Hudson Valley On The Water: The Birds Of Huckleberry Island

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Huckleberry Island in the Long Island Sound is off-limits to uninvited visitors, but that doesn't mean the isle's charms can't be enjoyed from nearby.

The first thing a boater will notice rounding the rocky outcrops of the island is the quiet. The ever-present sounds of traffic, commuter trains and the drone of massive HVAC systems closer to the east coast megalopolis finally disappear, replaced by the crashing of waves on the jagged shoreline. The next lone sailor might be taken aback by the odd juxtaposition of the iconic Manhattan skyline to the close by wilderness.

Tiny Huckleberry Island is an Eden amongst urban sprawl. (Jeff Edwards | Patch)

Then there are the magnificent birds.

The nesting colonies of sea birds will notice the wayward mariner long before the passing boater is aware of the teeming avian life on the edges of Huckleberry.

The island is classified by Audubon as an "Important Bird Area." The organization cites the speck of land in the Long Island Sound as unique in supporting one of the few waterbird colonies in the sound. Huckleberry is considered a key sanctuary for Double-crested Cormorants, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Glossy Ibis, and American Oystercatchers.

The buried treasure of Captain William Kidd has long been rumored to be hidden on the island. Thoughts of chests full of gold doubloons might be tempting, but the island's fragile ecosystem and the rare birds that depend on its isolation should be enough to encourage boaters to keep a respectful distance.