A Turtle Wind

Wind shifted to the south/southeast bringing in some warmer temperatures, cloudy skies, some on-and-off rain and the roar of the ocean surf. But no migrants!

It did bring out the Box Turtles from hibernation: two different individuals, one at the edge of the marsh, the other on our doorstep! I guess moving from underground to above ground in a time of warmup is a kind of wind-blown migration.

I watched two crows courting on an oak tree branch, making strange little sounds and one bird at least going through all sorts of contortions. These were, I'm almost positive, a pair of Fish Crows (I've seen them before on the same branch). The American Crows are, I think, mostly already nesting.

Derek Rogers reports that there was a Warbling Vireo on Pine Neck on Monday, possibly the same bird that I briefly saw and heard on this side of the creek. Could be a possible nester on Pine Neck? Eileen Schwinn reports that she came down Bay Avenue to look for the Yellow-crowned Night Heron but found a Green Heron instead (a bird that I have not yet seen this year). She later found the Night Heron seen at the outlet of our pond as viewed from the foot of Weesuck Avenue.

Eric Salzman