Where the Wild Things Were

 

After several rainy days that didn't lure us out birding, the sun came out so we dropped the girls off at work and headed for our favorite state parks.

Orchard Grass in bloom

At Schoharie Crossing SHS boat launch, Ralph thought he saw a fox as we drove in. I missed it entirely. However, after happily discovering a couple of Blackpoll Warblers in the canal lane, I heard barking from the woods up ahead.

It sounded like tiny little lap dogs having fun together, but I had a feeling it was nothing domestic.

However, I didn't see anything on my way back to the car.

Then on the way out the two little critters above were playing on the edge of the soybean field near the lane. Since they weren't in our chicken pen, I thought they were pretty cute.

Not so cute was the individual at the next park we visited. First thing we heard when we got out of the car was somebody banging rocks together.

Odd....but sure enough there was a tall, youngish kind of guy, seemingly on a walking tour or something judging by the little pack he carried and his general lack of recent grooming, making noise with rocks...or something that sounded like rocks.

I thought nothing of it. There are lots of people using the park for lots of things. I just wanted to find birds.

I did a quick scan of the waterfront, then headed up on the bike path to make sure that the noisy Chipping Sparrow there wasn't by some amazing chance a Worm-eating Warbler.

It wasn't, but as I climbed the little hill the guy came uphill too, into the parking lot. There he wandered back in forth aimlessly in front of our car, alternately peering into the canal or walking up and down the stone wall. It seemed kinda random....there is really nothing there....

As soon as I stopped up on the hill to bird he quickly hiked right straight up to me. I was a little disconcerted, but he said hi and seemed to be going to hike east on the path. He walked off briskly so I turned away, thinking he was just a hiker after all.

I was still a little uncomfortable though, so I thought, good, I'll go west. I stopped for a few seconds on the side of the road and heard a soft noise right behind me.

His brisk walk had taken him about six feet down the bike path and he was standing there with his foot on a post just a few feet away from me.

I meet people in those parks all the time, and rarely feel the least bit concerned, but his silent lurking so close and so quiet, creeped me right out.

I hustled down to the car as fast as I could walk and found the boss sleeping there with all the doors locked....guess he felt the same way I did.

Riverbank Grapes in bloom, my favorite fragrance
in the whole world...better than cookies!

The guy was still standing at the head of the path, staring into the bushes when we drove away.

We found another park so I could get my birding fix in a more comfortable atmosphere....

Am I too paranoid, or was there something off about the guy? Hard telling, but I wouldn't do anything different if the situation arose again.