5/23/08 Assateague
There are days when I know were I am going and what I want to do. This was not one of those days. I went into work still undecided on what I was going to do today. It wasn't until 10:30am that I decided to head down to Assateague. It was a toss up between Assateague, Wicomico Creek and Pocomoke River.
I left work at 11:30am. It is such a beautiful day. I started heading up to Assateague, still a little unsure if this is were the day should go. I haven't been up there in a while and it is a holiday weekend, so there is a chance the park will be packed with tourist.
Not much traffic on the way up. I get to the entrance to the park and get my pass ready, the pass is for Chincoteague National Sea Shore. I was told it would work at Assateague, but still am unsure. It is all the same national park, one side Maryland and the other Virginia. I show my pass at the gate and the woman smiles and waves me on.
It is 12:30pm now. I head down to the launch site. There are not as many people here as what I thought. I look out into the Bay and see Gulls, Little Blues, and a few Egrets. There a couple Ponies grazing in the distance.
My Kayak is sitting ready to go why I grab the rest of my gear. There is a little boy checking it out, his family standing near watching over him. He ask what I am doing. "I am getting ready to go Kayaking and Take some pictures." He holds up a Blue Crab claw he has found at the waters edge. I think his father is just as interested as his son. He ask me a few questions and smiles. Ohio is were they are from! I tell them if they are here for a while they should head down to Chincoteague.
I am finally make my way from shore. The water is a little choppy and the wind is blowing a bit. I head down to the ponies and watch them pick at the grass, some little blues off in the distance. Time to move on. An Osprey fly's above, fishing I suppose. A Tern flutters in the air looking for some minnows. I could sit and watch Terns all day.
Time to eat some lunch. I stop a shore and eat. I share some tuna and crackers with the minnows swimming close to shore. A couple crabs move in, frantically snapping at the minnows.
Moving on, staying close to shore, a couple plover's take flight as I approach. There are Sand Pipers, Plover's, Egrets, and Ibis scattered though the marsh. I see a couple of birds I have never seen before, I approach them slowly trying to get a photo. Ruddy Turnstone's, of course I did not now what it was until I got home, peek above the marsh grass as I approach. I get a couple pictures of them before the flee! There is another bird off in the distance, Black and White, very oddly marked. Not sure what it is, Black Bellied Plover. Now I am not sure if these birds, Ruddy and Black Belly, are suppose to be here or not. Never seen them before! Maybe just got lucky seeing them.
I continue on taking photos when the opportunity is there. The wind is really blowing so not really sure how they will come out. It is beautiful out here though.
I start to head back. I have been out here for 4 hours. It has been a long time since I have been able to get away from everything. All I am thinking about is what is here. It is amazing.
A pair of Oyster Catchers in the marsh and a pair of Cormorant's perched in the distance. I look down into the water and see some Puffer Fish scatter as I paddle by.
I am back to shore about 5:00pm. I man stops and ask how was the crabbing! I tell him I was just out paddling. He continues to tell me that tomorrow he will be going out in a raft to crab. He seems very excited about it. I wish him luck and head own my way.
On the way home I decide to stop by Whiton Crossing on the Pocomoke River to see what is going on. The river looks clear of fallen trees. Should be a good paddle Monday, if I make it out here. I see a warbler dancing the honeysuckle, decide to stop and watch. As I sit quietly, I here something crash through the water. Look over and do not see anything. I continue to watch the warbler hop from branch to branch. I take another look over to the distraction I heard earlier, I see this thing running down the game trail I am in the middle of. Running at me like a little bear. Not sure what it is, I turn towards it and take a couple shots. It stops as it hears the sound of the shutter, If I would of stood still it would have probably ran right pass me. A Ground Hog! The Ground Hog checks me out for a few seconds and determines it is not safe to continue. It turns around and heads back into the woods.
What a great day!
4/20/08 Nassawango Creek
I slept in this morning, 6:00am. It is going to be a busy day. I throw some coffee on and get ready to go. One cup of coffee and I am gone. I am meeting my dad for breakfast at 7:00am.
It is 8:00am now and I am on my way home. It is suppose to storm today, so I am in a hurry. I want to get home and grab my kayak and camera gear.
I toss my kayak on top of my truck. It takes forever to get ready. Rushing doesn't help. In and out of the house, seems like I am forgetting everything.
9:00am already! I head over to a bridge that I did not know about until a few weeks ago. It is pretty far up the Nassawango. I park off the side of the road, get out of the truck and check out were I should launch from.
It is nearly 9:30am when I finally am in the water. I start heading down the creek, and around the first bend a huge tree is blocking the creek. I have not paddled more then a 100 yards. I head to shore and portage around the fallen tree.
