The Wildlife of New England: A Viewer's Guide

Rhode Island

� new hampshire ����� ������ 2 2 3 5 7 8 1 4 9 6 2 195 95 114 138 95 1 114 1 �. Beavertail State Park �. Block Island �. Fort Nature Refuge �. Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area �. John H. Chafee Nature Preserve at Rome Point �. Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge �. Norman Bird Sanctuary �. Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge �. Trustholm Pond National Wildlife Refuge ����� ������ rhode island 159 Beavertail State Park Rhode Island Division of Parks and Recreation, 401-884-2010, www.riparks.com/beavertail closest town: Jamestown directions: From the junction of us 1 and ri 138 in Kingston take ri 138 east across the Jamestown Bridge (from Newport follow ri 138 west across the Newport-Pell Bridge). After the crossing, take the Jamestown exit and continue for 1.2 miles to a stop sign near the waterfront. Turn right on Narragansett Avenue, then left on Southwest Avenue and follow the latter south to its end at the park entrance, 5 miles from the ri 138 exit. At the southern tip of Conanicut Island, the second-largest of Narragansett Bay’s numerous islands, are rocky bluffs that offer sweeping views of Rhode Island Sound and the south coastal region. In 1749 one of America’s first lighthouses was erected here to mark a safe passage through this hazardous area, where many shipwrecks have occurred over the centuries. Though this structure and other buildings were destroyed by the British during an American Revolution raid in 1779, its successors, including the present Jamestown Lighthouse, have survived numerous storms, including the hurricane of September 1938, which unearthed part of a midnineteenth -century shipwreck. Today,thepointandlighthousearepartof138-acreBeavertailStatePark, which is renowned for its wildlife, ocean views, and saltwater fishing. In all seasons a variety of wildlife, ranging from gray seals and harlequin ducks to songbirds, can be observed from the bluffs and beaches. Additional habitats within this compact, easily accessible preserve include a patchwork of open grassy clearings, shrubby areas, and woodlands. A small nature center includes several aquariums, where a variety of native wildlife, ranging from snakes to juvenile dogfish sharks, can be viewed, and the adjacent lighthouse museum is also open during the summer months. viewing From the top of the bluffs scan the bay carefully for glimpses of marine mammals such as dolphins, dogfish sharks, blue sharks, and harbor porpoises . Among the more conspicuous marine mammals here are gray seals, which even when well offshore are easily identified by their prominent , horse-shaped heads, which are much larger than those of harbor seals. There is abundant tide pool habitat here for sea stars, starfish, crabs, 160 the wildlife of new england shellfish, sea anemones, and other distinctive creatures. Striped bass and spearfish are among the species sought by saltwater anglers. These rocky, active waters are ideal habitat for wintering harlequin ducks, and a group of roughly 20 individuals has frequented Beavertail’s bluffs and coves since 2000. Other wintering seabirds include razorbills, dovekies, common murres, scoters, common eider ducks, common and red-throated loons, and flocks of purple sandpipers; irregular visitors such as snowy owls and northern harriers may also be seen during this time. The grassy areas and shrubs are visited by a wide variety of perching birds, including northern flickers, vireos, goldfinches, mockingbirds, eastern towhees, and gray catbirds. White-tailed deer are common here; watch for all-white (albino) or partially white (piebald) individuals that are periodically seen. Ospreys nest near the center of the park, and turkey vultures are frequently spotted overhead during the warm months. Coyotes are relative newcomers to Rhode Island, having reached the state during the late 1970s, but have spread throughout Conanicut Island and the rest of the south coast. The most visible reptiles and amphibians here are milk and garter snakes and painted and snapping turtles. getting around The park’s 1.2-mile loop road, which includes four main parking areas, provides easy access to the bluffs and lighthouse area. Short, unmarked paths from lots 1 and 4 lead through a mix of open and brushy habitats en route to the shore, and the auto road itself can be walked as a circuit. Explorers should use caution along the cliffs and beach and be alert for waves and slippery areas, especially during or after high tides and inclement weather. The park is open year-round; the nature center is open 9 to 5 from April into October, and the lighthouse museum is open during the summer...