High Tide - East River

I put in at Foote's Bridge with the tide high, temperature around 70F, and with a mild but unsettled wind.  

I spot a Green Heron soon after starting.  It flies down river and disappears into the trees. The river is coated with what looks like pollen.

As I paddled away from the Clapboard Hill Bridge, I got to thinking that I haven't seen, or at least remember seeing, any Marsh Wrens.  Of course, as soon as that thought arrived, my ears tuned in to numerous Marsh Wrens calling out from nearly every patch of phragmites or standing cattails.  It did not take much longer to find a nest.

There are a few Willets in the Big Bends, which is pretty much as high up the river they come.  I flush a half dozen Yellow Legs from the island in the second bend.

Below the railroad bridge, I head into the Sneak and then into the Long Cut, which takes me to Bailey Creek.  From there, I paddle down and head into the Sneak again, although this time from the lower end, deciding to spend some time exploring some of the side channels rather than doing the full loop down to the Neck and lower East River. The clouds are dramatic - cumulus with enough gray to show that they are carrying potential rain.   

At the top of the Big Bends I spot three white tail deer way over on the edge of the marsh.  I head into the brook entrance just above the top bend, spotting a single Glossy Ibis feeding in the spartina.  I paddle up the brook until it becomes too narrow and twisting to continue.  

Spot the deer again on my way out. They had circled around behind me.  They trot off when they notice me.  The Glossy Ibis remains put.

In there lies the Parmalee sawmill dam ruins

I stop briefly at the Parmalee dam ruins, then pause again under the trees just up from the French-Indian war grave when it rains some particularly cold rain for a few minutes.  As soon as I dig out and don my rain jacket, it stops raining.  And with that, I paddle the last half mile.