Crystal Day on ACK this Sunday, October 9, 2011. Wind NW at 9 mph at 1pm. 78 degrees!
At the morning birdwalk, 40 swans at Hummock Pond, thousands of tree swallows flocking, American Widgeon, Green-Winged Teal, canada geese, a kestrel. Gold crown kinglets heard. At a small mudflat near Madaket Marine sign on Madaket Road, a least sandpiper, a pair of kingbirds hovering, a yellow rump warbler and a song sparrow. A red tail hawk in a tree overlooking the cemetery and a northern harrier hunting over the moors in Madaket. 3 pair of eider off the bluff in Sconset. Bank swallows abound. A yellow rump in the tree across the street.

It's the time of groundsel trees, stiff asters and the last goldenrod. Hurricane Irene has fooled some plants: an apple tree across from the hospital is blooming and new rugosa flowers blooming on the bluff, along with New Dawn roses on the houses. But the autumn sweet clematis is gone by!