Harrier Day

I set out into a stiff headwind and an incoming tide, but it is a very fine autumn day.  Last night, we had a storm with thunder that would roll across the sky for fifteen or twenty seconds at a time. It left the air clean, clear and fresh, and this morning the sky is scattered cumulus clouds that never seem to get in the way of the sun.

It is a crawl down to the marsh taking 25 minutes to do the mile. A Harrier is working over the small triangular marsh area that is attached to the mainland. There is no sign of any Osprey, but Great Egrets and Night Herons are about as usual for the end of summer. I head back into the secret channel aiming towards the central phragmites patch. I spot another Harrier as I go, then another and another. There are four Harriers in sight at one time, that is unusual. It might be that the wind makes better hunting conditions for the Harriers as they can turn and hold an almost stationary position if they spot something in the marsh.

As I approach the phramites patch, I start flushing Night Herons. Eventually, I spot about two dozen, a mix of Black Crowns and Yellow Crowns. The Black Crowned Night Herons prefer to feed in morning and evening when they don't have to compete with the Egrets and other Herons. Apparently the phragmites patch is a favorite resting spot during the day.

I criss-cross the marsh twice. With the high tide, I can push through the spartina to the next open channel should the one that I am in dead-end. When I get back to the top of the marsh I head back upriver with a 15-20 mph tailwind and choppy water.