Great Captain Island
Encyclopedia
Great Captain Island, also known more familiarly as "Great Captains Island," is an island off the coast of Greenwich, Connecticut
, and is the location of the 19th-century Great Captain Island Light
house.
The 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) island, a bit over a mile south of the Byram shore, is the southernmost point
in the state of Connecticut
and New England
, lying south of 41°. The isle is the largest of a three-island group that also includes Little Captain (more commonly known today as Island Beach) and Wee Captain, attached to Little Captain by a sandbar. The islands are named after Captain Daniel Patrick, one of the first settlers of Greenwich. The town operates a ferry service to and from the island from about the second week in June through the second week of September. Three people live in the lighthouse.
Egret
s, heron
s, osprey
, and many other bird species can be seen on the island. Trails have been laid out for visitors, and the western part of the island has picnic tables, grills, restrooms, and posted swimming areas. The island is open year round, with a ferry running during the summer. No public tours of the lighthouse or island are available. A single dirt road leads to the eastern side of the island, where most egrets tend to nest and where the lighthouse is.
In 1966, the town government bought all the land on the island except for the lighthouse grounds for $90,000 and, in 1973, the federal government turned over that tract as well.
Great blue herons
, have been on the island since the 1990s.
Great egrets, snowy egrets, and black-crowned night herons also live on the island, nesting in the highest branches of black locust and cherry trees on the southeast corner of the island, above a tidal marsh accessible by a dirt road. The nesting period runs from March through August.
The island was once known as the state's largest heron and egret rookery, but in the early 2000s their populations shrunk dramatically, with summer counts down from a total of 364 in 1998 to 98 in 2004. People who make a lot of noise near the nesting birds can upset them, according to Mike Nickerson, the island caretaker. Some, including Patrick Comins, director of bird conservation for Audubon Connecticut, think the bird populations have been hurt by human disturbances and possibly also by competition from cormorants and the great-horned owl that lives on the island and has fed on the birds. Overall pollution in Long Island Sound waters may also have an effect, he said.
Wading bird populations on the island>
1998
2001
2004
Great egret
46
98
24
Snowy egret
139
40
33
Black-crowned
night heron
179
150
41
Total
364
298
98
Some conservationists have expressed concern that the birds, which nest close to the lighthouse, may abandon the colony if they are disturbed by noise or interference from visitors after the lighthouse's planned renovation in 2007.
has nested in the thick forest of cherry, maple and poplar trees on the eastern side of the island, feeding off of the many birds there, including great blue herons and egrets.
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
, and is the location of the 19th-century Great Captain Island Light
Great Captain Island Light
Great Captain Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Great Captain Island in the western Long Island Sound off the coast of Greenwich, Connecticut, United States...
house.
The 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) island, a bit over a mile south of the Byram shore, is the southernmost point
Extreme points of New England
This is a list of extreme points of New England, which are points that extend farther north, south, east or west than any other part of New England. There is also the highest, lowest point and the geographic center....
in the state of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, lying south of 41°. The isle is the largest of a three-island group that also includes Little Captain (more commonly known today as Island Beach) and Wee Captain, attached to Little Captain by a sandbar. The islands are named after Captain Daniel Patrick, one of the first settlers of Greenwich. The town operates a ferry service to and from the island from about the second week in June through the second week of September. Three people live in the lighthouse.
Egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s, heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, and many other bird species can be seen on the island. Trails have been laid out for visitors, and the western part of the island has picnic tables, grills, restrooms, and posted swimming areas. The island is open year round, with a ferry running during the summer. No public tours of the lighthouse or island are available. A single dirt road leads to the eastern side of the island, where most egrets tend to nest and where the lighthouse is.
History
The states of New York and Connecticut both claimed the island in the 19th century but, after 50 years, a commission resolved the dispute in favor of the Constitution State. In 1829, the federal government authorized money for a lighthouse on the island and bought 3.5 acres (14,164 m²) on Great Captain for the purpose.In 1966, the town government bought all the land on the island except for the lighthouse grounds for $90,000 and, in 1973, the federal government turned over that tract as well.
Wildlife
Great Captain Island is one of the state's 26 "important bird areas" that provide an essential habitat for one or more bird species, according to the Audubon Connecticut society. (Two others in Greenwich are Greenwich Point and Audubon Greenwich's back-country grounds.)Great blue herons
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
, have been on the island since the 1990s.
Great egrets, snowy egrets, and black-crowned night herons also live on the island, nesting in the highest branches of black locust and cherry trees on the southeast corner of the island, above a tidal marsh accessible by a dirt road. The nesting period runs from March through August.
The island was once known as the state's largest heron and egret rookery, but in the early 2000s their populations shrunk dramatically, with summer counts down from a total of 364 in 1998 to 98 in 2004. People who make a lot of noise near the nesting birds can upset them, according to Mike Nickerson, the island caretaker. Some, including Patrick Comins, director of bird conservation for Audubon Connecticut, think the bird populations have been hurt by human disturbances and possibly also by competition from cormorants and the great-horned owl that lives on the island and has fed on the birds. Overall pollution in Long Island Sound waters may also have an effect, he said.
night heron
Some conservationists have expressed concern that the birds, which nest close to the lighthouse, may abandon the colony if they are disturbed by noise or interference from visitors after the lighthouse's planned renovation in 2007.
The owl
For the past three years (to 2006), a great horned owlGreat Horned Owl
The Great Horned Owl, , also known as the Tiger Owl, is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas.-Description:...
has nested in the thick forest of cherry, maple and poplar trees on the eastern side of the island, feeding off of the many birds there, including great blue herons and egrets.