Beat the Heat

I set out before 8 planning to be well off the water before the day's 90+ temperature arrives. The tide will be coming in for another hour and a half. I flush an immature Night Heron from the concrete boat ramp. Then, I paddle down the east shore taking advantage of the long eddies that form when the tide is changing.

The top of the marsh is dominated by Common Terns, some three dozen or so. They are speeding and weaving overhead hunting the schools of fingerlings that are using the marsh for cover. Unfortunately, they move too fast to get a photograph.

What's for dinner?  Crab

The tide won't be particularly high today, so being a down in the full grown spartina, which is going to seed as well, the marsh seems especially lush. I head in to the Central Phragmites Patch for a look. I flush eight Black Crowned Night Herons, three or four Yellow Crowned Night Herons, and a half dozen juveniles, which are hard to differentiate without getting a good long look. Then, I back out and cut over to the east shore. I find a juvenile Night Heron up in the trees, and there are probably more, but their juvenile camouflage does work quite well.

Yellow Legs

I head across the bottom of the marsh over to Nell's Island. Right at the end of that stretch, I flush a good number of juvenile Night Herons - a good dozen or so. The young ones are outnumbering adults about 10 to 1 today. Of course, It's possible that the young ones prefer being closer to the open channels - I don't really know.

I head into Nell's Island to see if I can find my way through the maze and into the main river. I have about a half hour to spend before I need to find my way out. I made it through a month or so ago, but I came from the other direction. I flush some Willets and some of the Yellow Legs have returned from their nesting grounds. I also spot a small flock of 8-10 Short Billed Dowitchers. I try a couple of long dead ends before running out of time and working my way back out. Then, I head back up river.

Short Billed Dowitcher

The Terns are still busy when I leave the top of the marsh. I get a photo of some perched on a dock which lets me identify them clearly as Common Terns.