September 2, 2010 by OrientSee.

The last few mornings, Ruby and I have been walking through Belle Isle Park shortly after dawn. Because of the tides, I have enjoyed some incredible sights of the egrets and herons gathered together in a large flock of 100+ birds. Of course, I forgot the camera until this morning.

So there we were and there was the sun. Ruby noticed and started barking at this strange thing in the sky. I have heard of moon barking mad but this was a first, a sun barking crazed Westie terrier.

As we started towards the Boardwalk, I was excited to get some good close pictures but the Boardwalk pool was nearly deserted except for some Yellowlegs. The dawn dappled surface was beautiful but no egrets.

Finally I located the crowd over on the Overlook Pool about 800 yards away to the south.

There was an impressive number (more than the lens could pick up) but too far away to enjoy without binoculars or scope. Of course, I had neither. I was puzzled why did they move over to the pool? They have been consistently by the Boardwalk for some time. On my way out off the Boardwalk, I found the answer.

There was an adult Cooper’s Hawk perched in the willow by the pool. No one wanted to play with a rough guy like this around. They all just took their marbles and went some place else.

I’m trying to imagine the marsh on Saturday morning as the hurricane draws away. Forty mile an hour  winds are not uncommon but higher than that with the trees fully leafed, there could be some toppled trees and bushes. The tide is early so there may some flooding as Earl shoves the tide higher and further inland. I have no idea where the egrets and herons will shelter but I do expect to see them back before they finally move south.

On the way out of the park, I found these zebra striped sumac leaves and recognized the harbinger of fall and cold weather.

It was great dawn walk. With any luck, I’ll try again tomorrow. The storm shouldn’t be affecting us much early in the day. There could be some terrific cloud displays.

Ciao!

_Jorge

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July 4, 2010 by OrientSee.

Summer brings the chance of watching herons and egrets at dawn. They come in from their roosts to the marsh at high tide. In the early light a crowd of 50 or more egrets and herons is common. It is a breathtaking sight. They stroll through the shallow puddles finding an early meal. The birds are very sociable and tolerate other species readily. There’ll be ducks, cormorants, Yellowlegs and terns.  It’s a delight. The best part is to get there early enough to see and hear them fly in and land. This morning they were already there by the time I got to the Overlook.

Off to one side of the crowd I spotted a BlackCrowned Night Heron which are usually very solitary and not part of a group scene.

At some point the crowd breaks up and the birds fly off  other puddles or else where. On the way over to the northern side of the flats, a female Redwing posed for this shot.

The females look like very large sparrows and nothing like the males.

I found the troop at a smaller pool closer to Revere.

It was a great feeling to see all these egrets on a Fourth of July.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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April 7, 2010 by OrientSee.

 I was out early this morning which has since turned into a brutally warm day, 87 degrees, for April. I got to Rosie’s and watched the two Ospreys busily adding material to the nest. You can see the other two nests right and left behind the central one. Last year after the pole came down, the Ospreys built these three nests in a spurt of activity but ended up not breeding. Maybe this year, they’ll be less stressed. The new Osprey pole in the park is still unoccupied.

By the side of Palermo St. next to the marsh, a patch of daffodils where blooming in the sun.

On my way out to the Overlook, I was looking for all kinds of little migrants but had no luck. I was especially hoping to see a Towhee or a Hermit Thrush which are moving through our area now. Otherwise, the blackbirds were loud and the crows constantly moving about. From the Overlook, you could see a very busy panne. It was full of Teal and Mallards with a few geese and gulls as well.

I was surprised to see this Garter Snake in the reeds. I had always assumed that it was too wet for these snakes out in the reed beds but now I know I’m wrong.

The Boardwalk gave me my first view of a Yellowlegs for the year.

Looking out towards Winthrop, I saw this Great Blue Heron. I turned my back and when I looked back, it had disappeared. That seemed a little strange since a bird with a six foot wing span flies very slowly and I hadn’t seen it airborne. I looked a little closer and it was still there but all scrunched down in a little ditch. So it is possible to hide a five foot high bird.

Coming from the Boardwalk, I found these delightful small flowers.

The park was quiet but out at the entrance, I found evidence of new construction. High up on the pole, a new penthouse apartment  has been added.

From the Bennington St. bridge, there are still some Buffleheads left. I expected these little diving  ducks to have already moved on but they are still here for a while longer.

