Tag Archives: animals

Whales, Seals and Sharks!

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It promises to be great year for sea animals on Cape Cod. Already we have had record numbers of whales feeding off the cape coming closer to land than in recent memory. Now in the news are reports of Great White sightings.

This is not unusual. I chased the Great Whites all last summer without success but it is early in the year for them. Normally they come in search of the seals that live and play on the beaches and barrier islands of Cape Cod. They prefer it when the water has had a chance to warm up a little but the really large sharks can tolerate the cooler temperatures. The reports seem to indicate that this was a large one, 18-20 ft and 2000+ lbs!

The latest news report said the Great White was circling a whale that had become entangled in fishing gear. The Woods Hole people have since towed the whale carcase away to exam it to determine cause of death…could it be its entanglement or the shark? I’m sure we’ll hear more about this as the season progresses.

Speaking of seals, I recently found out that there are 4 different species of seals that like to visit the cape. I was aware of 2.

The big-headed gray seals are also the largest in size of the 4 species. It’s been said that their heads look like horse heads and I guess that’s true. Gray seals are year round residents. Naturalists say that the resident population on the cape is in the thousands. The colony in Chatham is certainly large and boisterous. Gray seals were on the decline because of over hunting until 1972 when the Marine Mammal Protection Act was passed. Removing that pressure has allowed their population to increase dramatically.

The 2nd species of seal that is a familiar sight on the cape is the one we think of at the aquarium. They have a cute upturned muzzle and are smaller than the grays. While the grays are said to look like horses these seals are most often compared to cocker spaniels. These little cuties are the curious Harbor seals.

Both the Gray Seals and the Harbor seals will interact with boaters. They swim up  to the boat and pop up out of the water to stare. Curiosity is certainly a trait they share with us humans.

The other 2 species are more rare. I don’t think I’ve ever seen either one in the wild. The first is the Harp seal which gets its name from the distinctive dark wish-bone shaped pattern against a silver-white coat. When you see all of those horrible posters protesting the seal hunts with the baby white coated seals about to be clubbed, you are looking at baby harp seals. The Cape seems to get the “in-between” harp seals. Still juveniles they are too old for the creamy white coat and too young for the silver-gray with the harp pattern. Most have a light-colored coat with irregular blotches of brown.

Last but not least is the Hooded Seal. These seals are the most rare of the 4 species. They, along with the Harp seal, are considered “ice seals” because they prefer to live on the pack ice of the Arctic. Still the long stretches of secluded shoreline and abundant sea food make Cape Cod an attractive place for these seals to visit.

I think it’s safe to say that as long as the seals keep coming to Cape Cod we will be hearing of Great White Sharks patrolling our shores. I can see I will have many entertaining hours to look forward to this summer on the Cape.

Writer’s Block

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Well it was bound to happen one of these days. I set a pretty ambitious goal to post something 6 days a week. The biggest problem is time. There is lots to write about but I like to give you up to date information and pictures. In fact, I subscribe to the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words so if I have no pictures, I have no tales.

The past few days were a combination of things including weather that kept me from getting much exploring done. I didn’t even have much time to take pictures for my photo blog. I had my car in for maintenance so with no wheels to get around I missed being out and about gathering stories. It still need some more work too so I hope it won’t be tied up too long. After all I have places to go and people to see and things to do and then tell you all about it all here!

I asked Scout if he had any new tips and he admitted he hadn’t put anything together. He said he could have some in a day or two but by then I should be back on track.

I thought my friend Julie would bail me out with stories of her recent trip to Arizona and California but she had the day off so I haven’t caught up with her at work yet.

My cuz in Florida is going to share her experiences on trip she took to Ireland but she’s still putting that together. I have another co-worker that went to Ireland as well but I haven’t set up a time to get his stories yet. My fault on that one.

My friend Diane still has many, many stories and pictures to share but again I dropped the ball and didn’t leave myself enough time to get together  with her.

Another friend and co-worker, Jay, just got back from his rafting vacation but we haven’t had a chance to chat about that in any detail yet. I can’t wait to see his pictures and he says I can share them here. That will be a treat for us all, I am sure!

Well, sometimes it seems I spend more time making excuses and if I’d just taken that same time I would have had something to write but it’s just human nature, I guess.

I will be on my work schedule now for the next 2 days so I won’t have any time to go anywhere but maybe I can dredge something out of the archives that you might enjoy.

Or maybe I should remind you that you’re welcome to contribute too! I love your comments but you can also share you travel experiences too. Don’t be shy. Sometimes a fresh voice is just what’s needed. In the meantime I’ll share some photos from some of my jaunts. I’ve written about all of the trips shown in these photos but selecting the pictures makes me think that there may be more stories in them to share. Something to think about.

Well enjoy the pictures until I get my next post together. Remember my next trip is fast approaching and we know there will be a lot of things to share from that.

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He’s Back!

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“Who’s back” you say? “My little friend!” I say excitedly. All last spring, summer and early fall I would watch for a little woodchuck or if you prefer groundhog that seemed to make its home in a field on the side of RT 44.  I drive by there at least 4 times a week to go to work and sometimes errands take me past there on my days off.

