The Heat's Off

The heatwave backed off and today is a normal summer day with temperatures in the lower 80's, a light breeze, and an almost overcast - at least for the morning.  The tide is an hour short of high when I set out.

I head out for another short trip, putting in under the highway and heading down river to the Wheeler Marsh.  The last of the flood tide is still pushing a good current under the bridges.  For a change, I cross over to the other side of the river at the draw bridge.  I spot two Laughing Gulls in mid stream.  They are a late summer sighting for me.  As they nest in this region, this is mostly due to them showing up at this time of the year in places where I canoe.

Laughing Gull

At the top of the marsh, I head in to what turns out to be about 200 yards of dead end. I flush a dozen Yellow-Legs, four Mallards, and a Yellow Crowned Night Heron as I make the turn in. I spend the next hour or so crisscrossing the middle of the marsh trying out some of the side channels that look like they might go through, and some do, and some don't.  But, it is bird quiet in the center of the marsh, which I figure is due to the high tide.  Most of the mud with edible critters should be well submerged right now.

A Grumman Goose flying boat flies over. It still has its stock radial engines, so it might be out of a museum or collection.

Farther down in the marsh, there are more channels and more of them connect to others. I head into the lower corner and follow the east shore out. The Night Herons and many Egrets are perched in the trees on this side of the marsh. It is a bit of "Where is Waldo Not?"  Night Herons, especially the juveniles, match the color of tree branches. Just as my eyes fix on one Heron, I spot another five feet to the left, then another ten feet up and right, then another a few feet back.  In a hundred yards I spot two dozen and figure that I didn't see another two dozen. The count tapers off substantially at the refuge put-in, but there are some Osprey in those trees.

On the way out, I take a turn up Beaver Creek - spot some Snowy Egrets and a few more juvenile NIght Herons.