November 30, 2008 by OrientSee.

 Today seemed specially grim. It was cold and damp. Rain or snow is imminent. It was so bad that I began to wonder what name to give to the red plastic Folgers bucket that seemed almost friendly. The view across the south flats just reinforced the mood.

As I came up to Palermo St., a flock of sparrows and chickadees was busily feeding on the goldenrod seed.  In the cooler light of the overcast day, the little birds popped out of the dry weeds. Things were getting better.

The marsh collects discards and people do cast aside the strangest stuff. Today it was a Banana Cream Pie. It just sat there on the rail post.  Your challenge, dear reader, is to write  a short story to explain how it got there.

Lawn and Leverett were quiet and this nearby Cooper’s Hawk is probably why. I’m glad to see one hanging around. All last winter, a Cooper’s was in residence and it was great to watch in the cold and snow. It was an enthusiastic hunter and not afraid of humans.

The Overlook and Boardwalk were quiet. It was cold enough for ice and that meant no ducks nearby. I had seen a Snipe the other day but today the flats were empty. The park was full of dogs as is usual on Sunday mornings. Out by the entrance to the park, I was surprised to find this Downy Woodpecker pecking on the Phragmites reeds as if they were tree branches. It worked on them long enough so there must have been some food on the stems.

At the Bennington St. bridge, I was watching the Buffleheads diving in the creek. It’s like watching some sort of hockey game. The Buffleheads are always moving. As I stood there, a Great Blue Heron glided into a landing not thirty feet away from me. I got to watch for nearly ten minutes before I moved too close and it flew off down the creek.

The day which started with so little promise ended with a real rousing finale and made the whole walk worthwhile.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 28, 2008 by OrientSee.

 I was out much later than usual today and as I got to Rosie’s Thicket, I noticed this nest. It has changed enormously in the past few days. That’s not snow or dryer lint but some sort of white insulation. I found bits of it scattered on the ground. Nest building at this time of year means that squirrels are at work not birds. It does seem fitting to be adding insulation to the nest before it gets much colder.

Looking down across the flats, a startled Great Blue Heron took wing when I popped into view.

Shortly after walking on to Palermo St., a large raptor flew past before I could get a picture. I believe that it was a Peregrine which was just great but it didn’t hang around for a closer look. The path out to the Overlook was quiet and the panne was empty. I expected to find some ducks but no joy. At the backside of the Muskrat Pond, I found a dozen Black Ducks who wanted nothing of any human and they all exploded into the air and away. The Boardwalk and the East Flats were a disappointment. I started up the mound in the park proper and noticed a hawk perched up in a tree near by. As I got closer, it took off and passed level by me as it flew off into the marsh grass.

I noticed that it landed in the grass and walked over to watch it walk around looking for food. You can see its white feathered legs clearly in the photo. It was a little strange to see a hawk walking around like a crow.

The rest of the park was quiet. By the Bennington St. bridge, some Buffleheads were diving for food and these two black ducks were out for a sunset swim.

It was great to be out in the marsh with the sun at my back for a change. The morning glare can be overpowering, even with sunglasses but late afternoon was a completely different story. Lots of dramatic highlights to end the day.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 26, 2008 by OrientSee.

 Sunday I helped out with the TASL bird count. While counting ducks etc, on the other side of Constitution Beach (very close to Belle Isle Marsh), there is a local yacht club. I found this dog sculpture high above one of the piers. It is strange but weirdly delightful.

Today was much warmer and not raining. The tide was nearly high but the morning glare and haze made it difficult to see well. Three Great Blue Herons were out on the south flats.  I expected to see more ducks and geese but they weren’t much in evidence.

The surprise visitor was this hawk. At first I thought it was a small RedTail but it wasn’t spooked by me and was content to leap off the pole and then lunge at the grass. Ahah, maybe a Harrier but it did not have the white rump patch not did it really course above the grass while hunting. The haze and glare wasn’t helping. Through the binoculars, it looked to have a white throat patch and its wings were sharply angled. So maybe Merlin. It was a mystery to me.

The Overlook was spectacularly dull and the Long Thicket path out was equally quiet except for a Robin and a few sparrows. The Boardwalk view included a small flock of Canada Geese, some ducks and a Great Blue Heron (probably one of the earlier three). I did notice that the sun glare caught the scum on the water surface.

