Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge Is Managed Under Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge is managed under Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Thacher Island 6 Plum Island Turnpike Newburyport, Massachusetts 01950 978/465 5753 National Wildlife 978/465 2807 Fax e-mail: [email protected] Refuge http://parkerriver.fws.gov Federal Relay Service Trail Guide for the deaf and hard-of-hearing 1 800/877 8339

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov 1 800/344 WILD

May 2004

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M A 49 RC H 3, 18 Welcome Thacher Island National Wildlife Welcome to the Thacher Refuge, administered by Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, sits Island National 1.5 miles off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts. The refuge Wildlife Refuge, where encompasses the northern 22 acres This goose, designed by of the 52-acre island and is only J.N. “Ding” Darling, has accessible by boat. The U.S. Fish and coastal habitat is become the symbol of the National Refuge System. Wildlife Service manages the refuge to protect migratory birds, actively protected and endangered species and other managed for migratory wildlife and their habitats. Tern History During the 19th century, common, roseate, arctic, and least terns nested birds. Its location on islands along the entire New England coast. At the turn of the within the Atlantic century, hats adorned with tern feathers became the height of fashion Flyway, means the and a drastic reduction of the tern population followed. During this refuge provides an decline, gulls, which compete for the same habitat as terns, started to encroach on feeding and nesting sites important resting, traditionally used by terns. In the 1970s, the closing of open landfills feeding, and nesting displaced hundreds and thousands of gulls, who moved to offshore nesting habitat for many habitat used by the declining tern population. Again the large, aggressive gulls kept the terns from species of songbirds their traditional offshore habitats. When they nest inland, terns not and shorebirds. only have to compete with gulls but also have to deal with mainland predators, thus limiting their reproductive success.

In 1956 Thacher Island was the breeding ground for 1125 pairs of arctic, common and roseate terns. There are currently no nesting terns on the island. However, Thacher Island has the potential to regain its status as a prime area for Common Tern tern breeding. The refuge initiated a © Julien Beauregard tern restoration program in 2001. If successful, we can look forward to the return of terns to Thacher Island in the next decade. Thacher Island Kevin J. Leach/USFWS All other photos Kathy Whittemore/USFWS Tread Lightly You are about to embark on a national to the North Tower, you’ll see staghorn wildlife refuge. This and all refuges sumac, named for its velvety branches are places for wildlife first. Please that resemble a deer’s new antlers. respect the wildlife and its habitat. This includes minimizing disturbance Climb the Tower Bear left on the trail to get to the to wildlife, staying on designated North Tower; it gets a bit rocky here, trails, obeying refuge rules and so keep a sure and steady step. The regulations, and packing out any North Tower uses a 15-watt trash you may have. On this refuge, fluorescent bulb that replicates the plants and animals are protected. amber light of its original kerosene oil Please leave them undisturbed. Take light and can be seen for almost 8 only pictures; leave only footprints. miles. Climb the tower’s 156 steps for a magnificent view of the island and the In January 2001 Atlantic Ocean surrounding it. the Cape Ann Cormorant nests can be seen on the Light Station was rocks below and, if you’re lucky, harbor designated a seals can be spotted frolicking in the National Historic sea or basking on the rocks. If you are Landmark by the not interested in climbing the tower, National Park simply look around the island from the Service. North Tower base; it, too, affords a lovely view.

Off to the North As you start toward the North Tower Tower you can enjoy the view of Rockport Harbor on your left. Once an open field, this heavily shrubbed area now surrounds you. Along this trail you’ll find 2 non-native, invasive species — honeysuckle and bittersweet. Non-native species such as these typically arrived on the island through intentional introduction or their seeds could have been carried by birds. Watch out for Birds on rocks the poison ivy on your right; the shiny green leaves of three turn red in the Wedmore Walk Here you come to a fork in the road. fall. While its berries provide food for The trail on the right takes you birds, poison ivy will likely trigger an through a damp woodland of allergic reaction in you. Notice the arrowwood, black cherry trees and bull thistles in fall attracting wrinkled rose whose berries, called butterflies, moths and bees. Take rosehips remain intact through the some time to view the birds. You are winter and are a valuable food source likely to see herring and great black- to wildlife. backed gulls nesting from April The trail to the left is Wedmore Walk. through August. You may also see If you choose it, you will pass through cormorants, black ducks, mallards more staghorn sumac to get to an and Canada geese. Sea ducks, such as oceanside path. Walk slowly over the eider and scaup, feed in the waters rocks and keep an eye out for garter Gull eggs near the protective shore of the island. snakes, a species introduced to the island by people. Notice the crab Rounding the corner, notice the carcasses strewn about, the remains Virginia creeper climbing the rocks and of some gulls’ meal. the mint attracting butterflies. Closer or arb rt H po ck Ro Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge North Tower

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Boat House

Oil House Helicopter Pad

Whistle House Cistern

Keeper's Houses

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Trails

Lighthouse

Boat Ramp

Restroom

cean ic O ant Atl N 07537.5 150 225 300 Meters 0 125 250 500 750 1,000 Feet Around the bend you’ll on the season, black raspberries come to large rocks on the may be ripe. right, behind which grows purple loosestrife - South side Explore the south side of the island. another non-native, Start at the “bus stop” to begin the invasive plant known to Bennett’s Trace trail. As it winds its invade wetlands. Each way to the ocean, this trail passes plant can produce up to 2 under staghorn sumac, arrowwood million seeds. As and black cherry trees. The black Purple loosestrife grows, it shades out other cherry tree thrives in coastal areas loosestrife plants like the native smartweed, also because of its ability to adapt to high seen here. Waterfowl feed on the seeds winds. Wild cherries are an important of smartweed. In late summer you will wildlife food during the summer. come upon goldenthread, a parasitic Birds make repeated trips to harvest plant that strangles the plant it lives on. fruit off the branches.

