November Brings Changes & Contemplation to the Bay

The second Sunday of the month has set in.  It is a chilly morning with a sharp north wind.

(A young-of-the -year Oyster Toadfish recently observed in the Navesink River)

The sun is shining brightly in the sky. There is a glittering glow on autumn colors of the trees and a surprising sparkle on the waters of Sandy Hook Bay. I get the feeling it is going to be one of those mystical fall days.

As I step outside of my house to greet the sunny, but chilly autumn day, I realize that the atmosphere is growing colder and there are more leaves off the trees than on. The charming colors of fall are disappearing. Even more discouraging, the migration of butterflies and most summer birds have tapered off or largely concluded.

Early November is a time of flux along the bay. It is like being in limbo. Early November is not akin to some of the more dynamic months of great natural attractions, such as April or September when they are in the middle of migration time, or even one of the amiable attention-grabbing months like July as young Ospreys start to fledge or February when Harbor Seals appear in great numbers. Early November is a time to catch your breath, clean your camera and binocular lenses, and catch up on some natural history reading. It is almost like intermission between the great departure of summer species and the awe-inspiring arrival of winter critters to our estuarine waters.

(An adult Mummichog, a year-round resident of the estuary)

Yet, as the array of life changes at the same time as bay waters and air temperatures cool, it becomes apparent to me that today would be an excellent time to notice what is living in local waters before they slow down or disappear for the winter. Being that climate change seems to make every day along the bay a whole new adventure, it might be interesting to see what is swimming in our estuarine waters during early November. Besides, is the natural world really ever out of season in the Sandy Hook Bay watershed?

Cold air temperatures these past few weeks have certainly dropped local water temperatures. Temperatures in estuarine waters are averaging between the low to mid 50s. The water is chilly enough to make most people put away their bathing suits. Yet, for me, I think it is an excellent time to head out in a kayak to check out some estuarine creatures. I enter the water just as an ebbing tide is slowly drawing from the shore to expose tide flats and sandy shoals.

On a nearby shoal, I observe several newly arrived Brant to the bay and a young Double-crested Cormorant with its wings stretched out. Perhaps born this past summer, the cormorant almost certainly just got out of the water subsequently from catching a fish. In order to fly, this bird needs to dry off its wings, since it does not have natural oils to keep them bone-dry. Cormorants are fascinating birds that in recent years have been making a comeback to estuarine waters after decades of not being seen due to water pollution.  While our waters are excellent place for this bird to catch a meal during the day, hundreds of nesting and roosting cormorants in the New York/New Jersey Harbor region call nearby Swinburne Island home for the night. It is a small island located about 1.5 miles south of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge and off the coast of Staten Island. Though, this time of year, the island is mostly forsaken by cormorants, as large numbers head south for the winter.

(A young Double-crested Cormorant drying off its wings while some Brant are nearby)

Although most bird-watching activity has slowed down a bit for now, there has been little change in activity for fish. Some of the action in Sandy Hook Bay has come from Striped Bass, Bluefish, Weakfish, and Porgies. With populations of herring still on the go in local waters, they are providing enough food for bigger fish to be in force.

For me, however, I am more curious to see how some of the smaller fish in the estuary are doing, such as those young fish born this past summer. I pull up my minnow cages for the final time this season to find a meager catch. Yet, what I discover is striking.

Sure, there are the usual Bay Shrimp, Striped Killifish and Mummichogs, but also several young Oyster Toadfish or Oyster Crackers, a little American Eel, a first-of-the-year Feather Blenny, and a Mud Crab serving as a home for an Acorn Barnacle. What surprise this was!

(A Mud Crab recently found in the Navesink River with an barnacle on top of its shell)

The Oyster Toadfish and Feather Blenny, and perhaps the American Eel where born this year. Now they have become part of the great mosaic of critters that are year-round residents of the estuary.

Soon many of these critters just found will be slowing down and heading to deeper parts of the estuary or upstream to spend the winter. Autumn winds will blow strongly across the estuary to suggest to these small, but hearty sea creatures that the circle of the year is beginning to close. Thus, after taking their pictures, the critters are released back into the water. I am sure I will not see their kind again until late spring rolls around and I am able to put the minnow enclosures back into the water.

(A young-of-the-year Feather Blenny fish recently discovered in the Navesink River. It is a common fish throughout the estuary)

As I paddle back to land to warm-up, my mind wanders and reflects on the season. As winter creeps southward, many creatures of the estuary are in the middle of their perennial preparations and rituals to get ready for winter. Some, like Striped Bass and Bluefish, are feeding heavily now before their migration southward, while others like Soft-shell Clams are spawning now to make sure there will be a robust population of clams next year; and some other critters, such as Blue-claw Crabs and Horseshoe Crabs, are beginning to move into deep channels to bury themselves in the mud to hibernate over-winter. Still other critters like Oysters and Quahogs will retract their siphons and simply go to sleep for the winter. Perhaps, then the bravest critters of the bay are some of the smallest fish of the bay, such as Killifish and Silversides. They will be active all winter and provide important food for wintering birds and fish that are entering the bay now.

It has been quite a day for me. I have seen the tide ebb and rise. I have observed much activity in the bay. I head home now to prepare for winter as well. I clean off my kayak and paddle, and put them in storage until spring. Compared to some of the critters of the estuary, somehow that was too easy.