realize their concept. Over 15,000 native Virginia beach grass plugs have transformed a barren parking lot into a charming pocket park. As you know, native plants bring native insects, native insects bring native birds, and so on…
Below, you’ll find more exciting 2022 highlights and shout-outs. We’re looking forward to continuing this momentum and accomplishing even more together next year. To help make that possible, please consider donating a year-end gift now.
If I may, another request. Do you have phragmites on your property? We’ve entered into a five-year program to treat phragmites in and around the Parade Grounds. In conjunction with the Town of Southold and the NY DEC, we’ve hired outside contractors to tackle the problem. If you have phragmites on your property, please let us know and we’ll manage the estimates, coordination and timing to help eradicate this insidious invader. Contact Kristen Peterson at kmpfic@gmail.com to get started.
Thank you again for being part of our community and for caring for Fishers Island as much as we do.
Sincerely,
Tom Sargent
President, Fishers Island Conservancy
Your generosity is essential to our work – we couldn’t do it without you. Thank you.
A gift to the Fishers Island Conservancy is a gift to Fishers Island.