The trees are just beginning to leaf out. That means that anytime soon, there’ll be lots of little migrants, the warblers, passing through and that the rest of the crowd will be soon here as well. It was a great walk today into and around Belle Isle Marsh.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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April 4, 2010 by OrientSee.

Today is a particularly great day.  I got some photos of East Boston’s wild parrots. That’s right wild parrots here in East Boston not Panama. A pair of Monk Parrots was seen last fall but then winter came and the parrots disappeared. Now they are back and they are nesting on Bremen St. not far from the Y. This is truly better than chocolate Easter bunnies. They are very vocal and fallen nesting material is strewn all over the sidewalk beneath. It is just amazing to watch these birds while lots of people walk past on their way to the Airport T station.

It’s hard to top the parrots but the Ospreys are back at Belle Isle. They are perching on one of the nests built last year. After the original nesting pole came down because of the planes, the birds built three nests on top of the power poles in the the T train yard. They did not breed last year probably because of the change but I have hopes to see young Osprey back again at the marsh.

I wasn’t at one of my usual places and it was very low tide. I suddenly recognized one of the treasures of the marsh. This is a shoal created of clam and mussels shells. The marsh has fish and grass and birds but of course, it also has a enormous amount of shellfish under the low tide muck. The birds certainly forage here all the time.

The other big (for me) event is the return of the Egrets. Here are two Great Egrets and that means the entire crowd of herons and shore birds can’t be far off.

Sometimes it is the subtle things that catch your eye. Dry plants from last year have a certain beauty.

Finally, I got home and saw my first bumblebee of the year. Officially the new year can begin.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 31, 2010 by OrientSee.

 The rain finally ended. After three days of unremitting rain, we got a break. No real sunshine today but at least you could walk without getting very wet and very cold. I had heard of a Great Egret sighting at Belle Isle so I was ready to go. Rosie’s thicket was bare and looked blasted by the storm. Along the side of Rosie’s Pond the high tides had pushed up enormous piles of grass and phragmites against the reeds. The result were these little hobbit caves that looked like some animal’s den.

Further along I found this broken pane of glass. There was all kinds of dried plant material and snails and stuff. It was a sort of natural shadow box.

The Overlook Path looked bare and blasted as well. I expected a fallen tree but nothing much had happened as a result of this storm. Along the path, this dead tree stood with its bark stripped off. What remained looked like a message carved in some unknown script.

By the Overlook, this strange alien mold was growing on a fallen branch.

From the Overlook, I could see lots of ducks, Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Shovelers and Black Ducks. I spent nearly ten minutes watching before I saw the Great Blue Heron right next to the dike. When it stood edge on to me, I never saw it.  I could hardly believe that I missed seeing a four foot high heron which was my first of the year.

For a while, we’ve been lucky to have a few of these large Northern Shovelers in the panne by the Overlook. They are very handsome ducks.

So by the time I got to the Boardwalk, the astronomical high tide had turned the marsh into Lake Belle Isle. The old hay racks were nearly submerged by the very high water. The world was transformed.

There were a few Bufflehead still in the Revere part of the creek but no swans. It seems like everything is taking a breather after this last storm. Although it’s still cloudy, the sun is expected soon and its warmth will be a real comfort.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 21, 2010 by OrientSee.

 The last few days have been extraordinary for March. Yesterday the temperature reached 70 degrees. That meant plenty of bugs in the air including the first bumblebee that I’ve seen this year. Lured on by tales of Osprey and Great Egrets, I took my scope along today. Alas it was not to be but I did get a surprise. Looking over Rosie’s Pond, the Osprey nests are still empty. It was low tide and so there really wasn’t much to be seen across the south flats.

Lawn and Palermo Streets were also very quiet except for the distant calls of the male Redwings. The Overlook path is still very wet and I’m glad that I have some high rubber boots to wade through the mud and water.  Further out, I saw my first leaf on a tree or bush. The leaf buds look swollen on most trees but this bush is actually bold enough to open the first leaves of spring.

The Overlook panne didn’t look promising  at first. A few gulls and a few ducks, that’s all. Some of those ducks looked different with big stout bills and through the scope, I recognized four Shovelers, very large ducks. Then a few others had a golden window pane near their tales, Green-winged Teal. Not just the usual suspects at all (Mallards and Black Ducks) but interesting occasional visitors.

