The magic of the marsh

I got to the marsh this morning just as the night's fog was lifting and the sun was breaking through. Fog makes the marsh a magical place.

Smart move

Last year about this time, there was a good-sized group of green-winged teal that had moved from the marsh proper into the small pond alongside the railbed. This morning I found these three, one male, two female, feeding there, along with another group resting on a clump of cattails. They are one of the last ducks to leave the marsh in the fall - and one of the earliest to return in the spring.

Late leaver

The yellow-rumped warblers are still here, as evidenced by this one seen at the marsh this morning. Its now in its non-breeding plumage, which isn't as colorful. It could be here for another couple of weeks yet.

Preparing for the journey

This swamp sparrow was feeding on a gone-to-seed goldenrod plant at the marsh this morning. The gray 'collar' and the rufous flanks of the bird helped to distinguish it from similar sparrows. Most swamp sparrows leave the area by the middle of October, so chances are this one won't be here much longer.

Asleep on its foot

There have been several greater yellowlegs around the marsh lately, especially on the edges of the tidal creek, since they are shore birds. This one, however, was fast asleep, standing on one of its long yellow legs on a floating log in the cove at the sailing school the other day. They breed farther north as well as in Cape Breton and northern Nova Scotia, but some always spend time here in the fall on their migration route.

Welcome visitor

I know, this isn't a very good quality shot, but as I couldn't get a better one it will have to do. I include it because it is of a duck that I've never seen before at the marsh (although that doesn't mean they haven't been here before). The duck was some distance away, and looked very similar to a female mallard, but I noticed its neck was very long. After checking my field guides, I'm pretty sure it was a female Northern Pintail (the males have much more elaborate markings, plus longer tails). Apparently they nest in salt and freshwater marshes in the province, but I don't believe we've had any nesting here as yet. I'll keep my eyes open for more of these birds.

Still active

Bumble bees are still quite active, as evidenced by this one collecting nectar from a late-blooming knapweed blossom yesterday at the marsh. Apparently bumble bees are often the first bees out in the spring and the last in the fall. If this is a queen, with the first frosts she will find a safe place to hibernate. The queens are the only ones to survive the winter.

"Who does he think he is??"

There were a few black ducks at one of their usual spots in the tidal creek at the marsh this morning, along with a yellowlegs (probably a greater, difficult to tell from a distance) - and a double crested cormorant, which seemed to have engendered some interest from the group . . .

Hanging in there

It has been very quiet at the marsh since the rain and wind of last weekend and into the beginning of the week. Ducks seem to be scarce, as are the song birds. No sign of the yellow garden spider or her web, but her egg sac remains. This group of ducks - four male mallards all spruced up in their breeding plumage, one female mallard and an American wigeon (left rear) - were feeding far out on the water yesterday morning and again today.

Organic shopping in the rain

The rainy weather kept me from the marsh for a few days, although I did take part in a Scott Kelby Photo Walk in town on Saturday, October 1st. This is the fourth year for these photo walks that occur all over the world on the first weekend in October. We were fortunate to have one of only three that occurred in Nova Scotia. Our route began with the Farmers' Market, then along the boardwalk to Fort Anne and the Garrison Cemetery, and back down the main street to Ye Olde Towne Pub where participants met for lunch. You may recall that it was a rainy day, which made for some innovative picture taking, believe me. I bailed out after the Farmers' Market, but here is one of the shots I managed to get - and which I submitted to the Annapolis Royal Photo Walk group on Flickr.