Close to nature

Lots of young bird's out and about, learning to forage and fly. Among them are grackles, robins, cardinals, catbirds, cowbirds and sparrows (house). They are accompanied by a squad of squirrels. Looks like 5-6 newbies, one of which provided a comic moment as I tended my tomato plants this morning. I heard a splash in the creek and turned to see a bedraggled grey fellow scramble up the bulkhead to present a soaking wet rat-like image at the top. He made a few hopping shakes and stood in bewilderment before scrambling further from the water up a tree.

Also visiting (and unwelcome) are Canada Goose families ranging from two young to five. They are effectively banned from yards by fences along the water and occasional outbursts by irate lawn keepers who resent their contributions.

Two green herons have a nest over the pond. This is the sixth year of greens nesting here. Up to six great White Egrets are sleeping in the trees at night. No nesting, just resting. They arrive just before sunset and leave before dawn every day. Once in a while we will see one fishing along the shore line. Our relatively new neighbor, whose trees the birds selected for overnighting, tells me his wife -- who clearly is not a close observer of nature -- one day asked him how those "plastic bags" ended up in their trees?

A young black crowned night heron is a regular fisher here - usually perching at water level on a downed tree branch. A single cormorant drops in from time to time as do a pair of belted kingfishers.

The birds are reasonably successful, unlike myself. I have managed one bass in about six hours of fishing over the past three weeks. Not sure of an interruption in the flow of fresh water through our creek is a factor, but I think it could be. There is a leak in the culverts directing the creek underground north of here and the state and the village are fighting to see who gets to repair it.

A state DEC biologist said there would be no lasting problem for the fish, but I think some have decided they like more fresh water, in spite of his view that fish around these estuaries are very tolerant of the (low) salinity levels of the Great South Bay.

The crash of a metal trash can lid caught my attention a few evenings back. Binoculars showed a possum investigating the innards of the can, which it managed to carefully spill across my neighbor's drive. A few nights later I caught site of (presumably) the same critter ambling along the shore line of our yard, then up the creek, across it at the road and back down on the west side.

Another recent land visitor was a snapping turtle, about the size of a big frying pan. I spotted this one on a neighbor's lawn, working its way from the creek toward the well-tended flower beds. As it disappeared behind a rock I wondered if it was egg-laying or snack time.

Catbirds tend to be the most bold of our feathered visitors, often coming within five or six feet on the ground. But that was eclipsed on my latest fishing attempt. I was suddenly accompanied by a young catbird who landed on my rod just a few inches from my hand as I stood waiting for a strike. I jumped a bit and he looked me in the eye for about five seconds before deciding this was not a great place to perch. A quick, but enchanting close encounter.