Yes—that was already arranged with NPS. Thanks for also following up.
Joe From: bounce-125669674-10871...@list.cornell.edu <bounce-125669674-10871...@list.cornell.edu> On Behalf Of Gus Keri Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2021 3:33 PM To: Smith, Jason Y (DEC) <jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov>; Birding alert, NYSBirds, Birding alert <nysbirds-l@cornell.edu> Subject: Re:[nysbirds-l] Oystercatchers at Plumb Beach Thank you Jason for immediate response and action. I hope this nest will survive until the weekend. Gus ---- On Thu, 27 May 2021 14:01:31 -0400 Smith, Jason Y (DEC) <jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov<mailto:jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov>> wrote ---- > div.zm_-5476009931034783622_parse_-1648336103378843337 P { margin-top: 0; > margin-bottom: 0 }Gus, > Some potential good news. I was able to contact NPS and they will try and get > to the area by Saturday morning to put up a symbolic fence around the nest. > It leaves them vulnerable for the next few days...but hopefully they can get > the area marked off before anything happens. > Jason > Jason C. Smith |Biodiversity Ecologist > New York State Department of Environmental Conservation > 47-40 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11101 > Phone: 718-482-4919 | Fax: 718-482-4502 > Email: jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov<mailto:jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov> > "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we > created them" -Einstein > > > > > From: Smith, Jason Y (DEC) > Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2021 12:34 PM > To: gusk...@zoho.com<mailto:gusk...@zoho.com> > <gusk...@zoho.com<mailto:gusk...@zoho.com>> > Subject: Oystercatchers at Plumb Beach Gus, > I'm a biologist with the NYDEC out of the Long Island City regional office. A > co-worker forwarded me your email about the Oystercatcher nest at Plumb Beach. > While I am not familiar with this nest in 2021, I am very familiar with where > the Oystercatchers have tried to nest in the past on that beach. > Unfortunately, it has never ended well. > Both the National Park Service and the NYC Parks & Recreation are responsible > for managing that property and it is generally managed as a recreational > access area and not as protected area for nesting shorebirds or waterbirds. > Plumb Beach primarily serves as a kayak/wind surfing launch, and a rest area > for vehicles travelling on the Belt Parkway. As you note, there is a lot of > recreational foot traffic through there. And folks with dogs usually take > them off their leash there to run. Which is prohibited, but largely goes > unenforced as there are no permanent staff there. > The area just north of Plumb Beach, Marine Park does have an area that is > preserved for wildlife. Here is a link to the NYC Parks website for the > preserve: Forever Wild : NYC Parks (nycgovparks.org)Forever Wild : NYC > ParksMost of the Marine Park Preserve consists of salt marshes and uplands > that flank Gerritsen Creek, the westernmost freshwater inlet of Jamaica Bay. > Jamaica Bay is an 18,000-acre wetland estuary that provides a unique > environment for both wildlife preservation and urban recreation. Enclosed by > the ...www.nycgovparks.org > This area is the reason why Plumb Beach is so attractive to Oystercatchers. > So, in a way it was the NPS and NYC Parks' way of finding a compromise for > the two land use issues in the area. If the Oystercatchers would only nest > across the channel(north of the marina and south of the bridge crossing the > channel between Plumb and Marine Park) from where you are likely seeing them > (as you go around the bend towards the wetland north of the beach) that would > eliminate the conflict. That area isn't currently suited obviously, otherwise > the Oystercatchers would nest there. But it could be set up to. > > The area where they are (likely) nesting is suited, if not for the high level > of recreational activity. Even without any dogs off their leash. > I will however reach out to colleagues at the NPS and make sure they are > aware of the nest and ask if they can demark the area. Unfortunately, > American Oystercatcher are not protected under NYS law as a threatened, > endangered, or special concern species. So, I cannot require them to take any > action. But they have tried to help Oystercatchers nesting in precarious > locations in the past, so there is hope. > From a longer-term solution perspective, I will reach out to NYC Parks and > see if they can't provide some signs near the concessions/restroom area that > alert visitors to the potential for encountering beach nesting birds (and > migratory shorebird stopovers too...both NPS and Parks acknowledge the area > for important horseshoe crab spawning area that it is). And re-enforce the > dog leash law for the area. Again, I cannot require them to do so. > To your point Gus, this area has seen a lot of nesting attempts by American > Oystercatchers over the last several years. It may be time to reconsider how > the area is viewed, and maybe a solution which allows for some areas to be > sheltered from recreational activities can be found in the future. > I will try to keep you updated as to any progress I am able to make with > protecting the current nest. > Best,Jason > Jason C. Smith |Biodiversity Ecologist > New York State Department of Environmental Conservation > 47-40 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11101 > Phone: 718-482-4919 | Fax: 718-482-4502 > Email: jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov<mailto:jason.sm...@dec.ny.gov> > "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we > created them" -Einstein > > > > -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm<http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm<http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm<http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html<http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html> 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L<http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L> 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01<http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01> Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/<http://ebird.org/content/ebird> -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
