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2024-05-02T00:00:00-04:00

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August 2020

Wed 5

August 5, 2020 @ 2:00 pm - 2:40 pm

Beaks, Feet & Feathers

Family Program Explore the amazing adaptations of birds! Meet a live bird and learn how to identify the birds you may see in your backyard. DPNC family program for ages 5 & up. Wednesday, August 5, 2020. Time: 2 to 2:40 p.m. Virtual Program, advance registration required. To sign up for children’s programs, please e-mail

Wed 19

August 19, 2020 @ 2:00 pm - 2:40 pm

Remarkable Raptors

Family Program See live hawks and owls, as you learn more about raptor’s important role in the ecosystem and discover which ones you might be able to see near your house. DPNC family program for ages 5 & up. Wednesday, August 19, 2020. 2 to 2:40 p.m. Virtual Program, advance registration required. To sign up

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Please join us Sunday, April 28, 2024 @ 4 PM for "

Please join us Sunday, April 28, 2024 @ 4 PM for "Beatrice Cuming: Connecticut Precisionist" a VIRTUAL ONLY HLFM talk with Tanya Pohrt, Ph.D., curator, Lyman Allyn Art Museum. Pohrt will discuss the dynamic art and vision of artist Beatrice Cuming (American, 1903-1974), in conjunction with an exhibition now on view at the Lyman Allyn.

Based in New London, Connecticut for much of her career, Beatrice Cuming celebrated industry and progress in her art, painting urban views and local maritime landscapes in the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. On a special six-month WPA assignment in 1941, she documented Harbor Defenses on Long Island Sound, painting key military sites such as Fort H.G. Wright on Fishers Island. She subsequently painted scenes of industry in commissions for General Dynamics Electric Boat and Standard Oil.

Zoom link through fergusonmuseum.org/events

PHOTO: Beatrice Cuming, Untitled (Gun, Coastal Defense), 1941. Oil on Canvas Collection of Bagley Reid. Thought to be gun emplacement at Fort H. G. Wright, Fishers Island, NY.
#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #lymanallynartmuseum #forthgwright

Happy Earth Day! Steve Head spotted this osprey

Happy Earth Day!

Steve Head spotted this osprey with the day's catch down near the ball field last week.

The Spring migration is in full swing. Explore the travels of thousands of individual migratory birds with Audobon's interactive Bird Migration Explorer. Check out the link in our bio.

#osprey #earthday #fergusonmuseum #fergusonmuseumlandtrust #finy #fishersisland #fishersislandny #hlfm

Happy Bat Appreciation Day! Aside from being the o

Happy Bat Appreciation Day! Aside from being the only true flying mammal, bats play a crucial role in our local island ecosystem, from pollinating plants to controlling insect populations. One little brown bat can eat 60 medium-sized moths or over 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in one night! This #BatAppreciationDay, take a moment to marvel at these incredible mammals and discover why they're so essential to our world. There are 1,400 species worldwide, but only 9 in our area - so spend a little time getting to know them!

Check out the video in our bio where Kim Hargrave, Education Director at the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, tells us about these fascinating creatures and how you can help protect their habitats.

Photos: Stills taken from HLFM Illustrated Talk, 'Bats in Our Region,' August 1, 2021 with Kim Hargrave, Education Director of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (DPNC).

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fergusonmuseumlandtrust #fishersisland #fishersislandny #savethebats #batconservation #denisonpequotseposnaturecenter #dnpc

The April 8, 2024, solar eclipse is fast approachi

The April 8, 2024, solar eclipse is fast approaching, and the conditions seem favorable for Fishers Island with a forecast for sun and a few clouds. Mid-eclipse will be at approximately 3:28:20 PM, though the partial eclipse will start around 2:14 PM. Fishers is not in the Path of Totality, but we will hopefully be able to experience the partial eclipse.

