Herons and Egrets
2012 Nature Notes Fishers Island is host to many bird species and perhaps the most striking are the herons and egrets, members of the bird family Ardeidae.
The Piping Plover
2011 Nature Notes Two years ago, a bird not seen at Fishers Island for a number of years, returned. The bird was the Piping plover (Charadrius melodus), a federally threatened species in the Atlantic region. During the 1970s, the island supported a small colony of this species near Middle Farms; however, habitat change and other causes resulted in the disappearance of this bird from Fishers.
Owls of Fishers Island
2010 Nature Notes For a relatively small island, Fishers has a thriving owl population. Owls are sighted frequently and often heard calling at dusk and during the night. In southern New England, the Barred Owl (Strix varia) is the most common large owl. This holds true on Fishers Island as well and many of us have seen or heard this owl with its distinctive eight-note call and/or its several variations.
The Wood Warblers: Sprightly ‘Butterflies’ of the Bird World
2009 Nature Notes The month of May brings with it the assurance that spring is fully underway. The landscape is fresh and green and the woodland wildflowers make their appearance, capitalizing on the sunlight that filters to the forest floor. Insects, some more welcomed than others, reappear.
Vernal pools – habitats that support unique biological communities
2008 Nature Notes During the first warm rainy nights in late winter or early spring, a ritual occurs throughout the woodlands of the northeast, including Fishers Island. This is the return of amphibian species to their breeding pools.
Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus)
2007 Nature Notes During June, a careful look at some of the beaches on the north side of Fishers Island will reveal numerous tiny exoskeletons of one of the oldest creatures still living today, the Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus).
The American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)
2006 Nature Notes The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) is a breeding bird on Fishers Island although it is seldom seen due to its reclusive habits.
Vascular Plant Diversity Study
2005 Nature Notes Fishers Island has been included in a fascinating article by Robert T. McMaster appearing in the Journal of Biogeography. The study investigated factors influencing vascular plant diversity on 22 islands off the coast of eastern North America.
