In spring and fall you will find great numbers of waterfowl resting upon the quiet waters of Great South Bay during their semi-annual migrations. Of the many varieties the mallard ducks are the most familiar to the untrained eye. Less common animals are also found on the sand and oftimes your patience will be rewarded with a glimpse of a fox making its rounds. The shallow waters of the bay are home to the horseshoe crab and seeing it is a special treat, for so often only its cast-off shell is found on the beach. And it may happen that you will look up to discover that you are being watched by the soft, large eyes of a whitetail deer.
Monarch butterflies decorate a pine tree with a beauty that surpasses any man-made object.
Unlike the deer, these hardy yet delicate creatures escape the snows and spend their winters in Southern and Baja California. In spring and summer they wing their way northeastward. A bite may transmit various ailments. The Northern Deer tick is known to carry Lyme Disease . Stay on the boardwalk, use commercial repellents, and inspect yourself carefully, if you walk through grass or brush.