Of note:
1. Those in the Path of Totality will experience total darkness in the middle of the day. The last time the U.S. witnessed a coast-to-coast total solar eclipse was in 1918.
2. In some places, the total eclipse will last over 4 minutes. This is significantly longer than the 2017 eclipse, which had a maximum duration of 2 minutes and 40 seconds of totality.
3. How animals react to the sudden darkness of a solar eclipse is a phenomenon in itself. Birds may return to their nests, and nocturnal animals can become active, confused by the change from daylight to darkness and back again in just a few minutes. Let us know if you observe any unusual animal behavior.

Remember, looking directly at the sun, even during a partial eclipse, can cause serious eye damage or blindness. Make sure you have ISO-certified eclipse glasses or viewers to safely observe the event. If you are thinking of using your cellphone camera to record the eclipse without a solar filter, you risk damaging the photo sensor.

Happy viewing!

Photo 1: Eclipse path from WHAS11/ABC
Photo 2: AirBNB short term rental occupancy % for w/o April 8 - orange is 100% occupied - from AirDNA

#TotalSolarEclipse #hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersislandny #fishersisland #finy

Happy April Fool’s day! Several Darby’s Cove

Happy April Fool’s day!

Several Darby’s Cove residents were surprised to encounter a large reptile in the marsh area of Darby’s Cove during the high tide over Easter weekend. Board member Terry McNamara was soon on the scene and identified it as a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). The sound it is making is typical of the species during breeding season.

The saltwater crocodile is an ‘estuarine crocodile’; as the name suggests, it is typically found in the brackish water of estuaries. It can also tolerate saltwater in the oceans and travel long distances using tidal currents. Reaching lengths of more than 23 feet and weights of over 2,200 pounds, the saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile on the planet.

This female (approximately 16’) appears to be in good health. Likely it resided in the municipal sewer system of New York City until its food supply dwindled or a larger dominant female supplanted it. This ‘saltie’ will hang around in Darby’s Cove until it has exhausted the supply of visiting waterfowl, muskrats, and mink before looking elsewhere for sustenance. Note: they can travel overland at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. We encourage you to view the 1999 Oscar-winning documentary ‘Lake Placid’ for more information on the saltwater crocodile.

Terry McNamara is very excited about the new fauna on the island, especially the kind that can be easily encountered on his Thursday Nature Walks (10:30 am, meet at the Museum).

#saltwatercrocodile #saltwaterlife #hflm #fergusonmuseum #naturewalks #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy

Happy Easter! A traditional rite of spring, an ann

Happy Easter! A traditional rite of spring, an annual Easter Egg hunt has been a part of life on Fishers Island for many years.

By the 1960s, Village Green was the site for young egg hunters. The Island People’s Project sponsors this wonderful annual event. Before the Village Green, for a period in the early 1940s, the annual rite of hunting for colorful eggs was held on the hill near the entrance to today’s Race Rock Garden Co.

The Easter Bunny has fewer friends on the ground these days thanks to the resurgent osprey and the recent additions of coyote, mink, and other competition. If you see any critters out and about, have pictures from the IPP Easter Egg Hunt, or are hosting your own hunt on Fishers, take a picture and send it to us!

Photos & Credits:

1. Easter egg hunt on Village Green, 1982. Photograph courtesy of Patty Faulkner.
2. Easter egg hunt on Village Green, c.1967. Photo courtesy of Ken Edwards, Sr. family. JR Edwards is featured in center foreground.
3. The Doyens posing with the Easter Bunny, 2008. Photograph by Melie Spofford.
4. Easter egg hunters in vicinity of Fort Wright Movie Theater, April 1941. Photographer unknown. Museum Collection.
5. Easter egg hunters on hill, Mosquito Hollow, Fort H.G. Wright, April 1941. Photographer unknown. Museum Collection.

