Lessening of Brown Tide in the Great South Bay?

On arrival yesterday at 5pm, tying the boat up after crossing the bay from Bay Shore, I was greeted by the sight of about 40 swans feeding in our cove. I have never seen more than three or four adults and babies at one time. Interestingly enough, the pair of swans who previously lived in our cove and had four cygnets (all of whom died) joined the visiting flock. When the flock left at the end of the day to feed in a westerly part of the bay, the pair remained in our cove.

We saw only two ducks in the bay, but today my grandson reports seeing a mother and four little ones crossing the sandy path at the National Seashore.

The color of the bay water seems less brown than last week and certainly less turbid. Can the brown tide be lifting?

Again there are almost no boats on the bay. However, today was rainy and cool; perhaps there will be more activity tomorrow.

We planted our usual vegetable and flower garden last week. The telephone company left a gap in our perimeter fence and the deer have eaten a number of our young plants.

The Bay this May, 2008

I've been spending summers, since 1970, on the Fire Island shore of the Great South Bay. I want to share information with those interested in everything about the bay. This May, a very obvious brown tide (see Newsday, 5/18) has made the waters murky. I've not observed any ducks and the baby swans born this season have all died.

Boat traffic is extraordinarily light.

We went clamming. There were plenty of hardshells; they were delicious. Don't know what the growth of new clams will be if this water condition continues. I want to hear from anyone who lives and plays in these waters.