November 29

 Yesterday’s gale force winds had blown themselves out and the tide was nearly high. It was a bright day that was nearly blinding in its intensity. Rosie’s thicket was very quiet while a few ducks had the pond to themselves. Everything was so quiet that I had a foreboding that today was going to be an empty walk.

Golderod puffballs  in bright November light.

There was a flock of starlings in the park by Lawn and Leverett. Nearby a pack of contentious crows were loudly sounding off. It turned out that there was two reasons. First, the crows were mobbing a Red-Tail Hawk in a nearby tree and secondly because they had found a delicious piece of carrion that they were all feeding off. (Perhaps the Red-Tail’s breakfast?)  I turned around to see some WhiteThroat Sparrows, a Cardinal and a Mockingbird all in and out of the apple trees. The day wasn’t so empty after all.

At the start of the Overlook trail, a golden nugget gleamed in the leaf litter. A crab apple had fallen from an overhanging branch.

Just before the Overlook itself, a flock of robins were feeding in the grass. A Downy Woodpecker and a Flicker were pecking away at the bark above all the ground activity. From the Overlook, I watched this Cooper’s Hawk float past and then scare up all the pigeons by the T station. It didn’t appear to have any success.

The nicest surprise was this Kingfisher hunting in the pools and creek. I don’t see them often at Belle Isle but they are fun to watch as they splash into the water hunting fish. I like watching the huge Ospreys fish and the elegant terns diving but these birds have their own style.

Another RedTail went cruising along Bennington St. and the the Cooper’s was back trying to get a pigeon by the T stop. I got home and was surprised to see this dahlia still in bloom even with December just a few days off.

It was an enjoyable walk today.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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