Journal of a Sabbatical

February 21, 2000

snowmen

Today's Bird Sightings:
Plum Island
1 blue jay
17 herring gulls
6 American crows
2 great black back gulls
10 common eiders
1 bufflehead (male)
1 American black duck
2 black scoters
22 sanderlings

Today's Reading: Winter: from the Journals of Henry David Thoreau edited by H.G.O Blake

It is such a gorgeous bright day that I could do nothing but be out in it. I didn't really do any serious birding, just noted any birds I encountered. If this had been serious birding I would have been at Joppa Flats begging all the serious people I saw there for a peak at the lesser black backed gull through their scopes. I was keenly feeling not having a scope and also, honestly, I have very little desire to go tick off a rare species on the list instead of enjoying the fabulous day. I do have to get it together to replace my scope though.

I walked on the beach for a long time just drinking in the sun and the waves and the (mild) cold. I love the winter beach.

Two girls from Connecticut asked me if Emerson Rocks were seals. They pointed to the rocks and asked "What are those?" They'd been discussing it among themselves and with their Aunt for some time. "Rocks" I replied. "Really? Aren't they seals?" "Nope, harbor seals aren't nearly that big. Sometimes at low tide the seals haul out on these rocks, but they're really and truly rocks." The girls were not convinced despite the fact that the rocks weren't moving and gulls were perched on them, also herring gulls were using them to smash mussels - generally something they do with rocks. The Aunt explained that they were visiting her from Connecticut, as if that answered some question I had. They wanted to know if I live on the island. No but I might as well...

I checked Salisbury Beach for any interesting gulls, but didn't see them if they were there. Could've used a scope I guess. About 10 seals were hauled out on the rocks by Butler's Toothpick (much more favorite seal place than Emerson Rocks).

Oldies Marketplace was open for the holiday, so I browsed the worthless junk and valuable antiques even though I'm not a big shopper. What I like about Oldies is that they arrange the junk in little (or big) vignettes, kind of like a 3-D collage/assemblage. Sometimes they set up rooms furnished with the objects or group similar objects together. They had a nice arrangement of pigs this afternoon. It's hard to describe why I find it so interesting. I'd love to photograph some of their arrangements sometime but it was brutally cold in there (it's a former tuna auction warehouse) - colder than outside.

I devoted the rest of the afternoon to photographing as many snow men and I could find before dark. Some days you just have to do that.