Ironsides Island
Encyclopedia
Ironsides Island is a rocky island in the Saint Lawrence River
, and part of the Thousand Islands
region near Alexandria Bay, New York
. It is in both Jefferson
and St. Lawrence
counties. It was donated by William Browning to the Nature Conservancy in the 1960s to serve as a rookery
for Great blue herons. Over a thousand herons return to breed every April. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
in April 1967.
The 30 acres (12.1 ha) island has 30–40 ft (9.1–12.2 ) cliffs along its waterfront and has mostly white pine
trees. It is near Kring state park.
Prior permission from the Nature Conservancy is required to land on the island, but it can easily be viewed from the water.
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
, and part of the Thousand Islands
Thousand Islands
The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario, the...
region near Alexandria Bay, New York
Alexandria Bay, New York
Alexandria Bay is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,080 at the 2010 census.The Village of Alexandria Bay is in the Town of Alexandria.Keewaydin State Park is southeast of the village...
. It is in both Jefferson
Jefferson County, New York
Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
and St. Lawrence
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
counties. It was donated by William Browning to the Nature Conservancy in the 1960s to serve as a rookery
Rookery
A rookery is a colony of breeding animals, generally birds. A rook is a Northern European and Central Asian member of the crow family, which nest in prominent colonies at the tops of trees. The term is applied to the nesting place of birds, such as crows and rooks, the source of the term...
for Great blue herons. Over a thousand herons return to breed every April. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in April 1967.
The 30 acres (12.1 ha) island has 30–40 ft (9.1–12.2 ) cliffs along its waterfront and has mostly white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
trees. It is near Kring state park.
Prior permission from the Nature Conservancy is required to land on the island, but it can easily be viewed from the water.