It might be noted that the original post was by Andrew Baksh and the paragraph in quotes was written by him, as well as the third paragraph (not in quotes) below my comments above.
(Steve Walter simply included the full message that Andrew posted, below Steve's comments.) I would add that there is a very serious threat to this location, which is also a threat in varying degrees in many places in NY and elsewhere, that is: invasive species, including plants. In some parts of this park located in the west Bronx, N.Y. City, invasive plant species have done considerable harm to a wide variety of native plants and associated native species, and are very likely to have effects on a variety of breeding and visiting birds. This thread may or may not be fully appropriate to nysbirds; there are certainly additional birds that breed and visit the areas along & adjacent to the old Putnam rail bed trail within Van Cortlandt Park. Of the species noted below by Andrew Baksh, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is the least-common breeder. I've participated in many of the butterfly surveys of that park, which give a picture of the populations of Silvery Checkerspot. It has seemed to decline somewhat in recent years, and has certainly done so over the decades of surveying. Like all insects it does have fluctuations in any one or more populations from one year to another. Overall the trend has been down. It is not clear how common, or not, the host plant is in that, or other locations of this butterfly's occurrence. The huge increases in invasive species may have had impact on that. Van Cortlandt Park does have a lot of old growth woods, as may be defined within the city, and by some definitions, for any part of the region and state. It is really very "bio-diverse". Tom Fiore, Manhattan - - - - - - - On Feb 17, 2013, at 11:01 PM, Elizabeth D Poole wrote: > Commenting on a previous series of postings excerpted below. > > The "Putnam trail" is the old Putnam railroad right-of-way. It is a former > railroad bed, covered originally with a substantial layer of traprock, > crushed limestone. Steve Walter seems to have suggested that paving it will > be hazardous to the future of a butterfly. The question is whether the > existing trail, a relatively thin weedy base on a thicker layer of crushed > stone, supports the plant hosts for the butterfly. If it does, then his > argument is to the point. If it doesn't, then there is simply the general > question of whether paving over that substantially artificially created > right-of-way will do any major damage to the park at all. It may > theoretically have positive effects. > > "Finally, walking along the Putnam Trail yesterday at Van Cortlandt Park, was > a very poignant moment for me as I thought of the trees and habitat loss that > will take place if and when the Putnam Trail, is paved over with asphalt. > Areas along the path that I learned about and became familiar with, that > hosted nesting Blue Gray Gnatcatchers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Red-bellied > Woodpeckers, Yellow Warblers, Orchard Orioles and Baltimore Orioles to name a > few will all be lost. We are indeed a SELFISH species!! > > If you are interested and want to voice your opinion against the paving of > the trail, you may visit and sign the petition at > http://www.savetheputnamtrail.com/petition/"; -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
