Brooklyn's Wetlands by Canoe

Exploring Brooklyn's wetlands by canoe

Allen and Sarah, along with friend Dahlia, explore Brooklyn's wetlands coast.

The spartina grass, lining the shore in the intertidal region, were in bloom, but the flowers are very small and hardly noticeable. There is a fine layer of salt on the spartina leaves. Growing in salt water, spartina releases salt through their leaves.

On shore, the tall phragmites with their tassles have reached their peak and can be seen away from the water's edge. Many people will be coming to the shore in a few weeks to cut phragmites for the roofs of their sukkahs.

Daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Mark with their friend Galina.

We only saw a few birds that day. A Great Blue Heron and a cormorant were the most exotic. We also saw four kinds of gulls: herring, blackback, laughing, and brown. We also saw some mallard ducks.

Laughing Gull
Public domain photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

If you had seen my canoeing, you'd know why the gull was laughing.