March 26, 2009 by OrientSee.

A warm southerly flow and blue skies made the definite statement, “Yes, it is Spring.” Kildeer were back again in Rosie’s Pond. Robins were actually pulling worms out of the ground and airborne micro-protein (flying bugs) were trying to gain entrance to my nose and mouth. The Tree Swallows should be here soon. The flats were empty of all but a few sleeping ducks. Out along the Overlook path a visiting very pale finch was feeding off the furry catkins.

The Overlook panne was full of indolent sun drenched Black Ducks who couldn’t be bothered to feed or move. The Boardwalk panne had an even larger flock of Green Winged Teal. The Teal moved away from the platform making  little warning peeps. The park was filled with Song Sparrows singing their hearts off like this little dude atop one of the spruce.

I noticed that the Swans are back by the Beachmont YC.  I did not notice until I got home that I had gotten this great shot of a Bufflehead  on takeoff.

At high tide the swans are fond of the creek  by the yacht club. They are not wary of people and I saw that they must be unofficial mascots used to handouts. Two guys walked out onto the dock looking at something and the swans swam right up to them obviously expecting food. The two men  were amused by the attention of the birds.

The swans fed from the creek edge for a while and then one hopped up onto the grass and shook out its wings.

Rain is coming tonight so I might not be out for a while. Today was a great jaunt under sunny skies and warmer southern winds.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 25, 2009 by OrientSee.

 The devastating ocean winds of the last two days have finally abated. I tried to find an Oystercatcher that was supposed to be on Snake Island in Winthrop. The wind and the cold were so bad that my metal eyeglass frames gave me a bad ice cream headache. It was very unpleasant and ended my outdoors travel for two days. Today the wind was diminished and out of the direct North and not cooled by the water. The sun had a chance to spread some warmth. I found these berries from last season which the birds seem not to have found by now. There is very little left to eat if you have wings and are visiting Belle Isle.

I seemed to be paying attention to vegetation this morning.  This droopy thing (the real botanical term used universally) is getting ready for something flowery.

A Merlin was lurking in a tree by the south dike but would not cooperate with a photographic portrait. Merlins are a very cool small hawk slightly bigger than a Kestrel but not so brightly colored.  Several months ago, I watched one hassling a pack of crows and gulls over some food out on the flats. It more than held its own against the larger birds.

The Overlook was full of gulls, gulls and more gulls. I walked over to the Boardwalk and the Teal flock and found this striking gray and red catkin.

In one of the nearby creek ditches, a very domestic pair of Bufflehead ducks were paddling by.

I should be used to the weird and wonderful in the park by now but today this offering to the Waffle Gods was just so tremendously silly and delightful.

If the weather continues to moderate, then it will be easier to accept Spring. The Kildeer and the leaf buds have me primed but the cold reach of the North Atlantic can still chill your bones. I’m still waiting for my first heron, my first egret and my first osprey but I know they are coming because MassBird reports tell me they have already made it to Cape Cod.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 21, 2009 by OrientSee.

 Officially Spring today! Although there are still patches of ice in the thickets, there are more signs of spring. At Rosie’s, my first Kildeer of the year were nosing around in the mud feeding. They are small birds but real harbingers of green and warmth.

I found a dead garter snake which appeared to have been snared by some bird who then dropped it. Snakes come out now to soak in the strengthening sun. The male pheasant is out trumpeting his desire and  although I haven’t yet actually seen him yet, he is loudly proclaiming himself. Over by the south dike, a RedTail Hawk was watching the world until my presence moved him on.

The Overlook path was quiet except for a Cooper’s Hawk that was skulking about in the thickest part of the trees. The Overlook panne had a few ducks and gulls. Walking over to the Boardwalk yesterday, I flushed a snipe but nothing moved today. The park was full of weekend dog walkers and all the noise kept things hidden. The Boardwalk panne had the same flock of Green Winged Teal who were busy eating and preening in the bright sun.

Walking out of the park, I noticed the first catkins of the spring. Leaf buds are beginning to swell so leaf out is no longer a dream but a soon to happen burst of green.

The swan pair was still in the Beachmont creek. I noticed that this milkweed pod looked like burnished golden bowl.

