[RESEND]The Green Barrel Vigil - Dream Yr Update (part 2)

Gregory B Miller (gregorym@erols.com)
Tue, 08 Dec 1998 23:05:54 -0500


---Green Barrel Vigil part 2---

     Except for the pair of American Avocets at Hellcat Marsh,
Plum Island was pretty slow today.  I asked some birders about
Dovekie.  One had been reported a week or two ago from Halibut
Point State Park near Rockport, Massachusetts.  I got directions
and headed South, ready for another change of pace.  I passed
through the historic towns of Ipswich and Essex on my way and
told myself that these towns would be fun to visit at another
time.  The narrow winding streets, lined with old houses close
together reminded me of another era.  The little shops along the
street reminded me a little of some of my brief travels to
Europe.
     In an hour, I was hiking the wide, wood chip covered path
out to the Atlantic Ocean.  The overlook is on a tall rocky cliff
that juts into the ocean and affords a sterling view of a
splendid seascape.  The bright afternoon sun was at my back and
patches of heavy fog would move through like giant wispy clouds
at ground level.  Large rafts of scoters, dark sea ducks, were
visible immediatly from shore.  All three species were
represented, Black, Surf, and White-winged, with White-winged
Scoters being the most common.  The large white birds with
stiff-winged flight in the distance were Northern Gannets.  Like
pelicans, these large seabirds would cruise lazily at 40-50 feet,
tuck their wings and dive into to cold ocean waters.  This is
always a spectacle to me.  A couple dozen of my favorite sea
ducks, the beautifully colored slate and rust Harlequin Ducks,
complete with clean white trim were just off the rocky shoreline
below in the dazzling sunlight.  Awesome!
     In the next hour and a half, I watched six Razorbills fly by
the point.  This black and white relative of the puffin is nearly
as chuffy and a little larger and longer-winged than it's cousin.
 I finally laid eyes on some small object, but I had difficulty
in making out what it was.  Ahhh.
     "It's an Aluminum Alcid", I proclaimed proudly.  The other
birders laughed.
     It wasn't long before I did find an alcid, a tiny seabird.
This bird was mostly pale with a dark back and a large white
patch visible on its wing.
     "I've got a Black Guillemot!", I exclaimed.
     The others got the bird in their scopes.  Soon, everyone had
a look at the distant alcid.  It was a good bird.  This bird was
about the same distance away as the small group of birds I had
seen Friday night.  I felt more certain of my original gut feel.
It was strangely haunting.  I looked at my watch.  2:30pm.  I
decided to try to get back down to Narragansett, Rhode Island.
Sadly, I ran out of light, though, still North of the Rhode
Island state line.  I was tired again and this time, ready to go
home.  I continued down to the airport, turned in my rental,
checked in at the gate and found the plane had extra seats
available.  This would save a night at a motel and a day's
parking fee.  I was already too late to save a day's charge on
the rental car.
     The trip back to Baltimore was uneventful as I mulled over
the findings of the weekend.  Another weekend and no new birds.
Ouch.  Oh, well.  That's what makes a sport of birding.
Sometimes it's what you *don't* find that makes birding more
real.  When you then do find a target, it has more meaning.
Rarity would lose its value if you were batting 1000 on every one
of your tries.  (But sometimes, I think it sure would be fun to
have a streak like that!)  I considered my big year.  I have been
very lucky.  712 is a great number.  I think I managaed a weak
smile before I drifted off peacefully, unable to stay awake.
Another weekend would bring more opportunities...

---end of part 2---

this is the end another long-winded report <grin>

-- 
Greg Miller
Lusby, Maryland, USA
Home-	gregorym@erols.com
Work-	gregory.b.miller@bge.com
WWW-	http://www.erols.com/gregorym