Re: [nysbirds-l] TURKEY VULTURE-NESCONSET
I have seen turkey vultures in the Nesconset and Stony Brook areas with increasing frequency over the last two-three years. Had 6 at once in Nesconset three weeks ago... -Eileen Keenan > On Apr 21, 2014, at 2:53 PM, wrote: > > While taking a brief trip in the Lake Ronkonkoma County Park,just north of > the lake,I came a across a resting turkey vulture.I cautiously advanced until > I got right underneath him,at which time he took off,headed north.I don’t > know if this is a common sighting in mid western Suffolk,so I thought I would > post it.Perhaps some turkey vulture experts(Bob A. comes to mind) can weigh > in! > thanks > lee stocker > -- > NYSbirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge
Well done, John...THANK YOU!! -Eileen Keenan Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. -Original Message- From: redknot To: Murray, Joseph Cc: NYSBIRDS-L Sent: Thu, Sep 6, 2012 12:11 am Subject: [nysbirds-l] Application ID: 3-5152-00233/2 - Article 11, Incidental take of Endangered and Threatened Species - Galeville Park & Shawangunk NWR Dear Mr. Murray: I would like to take this opportunity to express my strong opposition to the issuance of a permit, pursuant to the above-referenced application, by the Department of Environmental Conservation so the Town of Shawangunk may move forward to construct a large, regional recreational facility at Galeville Park, a town-owned parcel situated adjacent to the nationally significant Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge. As the application references, the construction of this facility will result in the destruction of approximately 10 acres of grassland habitat critical for a variety of rare and declining bird species including short-eared owls, northern harriers, potentially henslow's sparrows, upland sandpipers, and a host of other grassland dependent bird species. The owl is a state endangered species while the other three are state threatened. These habitat impacts are proposed to be mitigated by several measures detailed in the notice, as laid out below: The Town will convert and maintain approximately 10 acres of the Galeville Park property as designated grassland habitat area; Construction activities for the development of the park will be prohibited during nesting and overwintering periods; Lighting of the four athletic fields will be prohibited; Dogs will be prohibited; The Town has served as the facilitator for the acquisition of an adjacent 31 acre parcel of land by the USFWS for the creation of an off-site grassland habitat area; The Town will conduct environmental education or interpretive outreach programs and will develop enhanced wildlife observation areas; The Town will construct an interpretative walking trail system at Galeville Park with linkage to the adjoining refuge. I do not believe these mitigation measures sufficiently offset the environmental impacts caused by the proposed project - the outright destruction of habitat adjacent to one of the most significant grassland areas in the northeastern United States. Perhaps this is partially due to the fact that given the information presented in the ENB notice it is impossible to judge the full extent of the mitigating effect of the proposed measures. For example, one of the mitigating measures is the "facilitation by the town of the acquisition of an adjacent 31 acre property in which a grassland habitat will be created". Without knowing the proximity of this property to the refuge, and the details of the proposed grassland creation there is no way to judge its merits and thus the extent to which it truly qualifies as a mitigating measure. The same is true with the proposed creation of 10 acres of "newly designated grassland habitat area" by the town to replace the grassland acreage lost due to the construction of the recreational facility. Ecological restoration dictates that in almost all situations a better and more prudent approach is to preserve and maintain an existing natural community type rather than to allow for it to be destroyed and attempt to re-create it nearby. A local article indicates that the proposed football field will be equipped with lights. If the other four fields are to remain unlit I strongly urge that this field remain unlit as well. How will some of the other proposed mitigation measures be enforced? For example, will there be some way to ensure enforcement of the dog ban? Generally, mitigation measures which rely on public compliance or cooperation typically have less value than measures which don't. I don't understand how the last proposed measure - construction of an interpretive walking trail with linkage to the refuge - serves to mitigate the environmental damage to the grassland habitat. Furthermore, I was extremely surprised to read that the SEQR determination for this action was a Type 1, Negative Declaration. Given its adjacency to the refuge, pursuant to Part 617 NYCRR, the Type 1 threshold (the threshold which presumes a Positive Declaration) would be lowered to an action affecting a mere 2.5 acres of land, one fourth the amount of grassland proposed to be destroyed by one element of the proposed action and about one twentieth the size of the overall action. Given this, and the exceptional value of the habitat for demonstrably rare birds, it is inconceivable that the lead agency for this action would issue a Negative Declaration. One of the benefits of a Positive Declaration, resulting in the preparation of an EIS, would have been a requirement to discuss reasonable alternatives to the proposed project, including alternative layouts
Fwd: [nysbirds-l] Turkey Vultures +
Had a turkey vulture over Stony Brook University at mid-afternoon two days in a row this week. Eileen Keenan -Original Message- From: ROBERT ADAMO To: NY BIRDS Sent: Thu, Mar 29, 2012 3:05 pm Subject: [nysbirds-l] Turkey Vultures + On Monday evening (3/26) ~ 6:35 P.M., I had a lone T.V. flying low over downtown Riverhead, and again when we crossied paths, about 5 minutes later, a bit farther north. Thinking at the time it was late in the day for such a sighting, coupled with the prevailing reasoning that the T.V's seen during the day on eastern L.I. are probably "day trippers" from Connecticut (and as such, would have started their "return trip"earlier) I put it down as a probable migrant. On Wednesday morning at ~ 0840, I had the same species (individual ?) flying low at the latter of the 2 locations above. The time, day and location of this occurrence made me wonder if this sighting was that of an individual that had spent at least a few days & nights feeding & roosting here in the Riverhead area. Today I received an email from Tom Lambertson, a local birder, who lives in Flanders, and works at Brookhaven National Laboratory. All 3 Osprey nests that he monitors (2 near home and 1 at work) were late getting occupied this year, with dates of 3/26, 3/27 and 3/28, respectively. These quite late, considering they are normally on territory by St. Patrick's Day, or the day afterward. For the last couple of days, between 6 and 7 PM, he has also seen 10 - 12 T.V's flying ( south & east) of the intersection of Routes 105 and 24 (Flanders Rd.), Flanders. In addition, Tom mentioned seeing his FOS Eastern Kingbird at B.N.L., on 3/28. Cheers, Bob -- NYSbirds-L List Info: Welcome and Basics Rules and Information Subscribe, Configuration and Leave Archives: The Mail Archive Surfbirds BirdingOnThe.Net Please submit your observations to eBird! -- -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES 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://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[nysbirds-l] Riverhead Calverton Enterprise Park:Rechler is Out
Please see link to Newsday story below. Eileen Keenan _http://www.newsday.com/news/rechler-equity-pulls-out-of-enterprise-park-pro ject-1.2404753?print=true_ (http://www.newsday.com/news/rechler-equity-pulls-out-of-enterprise-park-project-1.2404753?print=true) - Newsday - Saying it could not develop at Riverhead's Enterprise Park at Calverton without making substantial changes to its use, Rechler Equity Partners has pulled out of its $18-million deal to purchase 300 acres of vacant land at the town-owned industrial complex. The firm faced a Friday deadline to sign its contract or pay for an extension. Town officials said that, with Rechler dropping out, they are now free to subdivide the property and sell it off in 10- or 15-acre blocks. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