The wind and the cold are moderating and so the marsh is starting to come to life. Every day now there will be something to notice and find. The gray days with little change are over. Belle Isle is starting to bloom.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 20, 2009 by OrientSee.

 The dour Atlantic tried its hardest to spoil this bright morning. The sea breeze off the water today was more a cold howl. I was well dressed but it still was barely tolerable. By Rosie’s Pond this patch of wild Iris is poking up and battling our cruel March weather. It is one more good sign of things to come.

The thicket was alive with the raucous calls of the male Redwings. It is amazing how in the course of just a few weeks the red shoulder patches have brightened up. When the males first arrived, the colors were muted and looked worn. Now it is an incandescent  fire red. I wonder if diet has something to do with the change or is it just seasonal.

The Overlook was quiet but I did scare up a Snipe as I walked over to the Boardwalk.  There was a small flock of Green Winged Teal in the panne. They have been hanging around a while.

The park was quiet. Out in the Revere side of the creek, a pair of Mute Swans were cruising around looking majestic.

Out on Bennington St., a small flock of warbler types was chattering away and then flew off. I couldn’t really identify them. I was glad to get home finally and out of the wind.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 16, 2009 by OrientSee.

 March is a punk armed with a sharp edged knife. It menaces you and then plunges the blade in. It’s that wet cold East wind off the ocean that hurts so. I was well dressed but the air was a bitter pain. January can be so much worse but March sucks you in with a bright sunny day and crocus popping up. Then it turns like the cheap little punk that it is and hurts you with that wind.

Needless to say, not much was moving on the flats except for a few crows. The feeders on the Overlook Path had plenty of chickadees, sparrows and doves. There was a little clatter and a male Downy Woodpecker landed on a tree close by and started feeding.

The Overlook puddle had a few Mallards and Canada Geese who paddled away as soon as I stepped up onto the platform.

The Boardwalk had a big surprise. There was an elephant in the tub. Well not really, in 18 inches of water there was a Mute Swan feeding off the bottom grass. It was so huge that I could only think “elephant”. It wasn’t much bothered by my presence and considering the reputation of swans as being very aggressive, I was glad to keep my distance.

Just a little ways from the big guy, a flock of Green Winged Teal were puttering around feeding off the same bottom grass.

A Mallard pair were plodding through the grass and puddles. They watched me very closely but did not panic. Usually ducks will explode into flight if I get this close. Perhaps they thought their camouflage was better than it really was.

The park entrance was full of Grackles, Robins and Blackbirds. It was pretty lively but it was also out of the full force of the wind. The Revere Creek was at low tide and full of mud and little else.

I was very eager to get home and warm up today. The swan was a spectacular sight and more than made up for the cold.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 12, 2009 by OrientSee.

 Today the Montreal Express was bone chilling. It wasn’t very warm. The sun was brilliant but it never had a chance. The Northwest wind was the preeminent force of the day. Nothing could stand up to it and that meant most of the birds and beasts. By Rosie’s Pond, I found this nacreous shell. [ This is a real life achievement. I have used the word nacreous in an appropriate way. Mad Frank Sullivan, my eighth grade English teacher, is smiling down on me for this. Mad Frank was a terror but he taught us well. Ferocious and demanding, he drove us all to the depths of despair but we learned and never forgot our lessons or him.] The shell is so thin that you can see the grass stems behind.

Spring brings back the “ordinary” birds that have been long gone. A small flock of Grackles were buzzing about the thickets and the park.  They are very sociable and mischievous.  It’s good to see them back.

For a week or so, Mute Swans have been hanging around Belle Isle. Today was the first time that I had enough presence of mind to swing up my camera and get a shot. It is a true delight to see these huge birds fly by. It’s like watching a B-52 roar past.

There have been all sorts of spring signs. Finally, the crocus are up as well. The first bright colors of the waking year flash in the sunlight.

It’s still cold but at least it’s not raining. I’m looking for my first Killdeer of the year and the first Great Blue Heron. I’m getting a little fidgety waiting and waiting for them. I’m going to have be patient but it’s hard.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 8, 2009 by OrientSee.

 It’s been a while since I visited the Key. It’s a part of Belle Isle Marsh in Revere. It’s the site of an old long forgotten WW II radio installation. Since it is little visited, it is very quiet and quite pretty. No blowing trash or litter - the neighbors are very good neighbors. I enjoy it most for the contemplative nature of the place. That’s a strange concept for a place that lies beneath a busy approach to Logan but it is nonetheless very soothing to walk there.