Some days I love this, getting out and portaging around fallen trees, brush and damns, other days I simply want to paddle and go with the flow of the creek. Today is a day I just want to go with the flow! At least the birds are singing.
Back into the water. I make it down a couple more bends and what do you know another tree is down...Out and back in. I think to my self 10 portages max, I am not going to do any more then that. Well I continue on, in and out of the creek. I have walked more then I have paddled today. 2 more portages and that is it. Once I make it down to number 12 I head up to shore and sit. I am pretty sure any wildlife out here has been scared off by all the racket I have made this morning.
Birds are singing again, some Warblers and a couple Orioles fly from limb to limb. I here a couple gun shoots off in the distance. Turkey season, at least I think.
A Warbler lands on a branch off in the distance. I decide to try to get a little closer. Making as much noise as possible, I make it to the tree she is sitting in. Warblers seem to be very curious and not easily startled. I take a couple shots of her as she sings her beautiful song.
11:30 now and I need to get back home. The clouds are starting to roll in and the chance of thunderstorms does not sound appealing. The journey back is just as tough. Why wouldn't it be?
4/19/08 Chincoteague
It has been a few weeks since we have been able to make it down here. We entered the park around 12:00pm. We went down to my favorite spot again and I sat for about an hour on the little sandy beach. I love the smell of the air. Salt marsh, but they always have a slightly different odor.
Today is a one of those days where there seems to be something missing. It is to quiet down here. The air is still! Very few birds are singing, and sightings are rare.
We decide to head down to the park. Last year at this time water in the ponds was scarce. This year the late winter and early spring has filled the ponds. We sit and watch the water. Off in the distance I see a muskrat swimming through some reeds. A green heron fly's above. Some Cardinals singing atop the trees. There is a little breeze blowing. It is beautiful back here.
We decide to continue upon the path. There is another pond up ahead. A couple Egrets, whites and cattle, are dancing along the edge of the pond. They continue as we make are way pass.
The day moves on and back to the park. It is around 4:00pm and the day is still missing Heron, Egrets and Cormorant's.
There are a few shore birds feeding frantically at the waters edge. You can here them calling to one and another. Common Tern hovering high above the water, diving when she see the chance to catch a fish. We sit and wait a while to see what else may come to visit.
The day ends with an egret in the distance and the sound of shore birds....
4/05/08 Chincoteague
It is late in the morning almost 10:00am and my wife and I are on are way to Chincoteague. She is not an early riser. I have been up since 4:00am and been ready since 4:00am. I like going down early, I feel like you miss to much starting the day so late.
It is a beautiful day. The ride down is nice. We decide to buy a pass to the Reserve. $30.00 for the year. We were down here last year almost every weekend and probably paid 4 time that much, so it is a pretty good deal. I ask the ranger if it will be good on the Maryland side and she assures me it will be. We enter the park around 11:00am. There is not much wildlife out. I see a couple photographers with 500mm and 600mm lenses, I dream of the day when I finally get one. I would sell my truck, if I didn't need it for work, too buy one. Oh well I can dream. We continue down to the beach to see what is going on. A couple Egrets and Heron scattered along the marsh, not very many though. Nothing down at the beach. So we head back to my favorite spot.
I sit on a little sandy beach as my wife stay is in the truck to read. Out here for an hour and nothing. Couple people stopping and ask if I have seen the Otters. "No Otters today!" To be honest I only have seen the Otters once and it was 2 years ago really early in the morning.
I decide to move down and watch an Egret fish along the edge of shore. He doesn't mind. Not paying any attention to me, he fishes. I watch as he slowly wades through the water, plunges his bill in the water when he sees the chance.
We move on leaving the Reserve. Down to a little park to walk around. We see a few people walking there dogs. A snake slither off into the woods. Some Cardinal singing, very peacefully.
We stop to get some Ice Cream and decide to head back home...
3/07/08 Shumaker and Nassawango Creek
I woke up late this morning, 5:30 am. This is kind of unusual for me. Usually I am wide awake at 4:00am and ready to get the day started.
Coffee is brewing while I check my email and check the weather for today. It is very warm with a chance of rain. I am suppose to meet up with a buddy of mine around 9:30 am. No reason to hurry it is still early. I debate what I to do in the mean time. Another day at Pemberton. The tide is high this morning. 6:00am the day begins early with the sun rising early. The temp is 45 and windy. I listen to trees creaking and cracking in the wind as I walk the trail. I make it down to the beach, one eagle off in the distance, the tide has made it nearly impossible to make it to the ledge. I take a minute and decide what to do. I am up at 4:00am this morning, coffee is brewing and it is 42 deg's out. I check my email, look at some photos and make plans for the day.
