Journal of a Sabbatical

April 25, 2000

tomorrow and tomorrow creeps on this petty pace from day to day

Today's Bird Sightings:
Plum Island
26 Canada geese
2 gadwalls
25 redwing blackbirds
3 American crows
8 American robins
5 greater yellowlegs
1 lesser yellowlegs
6 American black ducks
1 double crested cormorant
3 killdeer
1 great egret
2 mallards
5 herring gulls
1 northern harrier
1 common grackle
4 northern flicker
1 song sparrow
2 purple finch
1 great blue heron

Today's Reading: April 25 1855-1858 from Thoreau's journals at the Thoreau Home Page., Discovered Alive: The Story of the Chinese Redwood by William Gittlen

Today's Starting Pitcher:
Pedro Martinez
Win number 4 for Pedro!

How astonishing to see bright blue sky! It's supposed to cloud up again tonight (see sunset photo at left for confirmation that it did), but there's enough bright blue and sunlight to pick me up a little. I manage to research my article on cat repellents (ammonia-soaked rags, tobacco dust, rue, citronella oil, and methyl nonyl ketone in case you wondered) and still have enough time before the adoption center meeting both to browse at Olde Port Book Shop and to look for birds on the refuge.

Domino greeted me at the door and then stood in front of the local history section meowing next to a couple of British tourists who had just arrived in Newburyport - within the hour. While I was communing with Domino, they were explaining that they'd come to Newburyport because the woman had read Reminiscences of a a Nonagenarian by Sarah Anna Emery. I made a move to go downstairs but Domino stayed put, meowing. Besides I was enjoying petting her and eavesdropping on the Brits.

The Brits were looking for books on local history and Phil (the book shop owner) was regaling them with tales of what a dump Newburyport used to be. (This is true, before its current renascence, that is during my childhood years it was not a place you'd want to stop in on your way through, never mind spend your vacation there.) Anyway, Phil was reeling off this list of books of local interest he'd had but had already sold that the Brits might have been interested in.

The Brits started downstairs, so I went back to the local history section where Domino again began to talk to me. I spotted a copy of Gleanings from the Merrimac Valley a 19th century collection of essays and poems that contains a biographical sketch of the "not unfeared half welcome guest" described in Whittier's Snowbound. This makes a welcome addition to my Merrimack River collection and addresses some of my curiosity about the life of Harriet Livermore (the aforementioned "not unfeared half welcome guest"), a 19th century preacher who predicted the imminent end of the world and actually addressed the U.S. Congress twice (something only one other woman, whose name escapes me right now, had done). Definitely a must have, a no-brainer.

Having acquired one used book, my craving was satisfied and I still had plenty of time to look for birds. Said birds were much more visible with blue sky and bright sun. Funny thing about that.

One thing I noticed was a massing of redwing blackbirds. Large flocks roosting in a tree, making themselves very much in evidence and calling loudly. I even actually saw a female one - not something I usually encounter unless I accidentally get close to a nest. Normally I see the redwing blackbird males one at a time perched alone on top of shrubs or reeds (Phragmites are a favorite). But today they were settling onto trees like leaves. I started to wonder if maybe today was the day the females arrived or something. I remember reading that the males arrive well before the females. I guess I'll have to research that some.

In the field by the Pines Trail I watched two male flickers chasing each other popping up out of the grass then disappearing down into it. They'd fly very short distances, like maybe one wing beat's worth, and then kind of hop on the ground. It looked like some kind of competition. It was hard to tell because they were only visible during the chase. I couldn't see what they were doing in the grass.

Also in that field I watched three killdeers who were making a lot of noise, as killdeers are wont to do. One killdeer was bathing very enthusiastically in a puddle. Two of them seemed to be doing some kind of mutual display. They all took off together, calling loudly the whole time.

Then it was off to MRFRS for the adoption center meeting, which involved two hours reviewing the cleaning and health care protocols in excruciating detail. I hope that didn't scare off the new volunteers.

Chloe is very happy to see me two days in a row. She head butts me and rubs against me like crazy, narrowing her eyes in pleasure as I pet her.

Red Sox win. Go Pedro!

Thoreau describes same redwing blackbird phenomenon in one of today's entries. Maybe it's a thing they do on April 25.