between the rain drops

In spite of the recurrent sweeps of rainfall, the birds were, in bursts, more than usually active, hunting for food between the raindrops or during the relatively dry periods between showers. I saw (and heard) the my first Blackpoll of the season -- traditionally the bird that heralds the later part of the spring migration -- plus the more familiar Northern Parula, Yellow and Common Yellowthroat, all singing fairly intensely (all except the Yellowthroat in the canopy of oak trees). Also a Red-eyed Vireo, a species that has been hanging around and singing for the past few days. These vireos, which nest in numbers in the back woods, always come around down here in the early spring but never seem to make it as breeders. Similarly, there have been Fish Crows almost every day, not just flying over but hanging out and giving us their signature caws. Like the Green Heron, Pine Warbler and Yellow Warbler, the Red-eyed Vireo and Fish Crow are always to be looked for as a 'possible nesters' south of the highway.

Small flocks of Common Grackles continue to come by and look for insects around the house and yard. Are these locals or migrants? Hard to tell. They are the southern Purple Grackle type, not the Bronze Grackles that breed further north and that, up until recently, used to be the local breeding grackle (by they have, I believe, now been largely supplanted by the southern type everywhere on Eastern Long Island; the person who has documented this change is Larry Penny). We see Bronzed Grackles in fall migration and winter but at this time of year, every one of these birds seems to be a Purple. Not all of them will make it to wherever they are going. Just outside the backdoor, a clutch of grackle feathers (black with a colorful oily sheen to the edges of some of the feathers) suggests that a cat or an owl or a fox got one of these ground-feeding birds.

At low tide in the afternoon, a Flicker flew up from the edge of the pond; apparently it was feeding on the detritus (or on the insects that were feeding thereupon) that had come in with the major spring tides that have been covering the marsh and filling up the pond twice a day. Least Terns were flying up and down the creek but there were no shorebirds in evidence. Back in the woods, a flock of a dozen Cedar Waxwings came dashing through; these birds are late nesters and they have not begun their courtship and nesting activities. Maybe some of the grackles are also late nesters or non-breeding birds.

Finally, there was the climactic event of the day: a mating pair of Box Turtles -- the first of any turtles that I have seen this year on the property. They were right on the edge of the main path going toward the head of the marsh and only inches from my feet at I followed the curve of the trail. When I came along, the male had his neck extended as far out as I have ever seen on a turtle and it was curled around to the opening where the female had retracted her head (she was half buried in the soil and debris next to the path). He took one look at me with his bright orange eyes and then slipped off her back. Apparently the indentation on his lower plastron was not quite deep enough. Or perhaps his love had an exceptionally large domed upper plastron. Or perhaps I really did scare him and he was getting ready to high-tail it outta there (if that's the right expression for a turtle). At any rate, having already disturbed them more than enough, I high-tailed it outta there, leaving them to finish the essential business of creating Box Turtle futures!

Eric Salzman