It became a game that I embraced enthusiastically to see how many times I could spot the little animal. If I didn’t see him or it, not sure of its gender, for a couple of days I would worriedly search the side of the road for a squashed little body but I never saw one and eventually Mr/Ms Groundhog would be back.

A few times when I was not rushing from one place to another I pulled over and managed to get pictures to prove to my doubting co-workers that there really was wildlife to be seen in our little urban corner of the world.

I began to think of the little rodent as my “furry, little friend” and was disappointed when I wouldn’t see him. He disappeared for several weeks during the summer when we had a drought and the field he was in turned dry and brown. I wasn’t sure if he had moved on or died. Life in the wild is hard enough but with cars, exhaust,  lawn mowers and pesticides, throw in drought and the poor thing didn’t have an easy time.

Even so once the rains came and the grass got green again, he was back. Along about September or October I saw him for the last time. I watched and watched and even stopped and checked for signs that his burrow under the rocks was being used…nothing.

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I don’t know if the little creatures hibernate but it seemed too early for that with lots of grass still available. I kept an eye out all fall and even in the winter because habits die-hard but there was never any sign of him so imagine my surprise when I saw something brown moving at the edge of that same field as I drove past! I slowed down and there he was! I didn’t have time to hang out and watch him today but it’s enough to know that he or another of his kind survived the winter and will be back to entertain me for another summer.

Patriot’s Place on Patriot’s Day

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I’ve been meaning to check out a nature trail I heard about but just haven’t had the time. It’s at Patriot’s Place in Foxboro, home of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriot’s Football team. The complex houses a shopping mall and conference centers as well. This is where the AAA marketplace was held last month. Bottom line, it’s hard to believe there’s a nature trail amid the asphalt.

As I left Lexington I noticed my gas gauge was getting kind of low. I expected I would need to get gas after making that trip to Lexington. I stopped at a service center with a  McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich. While there I checked their gas prices…$3.95 + / gal for regular. I shouldn’t have been surprised. The  egg McMuffin and orange juice w/ a small water came to $7.99! Friendly’s has a whole breakfast for $2.99. I thought McDonald’s was supposed to be cheap!

Anyway, I decided to try to get to a gas station I know on RT 1. It usually has less expensive gas and I could go home by way of RT 1 instead of RT 128. In fact when I got there the gas was $3.73/ gal.  Big difference!

So with a bit more gas in my tank I headed off down RT 1. On the way I drove by Patriot’s Place and for the first time saw a sign for the Nature Trail and Cranberry Bog. It was still so early I decided to take the time to check it out. It’s located behind Bass Pro Shop and be warned, the dirt road to the dirt parking area has pot holes big enough to swallow your car.

For the most part the parking lot was empty. There were some construction vehicles and a port-o-potty on the far end of the lot. I didn’t take all the camera stuff, just my monopod that doubles as a walking stick, the new super telly and my 55-200. I left the backpack and the kit lens in the car locked in the trunk.

 The path is well-marked. The upper portion is brick-paved and there is a little sitting area and a man-made water feature (waterfall). It’s a pretty little spot. The trail itself is dirt but well maintained. Much better than the access road! It’s a short loop, only about 1/2 mile. To the left is a gentle downslope to a bridge/boardwalk over the marsh to the bog. To the right the trail is more steep. Going right would be the easy way so of course I went left first!

I loved the boardwalk over the pond. It even has a little bench where you can sit and watch the birds. There were the Canadian Geese , of course, a pair of swans, quite a few red-winged blackbirds and a variety of finch/sparrow type birds. I didn’t see any ducks this trip but I am sure there must be some around.

I followed the path through the Cranberry bog. There are two statues of Elk set on the shore and another bridge that crosses the irrigation canal on one side and the pond on the other.

 At that point  you enter the woods and the terrain changes again. It’s still an easy walk but now you climb a couple of hills.

There’s another little bridge over a brook that feeds the pond. In here I spotted squirrels playing hide and seek but that was about all.

Back at the start I took advantage of the seating area to set up my new lens. I need to get used to using such a heavy lens and the monopod. I found the swans on the pond and was amazed at how big they came out with the super telly. The only thing is it’s a bit cumbersome. I think it will be great if I’m looking to shoot from a blind or someplace where I will be sitting or standing for a bit, in other words, where I can set up housekeeping. 🙂 It’s not a lens to just snap on the camera and go hiking. I’ll stick to my 55-200 for that. It will definitely travel with me when we go to Alaska.

The day seemed to be warming up a bit but that wind was still cold so I wrapped up my morning and it’s only 9 am!

