February 29, 2008 by OrientSee.

American Tree Sparrow. Occasionally a bird will sit still even though I am physically very close. This sparrow was well aware of me but it sat for a portrait. Usually a bird will simply fly off if I get close ( mockingbirds and catbirds are notable exceptions ). I have no illusions about being a second St. Francis but it is great to get close to a wild animal without spooking it or provoking it. It’s not a real connection but it is a refreshing escape from our sense of humanity.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 27, 2008 by OrientSee.

Wet leaf litter. It was that kind of day. Drab, wet and miserable. The brightest part of the day was finding a tree with catkins coming out. A redwing blackbird last week and today a tree that recognizes that spring is coming. It’s enough to make a gray day brighter. The litter is a surprise. The moisture brought out the rich colors of the old bay bush leaves. Even with the dull overcast there was real rich color.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 25, 2008 by OrientSee.

Out on the thicket path there is a rough feeder. Lately it has been attended mostly by sparrows and chickadees. There has been the occasional cardinal. Today the feeder was filled with squirrel. It had jammed itself inside the feeder and did not budge until I was within six feet. I was surprised by the squirrel’s unwillingness to leave the feeder when confronted by a human. It may actually have been more frightened than bold. Today was another bright blue day and very warm for February. The geese and ducks were back as the ice had receded. There was more evidence of coyote traffic. There was only one hawk about and it left as soon as I came into view. Belle Isle was a beautiful island indeed today.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 24, 2008 by OrientSee.

Out on the flatter parts of the marsh there are pans. These are salty ponds that fill with water only at extremely high tides or heavy rain. In the summer the pans often completely dry up. In the winter they freeze even though they are partly salty. Today with all the freezing and refreezing together with the wind these orbital tracks were created across the frozen surface. The bright glare of today’s sun created the conditions for this photo. In the lower margin of the picture in the snow is a path created by the coyotes as they traverse the marsh looking for food as they lope along from Revere and Winthrop into East Boston. The marsh is full of all kinds of life even in the winter.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 23, 2008 by OrientSee.

Going out after a snowfall is a real pleasure. Even with the planes overhead the sense of calm and quiet is very real. The coyote tracks and bird trails point to life that doesn’t depend on a car or the Internet. The air is clean and clear and then suddenly a bright red bird leaps off a branch. That startled moment of vision is a pure gift that enriches all the trudging through the drifts. This is a female Cardinal. The male was nearby but better hidden. I couldn’t see what the camera’s shutter captured but the human eye version was wonder filled. Take a walk through the snow and give wonder a chance.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 20, 2008 by OrientSee.

Buffleheads. These are small fast flying ducks and they feed by diving. This pair was in the creek today on a glorious blue sky day. The marsh had plenty of gulls, geese, crows and ducks since there was no ice. The nicest part of the day was a sighting of two redwing blackbirds. Redwings mean spring is near and that soon lots of birds will be checking in. The egrets and herons are surely coming. The ospreys may be back to nest and now I have a scope to see them close up. I can hardly wait.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 17, 2008 by OrientSee.

Alien vs Predator. Godzilla vs the Smog Monster. Classic matchups, one hard case versus another. Who’s bigger and tougher? Today I got to see crow vs gull and the winner was the gull. As I was crossing the flats, a crow came flying overhead carrying something very large in its bill. Shortly after, the rest of the crow tribe followed eager to share the booty. The first crow valiantly defended his food from all his brothers and then an ordinary gull decided to steal it. It was a ring bill or a herring gull not the big black back gull which would definitely taken whatever it wanted whenever it wanted. This was a bird the same size as the crow but with webbed feet and not claws. The gull repeatedly dived on the crow and then suddenly swooped up with the food treasure. Gull beats crow.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 16, 2008 by OrientSee.

After the rain and the flu virus it was great to be outside again. It was a very bright blue day with plenty of cold winds but it was a delight. Certainly more birds were out and about than I have seen in days. The Redtail Hawk was posted in a tree over Rosie’s Pond waiting for a quick meal but the pigeons weren’t cooperating. A pair of Mockingbirds were hassling each other. Perhaps it was the beginning stage of courtship. The gulls were shell busting on the ice and there were far less Canada Geese around. The Chickadees were buzzing around the thicket like bumblebees. With the recent freeze, Rosie’s pond looked idyllic in the bright light and frozen floes.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 14, 2008 by OrientSee.

A bright and shiny day. Yesterday’s rains left everything wet. The snow was nearly gone except beneath the cover in the thicket where even the sun could not reach. It was a quiet afternoon. The tide was yet to come in and so nearly everything except the geese and the gulls was down for the afternoon siesta. A large flock of geese was busy eating marsh grass up on the flats while a smaller group worked their way along the creek bank. It was just a peaceful winter afternoon in the marsh while the planes were landing from the ocean side leaving us the relative quiet of an urban wild.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 11, 2008 by OrientSee.

The big blue tent is spread wide and far but the tent flaps are blowing in the breeze. The sky is very blue and very full of very cold wind. It’s not a day to be out unless you are well dressed for it. Needless to say there is not much about except for this little guy huddled up in a cedar tree by the entrance to the park. I am always amazed by the small birds. Their body temperatures are higher than ours. Their metabolisms run fast to our medium slow and yet they must find food every day to replace the calories that are used to stay warm. It makes me think of potatoes and pasta. They are tough birds indeed.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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