Full-Moon Hikes And Winter Birding
Imagine this: "It's 7:30 on a February night. The previous week has been mild and rainy. There is still a hint of moisture in the air. . . You've hiked through the damp woods. A pond appears. There under the canopy of glistening tree branches and twinkling stars you see a multitude of salamanders, silky black with brilliant yellow polka dots."
According to the South Fork Natural History Society, the setting is perfect for salamanders to lay their eggs. On Saturday, Andy Sabin, the society's president, will lead an expedition, weather permitting, to view the endangered eastern tiger salamander doing that in the wilds of Bridgehampton. The date may change if the weather isn't right. To make reservations and get the exact time and place, those interested have been asked to call the society's Amagansett office.
Full Moon Hikes
The East Hampton Trails Preservation Society has scheduled full- moon hikes for tomorrow and Saturday nights, the first at Barcelona Neck, near Sag Harbor, the second in Hither Woods, Montauk.
Full-moon hikers will meet at 8 p.m. and the hikes will take about two hours. Tomorrow's group will meet at the intersection of Swamp Road and Route 114; Saturday's at the Hither Hills Overlook parking lot off Montauk State Boulevard. If the moon is hidden by an overcast sky, the hikes will be canceled. Rick Whalen is the guide.
During the day on Saturday, Amy and Tom Ruhle will lead walkers through Hither Hills and Hither Woods on an about-five-mile hike. Again, the Overlook is the gathering place, and hikers have been asked to be there by 10:30 a.m.
Up Tuckahoe Hill
The Group for the South Fork has scheduled a hike from 10 a.m. until noon, up Tuckahoe Hill in South ampton Town, on Saturday for a panoramic view of the South Fork and Peconic Bay.
The Group has been researching breeding birds in the area for the past few years. Those planning to participate have been asked to call the Group's Bridgehampton headquarters for reservations and details. Vikki Hilles is expected to lead the pack.
A little farther afield, a workshop for winter birders will be presented by Tom Damiani of the North Fork Audubon Society on Friday and Saturday. Tomorrow, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the offices of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service on Griffing Avenue, Riverhead, Mr. Damiani will dispel some common misconceptions about species thought to migrate, but that live here year-round.
He will also talk about "irruptive" species, such as the snowy owl and the northern shrike.
Southold Farm
The next morning, participants will put theory into practice by a hike on the 100-acre Bayside Farm in Southold. Refreshments will be served. The program costs $20, and registration and advance payment are required. Those interested have been asked to call the Cornell Marine Center at 3690 Cedar Beach Road, Southold.
The Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference has three hikes scheduled this week, two on Saturday, and one on Sunday. Information is available from the conference's headquarters in Central Islip. R.D.