HVNY News + Notes

May 28

Written By HVNY

134 guns exchanged for gift cards during Kingston event – 24 assault weapons, 76 handguns, and 18 long guns were some of the firearms recently turned in during a community gun buyback event in Kingston. Participants received gift cards of varying amounts for turning in the weapons.

‘Hudson River Protection Act’ passes House – On May 15, the Hudson River Protection Act introduced by Congressman Pat Ryan, which would permanently ban the creation of additional anchorages in the Hudson between Yonkers and Kingston, passed the House of Representatives. The Hudson River Protection Act, part of the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, passed by a vote of 376 to 16. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to get a vote in the coming months. “This is a victory for everyone across the Hudson Valley who came together to demand that big corporations are never again allowed to turn our cherished Hudson River into a parking lot for dangerous barges,” said Congressman Pat Ryan.

See Beakoncé and Taylor Swoop on the Tapp! Third graders from Ms. Tolomeo and Ms. Ingram’s class at Greenvale Elementary School in Scarsdale have helped name one of the four peregrine falcon chicks that recently hatched on the former Tapp/Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. In addition to Beakoncé, students helped pick new nomenclatures for the falcons: Estrella, named by Mrs. O’Brien’s fourth graders at Park Avenue School in Port Chester; Taylor Swoop - named by fourth graders at the Cottage Lane Elementary School in Blauvelt; and Jet - named by Mr. Pease’s fifth grade class at Bedford Hills Elementary School. Nearly 200,000 votes were cast to name the new chicks. Watch the peregrines grow on the NYS Thruway live feed: https://www.thruway.ny.gov/falcon/

Rare tricolor heron spotted in Orange County – A rare, tai-colored heron (Egretta tricolor) was spotted at Beaver Pond near Glenmere Lake last week. The bird was spotted hanging out near a glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), another unique sighting. “It was a little jarring to see this beautiful bird right here in Orange County,” Matt Zeitler. This is only the second documented siting of this species in Orange County. According to the Hudson River Almanac, The tricolored heron (Egretta tricolor) is uncommon to rare in the Northeast. They are common but with restricted range in the southeastern U.S., mainly along the coast. More widespread in Central America and northern South America (eBird). Dutchess County has three known records occurring from 1978-2019. The previous tricolored heron was found by Ken McDermott in Cornwall Bay in 1982.

Saturday, June 1 is The World Fish Migration Lower Hudson & Harbor Fish Count – World Fish Migration Day is a global celebration to create awareness about the importance of migratory fish and free-flowing rivers. On World Fish Migration Day, organizations from around the world coordinate their own event around the common theme of: Connecting Fish, Rivers, and People. Environmental organizations of the Lower Hudson and Harbor have come together to put on our own family-friendly, free fishing events for the public to engage in the wonders of the Hudson River. Event times vary by site (Piermont to Staten Island), so please check the details.

This week’s New York Blooms Report: iloveny.com/things-to-do/nature/blooms/ + while you’re here: Send your best photos of Spring around the Hudson Valley to photos@hvny.info. Best photo wins HVNY goodies + brief internet fame!