#happyeaster #easteregghunt #hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #fitheater #islandlife

First 2024 sighting on Osprey Cam nest, reported

First 2024 sighting on Osprey Cam nest, reported by Richard Marshall. Time stamp 7:49am March 23, 2024. Recordings reveal that the Osprey landed on the nest at 6:41am on the 23rd. Since this was posted, a GIFF has been sent in that was posted online slightly earlier at 7:28am. Also, more significantly, a still of an Osprey on the Cam nest has surfaced that is dated 3/20/2024… that latter sighting could have been a touch down and quick take off. We will check the recordings and clarify if the 20th or the 23rd of March should be filed as the date of return, 2024.

Happy first day of Spring! The March equinox happe

Happy first day of Spring! The March equinox happens Tuesday, March 19 at 11:06 P.M. EDT. This is the astronomical beginning of the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumn season in the Southern Hemisphere.

The first Osprey was seen last Friday morning, March 15, by Leslie and Paul Tombari. The OspreyCam is live, though the nest currently appears unoccupied. Fishers Island is on the migratory route for Ospreys returning North for the summer and several make short stops while on their way before our usual coterie of fine feathered raptors show up and settle in.

You can find the OspreyCam on the Ferguson Museum website or by tapping the link in our Instagram bio.

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #osprey #raptors #ospreysofinstagram #ospreyphotography

In recognition of St. Patrick's Day, we bring you

In recognition of St. Patrick's Day, we bring you the tale of Irish boxer George Rooke from a time when Fishers Island was best known in the region and around the country as a site where illicit prize fights were staged beyond the reach of the law:

On April 9, 1867, a bare-knuckle prize fight on Fishers Island matched George Rooke, an Irishman, against Charles Collins, an Englishman, a.k.a. “The Cast Iron Man.” The prize fight took place near today’s Walsh Park, an area once known locally as “The Battlefield,” for a purse of $500 a side. Various vessels brought the crowd of approximately 250 gamblers and “roughs” to a landing spot near today’s Munnatawket Beach. “The schooner and two or three sloops and oyster smacks are now anchored in shore, close to Fisher's Island…A ring is pitched near the shore, sheltered by some scanty shrubbery, on a smooth piece of ground, and the passengers disembark in yawl-boats for the scene of the fight. New-York Tribune (April 10, 1867).

The Tribune’s account chronicled in excruciating detail just how savagely the Irishman pummeled the “Cast Iron Man” during the 16-round bout until his face looked “more like a raw piece of liver or beef-steak slashed with a knife, than the face of a human being.” The latter fighter had “nearly lost all his ferruginous ingredients” and the victory for Rooke seemed a foregone conclusion. However, it turned out the fix was in and the Englishman was awarded the fight on a technicality. The brutal battle had lasted one hour and fifteen minutes. The New-York Tribune account included an amazing detail: “This fight is interesting from the fact that it is the first one ever fought in America under the newly amended rules of the prize ring, which compels the seconds to retire from the inner ring as soon as the men begin to fight in each round.”

Of the four known professional boxing matches held on Fishers Island, this one was the most significant.

This recounting by HLFM Director Pierce Rafferty first appeared in the Fishers Island Foghorn, December 2022.

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #stpatricksday

When sparks fly, creativity takes flight! What's a

When sparks fly, creativity takes flight! What's afoot in this fiery metalworking mystery? Can you guess what @theSteelYard is working on for the Museum?

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #metalworking #thesteelyard

Last chance to take the Museum survey! It only tak

Last chance to take the Museum survey! It only takes a few minutes – what comes to mind when you think of the Museum? What do you wish we did an exhibition on? The survey ends on Sunday, 3/17. Just tap the link in our bio.

Now, do you recognize that building? Hint: these days, if you are lucky, you might score a doggie bowl with some friends in one of the businesses there. However, the picnic table you sat at used to be in the middle of a pond…Fones Pond. Seen in the foreground, it covered part of what is today the Town Green.

