The Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge - Noyack, NY
Text by Rosanne Veilson
Where can you go on Long Island and hear and see a variety of songbirds, view the soaring
of ospreys or listen to the calls of bullfrogs emanating from a woodland pond? Where can
you start out in an upland forest and, after a short walk from the parking lot, be on the
sandy beach watching shorebirds circling and diving for lunch? Where will little
chickadees greet you with a chorus of buzzing chirps as if asking, "Do you have
anything for me to eat today, please?" and then land upon your outstretched hand to
grab a sunflower seed and then fly back to a branch and proceed to crack it open and
gobble it up? The answer would be the Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge, on the north shore
of the south fork of eastern Long Island!
Description:
This refuge of 187 acres includes a peninsula named Jessups Neck and several diverse
habitats. Sand and rocky beaches, along with wooded bluffs overlook the Peconic and Noyack
Bays. You will also find upland forest, brackish and freshwater ponds, saltmarsh, a lagoon
and open fields. The land is slowly reverting to a natural state after many years of
agriculture and occasional fires. The diversity of wildlife includes deer, fox, chipmunks,
squirrels, bullfrogs, turtles,songbirds, waterbirds and raptors. During winter, you will
see bay and sea ducks and wading birds and shorebirds are observed in the warmer months.
There are marine turtles in the adjacent bays and several other types of turtles in the
inland ponds. Clams and other mollusks can be spotted all along the shoreline of the bays.
Local History:
Two local Indian tribes, the Montauks and the Shinnecocks once occupied what is now the
Morton National Wildlife Refuge. The Montauk tribe is no longer in existence and the
Shinnecocks now live on a reservation located along the Shinnecock Bay in Southampton. In
1640 settlers from Massachusetts founded the colony of Southampton. The peninsula was
named Jessups Neck when the land was deeded to one John Jessup in 1679. The Refuge was
donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1954 by Elizabeth Morton, one of the
members of the third family to own the land.
The Refuge is managed to protect a unique natural area for migratory birds. Endangered and
threatened species such as piping plovers, least terns, roseate terns, and osprey use the
Refuge for nesting, brood rearing, feeding and/or resting. All are protected under the
law. During the breeding season (April through August), public access to the peninsula is
prohibited to protect the nesting and brood rearing habitat of these species. Avian
nesting structures, including platforms, exclosures and nest boxes, are used to increase
the productivity of these species. The ponds are managed for waterfowl use. To maintain
habitat diversity the fields are mowed periodically
Activities:
There is nature trail (unpaved) that passes through the upland forest, the fields, and
winds up down by the bay beach. At the entrance to the refuge, there is an information
kiosk and public restrooms. Boats and other watercraft are not permitted on the beaches at
the Refuge. Activities permitted and encouraged: bird watching, fishing, hiking,
photography, environmental education and nature studies. Remember not to leave seeds on
ground or railings as it will attract rats to the area which is detrimental to the birds!
Directions:
From Route 27, north at Exit 9 onto North Sea Road (Route 38), to North Sea/Noyack.
Continue onto Noyack Road (Route 38); Refuge is 5 miles on the left. There is limited
parking in the lot and a use fee of $4.00 per car which is collected on the honor system
using envelopes provided at the entrance kiosk.