I set out at a quarter after nine and given that it is a holiday weekend and one fine day, I am surprised to see that the Mai Tai Navy is still tied up at the wharf. Brunch comes hard to those that wake up early. I set out downriver toward Wheeler Marsh, which is an especially good paddle during bird migration. The tide is mid-high and rising, the wind is light and out of the north or northeast, and it is sunny.
Yellow Crowned Night Heron |
Having had a good deal of fun yesterday with bird sightings, I decided to return and put a bit more effort into it. I started this blog with the idea that I was one of few people that could make day to day observations and that sometime in the future, they might be of interest. Unfortunately, I sometimes get lazy with my plant and bird notes. I have started again using ebird to log my sightings, which turns my stuff into accessible data.
When I get to the top of the marsh I start by rounding the outer edge in a clockwise direction. The Osprey are out and active and a Yellow-crowned Night Heron stands guard. Halfway in two mature Bald Eagles fly out of the forest and out across the river. In the lower inside corner I find a few Semipalmated Plover, then a small herd of snoozing Semipalmated Sandpipers. I paddle across the bottom of the marsh to Milford Point sighting several Willets in the shallows along the way.
Black Bellied Plovers and three Short Billed Dowitchers |
At the point are a couple Ruddy Turnstones and a few Black Bellied Plovers. From there I head into the center of the marsh - upstream although the circuitry of marshes don't always obey the up and downstream thing. On a couple of the low exposed spartin/mud bergs, I count something like forty more Black Bellied Plovers. I take a photo... and find four Short-Billed Dowitchers mixed in with them.
Semipalmated Plovers |
Farther in to the marsh I continue to spot Yellow-Crowned Night Herons, a couple of Great Blue Herons, Mute Swans and Great Egrets. I look for the Swan nest, but either I am either looking in the wrong place or the eggs have hatched. The cygnets will leave the nest within hours of the brood hatching.
I weave through the maze of smaller channels until getting back to the river. A few of the Mai Tai Navy boats have set sail, but still less than I'd expect.
It seems that I forgot to take a scenery photo...huh.