A great hush

A great hush has fallen over the creek and marsh since Irene. Most of the swallows and martins are gone and so are most of the terns and gulls. No swans or geese in sight. Even the Red-winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows, formerly numerous along the marsh edge, have vanished. Did the storm wipe them out or just force them to move on? Have they departed for the south or did they just pull back from the dangerous edge to safer areas inland and forget to return? Even the Chickadees and Titmice, usually seen and heard at the woodland edge have been faintly heard only inland. Everything looks like fall but the fall migrants are not here yet.

Still present are the Clapper Rail (seen yesterday, heard this morning), Green Heron (one or two flushed up from the marsh and seen in flight), Belted Kingfisher (on patrol; seen and heard on the usual kingfisher perches every day), and American Goldfinch (breeding-plumaged males still around). Three female-plumaged Mallards (perhaps young birds) were hiding in the marsh and flew up at my approach. There are still Osprey in the neighborhood although I am not sure if they are locals or visitors from elsewhere. Plenty of Crows and some Blue Jays although even they seem diminished in numbers. One migrant appeared: a Red-eyed Vireo.

A typo in yesterday's post: I seem to have written that I 'didn't' collect Black Walnuts when what I meant to say was that I DID collect them. Now all I have to do is crack 'em open.

Eric Salzman