March 25

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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