It's New Bird Time

It is a great day again, perfect for canoeing and just too good to pass up.  As a bonus, the tide is high near 8:30 in the morning, which sets the stage for exploring the marsh.

Many of the larger birds are starting to fledge, or at least nearing that point in their development.  The other day when I went for a walk at Miford Point, I spotted a newly fledged Night Heron parked in the center of a large six inch deep puddle at the Audubon Center.  So a run through the Wheeler Marsh seemed appropriate.

I started from under the highway, as usual.  The tide was dropping, so it was a speedy run down to the marsh.  At the last dock, which is along one, about 30 Terns were perched with at least another dozen in the air nearby. 

I head into the Nell's Island maze.  It immediately brings to mind yesterdays trip in the Quaboag, which I noted as lacking the intimacy that I usually find when paddling in marshes.  The entrance to the maze is just a few feet wide, it bends one way or another and requires attention to the paddling.  I flush a Yellow Crowned Night Heron and a Willet, both from close up.  The water is still too high to get under the big deadfall that blocks the "easy" route.  And, my skinny bypass seems to have filled in - at least with the summer spartina, it is invisible. But, there is a deep channel around the deadfall that I do not remember ever seeing.  While the salt marshes are fairly stable in the big view, minor changes do happen as banks erode with channels opening and large lumps of root bound mud fall into open spots.  I take the normal route through, flushing quite a few Yellow Crowned Night Herons, some Mallards and a couple Willets. Only one of the Willets bothers with scolding me. 

Glossy Ibises

I cross the marsh to the east side.  The lower marsh is pretty much flooded and there are few birds.  A mature Bald Eagle heads up the east shore going past Cat Island before I lose sight of it.  I head into the Central Phragmites Patch.  The channel in is closing in and I don't know whether this is just summer spartina or mud blocks shifting about.  It is definitely a tighter fit than ever before.  I flush a Green Heron on the way in, but otherwise no birds.  It has been a preferred Night Heron hang out in the past.  Five Glossy Ibises fly over.

Newly fledged NIght Heron still with bad hair

I head up Beaver Brook.  Find a couple newly fledged Night Herons, both which are not quite sure of what to do when a canoe appears on the scene.  I go as far as the last bend before the culvert, where I spin the canoe and find a white tail doe with a pair of spotted fawns.  They walk into the water and make a quick swim across and disappearm literally, into a stand of phragmites. I spot the Bald Eagle again as it flies off to who knows where.

White tail fawn

On my way back, the Terns are stil camped at the long dock.