Duck Day

It is a fine day with a 10 mph wind out of the east.  I put in under the highway bridge about 2 hours past high tide and already the current is zipping downstream.  It is a fast paddle down to the marsh, the shoreline passing by at a rate that I am not used to.

Surf Scoter

I spot a male Surf Scoter in mid-river about halfway down to the marsh.  This is an unusual sighting even though they winter in the salt water in this area. I don't remember ever seeing one in the river.

I head into the Nell's Island maze, but somewhere in there miss a key turn.  The tide has just dropped enough that I can't cheat by pushing through spartina, and I get ejected out into the main river via the western entrance.  I pass about a 150 Brants as I head down the edge of the island, and I spot one Willet. I flush one Yellow Crowned Night Heron, the only Night Heron that I will see.

A large flock of Cormorants flies over.  From a distance, they look like Canada Geese that can't quite hold there V-formation. I will see a second flock of Cormorants before I head out.

At the bottom of Nell's Island, I head back into the center of the marsh, fighting a surprisingly strong current as the marsh drains. There are a lot of Yellow Legs. 

I get lost on the way to the Central Phragmites Patch and come out on the east channel. I head back in, but the tide is too low to get to the Patch.

But, this is for sure, Duck day.  There are hundreds of them and most of the ones that I see are in the air.  It is a good many more than winter here.  But, the only duck photo that I manage to get is the Surf Scoter.  All of the others are twitchy - flushing from 75 or 100 yards away, often before I spot them, and always before I can get my camera ready.  Other than some Mallards and Black Ducks, I don't get a close enough look at any of them to identify.  

It is most heartening to see so much activity.