The Unexpected

The intention was to visit the main entrance channel leading into the center of Nell's Island. I made it through the maze of pannes and channels on my last trip, and noticed that the entrance channels had cut banks due to fairly strong tidal currents. I am using old glass bottles as a dating method for estimating the rate of soil deposition in the marsh, and cut banks are ideal as I can measure the depth of the bound bottle.

The tide has been coming in for about an hour. It is sunny, 60F, with a light west wind. The lower angle of the sun at this time of year makes the Egrets look even more spectacular than usual.

But, canoes are not the ideal vessel for getting things to go as planned. Not far into my paddle down Nell's Channel, I begin finding new specimens. 

Specimen 17
100 yards down Nell's Chan. River-left, 15 inches deep
Brown glass crown top beer bottle

Specimen 18
Half way down upper island in Nell's Chan. River-left (west side of island), 18 inches deep, clear glass screw top Owens-Illinois bottle, possibly pharmaceutical - reminds me of a big vitamin bottle

Specimen 18

Specimen 19
50 Yards down from #18 and same side of island, 18 inches deep, found in a near vertical orientation (this is unusual) clear glass Owens-Illinois crown top soda bottle

Specimen 20
River-right on Nell's Island where the channel bends west. Glass Snapple bottle, 3 inches deep.

There are a dozen or so Great Egrets and a couple Snowy Egrets in this area. Fish striking the surface shows that there might be a schooling of smaller fish. I turn up the main interior entrance channel to Nell's Island. I come across a large sandpiper type bird, larger than a Willet, and rather tame in that it tolerates me within a couple canoe lengths. It is most definitely an unexpected sighting.

Juvenile Hudsonian Godwit

Specimen 21
Nell's main interior entrance channel, about 200 yards in, river-right, 14 inches deep, plastic 6-pack ring

Specimen 22
Nell's main interior channel, about 50 yards in, river-left, 7 inches deep, fragments of a glass Coca-Cola bottle

I exit Nell's Island and head back upriver, taking the side entry channel, as I usually do.

Specimen 23
Nell's Side channel entrance, river-right, 6 inches deep, another plastic 6-pack ring, with one ring torn.

Specimen 24
River-right, triangle cut-off at the top of the marsh, estimated 5 inches deep in a partially slumped bank, green glass crown top soda bottle