Wednesday Walk: Echoes of the Ice Age on Centre Island Beach

Centre Island Beach, Looking Out on Long Island Sound, as the Sun Sets

According to The History of Centre Island (By Malcolm Mackay and Charles G. Meyer, 1976), the composition of Centre Island beaches has changed little over the last several thousand years. "They consist of glacial till in the form of sand, gravel and rocks."

A Gull Walking Across a Typical Stretch of Centre Island Beach

Nassau County is bounded by water on two sides, so the people who live here have available a rich selection of beaches. Local residents refer to these beaches as the North Shore and the South Shore. The two shores offer distinct kinds of beaches. The differences are partly cultural and partly physical.

In the last Ice Age, which ended about 10,000 years ago, a glacial sheet covered almost all of New York State. On its southern extreme, it stopped halfway across what is today Long Island, though what we know as Long Island was not an island back then. (A video from the New York State Museum illustrates the extent of the glacier).

The receding glacier caused a rise in sea levels and created the island.

A Stretch of Typically Soft Sand on a South Shore Beach

Credit: @agmoore on the LIL Gallery. Public domain.

The glacial till referred to in the first paragraph of this blog does not exist on South Shore beaches. There the beaches are comprised mostly of smooth sand (as shown above).

South Shore beaches are generally more well known, especially Jones Beach. Crowds gather at most South Shore Beaches in season.

North Shore beaches, notably Centre Island Beach, are much quieter, not as well known. Also, they are not accessible by public transportation. A non-resident has to pay $60 to park. Here's a shot of the beach and the level of activity one might find on a weekday at dusk. There are no attendants in the lot at dusk, so anyone can park, without paying.

The beach is beautiful, but I usually wear crocs, even when walking in the water, because the terrain is rocky.

One Colorful Pair of Crocs I Own

There are ropes, swim lines, to indicate where safe swimming may take place. Also, there are buoys to indicate where boats may safely go.

Since there were no lifeguards when I was there the other day (because it was after hours) people ignored the swim lines. Here is a shot of a family playing ball in the water. They, and the people swimming in the distance, are outside the swim ropes.

You can see that the people on the beach are relaxed and casual. Unlike many beach scenes, the experience here seems to be more about enjoying nature than being seen. Everyone was very well behaved. I don't believe I saw one bit of trash on the whole beach.

Here is a little boy playing by the shore, gull nearby. Neither gull nor child paid attention to each other.

We shared the beach that evening not only with families, but also with wildlife. Here is a picture of a gull perched on a pole at the edge of the beach. The bird was quite still, apparently looking for something to swoop down on, when it suddenly opened its wings. I thought it would take flight, but it didn't. I was happy to catch this shot.

This was its pose before the wing spread. The gull was quite vigilant, moving its head from side to side, but mostly staying in that one position.

I noticed this gull only after trying to snap a picture of a nesting osprey. Long Island is one of a few places in New York where nesting Ospreys may be observed. Another place where they might be found in abundance is the Adirondack Mountains.

Here's another shot of the osprey. I'm not sure if the bird was guarding the nest. At this time in the season the young osprey are likely fledglings and may be off on their own, looking for food. They generally use the nest as home base until they migrate in early fall.

Osprey are essentially monogamous. They share parenting duties, with the male providing food until the chicks are hatched and are about two months old. Then both birds hunt for food. Maybe this high perch was a good vantage for seeing food below.

When we go to Centre Island Beach we have a choice of sitting on a side that faces the Long Island Sound, or a side that faces Turtle Cove, an inlet on Oyster Bay.

Centre Island, New York Map

Credit: U. S. Census Bureau. Public domain.

From our vantage on the Sound side, we could see across the water to Connecticut. With my zoom lens I was able to pick up a city skyline. I think it's Greenwich Harbor in the picture.

We could also see the shore of Centre Island proper (the beach is technically in the village of Bayville, despite the Centre Island moniker), and what I believe is a mansion not very far off. On the map posted (above) I've indicated the location of that mansion, and the beach.

Some very prominent people own homes on Centre Island. According to Wikipedia, Billy Joel and Rupert Murdock are among these wealthy home owners.

You can tell from my pictures that mostly ordinary people (including me) enjoy the same beautiful scenery as the residents of the wealthy enclave. That enclave is mere yards down Bayville/Centre Island Road. The entrance to the enclave is guarded by a police station. Anyone driving in has to pass through a police sentry. As far as I know, the road is open to the public, but that police booth is intimidating and I certainly am not tempted to try passing through.

The Sound and Turtle Cove sides of Centre Island Beach have different characters. On the Sound side, there are waves. It's like being on the ocean. The Cove side is quite calm, no waves. Also, the boat scene is quite different on the Sound and Cove sides.

Two Yachts, Apparently Anchored and Floating Next to Each Other

In the Cove I saw many yachts, leisure boats of significant size and design. Note the pair of jet skis attached to one of the boats in the picture above.

Another Yacht, With People Aboard

Note the smaller motor boat next to the yacht.

Here is a Shot of Some Large Boats, Further Out in Turtle Cove/Oyster Bay

On the Sound side of the beach, boats are smaller and faster. They zip along the water and leave a dynamic spray in their wake.

A Speedboat Out Beyond the Buoy Line

A Really Nice, Rather Large Speedboat

A Smaller Speedboat, Zipping Along at a Good Clip

Here is a Picture of Me (Speck in the Distance), Coming Back From Taking Yacht Photos

In 2019 the Town opened a dog park at the beach. I imagine that's where the dog and couple are coming from. I'm wearing long sleeves because it is dusk and the insects are swarming. Insects love me.

While we were on the beach I also snapped some pictures of interesting "finds". One was of a horseshoe crab that had expired.

According to the History of Centre Island, referenced in the first paragraph of this blog, the beach is part of an intertidal zone, with a "ladder of life where species evolve". The horseshoe crab is one species that has not undergone discernible evolution for 480 million years. Every time we find one of these primitive creatures on the beach it's a bit of an adventure.

We went exploring and discovered a large cavity that had been formed by two rocks. This looked like a neat haven for some kind of creature.

I bent down and carefully approached, with the hope of finding a living thing or bit of treasure inside.

I Look Inside the Intriguing Cavity

I saw nothing of obvious interest but wasn't about to stick my hand in.

We also saw a trailer, which seemed to be out of place. I've no idea what it was doing there. Maybe the lifeguards use it in the daytime for supplies and refreshments. There is no refreshment stand nearby.

Many of the people who came at dusk were carrying fishing gear. These people seemed to gravitate to the west side of the beach. Maybe experience taught them that there are more fish in that area.

After a few hours at this beautiful retreat, it was time to leave and let creatures of the night take over, especially the gnats and mosquitoes. The parting scene was beautiful.

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That's my Wednesday Walk. I had fun experiencing the beach, taking pictures, and sharing these with my readers. I hope this was fun for the readers, also.

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Except for the map of Centre Island, all pictures in the blog are mine, taken by me. One was borrowed from the LIL Gallery (credited in the blog), but that was also taken by me.

Anyone who wants to use a picture from this blog should check back with the Gallery in a couple of weeks. Most of these will be contributed to that library and will then be in the public domain.

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