Orgies are nothing new on Plumb Beach, according to local lore. But, while residents may complain about the anonymous romps, group sex has been going on there for millions of years.
Horseshoe crabs use beaches like those in Jamaica Bay as their mating grounds because their location in a bay or cove protects them from surf. They come ashore in our area in May, during new and full moons and deposit thousands of eggs in the sand at once, before returning to the waters.
In the above video, Don Riepe, director of the Northeast Chapter of the American Littoral Society and the Jamaica Bay guardian, tells Sheepshead Bites about the anatomy of horseshoe crabs and the mating ritual.
Though it may look menacing, the horseshoe crab is harmless to humans. Its claws deliver only a gentle pinch and it’s tail is no stinger, just a means for righting itself when turned over on the beach. Still, it’s a tough little bugger, surviving several periods of mass extinction throughout Earth’s history. Early traces of the horseshoe crab family began popping up during the Paleozoic Era, 540 million years ago.
Photo courtesy of frogma.blogspot.com, edited by Sheepshead Bites
OMG! Al Gore was right! Nature is mad and we’re ALL GOING TO DIE!
Okay, maybe that’s a little overkill. But, crickie, a pelican in Jamaica Bay?! Was it trying to escape the oily sea of destruction and misery that was once known as the Gulf of Mexico? Are temperatures making it warm enough that it’s finding New York City a comfortable habitat? Is it just lost?
Actually, according to this bird-watching website, the American White Pelican – one of the largest birds on the east coast – do make occasional stops in New York State, but rarely do city birders have a chance to see them. This guy was first spotted in the Queens section of Jamaica Bay last week, and was still observed to be there over the weekend.
I’m no birdwatcher, but the idea of seeing a pelican in Jamaica Bay gets me a little giddy; it’s a beautiful bird and it’d be cool to get into Queens and check it out.
Here’s another photo of the same pelican from 10000birds.com. You can check out their site for even more images:
Update: This story originally included four photos from 10000birds.com. At the request of that site’s owner we’ve reduced the number to one. Head over there for more images; it’s a worthwhile click.
Seen from the deck: subway bridge opening // Courtesy of Don Riepe
Ever needed a break from city living? The cars, buses, trains; streets teaming with people and noises and smells… the hurrying everywhere. A trip out of town will cost you, but Sheepshead Bay’s blessed with a local, cheap option: a beautiful Saturday afternoon sail along Jamaica Bay, learning about its history and wildlife.
That’s what I did on a recent Saturday afternoon on-board the Golden Sunshine; a three-hour cruise around Jamaica Bay, from Brooklyn to Queens.
If you’re looking to escape the city streets for a few hours and relax while learning about the natural wonders so close to home then consider taking a ride on one of the Jamaica Bay cruises. These three-hour cruises depart from Pier 2 at Emmons Avenue and Bedford Avenue. The first is this Saturday, May 29, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the second cruise will set sail on Sunday, June 27, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Riders will be regaled with a narrated tour of Jamaica Bay while sipping on wine and snacking on fruit and cheese among other refreshments. They will also get the chance to see various types of nesting and migrating bird.
Tickets for the cruise are $45 per person. To reserve a spot on the boat send a check for $45/person to: American Littoral Society, c/o Don Riepe, 28 West 9th Road, Broad Channel, NY 11693. For more information call (718) 318-9344 or e-mail: driepe@nyc.rr.com
What better way is there to spend a weekend afternoon than sailing on the open water and observing untouched beauty of nature?
Reader nolastname was wandering about yesterday morning, and watched as the beautiful weather kicked off with an awesome sunrise. She saw this crane at work in the Marine Park Salt Marsh. Snazzy…
Those of you who always wanted to be environmentalists when you grew up, here’s your chance. You won’t even have to leave Brooklyn.
You may already be aware of the phenomena called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) that is wiping out bee colonies in North America.
It’s not something that we usually give much thought to, here in Sheepshead Bay, where we’re usually more concerned about our favorite fish. But around the rest of New York, others are interested in bees and not just for their honey. While the disappearing bees phenomena grows, so does the phenomena of concrete jungle beekeeping meeetup groups.
They’re generally called Urban beekeepers, NYC Rooftop beekepers, or Keepers of the Hidden Hives. But, whatever you call them, they are dedicated to doing their part to encourage an ecologically balanced horticultural system and they understand the part that bees play in that delicate system.
The Flatbush Gardener tells us that there is an opportunity for every city dweller to get involved in the effort to understand the plight to help stop the blight of bees. The site lists the call for public awareness and volunteers as follows (some links added):
Even though, the designated day to celebrate Earth Day is April 22, special activities that draw attention to preserving the Earth happen all week and into the weekend.
This coming Sunday at Marine Park, there will be some special events commemorating this year’s Earth Day.
Here are the details of the New York City Parks Department-sponsored events as taken from the website:
Earth Day Event & Celebration
Sunday, April 26, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Celebrate Mother Earth with a day of good deeds. Great opportunity for community service! Tools and gloves provided.
Celebrate the four elements of Earth with the Brooklyn Dance Center Ensemble, and enjoy a late afternoon filled with dancing and inspirational songs sung by August Michael.
Schedule:
10 a.m. Park clean up
11 a.m. Dance and afternoon song
12 p.m. Nature craft
2 p.m. Ecology hike
Location: Marine Park: Salt Marsh Nature Center, Marine Park (East 33rd Street and Avenue U)
(Photo of the Dark-eyed Junco bird courtesy of Wikipedia)
Dillon de Give, an artist living and working in Brooklyn, extends an invitation to everyone to attend a free and very creative protest/birdwatching event this Saturday, 11/22/08. To send the message about how detrimental it will be for our local birds for six artificial grass turf soccer fields to be put in place at Calvert Vaux Park (a.k.a., Dreier-Offerman Park).
The event is entitled “Hello My Name is Dark-eyed Junco” – A Birdwatching Adventure and here is how it is described in the press release on the Implausibot website:
Junco examines the identity of the bird watcher in nature. The play will begin in a decentralized fashion at various stations around the park that humorously “teach” people about birding- transforming the entire area into a kind of military base configuration of psychic avian awareness. The audience will then come together and use the skills they’ve learned in an actual bird-watching tour.
