Wild Nantucket

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Aromatic August

It's August, and the amazing aroma of sweet pepper (Clethra Alnifolnia) fills the air as I bike and hike. There is nothing like filling my lung with this sasparilla-like smell.

It is a time of bouncing bett and Queen Ann's Lace along the roadside, along with some yarrow and the last of the St.Johnswort.

Starting at Windswept Cranberry Bog, I sought to hike around Stump Pond, but wound up going farther than planned...coming out at the man-made swamp on the Polpis Road. A black and white warbler near the swamp area near Almanac Pond Road was a treat.

Josh and I are out here recovering from his open heart surgery, which was necessary after the endocarditis of May and the heart block of July 8.

The lagoon at Sesachacha is larger than past years, it is not possible to jump over the inlet to get to the other side. I was searching for rose mallow, which is now blooming by the Consue Spring. The ponds are also high; I visited Jewel Pond and it is as high as I have seen it in August after the rainiest spring in many years. My weather station shows over 10 inches of rain since May (and the station only came back on line on May 6).

Pickerel Weed t Jewel Pond

Pickerel weed

Blue Darning Needle at Jewel Pond

Jewel Pond

Great Egret at Sesachacha

Stump Pond and Sweet Pepper

Lilies at Windswept Bog

Sickle Leaved Asters

Yarrow

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Frankie's First visit to Nantucket

Because she is natural!

Amy, Joe and Frankie

Madequecham Valley

Happy Baby

Fourth of July Weekend, 2019

I am so glad to be back on Nantucket! We missed coming this spring because of Josh's endocarditis. Spring was very rainy and late, so I still got a chance to see a few Quaker Ladies (Hedyotis Caerulea) on my hike at Norwood Farm today! Ponds high.

Towhees and common yellowthroats abounded, 3 or 5 Eastern Kingbirds.

Profusion of Swamp Azalea - Rhododendron Viscosa-

Mullein- verbascum Thapsus

Yarrow- Achillea Millefolium

Milkwort - Polygala polygama

Viburnum

High Bush Blueberry

Common St. Johnswort- Hypericum Perforaturm

Swamp azalea

Sheep Laurel- Kalmia Augustifolia

Ox Eye Daisies - Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum

Pasture thistle- Cirsium Pumilum

Viburnum

Milkwee Asclepias Syriaca

Eastern Kingbird

Virginia Rose- Roas virginiana

Sunday, January 20, 2019

January 20, 2019 Winter Walk

I hiked from Wauwinet to Coskata Pond today before the onset of a winter storm.

Lichen in winter

Saw 5 dead razorbills on the beach

Didn't see a Snowy Owl, although lots of Nantucketers are posting pictures. I did see herring and black-backed gulls, scoters at sea, crow and turkey vulture, bufflehead in Coskata Pond, and a red-tail hawk overlooking Polpis Harbor. Hundreds of Canada geese were seeking shelter. The sparrow species moved so fast I couldn't identify them.

There were 5 deal razorbills along the beach. On the Birding Nantucket Facebook page, someone said "Nantucket is where razorbills go to die." I have often seen dead eider on the beach between Sconset and LowBeach in January, but haven't got down there this weekend.

I saw many new and interesting feathers, including many tern feathers.

Looking out toward Coatue from Wauwinet

Coskata Pond

Looking toward Coskata Woods

Found these tern feathers in the truck tracks on the beach

And these too, from what bird?

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Fall 2018

Fall progresses from the goldenrod yellow and grasses to the mahogany of the Tupelo and bright spots of Groundsel to huckleberry red and cinnamon fern gold.

I missed seeing a 'Swall-nado" this year, but there were several hundred tree swallows here on the bluff this weekend. And still an Eastern Kingbird at Stump Pond, while dark eyed juncos were also at Windswept Bog. Last week's Sunday bird group at Madaket was amazing! From peregrine to merlin to osprey to CapeMay Warbler and many shorebirds in between. And at Squam Farm a week earlier there were bobolink and a black-throated green warbler.