To the Sea

The heat wave doesn't have the teeth here as it does further inland. Even so, it i best to start early and be off the water before the scorch of midday sun adds to the temperature. I start under the highway bridge with a lukewarm plan of heading out to the lighthouse at the mouth of the river. For a change, I cross the river right away and follow the Stratford shore. Because of the way the river curves, this is the long way to the sea. The shoreline is mostly occupied by marinas although there are patches of spartina marsh here and there.

Immature Yellow Crowned Night Heron

Laughing Gull

I reach Milford Point in about a hour, which is double the time it would take if I had paddled through the Wheeler Marsh. I continue on until I get past the Stratford Beach. Then, I get bored with it. Marinas and shoreline houses wear on me. The same thing happened the last time I paddle this route.  I cross the mouth of the river and paddle up past the point and into the marsh.

The tide is still coming in, but there isn't much left of the flood. The spartina is near full height and the channels that I remember from winter look different enough that I have to think a bit to figure out where I am. I have no doubt that the marsh is full of birds, it's just that they can't be seen with the grass up like it is. I see about 75 Mallards, but only after they have taken wing. And, I spot a pair of Green Wing Teal on one of those occasions. There are, of course, a good number of Yellow Crowned Night Herons. Half of those that I see are unseen until they take off, which is the tip that there are a lot of birds in the marsh. After passing the central phragmites patch, I get scolded something fierce by one of the YC Night Herons - it circles around me a few times, constantly skrieking. Three more join in the effort untilI paddle out of their turf. I haven't seen that before and don't know what it was about.