I decide to throw my kayak on my truck and head down too Shumaker Pond, only a ten minute drive from my house. It take me 30 minutes to get everything together, like I said no reason to rush this morning.
Down to Shumaker Pond at 7:50am. I take a look around and there is not much going on, couple of geese on the water and a squirrel foraging through the leaves.
I decide to head down to the water with my kayak. I start to head down towards Parker Pond, paddling slowly. There are a couple of golden eye ducks in the distance flying off. Canadian Geese everywhere and one Old Great Blue Heron fishing the bank. I head past the old guy slowly, not to startle him. Up the pond I continue, scaring some Wood Ducks from there hide.
It is very peaceful out here, at least once you get away from all the houses.
It is around 8:30 now and I am simply sitting on the water listening to the drops of rain hitting leaves and Geese warning everyone I am back here. Couple of Wood Ducks try to return to there hide, but they see me and decide to look for a better hide. It is almost 9:00 now, and I head back. I see the Old Heron catch a pretty good size fish and as I pass him he decide it is time for him to go too.
9:30 right on time! Ed is showering when I get there, he has been working all night. I sit and listen to some music while I wait. He is in no hurry this morning either!
He makes some coffee and a couple egg and cheese sandwiches. We sit and chat for a while and then decide to head down to the creek. The Nassawango flows right behind his house. For some reason every time we head back there I end up with mud up to my knee, always opting for a different route then what he takes.
We head up the creek, not much going on back here this morning. The creek is really flowing today and making it through some of the fallen trees is difficult. We make it to the bridge and decide to head back.
In no hurry we let the creek take us back, only paddling when needed. Still no signs of anything, couple birds singing in the distance, but that is it. I figured with the overcast sky today we would see a Barred Owl out.
As we approach the landing site, Ed spots a beaver checking us out. The Beaver is very cautious, wondering what we are. He heads under the water to avoid us getting any closer. A couple of Wood Ducks fly off as we get closer to the landing. The beaver pops his head out of the water a few more times before we land. Ed and I are back to his house around 1:30 pm and I decide to pack up and go.
3/03/08 Pemberton Park II
I head back down the trail, not sure where I am going to go, finding a pretty good spot out of the wind. It is over looking the marsh, Canadian Geese every where. A Belted King Fisher perches high on a wire singing his song. A couple Wood Ducks and Mallards in the distance. I stand and wait occasionally snapping a couple shoots of the geese picking at marsh grasses.
I see an eagle land in the distance, I can barley see him.
I am watching him through the lens. What is he doing? I see him throw his body into the water plunging his head all the way under. He comes up shaking like a drenched dog. Bathing he is. Who would of thought? Wish I could get a good shot of him taking his bird bath. I sit and watch him for 30 minutes. Back and forth, in the water and then back to land. This is an amazing site.
Deciding to move on I hike down the trail looking for a spot to get closer to the eagles. I end up trudging through the woods and marsh to a pretty secluded spot off the trail. I scare up some wood ducks on my way. I setup my gear and take a seat. It is getting late in the morning and honestly other then watching the Eagle bathe and hearing the song of the Kingfisher not much is going on.
I am about to back up when I see an Eagle dive thru some mallards flying. So I decide to stick around a little while longer. Another hour has past with little activity. It's time to head home.2/16/08 Pemberton Park
I decide to head down to Pemberton park, hopefully to see some Bald Eagles. I gather my gear and am out the door by 5:30am. I make it down there around 6:00am and there is no one around.
I head down the trail, not a long hike 25 minutes max, and I startle an immature Bald Eagle from his perch in a pine.
I slowly make my way through some marsh to an old dead tree on a sandy beach. After getting situated, I take a look around and see 4 eagles across the river. To far away to get any kind of decent shoot.
I take a seat on a small ledge and position my self behind the lens. I take a look at the eagles perched so far away, what a beautiful site. To bad they are so far away. Sea Gulls are every where, soaring gracefully above and some sitting in the cold waters of the Wicomico.
It has been an hour and a half and very little activity, other then the temperature dropping and some clouds moving in. I haven't heard anyone walking the trails, it is very quit out here today.
I start to wonder if I have missed the eagles feeding. Only a few have flown above and circled the waters, a pair mating in the distance. I could see them soaring above and falling back to earth as they mate.
2 hours into the day, it is getting colder by the minute, I guess the high for today was at 4:00am. I look out and see an eagle fly from its perch out over the water. He dives, one try, a fish in his talons. I snap a few shots off! He still is out of reach for my lens!
It is around 10:00am now. I have not been paying any attention to the tide, I look over and the beach is gone. Packing up my gear I am dreading trekking through the marsh to get back to the trail. The temp has really dropped, I guess it is time to head home.