wordsworth

Spent the morning with myself on Blackpoint. Just a little breezy. And brisk. No shadows. Sky full of clouds.

As I left the island, to return home, after a quiet five hours I stopped cold on top of the small bridge to the mainland. North, on top of a pillon that had once held the fishing pier was a big black backed gull. It had to be a black backed. I have never seen a gull with a back so black. I wanted to just sit there. I wanted to go to the rail and shout “Thank You! Thank you for coming to Florida. Thank you for coming so close to my house. And thank you for being so obvious even a novice’d know who you are!” I was very tired, of course, or my thoughts would have been more, well, sober. But I was very happy to see that gull. That gull was a hi-lite.

But there were others. American Avocet. Four pair. American Widgeon. Three pair. Numerous pairs of Hooded Merganser actively feeding. That kept me busy. They really enjoy thier work. Not as agile a fisher as the Anhinga, I think. But, OH, so energetic. Dunlin galore. If there was a Red Knot, I wouldn’t have known. Least Sandpiper a plenty, heal and toe with the Dunlin. I spent sometime watching them. Their bills never went below the sand. There was something on the surface they wanted, or something below the surface they wanted just wasn’t there. For awhile I watched an Osprey sitting on low bush in the pond where we all meet Ed Kwater. It was eating a fish. And beneath it, right at its feet, was a Ring-billed gull waiting for a scrap.

One small group of coots. Only three Common Moor Hen. Several Killdeer. Many Turnstones. And Laughing Gulls, of course.

Two hogs. Neither had wings, however.

Savanah Sparrow. I was really hoping for that. A Common Yellow-throat, and honestly, when I saw him I said without reserve, without even knowing there’d been an empty spot waiting for him, “There you are!”

And I do think I saw Dowitchers. Very long bill.

It was all very nice. Did alot of walking. Down several berms there’d never before been time to walk.

Well, but it’s not like sharing.

So, I’m writing.