2020 Fauna Search
BY: STEVE BIASETTI, GROUP FOR THE EAST END DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Blue jay, photo by Rob Del
Continuing in the tradition of Group for the East End’s Fauna-thon, which occurred for 21 years between 1996 and 2016, this fourth annual “unofficial” Fauna Search took place on Sunday, May 17, 2020. Seven teams of naturalists consisting of 17 individuals traveled within the five East End towns looking for as many species of amphibians, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, mammals, and reptiles as they could find.
The 2020 Fauna Search resulted in a count of 197 species, a few species less than last year’s tally - 201 - which is a bit shy of the 21-year average for the official Fauna-thon (212.5). Considering the unofficial nature of this Fauna Search, including the substantially smaller number of participants than during the former searches, which has an average of 36 people per year, a straight comparison of this year’s results to past years would not be reasonable. But, as I have done over the past three years, I will refer to the previous results as a baseline for discussing this year’s count.
Black swallotail, via butterfliesandmoths.org
Conditions were favorable for finding flying insects. Thus a healthy diversity of 18 butterfly species were sighted (21-year average was 17.8) plus four dragonfly species were seen (13-year average was 8.1 - Fauna-thon added dragonflies to the search in 2004). Butterfly highlights included the eastern tiger and black swallowtails, three kinds of elfins - eastern pine, frosted, and brown - olive hairstreak, pearl crescent, red admiral, and Zabulon skipper. Dragonfly sightings were springtime darner, common whitetail, and two species of corporals - blue and white.
This year’s herptile observations were solid as well, with five reptiles seen (21-year average was 6.6) and seven amphibians see or heard (21-year average was 8). Reptile highlights included the common snapping turtle, eastern box turtle, and easter garter snake. Amphibian highlights were red-backed salamander, Fowler’s toad, northern gray treefrog, and pickerel frog.
Among mammals, a solid 12 species were spotted on this year’s search (21-year average was 12), including eastern mole, muskrat, opossum, raccoon, red fox, and harbor seal.
Birds made up the bulk of the Fauna Search with a total of 151 species (21-year average was 163.3 species). It was a special day for warblers in particular, with 23 species recorded. The last time we found that many warbler species on the Fauna-thon was 2008. Warbler highlights this year included Tennessee, Nashville, Blackburnian, chestnut-sided, bay-breasted, Canada, Wilson’s, and worm-eating. The 25-year average is 20.5 species with a high count of 26 in 1996, 2004, and 2005, and the low count is 11 species in 2017. In the 25-year span, 33 warbler species have been recorded.
Aside from the warblers, a good variety of interesting birds were found, including common eider, black and white-winged scoters, hooded merganser, red knot, lesser black-backed gull, Forster’s tern, black vulture, bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk, northern bobwhite, common raven, Swainson’s thrush, blue-headed vireo, blue grosbeak, saltmarsh sparrow, and dark-eyed junco.
A small handful of avian species were notable in their absences, including brant, American black duck, American woodcock, least sandpiper, American kestrel, ring-necked pheasant, willow flycatcher, and horned lark. Noteworthy “misses” among the non-avian groups included the northern diamondback terrapin, gray hairstreak, silver-spotted skipper, and common green darner.
This year’s Fauna Search did not add any new species to the overall list. Fauna-thon/Fauna Search has recoded a total of 383 wildlife species over the 25 years, including 261 bird, 25 mammal , 17 reptile species, 14 amphibian, 42 butterfly, and 24 dragonfly species.
Team members and their search areas were:
Team #1: Various sites in Riverhead and western Southampton: Vincent Cagno, Mike Higgiston, Eileen Schwinn
Team #2: Various sites in Riverhead and western Southampton: Jay Kuhlman
Team #3: Various sites in Riverhead and western Southampton: Steve Biasetti, Bruce Horwith, Keith Klein, Tom Moran
Team #4: Hig Neck (Southold) and Quogue Wildlife Refuge (western Southampton): Gigi Spates, Evelyn Voulgarelis
Team #5: Various sites in East Hampton: Anita Wright
Team #6: Various sites in Montauk: Vicki Bustamante, Ed Johann, Jeanine Miedzwiecki
Tram #7: Various sires in eastern Southold: Bob DeLuca, Marina DeLuca, Rob DeLuca
Find this year’s full list of results here. Please consider participating in next year’s Fauna Search, tentatively scheduled for May 22 and 23, 2021.