Ibis Day on the East River

I set out with a friend from the old ford on the East River.  The tide was still coming in, but the water was well deep enough that we didn't have to dodge any of the boulders in the upper section and the flood current was very light.  It was sunny and in the mid-80's with a light wind out of, more or less, the south.

Midday and already warm, it seems that much of the wildlife is laying low, or at least keeping things to a dull roar.  W is not from here, so I point out some of the historical features and we stop at the Parmalee dam ruins. As we continue I introduce W to the idea of tidal freshwater marshes and the salt marsh that makes up the majority of the trip.

Things get going in the center marsh as we approach the Big Bends.  We start spotting Glossy Ibises, and as we near they continue to multiply.  By the time we get into the Bends, we've spotted about 40 birds. The first Willets show up in the Big Bends, as usual.  And, there are a couple of Great Egrets in the area, and the usual Osprey ilk. 

Out of focus proof of Glassy Ibis presence

Below the railroad bridge, I turn us into the Sneak, then up Bailey Creek, and then back to the East River via the Long Cut.  Spot more Osprey, of course, but we alarm the Willets in that last area and they fly over while sending out their warning call to the nesting Willets in the area.  

We head back through the upper end of the Sneak and head up the East River.   The Ibises are still in the middle marsh, although dispersed into different areas than when we first saw them.  We have seen at least 50 Glossy Ibises today.

Near the Duck Hole Farms, we flush a mature Bald Eagle that we did not notice until we were underneath it.