Arctic on the Hudson

Sean and I both dropped everything to drive up to Piermont to see a reported Ivory Gull. The gull was discovered by someone who had gone to see the Snowy Owl that has been wintering in that area. Here are a few photos. I'll follow up with more details later.

Ivory Gull - Pagophila eburnea (click to enlarge)



(Photo credit - Sean Sime)

Snowy Owl - Bubo scandiacus (click to enlarge)



(Photo credit - Rob Jett)

Here are directions from Rockland Audubon:

-Piermont Pier descriptions and directions-

-Town of Piermont information-

Tom Fiore kindly provided information for taking public transportation"

"From: Tom Fiore
Date: February 26, 2007 7:12:05 PM EST
Subject: Public transport to Piermont, NY (from NYC)

From New York City, regularly scheduled bus transportation is available to the village of Piermont, Rockland County, NY via the Coach USA (also formerly called Red & Tan Lines). The bus will stop along the main street of Piermont, and from there a moderate walk east will get one to the pier & adjacent areas where an IVORY GULL has been seen, along with the long-lingering Snowy Owl near the end of the pier.

The bus ride from Manhattan in New York City to Piermont should take no more than 45 minutes or so from the G. Washington Bridge bus terminal (at Broadway & 178 Street), a bit longer from the Port Authority Bus Terminal (NYC's main bus station) at Eighth Avenue & 41 Street. Ask a driver to let you know when the bus gets to Piermont. Ask anyone in the town which way to the pier! (The walk out to the far eastern end is over a mile round-trip.) Expect it to be a bit cooler surrounded by the chilly water of the Hudson River, almost always with a breeze or some wind.

Should the gull be reported again on Tuesday morning, expect hundreds of birders to be there through the day! Several hundred birders were present on the pier today, Monday/26, though not all were there at once! Anyone spending any money at all in the town of Piermont should make it crystal clear to all businesses, &/or the town office clerk (for any pier permits, if you will drive out) that you are in that town especially to observe birds. Park in the lots available for the many businesses in the "mall" area just east of the main street, on the northern (right) side of the large condo development, IF ALL other parking is completely full (which is possible, but not necessarily likely).
NO ONE should need to park along the main street itself, unless you are patronizing a business on that street.

There are reasonably-priced motels in Nyack, about 4 or 5 miles north, & a bit west of Rt. 9W (which runs parallel to the Hudson River) along Rt. 59, but I don't have details - Best Western, Super 8, & there may be a few others. There are certainly other accommodations near the general area. Piermont & also Nyack have plenty of choices of restaurants, and plenty of shopping opportunities as well for those so inclined.

-Coach USA bus lines Manhattan to Piermont, NY-


Good luck,
Tom Fiore
N.Y. City"