It's been warm enough the last few days that I didn't feel like getting out in the canoe and melting. Today, the temperature is down to a more reasonable 80F with a light wind out of the east. M joins me. It has been a couple months since we've been out. She wants to see the maze.
We set out about a hour before high tide, perfect timing to go into the maze. There is a minor current against us as we head down river. This close to the ocean, the tide will completely reverse the natural river current. We spot the Swans with the three white cygnets and one gray. They are near the lowest bridge.
It's a usual mix of Snowy and Great Egrets as we head into the maze. There we pass a dozen Swallows perched on the reeds, see an occasional Yellow Crowned Night Heron, some Ducks and some Willets. Marsh Wren calls are a constant although we don't spot a single one.
I find our way through the maze with no problem today. As we get near the lower end of the island, we flush a flock of sandpiper types. They fly in a tight coordinated formation. The long bill and white streak up the back identifies them as Short Billed Dowitchers. I spotted them last year at about this time. They are early migrators - nesting in the arctic, but heading south by July. We spot several flocks while in this part of the marsh - a total of 50 to 75 birds, and while I never get a chance to photograph one (same problem last year), the flocks fly quite close to us on several instances. In fact, I had seen a flock on my last visit, but didn't recognize them.
We head down to Milford Point hoping for some other shorebirds, but come up blank on that. We do get to watch a submerged terrapin rooting in the bottom for food. It is duly surprised when it surfaces to find us about a two feet away staring it straight in the eye.
We head across to the east shore, and then into the central phragmites patch where we scare up three Black Crowned Night Herons. From there we run out and back along the upper side of Cat Island, and then head back up river.