Birds

Morning was the hurry up and wait show.  I set out early in the afternoon when the tide was just about bottoming.  I had to stare at the water to see any current.  The temperature was in the 80's with the air rather humid, but with a light wind that made it all feel rather pleasant. 

I crossed the river right away and followed the west shore down towards the sea.  It took an hour to get down past Milford Point, this section of the river a large arcing turn counter clockwise around the Wheeler Marsh.  It is always impressive how much longer the west shore route is than the east side.  

Spotted a couple of Oyster Catchers on a small rock bar that only appears at low tide.  I went a little farther out, then crossed the river back to the east shore and followed the edge of the expansive bar outside of Milford Point.  

I spend a fair amount of time just drifting in the canoe and observing what surrounds me.  It is a good day for this. 

I had just barely enough water to take the first shortcut towards Nell's Channel.  A long sliding tone whistle caught my attention and I turned to spot two Black Bellied Plovers.   Continuing on into Nell's Channel, spot a few Yellow Crowned Night Herons, some Willets, and a few Least Terns near the island, where there are also a dozen Egrets feeding in the shallows.  The Terns and Great Egrets are feeding on small fish that are schooling in the shallows.  One more Black Bellied Plover watches as I leave the marsh and head back upriver. 

The Huldrafolk

Last night, I dreamed of huldrafolk.  The huldra and her male counterpart, the huldrekarl, are the hidden people of Norsk folklore. Huldrafolk have the ability to shapeshift - the female huldra often appears as a beautiful woman and may use that to lure a man to her people where he might become a captive.  I suppose that this tale may have been a more palatable excuse for why a skilled outdoorsman disappeared without a trace.  A huldra can be recognized by viewing it from behind, where it will either appear as a burned out hollow log or, have a tail.  I dreamed of a tall skyscraper, something similar to the Empire State Building, and when I walked around behind it, I found it to be a burned out hollow log.  Our modern huldrafolk are the obesely wealthy who often appear as brilliant and talented, but just as often turn out to be ruthless, self-centered, and greedy people with little in the way of a soul.  Waking from my dream, I realize and think about how our current President is very much a huldrekarl - a shapeshifter who lures people into his circle where only too late, they discover that he is burned out hollow creature.

The day was windy near the coast, but much less so inland.  I put in near the route 133 bridge over the Housatonic with an aim of paddling to Lover's Leap.  On my last trip here, I was met by high winds coming down river that convinced me to abort the trip after little more than a half mile.  Today is sunny, temperature in the low 80's, and a moderate wind.

As I head upriver, I find the wind to come from all around the clock, tailwind in places, headwind in others, crosswind or calm at times.  While the forested hillsides are not particularly high, the geography someone whirls and redirects the wind. It is noticeably odd.

I sight and flush Great Blue Herons more than any other bird, and it maybe totals a dozen.  Otherwise, it is just a pleasant cruise with little boat traffic or distraction.  It is an easy cruise and I am surprised to reach Lover's Leap, a distance of 6 miles, in several minutes less than 2 hours. 

I head back, finding the wind to be no different than on my way out - no stronger than before and still coming from any direction depending on where I am.  The exciting moment is finding a mature Bald Eagle eating a large dead carp.  

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.   

Great Swamp

Weather came through yesterday and it was a cold and windy one at that, but today is calm and sunny.  It is a day to take full advantage of - I head to the Great Swamp.  It may be my last trip of the summer there as the waters usually become weed bound with non-native invasive things as the summer comes on.  

I set out from Green Chimneys.  The temperature dipped to about 40F last night, but it is already in the upper 50's by the tie the canoe is set in the river. It is obvious that I am the first one here, and as I say, "first one in sees the most wildlife".  The water is down from my last trip, as it should be, but it is more lor less normal for this time of year.  Man, is the sky ever blue or what.

I pass a fluffy brown mammal - perhaps groundhog sized, but I don't get a good enough look to identify it.  As I haed up, I find that the first 2 beaver dams have been breached.  I think about it for awhile and figure that it was probably the Green Chimneys summer school program, to make it easier for the kids to get in to the swamp.  The next dam is a almost 2 feet high and intact.  Into the wild!

Just before entering the forest section, I flush a Bittern.  It's a nice sighting as I often go a whole year without seeing one.  They are rather secretive.  Unfortunately, I don't see it until it is airborne, so my camera is not ready. 

Things go pretty good up to the half-way log jam.  I portage that, then do a log step over a 1/4 mile later.   

I don't see anyone else until I am within 20 minutes of Patterson.

I turn at Patterson and head back.  The minor current is a noticeable addition to my cruising speed. It will be a 13 mile trip.

I don't see anyone else until I am in the forest section, passing a half dozen Barcalounger kayakers that managed to cross that 2 foot high beaver dam.  Two more watch me cross that same dam when I get to it and ask me questions about the route, in heavy New York City accents.  

It was a very god day. 

 

Looking for the Little Blue Heron

It is not a bad day at all with a temperature around 70F and plenty of sun.  However, the wind is all over the map, when looking at the map.  A moderate wind is predicted most everywhere, but inland, gusty weather is on the list.  There is a change coming sometime later today.

We put in on the Menunketusuck.  The paddle-able section is only a mile and a half long, but there are two equally long dead end arms to explore as well.  So, it makes a decent day trip, without considering the particularly interesting birdlife that visits.

The wind is not too bad at all. It goes calm at times, then rises enough to push the canoe around for a minute or two.  We spot three Glossy Ibises right after starting between the 2nd and 3rd bends.

Little Blue Heron - mature

As we continue down, it seems that Glossy Ibises are scattered around through the marsh.  Before we get down to Operas Singer Point, we spot 3 mature Little Blue Herons.  They are feeding about 50 yards away in a low spot such that their heads pop up every once in awhile.

We head all the way up the west arm.  More glossy Ibises and a couple Little Blue Herons, plus some Canada Geese, Mallards, Red Wing Blackbirds, a couple Least Terns, and a few Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets. There are Osprey overhead at most any time.

We head down to the railroad bridge.  It is the Elinor Roosevelt line - not really, but it is a fact that Elinor Roosevelt would take this train out here from New York.  The train would stop and drop her off about 50 yards from the river where she would hike through the woods to visit two friends that lived here.  Those friends donated their land to become mush of this wildlife refuge.

It is a grind back from the bridge with both the wind and ebb current against us.  

We find more Little Blue Herons and Great Egrets up in the east arm.  The wind is increasing, so we only go as far as the Opera Singer House before turning back.

One interesting note is that all the Little Blue Herons we saw were mature - no white or piebald phase birds.

 

High Tide - East River

I put in at Foote's Bridge with the tide high, temperature around 70F, and with a mild but unsettled wind.  

I spot a Green Heron soon after starting.  It flies down river and disappears into the trees. The river is coated with what looks like pollen.

As I paddled away from the Clapboard Hill Bridge, I got to thinking that I haven't seen, or at least remember seeing, any Marsh Wrens.  Of course, as soon as that thought arrived, my ears tuned in to numerous Marsh Wrens calling out from nearly every patch of phragmites or standing cattails.  It did not take much longer to find a nest.

There are a few Willets in the Big Bends, which is pretty much as high up the river they come.  I flush a half dozen Yellow Legs from the island in the second bend.

Below the railroad bridge, I head into the Sneak and then into the Long Cut, which takes me to Bailey Creek.  From there, I paddle down and head into the Sneak again, although this time from the lower end, deciding to spend some time exploring some of the side channels rather than doing the full loop down to the Neck and lower East River. The clouds are dramatic - cumulus with enough gray to show that they are carrying potential rain.   

At the top of the Big Bends I spot three white tail deer way over on the edge of the marsh.  I head into the brook entrance just above the top bend, spotting a single Glossy Ibis feeding in the spartina.  I paddle up the brook until it becomes too narrow and twisting to continue.  

Spot the deer again on my way out. They had circled around behind me.  They trot off when they notice me.  The Glossy Ibis remains put.

In there lies the Parmalee sawmill dam ruins

I stop briefly at the Parmalee dam ruins, then pause again under the trees just up from the French-Indian war grave when it rains some particularly cold rain for a few minutes.  As soon as I dig out and don my rain jacket, it stops raining.  And with that, I paddle the last half mile. 

Ruddy Turnstone Migration - East River

It has been rainy and windy for the last couple days. It was stay-indoors-weather that was too grim for a hike let alone a canoe trip.  So a cloudy day with a threat of modest rain, no wind, and warm temperatures was welcome.

I headed over to the East River, putting in at Foote Bridge.  The sky was a heavy overcast and so, no one else was around, until the guy with the e-bike arrived.  I've seen him many times before.  He comes here for short hikes in the East Woods and we talked for a couple minutes, both of us relieved to finally be outside.

The tide was heading out and had been for almost 3 hours, so there was a easy downriver current but still plenty of depth so that dodging rocks was not necessary.  The forest section had several Snowy and Great Egrets, a couple Osprey, Red Wing Blackbirds, and Swallows snagging flying bugs.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron

Spotted a young Yellow Crown Night Heron near the old trolley line.

Willet

Below the railroad, many Osprey perched in the few trees or on old posts.  Of course, the Willets were about as usual.  I thought about trying the Sneak, but figured it was more likely that I would have to portage part of it, and it wouldn't be so bad except for the unbelievably strenuous mucking from the water to the good footing of the spartina.  I continue downriver. 

Ruddy Turnstones

I continue all the way to the mouth of the river just in case there are interesting birds at the point. And, there are.  I find about three dozen Ruddy Turnstones.  This is the only place I've ever seen them, having spotted them here a few years ago. They are migrating to the Arctic coast in Canada.  It is a very pretty bird with colorful plumage that makes it blend in with the cobbles and gravels that it likes to feed in. They are also not particularly shy and let me float 20 or 25 feet away.  Anyway, they were quite busy turning over rocks and digging in the gravel.

As I head back, I flush a flock of 2 dozen Dunlin. 

The weather continues to improve, and while I have the river to myself, when I get back to my start point, people have arrived to hike the forest