Scottes
6th of September 2004 (Mon), 20:33
The morning started out miserably - pure unadulterated evil filled my world, quickly destroying the peacefulness I usually enjoy in the early morning hours. My body rocked against the pain, and I groaned as the evil permeated my head and body. My suffering was unbearable, my misery extreme. I twisted and turned, barely moving, struggling to rid myself of this agony. I bent, twisted sideways, and reached out with a scream, stretching with all my power to abolish the evil before me. The pain in my head brought forth one last surge of energy... I struck my arm out... and turned off the alarm.
3:59 AM.
I ain't too bright sometimes.
I was on the road a little over an hour later, hot coffee (not Tim Horton's) on the dash, racing east to meet the sun at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. I maneuvered the side streets, and merged onto Route 128 North, my energy levels kicking up a bit with the thoughts of grand birds flying before my viewfinder.
About 20 minutes later my brain kicked back on - I had somehow engaged my mental autopilot and it had been taking me to my old home on the North Shore.
Again, I ain't too bright sometimes.
I cursed, took an exit and drove down some side streets and found Route 95 right where itusually was. I was fine again, though I had lost 10 minutes.
I spent the next 30 minutes driving under a slowly brightening sky, roaring along the highway as the Crown Victoria easily swallowed the asphalt and spit out flames. The Crown Vic had been tuned recently, and it purred with a hint of growl, like a long-hungry cat feasting upon Super Kitty Mix. Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" came on the radio, and this could only mean one thing - more speed.
Yeah, too much speed, and I suddenly came into a belt of fog bellowing from the Ipswich marshes. I slowed, and looked across the marsh to see a low-lying fog barely hiding the stunted marsh trees and turning the land monochrome while thin wisps of orange and yellow clouds streaked across the sky. The sun was coming up, the scene was beautiful, and I had no wide-angle lens.
Once again, I ain't too bright sometimes.
Another 20 minutes passed and I crossed over the bridge onto Plum Island, and turned right into the refuge. 30 seconds and $5 later I pulled into the first parking lot, grabbed my gear and headed towards the beach. I strolled across the boardwalk that protects the dunes, the brisk sea air filled my lungs and I simply smiled as a sliver of the sun broke the edge of the horizon. There's nothing like that, I tell you, and I spent several minutes watching the day begin.
I hopped back into the car and leisurely drove down the road towards the southern tip of the island. My eyes constantly scanned the skies and trees lining the road - I had once seen an immature bald eagle sitting in a tree only 5 feet from this road. I kept my eyes wide open.
I soon came upon the Salt Pannes and saw some specks of white moving near the short marsh grass. I stopped, and saw a number of egrets and a couple more flying in. They weren't really close enough to shoot, but I didn't come this far to just look around. In one shallow puddle I found a number of Great White Egrets and Snowy Egrets.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Egrets_10143.jpg
It's about time for few notes: Parker River NWR is a fantastic place for birding, probably the biggest hotspot in New England, and #20 on WildBird's Top 50. However, it is not so great for bird photographers. Rarely can you get close to the prime bird locations, and they usually have the closest sections blocked to protect the wildlife. But the things you can still see - like eagles roosting by the road - are still unbelievable. So all of the images that follow have been cropped, some extensively since all these pics add up to long download times.
Also, I had no luck identifying most of the birds. The early sun changed the coloring and messed me all up. And I'm exhausted now. Please help with IDs if you can.
After watching the egrets and missing several flight shots I moved on, hopefully to find an area that didn't have an overhanging dune blocking the sun.
I didn't make it too far when I saw a shape in the trees, a shape that didn't belong.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Hawk_10152.jpg
I told you that scanning the tress was a worthwhile thing to do! I only got a couple shots before he flew off, but it made my day.
Another 50 feet later he made my day again:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Hawk_10154.jpg
Needless to say, I was pretty excited by now.
I drove slowly, about 10 mph most of the time, as I was one of the few people on the island this early. I passed several small pools with egrets and yellowlegs and sandpipers but it was either too dark, or they were too far away.