The Boardwalk was  very quiet and even with a scope, there was little to see and enjoy. I climbed the mound in the center of the park and something caught my eye. It was a Northern Harrier skimming across the marsh on the hunt. They are very graceful gliders and a delight to watch. On the path out of the park, I got my best look at Bachelor Number One.

The phragmites is full of these guys displaying and calling out. At one point I saw four of them in air pursuing what was probably a female.

Back home, the first daffodil had bloomed.

The crocus had been out a few days but in full sun, they were stunning.

Another pleasant surprise was the Forsythia bush up against the foundation in bloom. That is an early surprise.

The temperatures are dropping again towards March normal and there is rain on the way. All of that is easier to endure after a day full of leaves, flowers, ducks and Harriers.  Spring is here at Bell Isle.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 17, 2010 by OrientSee.

 Evacuation Day! For those of you not from Boston, it’s a local holiday celebrating the British leaving Boston at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Except of course, it’s not. It’s St. Patrick’s day. That’s how nimble Irish politicians were able to celebrate the day here in Massachusetts.

It’s been an extraordinary day. Warm and bright. Earlier in the day while walking the dog, I listened to a woodpecker while a Junco pranced on the ground beneath a fir tree all next to Suffolk Downs track. Later in the morning, I got my first serious bike ride of the year. By the Winthrop beaches, sand was everywhere, witness to the weekend storms. Large flocks of gulls were wheeling around still feeding off the wrack washed up on the beaches. I had a California moment watching the surfers off Winthrop Beach. The waves were impressive and a dozen people were out in the water on boards.

Early afternoon. Rosie’s was very quiet and the ducks were mostly sleeping. Close two dozen were clustered near the train yard.

By Palermo St., I had a chance to admire the silvery half-pods still clinging on.

A shriveled apple was still hanging in one tree. Fall’s harvest in March.

I nearly stepped on this sparrow. The streaks and dry grass made it nearly impossible to see it.

The Overlook was strangely quiet. No Redwing Blackbirds. Last week’s crew must have been just passing through and not settling in. Out at the Overlook, more sleeping ducks and one Merganser sailed about feeding.

The Boardwalk was quiet except for a large flock (200-300) gulls who were resting out on the flats. It was impressive to see them suddenly swoop up and off.  The marsh looks very much like October but it is nearly six months later.

There was little in the park to see. I noticed this strange and slightly ominous piece of hanging bark. I first thought that it was an animal skin until I got closer.

The temperature got up over sixty and yet my daffodils are barely up. Strange weather!

Ciao!

-Jorge

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March 9, 2010 by OrientSee.

It’s all her fault. Ruby. This young lady has come into our lives and I can no longer get a good night’s sleep. I can’t seem to get anything done while this young female is around. I don’t go out into the marsh. I don’t go to see movies. I don’t ride my bike. All because of her. Take a look for yourselves.

Yes, that’s her, an eleven week old West Highland Terrier. I must confess. I am besotted with her.

So, I left her behind and went out to the marsh. Things were quiet. The tide was running out and there were a few ducks in Rosie’s Pond.

No Killdeers and no hawks. Just quiet ducks paddling back and forth.

Down by Lawn Ave., I looked at what happens when nature runs amok. This is an apple tree which has not been pruned and taken care of. The result is a nightmare tangle of branches and twigs.

The path out to the Overlook was filled with the sound of a few early arriving Redwing Blackbird males. In a few more weeks, their calls will reach nearly deafening volume. Right now it’s just the start of Spring.

The Overlook was equally empty. I had hoped to flush a few snipe on my way over to the Boardwalk but no luck. There was a largish flock of gulls resting by one of the pannes further out but there really wasn’t much to see until - - -  Popping up over the edge of the creek bank, five immature Mute Swans flew over the grass to the Boardwalk panne. It was a dramatic sight.

It was like seeing five pterodactyls  swoop down. They settled in very close to the walk and totally ignored me and several passing people with dogs.

It was magnificent to see these young swans up close.

The rest of my walk was uneventful but full of a cold sharp wind. I could hardly wait to get home, check my Sibley’s (to verify the swans) and pour some hot coffee into my cold core.

Ciao!

-Jorge

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February 21, 2010 by OrientSee.

Yesterday was a rare February day. It warmed up close to 50 and even some bugs crawled out and about. Today was different. Colder and windier, it wasn’t as pleasant. In Rosie’s Thicket, I finally got to see one of the Downy Woodpeckers actually working a new hole. They must have some sort of brain cushioning. The bird was really hammering into the hole. I got a sympathetic headache watching. It was totally oblivious to me twenty feet away.

