Greetings & Salutations for Osprey

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While snow has given way to rain and I never did spot a lamb this March (or a lion…), Islanders eagerly await Edwin the Osprey’s return flight.  Thanks to our Henry Ferguson Museum, folks can cozily sit in front of their computer screens and catch and map his every GPS move north(or zig-zag!) towards here, home.

Admittedly, I prefer to be a sort of “welcoming committee” for these birds, get an “interview” off camera.

And we Islanders know that everyone has their own way to welcome the new season-the new and not so new faces…a certain rhythm develops for all of us; like- who will find whom and where. Everything becomes familiar again.

Oyster pond is a very familiar hang out for another particular Osprey here now, and I suppose a lot of mileage on the Recreational Path these years has us hanging out together. By now we can even stop, turn around, and welcome and greet each other with the same whistle!

 It’s all part of making and preserving local traditional knowledge for an Island.

 

 

When Our Paths Cross

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In morning light pheasant keeps track

After raccoon

Waited before.

In morning light seals wait

Till our paths cross sand, rock, then water.

Faraway

Eyes meet

Foghorn sounding fills any distance between times

And I wait too, now in morning light.

 

“Pull Over Plover”

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Somewhere between the echoing foghorn off Race Point and the moans of Gov’t Bell buoy outside the ferry slip; if you listen very carefully during the cacophony of swirling Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds you just might hear the high pitched and the drawn out piping  of “kill deer- kill deer-kill deer”.

I have been neck and neck with this Upland Plover as I scout out returning Oyster Catcher pairs this week. Up east, atop dunes at the Big Club, scurrying across the airport runway, even teasing me when I sighted one running for home plate at the softball field!

I had nearly given up trying to capture this “flighty” shorebird on camera when this evening, a Killdeer happened to just casually walk over from the Parade Grounds and join me….for just a second.

 

 

 

King of Gulls

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The Great black-backed gull (“GBB” for my data sheet) is the great big gull of the world’s oceans.

Here on Island, I have continued to document their small colonies (up to 6-12 ) and now have a better view into their lives during our “off season”- when they are very much “on”!

Hungry Points east haulout (rock clumps) is home for local GBBs-these winter months they don’t have to battle it out over squatters rights with the Cormorants. Middle Farms Pond always attracts GBBs when the ice has melted-smack in the center of the pond is their “sweet spot” for months. Far off shore south side around Isabella numerous smaller flocks are counted by binocular scan.

They have been compared to raptors without talons; being fairly aggressive when it comes to hunting. So it’s not unusual for these gulls to take out an Eider duck or two especially in open waters.

 It’s middle of March in West Harbor and the beginning of breeding season. Today, I spied this “fourth winter” (dark plumage) adult pair and it looks to me like “Love is in the air…..”

 

 

Rain Dove

Rain Doves

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Rain Doves
Rain Doves
Rain Dove
Rain Dove
Rain Doves
Rain Doves
Rain Dove
Rain Dove

Tears stream, then rest on velvet. And you rest too.

Perched on frozen branch just waiting contently for winter’s harsh to melt. Keeping symmetric- keeping still.

That life and rhythm and green bud will emerge again you are confident-balanced.

Await season’s change, its bend, its surrender- it will come, it will flow, My it will fly!

Perched on swaying branch you rest just waiting contently for spring’s soft.

All in good time….

Take A Gander : Snow Geese!

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 This morning I could sense Winter had finally loosened its grasp on the Island. And I, too, had let go of referring to Alaska and chasing after Bald Eagles and Snowy Owls. Instead, I stood basking in the sun that felt warm at 35, noting the arrival of Red-winged Blackbirds and Robins.

I was also thinking about monitoring these last months and thankful for Islanders and the times it really did feel like a neighborhood watch for wildlife-  just when a tiny Island felt huge and I just didn’t want to miss a thing; folks would track me down and share their findings.

 Just like this afternoon at 1:00 when I received a short text from Carl Scroxton:

“2 Snow Geese @ Big Club”    

(Wait a minute, didn’t I stop referring to Alaska?!)

I was in a school meeting and texted back:

“Location?”

“Across from main building”

I joked:

“Tell them to stay put”

And while I wasn’t able to get up east till after 3:00, amazingly the pair of Snow Geese appeared in flight and landed right where Carl had noted them. I snuck up the hill and hid behind the stone wall, jotting down my observations and texting:

“Thank you!”

Eyed Awake

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Sun’s intention rising

Be ready.

Ray glints upon new day

Glimpse caught.

Stay

Still.

Tides pulsate through sands vein

All awhile

Yawning gull sits

Waning moon sets

Glance now

While

Morning comes to you.

 

 

Keeping Tally

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Snow and I are battling it out. And since it just won’t quit I have decided neither will I. I’ll have to be just as determined-especially when it comes to checking on the Harbor seals.

The other morning I stared at the tally counter sitting on my desk- the number still “frozen” at 0030, that’s 16 seals on West haulout (clumps of rocks) and 14 on East haulout. It had been a couple weeks since I visited Hungry Point last.

In the past when the weather permitted, I would often see them twice a week-ok, maybe three times- and now I downright miss them!

On Monday and Tuesday I did drive east (gosh, will the bike path ever emerge?).

I laugh, the drifts are so high I just stepped over the picket fence gate leading to my path. I can still walk gingerly on top of the icy crust, and THen fall through up to my waist (just once this time!).

I’m glad I went. I photographed (upper right rock) one “entangled” seal with a deeply embedded “necklace” –perhaps a packing band or monofilament. After documenting I send information along to The Mystic Aquarium. It’s all about keeping watch for the Northeast Region Stranding Network.

Later in the week it was business as usual with those seals-striking poses and looking like ice sculptures, “pet rocks”-even an inflatable beach raft…

It’s good we can count on each other.