Photo Credit:
Wilbur’s General Store overlooking Fones Pond, Fishers Island, N.Y.
c.1890
Photograph by James S. Casey
Museum Collection. Donated by Harry & Susie Ferguson

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #toppersicecream #drinknvessel

Elizabeth “Betty” Matthiessen was actively inv

Elizabeth “Betty” Matthiessen was actively involved with the Henry L. Ferguson Museum and served on our Board of Trustees for many years. Her love of Fishers Island’s natural beauty and strong dedication to protecting its wildlife led to the donation, in her memory, of 8 acres of property surrounding Island (Oyster) Pond to the Ferguson Museum Land Trust by her husband Erard A. “Matty” Matthiessen and son Peter in 1978.

This was the first Museum Land Trust property on the East End and is still widely regarded as one of the crown jewels of the now over 377 acres of undeveloped land acquired and maintained through the Museum’s Land Trust. We recognize Betty Matthiessen this #internationalwomensday for her service to the Museum and her steadfast support of its mission.

Photo 1: Mrs. E.A. “Betty” Matthiessen on Club Beach, Fishers Island, Labor Day, 9/1/30. Acme Newspictures Photo. From left to right: Mary Seymour [Wheelwright]; George Carey, and Peter.

Photo 2: Mrs. Elizabeth C. Matthiessen, date unknown. Museum Collection.

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fergusonmuseumlandtrust #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy

Please join us on Sunday, March 10th, at 4 PM when

Please join us on Sunday, March 10th, at 4 PM when HLFM Director Pierce Rafferty will host a virtual-only re-broadcast of his recorded illustrated talk, 'The History of Farming on Fishers Island.'

As farming has all but disappeared from Fishers Island it is easy to forget that since the first English settlement in the 1640s our Island has primarily been a working stock farm and dairy with centuries of Native American agricultural use before that – this talk brings farming back to the forefront.

This talk was co-produced and co-directed by Marisela La Grave and funded by a generous grant from the Jeanann Gray Dunlap Foundation. It was first presented virtually in August 2020.

PHOTO CREDIT: Haying on Middle Farm Flats, Fishers Island, NY, 1920. Museum Collection.

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #farming

The spotted salamanders have been crossing the roa

The spotted salamanders have been crossing the road near Brick Yard Woods on their annual migration to reproduce in vernal pools . Photos courtesy of Mere Doyen. Video courtesy of Claudia Desimone. Note: it is recommended to only intervene in passage to help the crossing. Hands should be wet to minimize any possible danger of removing the slimy skin secretion that protects the salamanders from the entrance of bacteria.

Don't miss the boat! Take a few minutes and help t

Don't miss the boat! Take a few minutes and help the Museum by taking a quick anonymous survey. Weigh in on what you love, what needs improvement, and what you’d like to see at the Museum. Just tap on the link in our bio.

Enjoy these photos from the different facets of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum's exhibitions, collections, and programs for children and adults. We appreciate your time and support.

Photos:
1. Passengers disembarking from the MV Race Point, July 4, 1986. By Charles Morgan.
2. The Episcopal Church, with the spire on the road, after the '38 hurricane. Museum Collection.
3. The 2nd Floor General Library, the Richard E. Riegel, Jr. Maritime Library, & Public Space.
4. Board Member Terry McNamara leading a weekly nature walk at Beach Pond. By Marnie Briggs.
5. Scene from our weekly Children's Program in collaboration with the Denison Pequetsepos Nature Center.
6. The Museum, shot December 18, 2023. By Neil Knowles.

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fisherisland #finy #fishersislandny #hayharbor #silvereelcove

Please join us Sunday, February 25, 2024 @ 4 PM fo

Please join us Sunday, February 25, 2024 @ 4 PM for “Tracking Snowy Owls South of the Tundra,” a VIRTUAL ONLY HLFM talk with Rebecca McCabe, Ph.D, who will share her journey from an undecided first-generation college student to a research biologist at the first refuge for birds of prey.