I soon made it to the Hellcat observation area. I looked forward to the Marsh Loop boardwalk, and the overlooks of the two ponds there. 20 feet from my car I saw movement in a tree:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Bird_10157.jpg
And in the next tree over:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Bird_10169.jpg
Just before the first pool this little guy showed up, perched upon one of the ubiquitous 'No Public Access" signs.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Bird_10175.jpg
The ponds were empty though, as I think I'm too early for most of the migrating waterfowl. So I started on the Marsh Loop trail, a long boardwalk meandering through and around a small marsh. I saw a number of small birds, heard many more, and finally came to an clearing with a few trees. I got this little lady all wet from the heavy dew:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Woodpecker_10184.jpg
I also watched a small sparrow eating berries from a bush, but the sun glare was too much to overcome. Trust me, it was cool to watch anyway. At the end of the Marsh Loop it crosses through a bit of wooded land, and I saw a rabbit. Let me tell you that a monopod doesn't help when you're shooting 400mm at 1/6 second. He was cute, though inherently quite dangerous as all rabbits are.
The road turns to crushed stone just past Hellcat, and the Crown Vic didn't like it very much. She got a tune up, not a new suspension, and she let loose with a long string of complaints pent up for the last 123,000 miles. I ignored her - birds where out.
Through all the groaning she made it to the Stage Island Overlook, where I saw a string of birders scoping one of the inlets. Something about a Baird's Sandpiper, which is a tiny bird which was too far away and I was shooting into the sun. I looked for bigger game.
I found it 30 feet away, an egret munching on some small eels. I actually got quite a few shots, but they're not very worthwhile. Rule Number 162: Don't bother shooting egrets in bright sunlight.
But with my sun to my back I saw these little guys, a Semi-Palmated Plover and a Least Sandpiper:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/SPP_LSP_10243.jpg
When I turned the birders had gone up the road, and the egret had made it's way into the inlet. I love the splash and reflection of this shot. It also made my day.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/EgretSplash_10252.jpg
The sun as getting high by now - the good sun is all used up by 10 AM - and I was getting hungry. So I headed back.
At the Salt Pannes again, I saw a Great Yellowlegs stalking a Least Sandpiper:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/GYL_Stalking_10269.jpg
Not really, but it kind of looks that way.
And then another GYL came in for a landing:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/GYL_Landing_10274.jpg
And finally, a cute pose of 2 GYLs with the Least Sandpiper off to the side, just out of range of my DoF.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/2GYL_LSP_10281.jpg
And that was my morning.
3:59 AM.
I ain't too bright sometimes.
I was on the road a little over an hour later, hot coffee (not Tim Horton's) on the dash, racing east to meet the sun at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. I maneuvered the side streets, and merged onto Route 128 North, my energy levels kicking up a bit with the thoughts of grand birds flying before my viewfinder.
About 20 minutes later my brain kicked back on - I had somehow engaged my mental autopilot and it had been taking me to my old home on the North Shore.
Again, I ain't too bright sometimes.
I cursed, took an exit and drove down some side streets and found Route 95 right where itusually was. I was fine again, though I had lost 10 minutes.
I spent the next 30 minutes driving under a slowly brightening sky, roaring along the highway as the Crown Victoria easily swallowed the asphalt and spit out flames. The Crown Vic had been tuned recently, and it purred with a hint of growl, like a long-hungry cat feasting upon Super Kitty Mix. Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" came on the radio, and this could only mean one thing - more speed.
Yeah, too much speed, and I suddenly came into a belt of fog bellowing from the Ipswich marshes. I slowed, and looked across the marsh to see a low-lying fog barely hiding the stunted marsh trees and turning the land monochrome while thin wisps of orange and yellow clouds streaked across the sky. The sun was coming up, the scene was beautiful, and I had no wide-angle lens.
Once again, I ain't too bright sometimes.
Another 20 minutes passed and I crossed over the bridge onto Plum Island, and turned right into the refuge. 30 seconds and $5 later I pulled into the first parking lot, grabbed my gear and headed towards the beach. I strolled across the boardwalk that protects the dunes, the brisk sea air filled my lungs and I simply smiled as a sliver of the sun broke the edge of the horizon. There's nothing like that, I tell you, and I spent several minutes watching the day begin.