Here grow cattails, probably the View the South Take some time to stop and enjoy the most familiar of all wetland plants. Tower view of the Atlantic ocean. Turn to This small wetland has not yet been see a splendid view of the South completely invaded by purple Tower with the solar panel that loosestrife. As you continue on this provides power for it and the current trail, which will take you to the foghorn. The South Tower is still keeper’s houses and the South operated as an official aid to Tower, listen for the songs of navigation by the U.S. Coast Guard warblers, finches and other songbirds. and its blinking red light can be seen for miles. Here you’ll come across shadbush and arrowwood. Shadbush was so Follow this oceanside trail as it winds named because their numerous white around the southern tip. Listen for flowers appear at about the same birds singing. Look for goldenthread, time that American shad start their pokeweed and goldenrod. Goldenrod migration inland. It is believed that South Tower is mistakenly thought to be an Native Americans used the wood of allergen, mainly because its arrowwood to make arrow shafts. emergence coincides with that of With their fatty content, arrowwood other allergens, like ragweed, which berries are a source of sustained is also abundant along this trail. energy, making this site an important stopover for migratory birds. Here is a large stand of multi-flora rose, a non-native, invasive species. The Virginia creeper, seen here, As with the wrinkled rose, the fruits produces lots of berries that are a are valuable for wildlife because they valuable food source for wildlife. As endure the winter. Poison ivy climbs you leave this trail and head toward the rocks, surrounded by marsh the boat house, you’ll pass more ferns, bull thistle and common arrowwood on the right and, on the nightshade. Look closely at the stock left, multi-flora rose, crabapple trees, of the pokeweed plant. In late red chokeberry and bayberry. summer the stem turns bright pink and the berries turn black. Milk Center of refuge This path will take you through the Island can be viewed from here; it center of the refuge. Explore the was once a home to cows. Buoys can plant life; see where birds like to be seen washed up on the rocks. Look hide. Watch for snakes. Depending for gulls hunting crabs at low tide. Look for grasshoppers and native trees. Many of our native butterflies like the swallowtail and wildflowers that have adapted to monarch. You may also see red flowering before trees leaf out are raspberries, yarrow, ragweed and unable to survive with honeysuckles greenbrier. The small berries of competing for sunlight. The greenbrier are eaten by several honeysuckle’s berries contain mostly species of songbirds. sugar. The bright red berries may be Nesting area inviting to migratory birds but offer Bird viewing This is another nice viewing spot. no sustained nutrition. The birds fill Cormorants can be seen basking in up but quickly lose energy during the sun, and ducks, geese, gulls and their long migration. shorebirds may also be observed. For a longer tour, follow the path straight Many different birds can be seen and ahead along the coast and resume the heard along this trail throughout the guided tour at the boat house. For a summer: goldfinch, warblers, shorter tour, turn right onto Anne’s hummingbirds, catbirds and crows to way and follow the guided stops in name a few. And watch for snake holes; reverse from stops 20 to 15. striped adders may be seen here.

Cart Path At the boat house, take the cart path, Nesting Area This grassy area, scattered with which was originally used to shuttle pokeweed, is currently used by gulls. food and supplies from the boat to the It would be ideal tern nesting habitat, keeper’s houses. This path leads you as terns like open areas with little by the campground, cistern, outhouse vegetation. and helicopter pad. Path to Grave This short path leads you to a stone- Annes Way This trail, arched with crabapple marked grave, believed to be that of trees, offers a peaceful opportunity to the ten-year-old niece of Anthony observe the habitat of many Thacher, for whom this island is songbirds. Here is the invasive asian named. Thacher and family were bittersweet; its green to yellow fruits aboard a small boat out of Ipswich, split open at maturity to reveal red- bound for Marblehead. It was caught orange arils that surround the seed. in the Great Storm of 1635 and was dashed to pieces on the rocks of the A crabapple tree arches over the trail island. Of the 23 passengers and crew, here. Notice the woodpecker holes in only Thacher and his wife survived. In the trunk, common in older trees as 1636-37, the General Court voted to the woodpeckers hunted for worms. grant Thacher the island “at the head Grave of Cape Ann, as his inheritance.” Burnt Potato The bark of this black cherry is Chips typical of older cherry trees. It is We hope that you have enjoyed called “burnt potato chips” because of walking the trails of Thacher Island the way it peels back from the tree. National Wildlife Refuge. To learn more about the National Wildlife Black raspberries can be found all Refuge System, stop by the visitor along this trail, as well as staghorn center at Parker River National sumac and honeysuckle. Honeysuckle Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, is another non-native, invasive plant Massachusetts. that is especially problematic in coastal areas. Honeysuckle leafs out To arrange boat transportation to the in April, a good month before our Woodpecker island, contact the Thacher Island holes Association at 978/546 7697.