Birds of The Palisades Interstate Parle 
13 
ravines, the summits generally rising to elevations of five to eight 
hundred feet above the subjacent valleys. We have, therefore, a 
succession of hills and valleys or mountains and lakes. The roads 
follow the valleys and the hills stand back on either hand or loom 
ahead or behind, bordering and encompassing the valleys on all 
sides. There are at least fifteen mountains in the area reaching 
an elevation of more than twelve hundred feet, and as many more 
varying between one thousand and twelve hundred in altitude. 
The diversity of the region is suggested by an estimate of one 
mountain, with subjacent valley and ravines, to each square mile 
of Park area. 
The Lakes of the Region. The lakes and brooks of the region 
constitute a dominant factor in the regulation of the bird life, for 
it is usually in the vicinity of water, either still or running, that 
the greatest activity among woodland birds is noticeable. In gen- 
eral, the dry wooded hillsides are seemingly devoid of bird life, 
and it is only where streams trickle down ravines or where brooks 
dash from ledge to terrace, or along the shores of the ponds and 
lakes, that the birds can be observed to the best advantage. While 
the woods of dry valleys usually offer few attractions for birds, 
damp woods or lake shores make a good showing in avian activity. 
This region of the Palisades Interstate Park is unsusally well sup- 
plied with water margins. The hillsides are carved with gullies 
and ravines, which lead into the brooks of the valleys encompass- 
ing the mountains. On its northern side this section of the Park 
is drained by the small tributaries of Popolopen Creek; on the 
west, by tributaries of the Ramapo River, Stillwater Creek, Stony 
Brook, and Pine Meadow Brook. Along its southern and eastern 
sides the region has many small streams from the Ramapo hills 
to the Mahwah River, besides Queensboro Brook (Fig. 2) and 
Cedar Pond Brook. The interior valleys of the area contain a 
series of lakelets, several of which are artificial reservoirs formed 
by dams at the foot of the including valleys. Among the lakes, 
Cedar Pond is the most prominent (Figs. 3, 4), as it occupies a 
plateau over a thousand feet in elevation. The Kanahwauke chain 
of lakes is an important factor (Fig. 5) in the ecology of the region, 
