October 15

October 15, 2008 by OrientSee.

The morning was bright and glorious but Rosie’s Pond and Thicket were empty. A RedTail Hawk perched on a tree by the Osprey Platform gave up and moved on since nothing was moving. A cloud of Starlings and an insistent Mockingbird were all that there was to see along Lawn Ave. The Long Thicket was pretty quiet except for a very few warblers like this Yellow Rump.

At the Overlook, you could see and hear a large and loud troop of crows over in Revere at the Key. There were crow scouts everywhere including this one who just would not stop calling. I wondered what all the fuss was.

At this point, I thought that it was going to be a dull day. Then without any warning a flock of swans flew over and circled the flats before turning back to what looked like the pond in the middle of Suffolk Downs. I’m still not jaded by Belle Isle and so I deeply appreciated the sight of these birds. Some birders look down their noses at swans but not me. It was terrific to see them.

From the Boardwalk, I could see this mixed flock of Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, crows and Mallard. Some of the birds were so deep in the drainage ditches that you would never have suspected their presence except for the long necks and heads popping up once in a while.

By the Bennington St. bridge, I got down into the creek bed to get a closer look at the gorgeous golds of the Spartina grass.

I am amazed at the generous helping of beauty that this marsh has to offer every day. I am so seldom disappointed and so often surprised by some new sight.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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