An Easy Day in the Salt Marsh

S needed to sleep in, so we get a late start. The wind has come up some, enough so that the local marsh will be more work than either of us needs. At least, other than the wind, it is a perfect day for canoeing - sunny and mid 70's.

We put in on the Menunketusuck. The tide is still going out, but it is getting pretty low. Fortunately, the river is canoeable at low tide with the shallowest water right off of the put-in. If there is enough water to float the first 50 yards, there will be enough water everywhere.

We head down river through the salt marsh with a 10-15mph wind in our face. With the low tide, we don't have expansive views, but even so, it seems that there are not too many birds about. We spot a Snowy Egret on the way. I take us to the railroad bridge as there is, nearby, a popular perching spot where I usually see several of the large waders. It is a zero today. 

We head back and take the east fork. There we find ten Great Egrets and three Snowys in the marsh below Opera Singer Point. We head most of the way up the fork, until it starts to get shallow and narrow, and then turn around and head out. 

We saw about a dozen Yellow Legs, some smaller Sandpipers, a dozen Great Egrets, and four Snowy Egrets. Of note, we saw no Osprey or Eagles and no Little Blue Herons or Glossy Ibises. The birds that were here appeared to be eating well with lots of small fish and crab at the water's edge.

It was a very casual trip.