August 9

August 9, 2008 by OrientSee.

As I walked down through the thicket towards Rosie’s pond, I watched this Snowy Egret who very busy hunting in the mud flats. It was definitely finding food, most likely some kind of bug. It was too busy to pay much attention to me even though I was only thirty feet away. Two other Snowies were feeding nearby. I looked across the pond towards the Osprey platform and it was empty. I then noticed that one of the Osprey, probably an adult, was perched on one of the flood lights that illuminate the T yard. It was unusual to see it there. I have always imagined that the lights are quite hot.

Not much was going on out on the flats. The DCR crew has just mowed the field next to Lawn and Palermo Street. It opened up the field but ended the furious feeding of the Goldfinches on the thistle and chicory. The Long Thicket was wet and in places felt like a pool. The rain this summer has encouraged plant growth and the path is in danger of disappearing. Some judicious application of a cutting tool has helped but it needs more than my puny effort. I am beginning to realize how few people know about the path and use it.  At the overlook, I found this hawk asleep on the dead birch.

It didn’t mind my presence at all. It just dozed off and on.  A few ducks were paddling in the panne. As I started over to the Boardwalk, three crows noticed the hawk and started complaining. The hawk ignored them completely in spite of all the racket and went back to sleep. Then suddenly out of nowhere, an adult Osprey swooped down and flushed the hawk and forced it deeper into the thicket and out of sight. The protective impulse is still strong. That reminded me to check out the platform again and sure enough, the kids, all three, were back up on the pole.

They are still hooked on that soft couch up there.

The park was fairly quiet. A few Goldfinches were out by the front gate and a Downy Woodpecker was feeding on the dead trees.

It has been very wet the last few days and I was soaked except where my big rubber boots covered my legs. It wasn’t raining just lots of wet grass and phragmites everywhere.

The hawk was great to see and I was wet but happy to be out.

Ciao!

-Jorge

Posted in Daily - the next year | No Comments »