The south flats were deserted but that was no surprise as the tide was out.  A few gulls were about and flock of Canada geese flew by. The path out to the Overlook revealed a serious sign of spring - catkins.  These weren’t pussy willows but the budding fur fluffs signal another change in the seasons.

The ice is out of the pannes and pools, so the ducks and geese are back foraging in the shallows.

Over the way to the Boardwalk, I found these shells. They are curious because they are all strung together like you those you can find attached to pilings and rocks. Apparently, some large gull (?) pulled them off and then flew over to the high marsh to eat the mussels etc.  It’s not like the gulls who drop individual shells to break them open.  I really wonder what happened here.

The park was full of dogs and there was little to see. A few furtive sparrows were in and out of the reeds and sumac on the way out to the parking lot but never long enough to clearly see what they were.

The Revere side of the creek was empty at first sight but then the Mallards and the Buffleheads moved about and proved the creek wasn’t empty.

I paid particular attention to sounds today. I had just read some posts in the Yahoo Group, BioMass, about winter sounds.  It’s an interesting group to read.

Today was a little cold with the bitter wind blowing but it was well worth taking a walk out in the marsh.

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February 14, 2010 by OrientSee.

Everything has a measure. We seem compelled to apply a tape measure of some sort to everything we see and do. 1 stone equals 14 pounds. The sun is 92,960,000 miles away and water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Today was a three sock day. When you walk through a marsh, you need to consider wet feet. That means for most of the year you need to wear rubber boots. ( July and August are the exception. Sandals are fine in high summer as long as you don’t mind muddy feet. ) In the winter, the number and combination of socks becomes a crucial decision. So today meant thin wool socks next to the skin. Bulkier cotton blend socks to trap the air and warmth. Finally polar fleece oversocks to complete the protection. Don’t laugh but I don’t get cold feet.

Today the air was brisk with the cold northwest wind. Although the sun is February warm, the birds were not very active. A Downy Woodpecker was up in Rosie’s Thicket pecking at the bark. A few pigeons, gulls and crows were about but no hawks. A small gaggle of Canada Geese honked overhead. The marsh is still sleeping. While the ground is bare, there are still plenty of ice floes marooned up on the spartina grass flats.
The trees flash a few stubborn leaves in the bright light. On Lawn Ave., the resident Mockingbird and guardian protector kept a close eye on me as I walked past.

I had to change my sunglasses as I entered the Long Thicket. The leafless trees still shade the path into dusk at midmorning. There were no small birds except for a single Robin along the Ovelook path. At the Overlook itself, the panne was frozen and so there were no ducks to be seen. Out in the creek where there is no ice, there were ducks but I didn’t have a scope to identify any of them.

I detoured on my way to the Boardwalk to check out the muskrat pond. It was solidly frozen and so I walked across. In an instant, I was transported to Northern Maine. The only trace of humans was the Osprey platform out in the reeds. The planes from Logan were quiet and this unlikely place (1/4 mile away from a major street and the Blue Line and 1/2 mile from Logan Airport) had the feel of zen retreat.

The Boardwalk had a better view of the creek but there was not much to see. I had hoped to see a Harrier since one was reported several days ago but no luck this morning. Although cold, the park was full of dogs and their owners. I walked up the mound and looked around. Something flashed in the creek on the Revere side but then nothing happened. I walked along a little further and saw a Graf Zeppelin. Well not really, it was something better, a single Trumpeter Swan. This enormous, long-necked bird passed overhead and I smiled in delight.

It’s the sort of experience that Belle Isle can reward you with. Nothing is around and you get bored and then a swan flies by or a Merlin dives into a flock of Swallows and nabs lunch. A male Pheasant will walk out of the reeds, stop and make a Peacock look like shabby, overdressed dowager. A Kestrel will hover over the mound and the bright colors flash in the sun. It’s all why I walk Belle Isle.

Out to the parking lot, a cooperative American Tree Sparrow allowed me to watch while it foraged in the grass with its bi-colored beak, making it one of the few sparrows that I can definitively identify.

The creek was partially frozen over but I could get a glimpse of a small group of Bufflehead Ducks diving into the water. I walked back home basking in the full glare of the February sun like some sort of winter reptile. It was a good day at Belle Isle.

Take care, one and all,

OrientSee

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