River Gone

As mentioned the other day there isn't much left of either the Schoharie Creek or the Mohawk River. With the dams at the locks open the water packs its luggage and heads for the sea.

Who could blame it? Rumor has it that they will start closing the structures sometime between July and August, months later than usual.

Makes for lousy boating and limited fishing but for fools who get a kick out of walking on the river bed it's pretty cool. I walked almost out to the gravel bar that runs west to east where the big stream hits the river yesterday. (You can see it on the right in the photo below) Only stopped because it seemed foolish for someone of my age and infirmities to try to stroll in mud covered with head-sized round rocks. Made it most of the way though.

Yesterday

Same scene as above only last summer

Pretty nice out there...mirrored pools turned bright green by reflections of the shoreline trees, tranquil mallards and Canada Geese floating slowly away. Bird song on all sides as returning migrants stake out territories and lure in mates.

Yesterday

Last summer

Except on the fragrance side of the equation. The river bottom mud smells just like a neglected dog kennel....long neglected....

Anyhow it was fun and I saw a few nice birds as well.

Last year

Ditto

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting

 Bunnies is scrappy little critters!

Metamorphosis

First born children...game changers they are. Magicians. In one fell swoop they take a bundle of selfish needs and wants and impossible goals and dreams and change it into a mother, who will never sleep the same again if she lives a thousand years. 

Sometimes they make us grandmothers too and teach us another side of life, as different from parenthood as parenthood is from that other state of being that comes before it. Nice to have time to play with the kiddos instead of having to be a general marshalling the troops like a mama does.

Our game changer has a birthday today. I hope you will join us in wishing her a very special one.

She was born a cow whisperer. Right from the beginning of the very first forming of personality she loved cows. When she was three Grandpa Delbert gave her the first one, a grade Holstein heifer. Most people look at a herd of cows and ask, "How can you tell them all apart?"

Liz knew Flower, as she called her, from the get go and could pick her out of sixty in the barnyard right off. She used to drag her chunks of particularly tasty hay that were almost as big as she was.

Soon enough she knew them all.

Now besides the cows, she is a dog whisperer too, and has a lot of four-legged friends at the kennel where she works. She's a mother herself and knows of that magical transformation from just a "me" to somebody's mom. 

 Happy Birthday, Liz. Hope you have a good one and many more of the same. We love you.

Where's the Rum?

Almost as much water flowing through this fountain Alan built me
as there is in the river these days.

Or should I ask, where's the water?

As I may have mentioned we visit the boat launch at Schoharie Crossing State Historical Site more days than not. It's a nice place even if you aren't a birder, situated near the confluence of the Schoharie "Creek" (loose term for misnamed river...she sure can rage when she wants to) and the Mohawk River. It is just above Lock 12 and home to kayak parties, picnics, and bass tournaments in summer almost every year.

In fact we usually only visit in the early morning in late spring, summer, and early fall, because it gets really crowded and all the birds hide in the bushes and are not seen...well, except for the day of the Nelson's Gull but that is another story.

However, this year the state never closed the dams at the locks. The river is the lowest any of us has ever seen it as is the Schoharie. You can walk on the stony bed of the creek more than half way across it and all the way to the river. Fun for me, as the carp are spawning in the shallows making a great show of splash and dash, and birds love the mud flats. 

However, today the boat steward (still on duty, even without navigable water) had some questions to answer as did I. I was just heading back to the car when three big pickups pulling speedy bass boats on fancy trailers pulled into the parking lot.

Men exited the trucks and stood around staring in puzzlement and scratching their heads.

"Where's the water?" one of them asked me. I explained about the locks and pointed out the little headland behind which lock 12 is situated.

"Is it always like this in the spring?" another asked a little later as he walked the significant distance from the concrete foundation of the launch (no floating dock...nothing to float on) on his way to try to fish from the much altered "shore".

Same answer. They had driven three hours to fish, having participated in bass tournaments there many times. They decided to give Sacandaga a go. I told them that I thought there was water there.

Anyone know if there are plans to open the canal at all this summer? I actually love the ability to walk right on the river bed, but I think the boat folks are hoping. 

