Eel Point, Monday April 6

Along with the spring and some sunny days come the people.  We are seeing more people walking up Baxter road to the lighthouse in the morning and the evening.  I am seeing more people out biking and walking on the Polpis Loop bike path, too.  This morning there were 7 bikers and 6 walkers out while I cycled from 8:30 am to 9:30 am.  And when the weather is sunny, like it was yesterday, the parking lot at Sanford Farm is full, with cars parking out on the Madaket Road. 

Attempting to reach Eel Point via the Eel Point Road along Dionis was a miss.  There were so many deep puddles that we had to turn the Prius around and head over to an approach via Tristram's Landing.  What a reward for getting there,  starting with a peregrine falcon and including 2 oystercatchers, 2 great egrets,  a great blue heron and 2 more piping plovers.

The road is out to the end of the point is blocked as the tides are flooding it regularly.  So it was perfect for us as solitary hikers. Although masks are now recommended when out in public,  there was no public at Eel Point.

Tidal flooded road

Oystercatchers at the point on a sand bar

One of two piping plovers

One of two Great Egrets

High water time

Great Blue Heron flies from the marsh

Solitary Sunday Birding on April 5

Since the Sunday Birding Group has been suspended by Coronavirus quarantining,  I headed out to Quidnet on my own on Sunday at 6:30 am.  So many deer are visible at that time;  I saw 8 during my outing.  I am used to seeing vernal pools in Squam Swamp and the moors,  but there were pools also at Sesachacha, between the path to the pond and the dune.  Two black ducks flew off when I approached.  Osprey, Eiders, Scoters, and 4 piping plovers were the highlights.

Osprey

Hunting over Sesachacha Pond

Three of the Four Piping Plovers near the Cut

Eiders protected from the wind

The view from Sesachacha

Late Winter

Milestone Cranberry Bogs are getting prepared for the 2020 year.  Josh and I took a walk toward Barnard Valley Road,  yielding some new views of Sankaty Light, and "the other side"  of Gibbs Pond.

Winter is harsh on or near the water.  Today,  April 3,  it is 40 degrees with 40mph winds from the northeast and high winds at 60 mph.  Yet I still see eiders flying north (20 during a timed minute), gannets, long-tailed ducks,  scoters on the water.  

I  often see dead birds on the beach. This past week  I saw both a dead eider and a dead red-throated loon.    Josh and I saw 2 dead seals on our hike last Friday to Smith Point.  Perhaps the abundance of winter kill is why I see so many turkey vultures,  crows, red-tailed hawks out.  They seem to be the most visible birds on land at this point  (aside from the gulls and my local song sparrows and house finches).

Eider

Red throated Loon

March 30

Magical Squam Swamp

Human-built Squam Sculpture

Polpis Harbor from near Chaos Corner

Bushwacking to Medouie Creek

Osprey on a  nest in Medouie Creeks

Fake News?

On Friday March 27,  Josh and I set out to hike around Smith Point from Madaket.  What a day!  It was warm and sunny and lots of people were outside...we could tell from the number of cars parked at Sanford Farm;  they were parked out on Madaket Road!  The hike was beautiful.  

We saw 5 seals,  3 alive and 2 dead

Winter kill

Sign of spring:  2 piping plovers

 When we came back into Madaket Village, I saw this bird on a wire...and knew it was a flycatcher.  I called it an Eastern Kingbird, and put it up on eBird with this picture.  The Boston Globe on Sunday mentioned in the Bird sighting that an Eastern Kingbird had been seen in Madaket.  Oops.  My first sighting mentioned in the Globe....and it wasn't an Eastern Kingbird,  but more likely a Phoebe!  Ken Blackshaw and the ebird moderator both wrote to me that it was likely a Phoebe because the kingbirds are still in South America. I am sorry that I created FAKE NEWS.

A phoebe,  not an Eastern Kingfisher

Coronavirus Diary March 27 2020

I am blessed to be able to see spring arrive to Nantucket.  It has been blustery,  raining each of the last three days,  with high winds.  It's settling down now,  with the temp at 51 degrees and the wind from the north at 7 mph.  

It hasn't stopped us from exploring.  On Wednesday,  the northeast winds brought the gannerts in.  Harvey Young pointed out how great to get a view from above. The angle of the bluff  (and my 400 mm telephoto lens) helped me out.

dozens of long-tail ducks fly north in the late afternoon,  along with all three kinds of scoters, eiders, gulls and red-throated loons.

Stump Pond

Yesterday we hiked Stump Pond in the clockwise direction.  Usually we hike it counter-clockwise.  The moss is greening up and we saw early growth of what look like pyrola rotundifolia.  Pretty quiet on the bird front:  turkey vultures, crows,  the dozen bufflehead on the pond,  4 canada geese, a red tail hawk.

Pyrola Rotundifolia? Didn't look like Trailing Arbutus, Mayflower

Sphagnum Moss...but what kind?

Moss envy

March winds

Saw my first oystercatchers and osprey yesterday while rambling with the birding group (6 feet apart at all times) at the UMass Field Station.  More signs that spring has arrived, despite the fact that the wind was from the northeast at 20 mph!

UMass Field Station trail

Yesterday Josh and I hiked on the moors past the "Deer Little Pond"  and Jewel Pond.  The water levels are the highest we've every seen them. We've seen that also earlier in the month at Almanac Pond. 

Sankaty Light from Barnard Valley Road

"Jewel Pond"  high water

Tupancy Links

  
Today we hiked Tupancy Links and saw a goldeneye off the north shore.  Then we headed toward home to Windswept Cranberry Bog,  where a dozen bufflehead were swimming on Stump Pond to keep out of the 20 mph ESE wind.

Common Goldeneye

Sphagnum Moss greening up

Bush clover after winter

.

Female Goldeneye