Iona Island, New York

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Iona Island is a 556-acre bedrock island, part of the Hudson River nature reserve in Stony Point, New York. The island, separated from the Hudson's western shore by mudflats and freshwater tidal marshes, is a National Natural Landmark. It serves mainly as a bird sanctuary, particularly known as a winter nesting place for Bald Eagles.

Iona Island is transected by active railroad tracks, but is accessible to the public only by a causeway connecting it to U.S. Route 9W in Bear Mountain State Park, near Doodletown. It is maintained by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. The southeastern part of the island, once cut off by marshes, is known as Round Island. The hill on the western side, south of the causeway, was also once treated as separate, and referred to as Courtland Island. Snake Hole Creek originates in the low marshes towards the center of the island and flows southwesterly, then turning to the southeast and finally east in a long crescent to reach the Hudson. It separates the marshes of Salisbury Meadow, on the west side, from Ring Meadow, on the east side.

Contents 1 History 2 List of identified bird species 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

It was originally known as Salisbury Island, and later as Weygant's Island^[1] (for the local Weygant or Weiant^[2] family). In 1847, it was bought by John Beveridge for Dr. E. W. Grant, his great son-in-law, who renamed it Iona Island and planted it with Iona grapes and fruit trees.^[2] In 1868, his creditors foreclosed on the island.^[1] The construction of the West Shore Railroad across the island in 1882 made it accessible to tourists, and an amusement park, hotel, and picnic grounds were built there.^[1] It also had a dock to accommodate pleasure steamers on the river.^[2]

In 1900, the island was bought by the U.S. Navy for use as a naval ammunition depot, which remained in service until 1947. It was bought by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in 1965.^[1]

[edit] List of identified bird species

• American Bittern
• American Kestrel
• Barn Swallow
• Belted Kingfisher
• Bobolink
• Canada Goose
• Cliff Swallow
• Eastern Bluebird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Field Sparrow
• Hen Harrier
• Least Bittern
• Mute Swan
• Marsh Wren
• Osprey
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Prairie Warbler
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Song Sparrow
• Virginia Rail
• Warbling Vireo
• Wood Duck

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Myles, William J (1999). Harriman Trails, 2nd ed., The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. ISBN 1-880775-18-2. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Stalter, Elizabeth (1996). Doodletown. Bear Mountain, New York: Palisades Interstate Park Commission Press. ISBN 0-9655737-0-2. 

[edit] External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 41.3040° -73.9773°
  • Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
  • Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth