Corduroy

I head up to record the sections of corduroy road that protrude from the salt marsh bank of the Neck River and Bailey Creek.  Either my memory fails me or there I am finding less of the corduroy than on my last visits.  It is possible that our recent storms have caused the bank to sluff or silt over some sections.  I will have to keep an eye on this area as it may be that the edge of the spartina collects and loses silt and higher rates than I expected.

Section 5

There are a good number of osprey today.  It is not the full contingent, but it is certainly most of them.  The occupied nests have associated pairs and the only real change is that the low dock nest is gone.  Reeds caught in the dock structure hint that the nest was probably washed away during a storm surge. 

Section 6

Bailey Creek is where I spot the biggest population of birds.  As I round the bends I flush a mix of teal and black ducks plus a few hooded mergansers and three great blue herons.  The teal and blacks don't summer here, so this is the spring migration.  As I paddle out I spot a half a dozen dark birds high and far off.  They could be early glossy ibis, but they are too far off to be certain.  The more I think about it the more I think it might have been six great blue herons flying loosely together for some reason. 

Section 7

Corduroy Notes
Section           WP       Note
1                    284       10 ft, 3 ft below grade, saplings. 
                                   There is a section of corduroy crossing the
                                   first cut downriver about 50 yards from the bank.
2                    285       4 ft made of eleven 3"- 4" logs, 3 ft below grade
3                    286       4 ft exposed, saplings, at a cut, 2-3 ft below grade
4                    287       10 ft, rather broken and washing away about
                                   2 ft below grade
5                    288       30 ft, 2" - 4" logs with saplings overlaid at the
                                   confluence of the Neck and Bailey Creek
6                    289       In the first cut upriver from section 5.  5" - 6" log
                                   ends protruding 1 ft below grade plus a few saplings
7         290 to 291       saplings at cut, 1 to 2 ft below grade.
                                   See photos 1854 to 1860
 8         292 to 293      Logs and saplings leading to dam/bridge ruins. 
                                   Corduroy on both ends of the ruins.

Section 8