So far the walk was just ok. Then up in the park, I noticed a strange leaf  left over in a tree. Looking closer, I found this Kestrel and my day was made. These small hawks are my favorite bird to see and watch. They are simply gorgeous.

A warm (for November) walk beneath a bright sun and a Kestrel made for another enjoyable walk through the marsh.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 20, 2008 by OrientSee.

 I mentioned the boneyard the other day. Rosie’s thicket, in particular, shows no human touch. When a tree dies (which happens a lot on disturbed land), the trunk and limbs simply crash to the ground and lie there. Since this thicket is steeply sloped in part, the piles build up and give this somewhat grisly appearance.

Rosie’s Pond showed real ice at low tide. This isn’t the result of a little frost. It’s real winter cold.

On the way over to Leverett  and Lawn, this cloud of starlings rose up to startle me. The birds were well hidden in the grass till I came close.

Robert Downey Jr. Well maybe not. This Downy Woodpecker and a companion were very active and feeding in the Long Thicket.

A couple of Robins and Mockingbirds were all that was around. At the Overlook, the panne had frozen which meant no ducks but it did leave an elegant curve to appreciate.

The park is much more open and on a windy day like this much colder. It was bracing to be out and enjoyable to smell the clean cold air.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 18, 2008 by OrientSee.

 Today King Cold took a firm grasp on his kingdom. Overnight we had our first serious hard frost - the temperature was down to 28. That usually means the end of any serious insect activity. We are sorry to see this come because we have a new fascination, spider watching. A large spider has taken residence behind the storm window and comes daily out to repair its web and feed. It’s really something to watch.

The tide was out and with the cold, it was a very quiet morning. These little guys were feeding on the dry Goldenrod behind the knotweed thicket along Palermo St. Both Rosie’s Pond and Thicket were silent in the frost. Usually there is more to see as the day warms up but I got the need to travel early and just went anyways.

Over by Leverett and Lawn, a big RedTail Hawk took flight as soon it noticed me. Again except for a few distant ducks, nothing was moving about except for a Mockingbird. Out along the Overlook path, a pair of Downy Woodpeckers was very active and noisy.

Predictably the Overlook was quiet but in the glare of the morning sun, the Phragmites Foxtails were especially striking.

I walked over to the Boardwalk and marvelled how just a few days ago, there were fish swimming where I was walking. A Crow had taken his throne on the Boardwalk and tolerated my close presence. Crows are usually very wary of people.  The West wind was fluffing up its feathers. The Crow looked as if he was having a bad hair day.

The stone piles are still standing although a few were pushed over by the flood tides. At a distance they look like roosting birds.

A quiet but very bright day. The cold slows everything down except for my need to get out in the crisp air.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 15, 2008 by OrientSee.

 Water. Today was all about water. I first tried to go out earlier this morning but the fog dissolved and the rain came just as I walked out the door. So back inside and off with the big rubber boots. About noon, I realized that things seemed to be clearing and there was a terrific high flood tide. So I tried again. Rosie’s Pond was completely submerged as was all of the South Flats from the South Dike to the Osprey platform. Everywhere and everything familiar was under water. It looked like a lake and not a saltwater marsh.

Walking over to Lawn and Leverett, these crabapples seemed a worthy still portrait.

The Overlook path was a big surprise. Parts of the path were not only under water but there were fish swimming along where I usually walk. I often seem to have a mental age of an eight year old. Walking in puddles and mud are just so much serious fun and today I had a lot of water and mud to enjoy. The Overlook was empty of anything but flooded water views. I started to wade through the flats over to the Boardwalk when the water started running in over the top of my boots. Since it was so abnormally warm, all I could do was to enjoy splashing even more.

I got to watch a few rodents swimming along with the fish and the mallards. I wasn’t alone in my giant wading pool. In the park this wind blown tree was particularly dramatic against the dark sky.

As I left the park, a downpour started and since you can only get so wet, I decided to enjoy it and it was fun. Not a lot of birds or pretty flowers but it was still an enjoyable wet walk.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 12, 2008 by OrientSee.

It was definitely cooler today and the tide was full moon high. Rosie’s Pond was quiet but for a reason this morning.

Perched above the train yard, this RedTail certainly had the locals under cover. Paired with this sentry, there was another RedTail was over by Leverett St. at the start of the Long Thicket.

