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Home My WebLink AboutJune 19, 2003 - A walk on the beach, part 1 June 19, 2003 • The Suffolk Times vva on e eac ar f � � � Ty �n�l� ,�.'� ��I,i � '.�' A' R '_:pf• � ��„ R �� 1�'�� d�'��`.=� � � t'�it�l y �i�l � V,�, � li�` WE'RE GOING TO TAKE a W11k Ori tI10 h nd h u h mi h li beac a t o t ou t keto g Y g go with us.What you wiil be reading was put on a small tape recorder as we went along.Our first bit of work is to :-:<_:�: get a light lunch together and then we'll be off.We �OCu$ have to take the car down to the . . _. . . �� , a :..:...;.. .;.,c�, ��,� QN dock where our �; NATURE little Boston ; ,� ' Whaler is waiting by Peul for us.Hopefully �� Stoutellburgh it will start.The �� next time you �,. hear from us,we'll be on our way. `.-�. ' Well,we got to the dock,got in the �'� �� h `` ` ''" boat and the motor started,so we're `° �=� �=�Y � ' �� heading out.There's a ci�illy wind coming out of the southwest.What we notice the most here in the creek is Times/Review photo by Paul Stoutenburgh the cabbage floating on top of the The elegant snowy egret we occasionally see in our creeks is showing off water.When I say cabbage I mean its finery. The egrets' beaatiful white feathers were almost their undoing at that green,paper-thin algae that one tlme, for they were shot in large numbers to supply the millinery trade. inhabits our waterways.What I think happens is,as the temperature warms up,gas forms underneath the cabbage and makes it rise to the surface.That's one of the reasons we see so much of We're out in t e a ro er it on top of the water right now. with a little cho on the water,but not I'm now heading over to the last The marsh grasses are about six too bad.The two os re nests we've osprey nest that we know of nearby. inches high with new greenery.This,of p y It's on what we call Meadow Beach. course,is what we call wetlands.These Just passed,one of them up by our It's an osprey platform that has been wetlands produce the nutrients for the dock and the other one out on the up for 20 years or so.I can see an lankton that the small fish feed on marsh,seem to be abandoned,which p tells us this cold,damp,rainy weather osprey standing on it now and the and then,of course,the big fish feed we've had has robabl done in the other one nearby;whether or not they on those smaller fish. P Y have eggs or young,I don t know.I 11 As we go out of the creek right at young ar the eggs.The female just try to see if we can get a little closer to the mouth where there is a dredge- can't keep them �arm with the tor- check ... this nest looks ood. spoil area,I can see the wild rose or rential rains we've had. salt spray rose blooming,with its strik- ing deep-pink blossoms.How it grows in that sand is a mystery to me. Well,we got across thc bay and to a favorite spot of ours.We brought along a couple of beach chairs that we'll set out overlooking a beautiful salt marsh.It's one of those marshes that few people ever get up into.It has a little waterway that's very shallow and so the only time you can reach it is at high tide.As we stepped ashore a mockingbird,trying to imitate every bird in the book,greeted us.Flying move a deer through the water as well low across the marsh are barn swal- as they did.Finally,it reached the lows picking up flies—I hope green- other side.It walked out of the water heads.They can give an awful bite. as�'e watched through our binoculars They actually cut through the skin to and saw it shake just like a dog.Then make it bleed and.then feast on the it trotted off into the woods.One of drop of blood they've created. the most remarkable sights we had Over 40 years ago,I took my son As we landed on the beach we seen in a long time. and a nephew camping on this very scared up about a dozen pigeons,the I wish you could hear the mocking- beach.We woke up in the morning good old-fashioned kind.They come bird still singing.It serenaded us and everything was drenched with from inland to the beach to get gravel walk over to a andy spot nearghe hot dogs a d m ckies (thos are pota- for their gizzards.This helps grind up creek edge.We were there last year toes you throw in the fire).You let the seeds they ingest.As we opened and found a dozen diamondback tur- them get charcoal-burned and take up our beach chairs,we scared up a tle nests that had been dug up and them out and break them open and deer that went romping off down the eaten by a raccoon.Raccoons have a inside is a pure white,cooked potato. beach. very good sense of smell that allows Now a little butter,and yum.My,they I'm ready to eat cold salads,lemon- them to find the eggs and have them were good tasting.Swimming and ade and a little smoked salmon on the for breakfast. cooking and doing all those things side.That deer we saw reminded me The only flower we see blooming kids like to do catches up with you: of years ago when we were on this here is the yellow king devil,which Later,it was pretty rough sleeping, very same beach and a Labrador seems to o pretty well in this sand your slee in ba but retriever was chasing a deer.It chased y with sand inside p g g soil.The fragrant locust blossoms are �'e all lived through it.It was a won- it along the beach almost in front of us.The deer just had to et awa an�{ 'n b�oom right now as well.Locust derful time to be with young people, g Y trees also seem to do well in this around the fire,chatting away.We ate so it went into the water and started roasted clams because in those days swimming.It must be at least a mile s�lndy spot. across the bay where we were.It kept lunch and lei�su e,we noti edna lot of you could get clams pretty much any- swimming and swimming.We thou ht where in the creeks.We'd put them at any moment it might drown,but nq �he marshyThat�'s the ba bla k b d S ne y thepfin u nd sttl ke ste med�en it kept going.We didn't know uite the 'd o e p j 9 with the longish tail.I do believe I sa clams.Sometimes you'd get them a lit- how those slelider little legs could one fly by with something big in its tle too close to the fire and the shell bill.I think it was feasting on fiddler Would burst. crabs.It's kind of a rough meal,but I Now we can see a snowy egret that guess if you get the small ones it's just walked into our view.He's been okay.They are probably taking them �'alking along the edge;hoping for a back to feed to their young. killie or a shrimp to show up.They Interestin , stalk so slowly,one foot at a time,like some slow-motion machine,then the head goes out with a quick jab and dinner is served. Stay with us and we'll continue our walk on the beach next week.