I hopped back into the car and leisurely drove down the road towards the southern tip of the island. My eyes constantly scanned the skies and trees lining the road - I had once seen an immature bald eagle sitting in a tree only 5 feet from this road. I kept my eyes wide open.
I soon came upon the Salt Pannes and saw some specks of white moving near the short marsh grass. I stopped, and saw a number of egrets and a couple more flying in. They weren't really close enough to shoot, but I didn't come this far to just look around. In one shallow puddle I found a number of Great White Egrets and Snowy Egrets.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Egrets_10143.jpg
It's about time for few notes: Parker River NWR is a fantastic place for birding, probably the biggest hotspot in New England, and #20 on WildBird's Top 50. However, it is not so great for bird photographers. Rarely can you get close to the prime bird locations, and they usually have the closest sections blocked to protect the wildlife. But the things you can still see - like eagles roosting by the road - are still unbelievable. So all of the images that follow have been cropped, some extensively since all these pics add up to long download times.
Also, I had no luck identifying most of the birds. The early sun changed the coloring and messed me all up. And I'm exhausted now. Please help with IDs if you can.
After watching the egrets and missing several flight shots I moved on, hopefully to find an area that didn't have an overhanging dune blocking the sun.
I didn't make it too far when I saw a shape in the trees, a shape that didn't belong.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Hawk_10152.jpg
I told you that scanning the tress was a worthwhile thing to do! I only got a couple shots before he flew off, but it made my day.
Another 50 feet later he made my day again:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Hawk_10154.jpg
Needless to say, I was pretty excited by now.
I drove slowly, about 10 mph most of the time, as I was one of the few people on the island this early. I passed several small pools with egrets and yellowlegs and sandpipers but it was either too dark, or they were too far away.
I soon made it to the Hellcat observation area. I looked forward to the Marsh Loop boardwalk, and the overlooks of the two ponds there. 20 feet from my car I saw movement in a tree:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Bird_10157.jpg
And in the next tree over:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Bird_10169.jpg
Just before the first pool this little guy showed up, perched upon one of the ubiquitous 'No Public Access" signs.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Bird_10175.jpg
The ponds were empty though, as I think I'm too early for most of the migrating waterfowl. So I started on the Marsh Loop trail, a long boardwalk meandering through and around a small marsh. I saw a number of small birds, heard many more, and finally came to an clearing with a few trees. I got this little lady all wet from the heavy dew:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/Woodpecker_10184.jpg
I also watched a small sparrow eating berries from a bush, but the sun glare was too much to overcome. Trust me, it was cool to watch anyway. At the end of the Marsh Loop it crosses through a bit of wooded land, and I saw a rabbit. Let me tell you that a monopod doesn't help when you're shooting 400mm at 1/6 second. He was cute, though inherently quite dangerous as all rabbits are.
The road turns to crushed stone just past Hellcat, and the Crown Vic didn't like it very much. She got a tune up, not a new suspension, and she let loose with a long string of complaints pent up for the last 123,000 miles. I ignored her - birds where out.
Through all the groaning she made it to the Stage Island Overlook, where I saw a string of birders scoping one of the inlets. Something about a Baird's Sandpiper, which is a tiny bird which was too far away and I was shooting into the sun. I looked for bigger game.
I found it 30 feet away, an egret munching on some small eels. I actually got quite a few shots, but they're not very worthwhile. Rule Number 162: Don't bother shooting egrets in bright sunlight.
But with my sun to my back I saw these little guys, a Semi-Palmated Plover and a Least Sandpiper:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/SPP_LSP_10243.jpg
When I turned the birders had gone up the road, and the egret had made it's way into the inlet. I love the splash and reflection of this shot. It also made my day.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/EgretSplash_10252.jpg
The sun as getting high by now - the good sun is all used up by 10 AM - and I was getting hungry. So I headed back.
At the Salt Pannes again, I saw a Great Yellowlegs stalking a Least Sandpiper:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/GYL_Stalking_10269.jpg
Not really, but it kind of looks that way.
And then another GYL came in for a landing:
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/GYL_Landing_10274.jpg
And finally, a cute pose of 2 GYLs with the Least Sandpiper off to the side, just out of range of my DoF.
http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/2GYL_LSP_10281.jpg
And that was my morning.