Between them, the two hawks had everything under control. Not even the crows were complaining. It was strange because usually the extra high tides bring out a lot of life, especially ducks at this time of year.  Not this morning.

Rosie’s Thicket did have one real delight. As I stood watching the first hawk, something was moving about in the thorns right next to me. I focused a little closer and there was a Downy Woodpecker within eight feet of me feeding.  It was little hard to see in all the tangles but it was very close to me and little bothered by my human presence. It was just terrific.

The Long Thicket was noisier with Chickadees bouncing around from tree to tree. In the midst of their ruckus, a little late warbler action occurred.

The day just kept getting better.

The Boardwalk was quiet while the flooding tide kept creeping further up. I first thought that I had caught five or six herons roosting quietly when I realized my mistake. Whimsy had struck. Whimsy is thin food but occasionally it can be a real treat. A rock piler had visited.

Instead of Lego pieces, some one had piled up some rocks at the water’s edge.  It brought a big smile to my face.  A little human whimsy and a lot of pleasure.

As if that wasn’t enough, as I left the park, a Savannah Sparrow plopped on top a dried out Goldenrod. It then proceeded to fluff itself up in the bright sunlight.

I started my walk this morning with small expectations (although the idea of a Cave Swallow was lurking in the back of my brain). It turned out to be a terrific morning with all sorts of surprises.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 9, 2008 by OrientSee.

More rain and fewer leaves. The thickets are opening up and you can clearly see the tangled undergrowth that makes it impossible to pass without a sharp edge. The bittersweet berries are shedding their yellow covers to reveal the intense red berry underneath. It’s true confession time in the tangles. The Mockingbird was behaving as if it were the king of this thicket and outsiders were not welcome.

The maples were intensely colored in the bright sun light.

I watched the tide race out the ditches past the golden grass. It’s hurrying to catch up with the moon that it follows twice a day.

The Muskrat Pond was full of ducks who filled the sky as they jumped into the air when I came up the back way to take a look. It was a very quiet day. In places it looked like the spartina was on fire.

On the way out of the park, I found this butterfly resting in the grass. Surely it must be one of the last of the year.

It has been seasonably warm still and there are insects about their business but a real frost is getting nearer. A quiet sort of contemplative day.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 7, 2008 by OrientSee.

It was a grey sodden afternoon. The tide had just turned and the occasional mist blew in off Broad Sound. The recent rains have begun to strip the trees and so it was nice to see that the carpet man had come. The design is called Harvest Gold and it is richly patterned in a natural autumn palette. It has extraordinary sound dampening qualities and simply looks great. Actually I was very pleased recently to introduce my granddaughter to the wonderful sport of leaf kicking. Shuffle, shuffle, kick, kick. The path through Rosie’s Thicket has never looked so good.

I walked out into the flats and found this bright neon green algae along the bottom of one drainage ditch. A pair of RedTail Hawks were enthroned at either end of the flats surveying their domain until my presence was too much and they flew off.

The water and wind has worked the grass into some wonderful shapes. This is definitely a black whorl, a sort of astronomical model done in Spartina.

I was delighted to find a Cooper’s Hawk hunting over the flats by the Overlook.  It was very active and several times I thought that it had captured something but then it came up empty clawed.

Mostly things were quiet everywhere as this Black Duck was soundly napping by the Boardwalk.

A quiet day except for the Cooper’s Hawk and that was plenty exciting to watch hunt.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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November 4, 2008 by OrientSee.

 It was an incredibly mild and warm day for November.  Sunny and bright. The leaf colors are just about peak around here and the drop has commenced in earnest. As the trees grow bare, all the nests are revealed that were nearly invisible earlier. I was admiring the colors of this maple and realized that I was also seeing an abandoned nest. More will come clear shortly. Rosie’s Pond was very quiet. It was midday and the tide was still low. So it was no surprise that little was stirring.

The Long Thicket and the Overlook were also very quiet although it was very peaceful. I just about gave up when two RedTails flew overhead and I think that they were the same pair from a few days ago. One was a little ragged and the other younger and very sleek.

The park was quiet but on the way out a male Cardinal plopped down in one of the large bushes. It wasn’t quite successful in concealing itself and a beak full of food.

The creek from the Bennington St. bridge at first glance was empty but then a little patience revealed five or so YellowLegs including this one centered in the ripples of it own contrivance.

A mild day like this in November is its own reward.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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