The Boardwalk is directly across the creek in this photo. In the center is a small flotilla of Brant. Brant are a sort of sleeker smaller Canada Geese who never make as much noise or mess.

The gulls were resting in the marsh grass while a few ducks and crows were feeding in their midst. Two Red Breasted Mergansers cruised by.

Further along the creek, a small flock of Buffleheads took to the air. These small ducks are strong fliers who will barely skim the water’s surface as they fly from one feeding place to another.

The Key offers some gorgeous views of downtown Boston over the marsh and Logan.

People leave things in strange  places. As I walked back to my trusty Corolla, you have to pass a corrugated steel traffic barrier. The sun caught the intense green of a spoon that some one had jammed into an empty bolt hole. I first thought that it was a strange place to leave a piece of Navajo jewelery. I was wrong. Unfortunately, it was just a spoon but still it was very beautiful spoon.

Today was cooler than yesterday and the wind was nearly intolerable. I lost my hat in the creek. The wind simply ripped it off my head. I was hoping to see some Great Blue Herons and/or Kildeer, some further evidence of  Spring but no luck today. Earlier I did notice a few Grackles in Chelsea on my Sunday morning run for bagels from Katz’s (arguably the best bagels in the world). I was disappointed because we are promised a March special tomorrow. Rain, sleet, snow, and wind. Which will all vanish the following day. Pure nastiness that far surpasses anything that November can ever manage.  Tonight I’m going into a deep burrow beneath the blankets and not coming out until Tuesday or Wednesday.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 7, 2009 by OrientSee.

The snow from last weekend, all 14 inches of it, is just about gone. All it takes is a few days of March air over fifty degrees warm and the snow leaves. It’s terrific to see the fresh chive in the thicket. Rosie’s Pond was flooded with the tide. A mixed crew of ducks and geese were calmly feeding off the submerged and newly thawed grass.

Just beyond the pond, a Merganser was calmly speeding along as the ebbing tide was quickly moving out to sea.

On the Overlook Path, the Redwing Blackbirds were starting their territorial songs while their wing patches are still a bit dull from winter. These little red and yellow patches will get as intense as a Cardinal’s plumage. Right now it only their loud call that draws any attention.

In the feeder was a thief. It was silly enough to pretend that I didn’t see it.  At approximately three feet the ugly human finally got too close and it scrambled away. It simply didn’t want to leave such a good meal behind.

In spite of the very warm weather and abundant song, there wasn’t all that much to see today.  This duck was sound asleep and for a moment I thought that it was one rock balanced on  another and then the rock moved, proving it’s hidden nature.

Although it was a very nice day, there wasn’t a lot around. Then I realized  that what I had really been enjoying all morning was my boots. My rubber boots come up to my knees and make for superb splash-abouts. The marsh was ice free and full of water. That meant all kinds of puddles and pools. Splish, splash. For a moment I slid back to being five and that was fun.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 4, 2009 by OrientSee.

 Same scene, different attitude.  Waiting for April changes the look of everything. It’s not January any longer and the snow although impressive and deep, no longer oppresses me. I know that it’s not going to last. We’re getting rain on Friday and fifty degree temperatures the rest of the weekend. This snow will be gone very quickly.

Things are quiet today.  A RedTail in Rosie’s Thicket took off as soon as I walked in. A few squirrels and a bunch of Chickadees were the only things moving. Lots and lots of coyote tracks everywhere. I’m beginning to realize that the marsh really belongs to them since they go everywhere.

This snow blanketed chunk of granite sums up winter very well.

The path to the Overlook was quiet and the Overlook provided a very bleak panorama. No one had been up on the platform for a while except the coyotes. The  panne had some strange patterns frozen in place.

The Boardwalk was still but  further along the fir trees were still decorated for Christmas.

I came across these tracks of a cross country skier, a breed who seldom visit Belle Isle.

On the way out of the park, I realized that I hadn’t seen much today but it wasn’t bothering me because it’s March.  April and May are close. That makes the March lion storm that we just had a quickly passing idle thought. The sun is bright and the sky blue. That’s more than enough for today.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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