Dr. McCabe is a full-time staff member of the legendary Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, Pennsylvania, a pathbreaking institution dedicated to global raptor conservation. She will highlight some of her doctoral research studying wintering snowy owls and give an update on what she and the rest of the team at Project SNOWstorm have been learning over the past decade.

Zoom link through Events button in bio.

📸: Courtesy of Dr. McCabe / Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #hawkmountain #hawkmountainsanctuary #snowyowls #snowyowlsofinstagram #birdsofinstagram #owlstagram #owls #winterbirds

Great Horned Owls are back in Osprey nest by Filtr

Great Horned Owls are back in Osprey nest by Filtration Plant. Photo by Jeff Edwards.

Calling all bird lovers! Keep up with the latest F

Calling all bird lovers! Keep up with the latest Fishers Island bird sightings, guided birding walks, and more by signing up for our monthly Fishers Island birding update through the link in our bio.

We also encourage you to join us in supporting the Great Backyard Bird Count, happening this Friday, Feb 16, thru Monday, Feb 19. Whether you’re a beginning birder or a pro, you can help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world. Visit birdcount.org to find out how to participate.

Photo Credits:
Snowy owl in flight, Race Point, 1/4/18 by Todd McCormack
Belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) by Terry McNamara

#gbbc #greatbackyardbirdcount2024 #snowyowls #beltedkingfishers
#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersislandny #fishersisland #finy #birders #birderslife #birdersofig #birdersofinstagram

Please join us Sunday, February 4, 2024 @ 4 PM for

Please join us Sunday, February 4, 2024 @ 4 PM for a VIRTUAL ONLY rebroadcasting of noted ornithologist Roger Pasquier’s recorded talk, “Birds In Winter: Surviving The Most Challenging Season,” first presented and recorded at the Museum in August 2022. This encore screening will be followed by a virtual Q&A with Roger.

For more information on this and other Museum programs, please click the link in our bio.

PHOTO CREDIT: White-breasted Nuthatch. Photo by Bruce M. Beehler

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #wildlifephotography #birdsofinstagram #birdstagram #birdsinwinter #winterbirds

WANTED: Aerial and drone photography of Fishers Is

WANTED: Aerial and drone photography of Fishers Island and adjacent islands and lighthouses for our 2024 Exhibition at HLF Museum entitled BIRD’S EYE VIEW. Please contact Pierce Rafferty fimuseum@fishersisland.net if you have images for possible inclusion in the in-person and/or virtual versions of this exhibition. Drone photo of Stony Beach, Fishers Island, by Neil Knowles.

#hlfm #fergusonmuseum #fergusonmuseumlandtrust #hayharbor #fishersisland #fishersislandny #finy #dronephotography #dronestagram #mysticct #aerialphotography

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Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. Photo by Dickie Riegel

Eelgrass Plays an Important Role in the Ecosystem

A well-camouflaged Least Sandpiper foraging among eelgrass. Photo by Connor Jones

The Henry L. Ferguson Museum

The Museum hosts three main galleries that feature Fishers Island-related Archaeology (Prehistory), Natural History and History, as well as adjacent annual exhibition space and a reference library. In addition, the Museum holds and maintains a Land Trust with properties located on all sections of the Island.

CONTACT THE MUSEUM

Phone: 631.788.7239

Email: fimuseum@fishersisland.net

CURRENT HOURS

By appointment only, please contact HLFM Director Pierce Rafferty at 631-788-7239 or e-mail fimuseum@fishersisland.net The Museum’s Land Trust trail system is open for visitors.

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ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2023

Untitled
F.I. Sketchbook 2005

THE SKETCHBOOKS OF CHARLIE FERGUSON

In the full sweep of Fishers Island’s history, there is no artist more synonymous, more closely associated with Fishers Island than Charles B. “Charlie” Ferguson. The main show features images from two of Charlie's sketchbooks which functioned as illustrated diaries that were filled with daily activities, nature observations, personal notes, and lots of art—drawings, sketches, and watercolors—in various states of completion.

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