Otters in the Long Pond Greenbelt!
Video has been captured of Otters at Long Pond! These videos are from one of 7 otter scent stations on Long Pond documented since last June, when Callie Velmachos discovered the first one on the pond’s west side.
June 2019
An Update on the Long Pond Greenbelt Otter Sitings
Mike Bottini recently emailed FLPG with additional otter pictures captured in the Long Pond Greenbelt. From Mike:
Went through one of my cameras set out on TNC property on Long Pond, and culled the best (still not very sharp) photos from the 360 captured of an otter between March 1 and June 20, 2019. That’s a lot of photos in my experience! You can see it caught an eel in one photo [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][see 1st photo below]. All the photos were of a single otter; very difficult to discern if it’s the same otter in all the photos, as they don’t have markings (as in spots or bands).
Dates of photos at Long Pond: March 1, 20-21, 29; April 24 (5 distinct visits that day); May 3, 6-11, 19, 31; June 2-3
This reflects otter behavior: they rarely stay in one location very long and have large home ranges in which they make a circuit of their widely dispersed feeding areas, not returning to a particular spot for as many as 4-6 weeks.
Have You Heard This Frog?
This clip is audio of the leopard frog we haven’t found on the East End of Long Island since 1991. It was taken this spring on Staten Island by Andy Sabin. Let us know if you think you’ve heard it!
Southern Leopard Frog: This frog is up to 13 cm long. It is green or brown in color with a yellowish ridge along each side of the back. Rounded dark spots occur on the back and sides; a light spot is seen on each eardrum. The male has larger fore limbs than the female. The breeding male’s vocal sacs are spherical when inflated. The call is described as a “ratchetlike trill”, “chuckling croak”, or a “squeaky balloon-like sound”.
The larva is mottled, and the eyes are positioned on the top of the head. It grows to 7.6 cm in length before maturing. The female lays an egg mass that is “baseball-sized” when close to hatching time, and contains up to 1500 eggs.
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ACTION ALERT!
The Long Pond Greenbelt is being threatened by illegal ATV use!
Dear Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt,
At last night’s FLPG Board meeting, Sergeant Lewis Scott met with us to discuss the illegal all terrain vehicle (ATV) activity – including quads, motorbikes, dirt bikes, etc. – in the Long Pond Greenbelt that is destroying this fragile coastal plains pond ecosystem as well as its trail system so many enjoy. His recommendation is to have ALL illegal activity reported so I am reaching out to you, our members, asking that you call and/or email every time you see or even hear the ATVs. The more we call, the higher on the priority list this illegal activity will be placed.
The number to call is 631-728-3400 (Southampton Town Police)
If you have photographs or a log of past calls please send them to:
Sergeant Scott’s email – lscott@southamptontownny.gov and greenbeltnews@aol.com
Also, if you have time, please also call the 1-877-BARRENS (227-7367) number and report the incident to the Pine Barrens Commission. This is a hotline developed to file these complaints.
WE MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE THE LONG POND GREENBELT SUFFERS IRREPARABLE DAMAGE!
Thank you for your help,
Dai Dayton
Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt Celebrating 20 years! 1997-2017
We invite you join our email list to learn about this year’s exciting events and see below for what’s happening this month.
Widely acknowledged as one of New York State’s most environmentally significant areas, the Long Pond Greenbelt encompasses a magnificent six-mile long expanse of interconnected ponds woods, and wetlands in the Town of Southampton, New York, on the South Fork of Long Island’s East End. Spectacular for its wealth of rare plants, animals, and ecological communities, the Greenbelt is widely recognized as one of the most ecologically significant areas in all of New York.
A splendid feature of the Greenbelt is its magnificent collection of thirteen coastal plain pond and pondshore communities, affectionately known as the Greenbelt’s “string of pearls.” Both statewide and globally, these coastal plain pond environments are considered very rare and vulnerable to extinction. They also harbor one of the highest concentrations of rare plants and animals in New York State. (Read more about the Greenbelt here.)
Monthly Events
FLPG Monthly Meeting held the 2nd Monday of each month at 6 pm. Come learn about what FLPG has been working on in the Greenbelt. April – Sept. at the Long Pond Nature Center – 1061 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike, BH. (Location for winter months TBD, check our website or join our mailing list for more information.)
Old Farm Road clean up held the 3rd Saturday of each month at 8am. Help clean up the roadside along FLPG’s adopted road. Meet at Poxabogue Park. Bring gloves, bags provided. Contact Jean Dodds for more information, 631-599-2391.
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NOTE: The Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program Report on Little Long Pond and Long Pond is now available. Click Resources in the menu above.
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For more information call:
Dai Dayton, President (631 745 0689) or Sandra Ferguson, Vice President (631 537 3752)
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Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt is dedicated to the preservation, stewardship, and public appreciation of the unique expanse of coastal plain ponds, freshwater swamps, wetlands, and woodlands in the Town of Southampton known as the Long Pond Greenbelt, which stretches from Ligonee Creek in Sag Harbor to Sagg Pond in Sagaponack.
Citizen Science
Learn how you can contribute to ongoing nature studies here.
Learn about ticks and Lyme disease here
View the Southampton Town interactive trails map here.
Videos of all thirteen sessions of the first Long Island Natural History conference are available here.
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