Looking up the Schoharie at the aqueduct back in March
the big pool in the foreground is not much bigger than a bathtub now.

Not so Secret Ballot

Hurry, the polls are closing....
oh, wait, they aren't even opening....

I've always voted in person...since I was 18 in fact....

However, this year the school budget and board vote is by absentee ballot only.

This does not seem like a terribly private process. You have to fill out all your personal information on the inner envelope and sign it, making it pretty obvious how you voted to whomever is involved in the counting.

Am I the only one uncomfortable with this?

Asking for a friend....

Because I just filled out my vote, even if I am not thrilled with the method.

Sure hope they don't try this on the state or national level. The wiggle room for fraud is staggering. Bad enough the way it is now.

Some Gave All

Crepuscular

Creatures of the not quite night and not quite day. Yesterday dawn this possum was traversing the lawn at a high trot. If Facebook has told you to love them and leave them....well, feel free. On farms where there are horses and chickens they are much less revered.

So I warned Liz about keeping the barn door closed when she is not outside and all.

Then last night heading home from a bit of evening birding we spotted something sitting neatly by the side of the road right next to some friends' barn.

I couldn't believe it was a fox and not a cat....the lady who runs the farm wasn't twenty yards away, but I guess they couldn't see each other. 

Must have been a pup. 

It was playing with a turkey leg and began to push it around with its nose as we watched.

Eventually we had to pull away and it jumped into the culvert and peered up to watch us go. I prefer dawn to dusk, being every inch a morning person, but I love both times of changeover....from dark to light and bright to night.....

There is excitement out there in the twilight hours for those who are abroad to see. 

Blackbirds

Male Red-winged Blackbird

Female RWBL

Common Grackle

Eastern Meadowlark

Really, they are.

Female Bobolink

Male Bobolink

Male Baltimore Oriole

Male Birdfeeder

Female Baltimore Oriole, beating up the car

Rusty Blackbird

Pig Bears and other mythical Creatures

Adventuring has taken place around home the past few days....but there were adventures nonetheless.

The dreaded pig bear was spotted sauntering through the gap in the fence around the long lawn and partaking of its favorite spring prey. Later, as the season progresses, it will change its diet from the native grasses and herbs to the green beans in the garden, thus the dreaded part of the equation.

The vest was soon shed...it was quite warm

And grandma was taken on a nature walk by the home school girl, who has also been involved in the construction of an elaborate blanket fort in the dining room...wish I had taken a photo....

Note pink purse for outward bound water bottle and pop tarts
and homeward bound rocks of good color, size, and style

Bright green beetles were seen on the walk, powder blue butterflies abounded, a Red-tailed Hawk was enjoyed, and a number of good rocks were acquired. 

A good time was had by all. I am kinda missing our peripatetic birding style though.

Female Baltimore Oriole
I wonder if she is building a blanket fort with
that milkweed fluff...

It's Here

Spring...so long awaited, so very welcome. Trees are blooming. The lilacs are almost open, as are the flowering crab apples that line Main Street down in town.

The first hummingbird arrived at the feeder a couple of days ago. Other birders, less blind than I, are racking up warblers like mad. The boss and I are doing okay though. Picked up a couple of flycatchers today, a Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting (right on the feeder) and some other delightful fliers.

Semipalmated Plover

Least Sandpiper

Best birds of the week though, were a pair of lifers, Semipalmated Plovers and Least Sandpipers, plus not one but three Upland Sandpipers.

Upland Sandpiper

Finding the latter was kind of funny....there is a horse farm up in Ames, where they breed each year. It's a good place to find them even from the road. We were pulled off on the verge and I was scanning the distant fence posts as they like to sit on top of them. Nada, although one had flown off when we drove by earlier.

As I perused the far distance the boss asked, "What color are they anyhow?"

I replied that they are kind of tan, sort of.

Wilson's Snipe

He said, "What's that right next to the car there?"

Yeah, there were three of them cavorting among the lovely Thoroughbred mares and foals sharing the paddock we were parked next to.

What would I be without his sharp eyes and lack of preconceptions about where to look?

An adult Nottabird, nomming sliced apple I put out for catbirds and robins.