Tag Archives: birds

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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The Saga of the Herring Run Continues

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A couple of posts ago I reported that the herring run seemed to have ended…no fish no gulls…but as with most things in life it is not safe to assume anything.

When I went to work Saturday I noticed a small flock of gulls gathered at the Herring Run off route 44 in Middleboro and I wondered about it but didn’t have time to  stop and investigate. There were a lot of cars in the parking lots and people were wandering over the bridges and looking in the water.

On Sunday I have to go into work in the wee hours of the morning. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and the mist was rolling off the water and the gulls were back in force! There was an even bigger gathering than the first time I wrote about it. I’m not sure if we’re getting a second run or if the first one really didn’t end but the gulls know something.

 I had the place to myself except for the “early birds” so I wandered over the bridges and along the ladder looking for fish. Usually when the run is in full swing you can see tons of fish jockeying for position to get upstream. Today I saw a few which is a few more than the other day but I’m not sure how many would be needed to call it a “run”.

Judging from the way the gulls were gathering I am guessing that a lot more fish must be on their way. I want to know how do these birds know?

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Is It Finally Spring?

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It was a beautiful day. I wore a pull over “hoodie” but tossed my winter coat in the car just in case. I didn’t need it.

It looks like the Herring Run for 2011 has come to an end, as fast as it started, it seems to be over. I drove over to the Middleboro Herring Run today and there was not a fish in sight.  The gulls were also absent. After all the activity of the last few days it was almost spooky!

 I went on to Plymouth to see if I could find the fish ladder there. I was told there was one just a few hundred yards from Plymouth Rock.  What I found was a hidden gem in plain sight!

Everybody knows about Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II and even Plimouth Plantation but nobody ever mentioned the Town Brook and the little park called Brewster Gardens to me.

I parked at a meter on the waterfront not far from Plymouth Rock and started looking for a brook or stream connected to the harbor that fish might use to migrate to their spawning pond. I admired the little decorative benches along the way. I took some pictures of the shadows they cast on the sidewalk. I liked the patterns they made.

 Crossing the road there was a park and that is where I found the brook. There were lots of people out and about. They were walking their dogs or feeding the ducks..in spite of a sign saying not to. This, it turns out, is Brewster Gardens.

I checked out some of the statues then crossed the little bridge to a path that followed the brook.  As I wandered along I took pictures of the area. It was so lovely and the sky was so blue.

  It didn’t seem like a very long walk before I came to the Jenny Grist Mill. This presented a lot of photo ops. The lady in the ice cream and souvenir shop told me to continue on to the top of the hill where I would see a pond. She said there were tons of photo ops there too. She was right.

I walked around the pond getting pictures of ducks and a swan. The swan was on shore and seemed to be doing some form of Swan Tai-chi or yoga. It was quite comical to watch.  Once  the swan wandered off, I headed back to the car. I wasn’t sure how long I had been but I had only put enough money in for an 1 1/2 hours.

Back at the waterfront I saw a couple more ducks and stopped to get their picture before I returned to the car. That’s when I saw a terrific scene. A flock of ducks was coming into the harbor but they weren’t flying…they were swimming. They looked like a tiny armada.  It was the cutest thing. Definitely worth watching.

Once they got a little closer I got a better picture. I believe they are Merganser ducks.

As what almost always happens after I stumble onto something, I will do a little research on the park and it’s statues and the Grist Mill and fill you in on my findings.

The 2nd Roger Williams Park

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It doesn’t take all that long to see The Roger Williams National Memorial so since I was in Providence anyway I decided to take a ride over to the Roger Williams Park and Zoo.

This was just a little side trip and I didn’t plan to go into the Zoo. I just wanted to drive around the park and see if the Carousel was open.

　

It was such a beautiful day. The park was lovely even if nothing was blooming yet. Squirrels were busy running around looking for forgotten nuts, swans and geese and ducks were swimming in the river. Everything was very clean except the waterline.

That was the one jarring note, the trash that was floating up against the river bank. Soft drink cups, papers, plastic straws, bottles, cans, the list goes on. I hope this is just because the staff hasn’t had time to clean this up and not neglect. It’s such a pretty park and I am concerned for the birds that make the river their home.

I spotted some Pussy Willows and 2 pairs of Mallard Ducks, their bright green heads shining in the sun.

Continuing around the park I came to Carousel Village. I really didn’t expect it to be open but it was. It might have been a private birthday party but no one challenged me when I came in and stood taking pictures of the brightly lit carousel.

By the time I left the Carousel Village clouds were beginning to gather. It was still nice out but it was time to head home.

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All I can say is “What a nice day!.”

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.