Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2003 11:39:12 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Henry Armistead <74077.3176@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: Ferry Neck Oct. 13 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline "Rigby's Folly", Armistead property on Ferry Neck, Talbot County, MD, near Bellevue. Liz and Harry Armistead. Monday, October 13, 2003. A nice influx of mid-fall birds today: a Hermit Thrush, 800 Canada Geese, a Golden-crowned Kinglet, a sapsucker, a White-throated Sparrow, a junco, 3 sharpies, 20 waxwings, and 4 towhees. Also: 24 Common Loons, 23 Surf Scoters, a huge immature Bald Eagle, and a handsome male yellowthroat. No Ospreys, but there will be some stragglers later on. An achingly beautiful fall day, clear, light northwest winds, cool, full of acrobatic dragonflies and the subtle, wan call notes of newly-arrived, medium-distance migrants, the mouth of the Choptank River aglimmer with countless golden, sunny spangles interspersed with the bright blue waters, the mild but palpable tristesse brought on by the end of summer, the completion of a marvelous vacation, and the lessening of the daylight present at every hand, as it is each year at this time. And I shall have some peace there For peace comes dropping slow, Dropping from the veils of morning To where the cricket sings. There midnight's all aglimmer, And noon a purple glow, And evening full of the linnet's wings.- William Butler Yeats, 'Lake Isle of Innisfree'. This was a day to check in on the old place after 15 days of camping at Kiptopeke State Park, VA, to sleep in, to nap, to continue cleaning up after Hurricane Isabel, and to further straighten up the house in preparation for more major renovations. I found one rock today, over 100 pounds, that had been shoved back from the bank 30 feet by the force of Isabel's waves. The 'Baccharis halimifolia' ("high tide bush", a.k.a, Groundsel Tree) are especially gravid and lush this year with their cottony blossoms, which will soon be blowing over the land like mild snow flurries on windy days. The little flowers I call asters, like tiny white daisies, are also well-turned out this fall, attended today by Cabbage Whites, Orange Sulfurs, Buckeyes, and Pearl Crescents. Three Gray Squirrels. Three Monarchs on the move. October 14. Cleaning out my car from 17 days of being on the road, more or less, I discover a medium-sized Garden Spider and her complete web at the entrance to the rear, right door. Using a pasta scooper I relocate her to our Philadelphia garden. Best to all.-Harry Armistead, 523 E. Durham St., Philadelphia, PA 19119-1225. 215-248-4120. Please, any off-list replies to: harryarmistead@hotmail.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================