 Just as I took the lens off and packed up the geese started honking like crazy and the whole gaggle took off in formation! A very impressive sight  and me with no camera ready! Why is it that this always seems to happen to me! Oh well, another picture that got away 🙂

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Afternoon at Daniel Webster

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Leaving Hull I hopped back on RT 3 to head down a couple of exits to RT 139, Marshfield. When I pulled into the small dirt lot at the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary there were 3 other cars there already so I knew I was going to have company. I didn’t have my hiking boots since this was an unplanned visit but you really don’t need them. It’s easy walking. I just like them because of the support they provide my weak left ankle. But I did have my walking pole. As I was putting my stuff together a big delivery truck pulled in. The driver got out and asked me what I’d seen today. I told him I had just arrived. He said he’d seen osprey hunting over Webster Pond. He said he hadn’t seen osprey here in years and never this early in the season.

I told him that Riverquest on the Connecticut River had sent me an email about Osprey Watching Trips but he just dismissed my comment. Later, when I reviewed the Audubon literature I picked up in the entry building I noticed that it addressed the question of Osprey in the sanctuary.

“The osprey pole at the sanctuary has been occupied since 1990 and was one of the first successful nests on the South Shore after a dramatic decrease in the osprey population during the 1950’s and 60’s.”

I wish I had known that when he was telling me about it.

Anyway, I was ready to start walking. The network of trails amount to 2.2 miles. The main trail is a straight shot right through a field and up a little hill to the Foxhill Observation platform. That was my ultimate destination today but I wasn’t going to take the direct route. I took the right fork past the Purple Martin Colony. I could see that the Audubon Society had been busy. The hanging gourds that will serve the birds as a home had been hung. They hadn’t been put out when I was here a few weeks ago.

I spotted a red winged blackbird in the reeds by Webster Pond. The Canadian geese were everywhere as usual while a mute swan swam tranquilly on the far side of the pond. There were some smaller ducks but they were too far away for me to identify.

I stuck my head in the observation blind but there was nothing on the wet panne so I didn’t linger. As is my usual habit I took the next right again through the Red Maple Swamp on the Secret Trail. This leads into the meadow where I saw a deer the first time I visited the sanctuary. Today the meadow was empty.

I took a turn around the loop trail. When I got back on the main trail I met one of the other visitors heading in the opposite direction and really bookin’ it. He slowed long enough to say “ nice day” and then he was gone. I continued on at a more leisurely and considerable quieter pace. I was pretty sure any chance of seeing any animals was out of the question now but I headed up to the observation platform anyway.

Along the way I experimented with silhouettes using trees , poles and fences posts as subjects.

Once at the observation platform I saw a hawk that I didn’t recognize. I watched it for close to 20 minutes but it never came close enough for me to get an ID on it. Even with my camera at 200mm it just wasn’t clear enough for me. Another large bird flew an erratic path close to the ground. I’m guessing another hawk because of it’s size but it was also too far away for a picture or ID and I didn’t recognize that flying pattern. I can’t wait till I get that big lens!

 

I checked the sun and it was still pretty high in the sky even though it was past 5 pm. I headed over to the Green Harbor River or as it shows on the sanctuary maps, River Walk. Something moved near the woods just as I started down the trail. As I was standing there trying to make it out I met another of the visitors. This one was also “out for a brisk walk”. When I turned back to look again whatever I had seen was gone. I followed Mr. “Brisk Walk” back out to the main trail. He was way ahead of me. I slowed down to let him get even farther ahead in hopes that his commotion would fade and whatever animals might be around might come back out.

I had now reached the other observation blind. I peeked in there and saw that some ducks had landed in the panne but they were on the other side near the first blind. I decided to walk the loop again so I started around again.

The swan, geese and red winged black birds were still at Webster Pond. I didn’t see any osprey but some black birds scolded me as I walked past. I went into the blind again but the ducks were in heavy shadow so I still couldn’t get an ID. I think they might have been mallards but can’t be sure. With dusk approaching I didn’t linger because I wanted to get back up to the Foxhill observation platform. I made my right turn into the Red Maple Swamp and then I saw them. Through the bare tree branches I could see the little meadow and it was filled with deer. It wasn’t just one this time. I could see 6-8 as I peaked through the trees. I moved as slowly and quietly as I could, stopping every time I saw a head pop up.

Eventually I made my way to the edge of the meadow. That was when some of them spooked, white tails flying but at least 4 stayed behind and just stared at me. Pretty soon the ones that had run came back out. I hardly dared to breathe. I tried to work my way a little closer so I could get a decent picture in the dimming light and they did let me cover quite a bit of ground but it was still too dim for a decent picture.

Eventually they trotted off into the woods and I headed on up to the observation platform. I stopped briefly on the boardwalk and spotted them traveling parallel to me through the woods.

Back out in the main field the sun was starting to set and putting on an amazing display. Even if the deer pictures were a disappointment, the sunset was not. At Foxhill I spotted more deer but here they, like the hawks earlier were too far away for photos, but I was surrounded by them . There were 3 deer in front of me, another group of 5 off to my right and a small bunch of 3 or 4 almost behind me. They were the closest but they also had some rocks and brush between us so no photo op there.Well, I got my wish. I saw some deer. I got some pictures and it was time to head home. I love this place !

The wind had come up and it was getting cold as well as dark so I started hoofing it back to the parking area. For a day that looked like it was going to be a total loss, it turned into pretty good day.