Ferry Neck & Blackwater N.W.R., Nov. 10-14, 2021.

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Harry Armistead

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Nov 16, 2021, 10:50:21 AM11/16/21

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FERRY NECK & BLACKWATER N.W.R. & an unbelievable story (appears after Nov. 14), NOVEMBER 10-14, 2021.

NOVEMBER 10, WEDNESDAY. clear, calm, 66 - 56 (at 7:30), arrive 3 P.M., has dried out a lot even though there is 1.8” in the rain gauge since October 18 but apparently not much rain recently.. recent mowing, perhaps last week. The recent high tide has removed the big, heavy boat hook I found washed up at Kiptopeke many years ago, and the crab net, the latter c.. 100 feet west of the dock, both had been on the dock.

In the cove 375 Canada geese plus 12 flyovers. 2 common loon, one dealing at length with a hogchoker and it wailed once. Cooper’s hawk 1. A small doe in the marsh at the head of the cove. Forster’s tern 2. belted kingfisher 1 female.

Liz kills 12 wasps in our bedroom, I get 4. Foliage still not at its height of color but nearly so, at best a muted spectacle compared to the woods in the Piedmont and mountains. Both Squirrelbusters are empty which hasn’t happened in a while.

NOVEMBER 11, THURSDAY. Veterans Day. BLACKWATER N.W.R., 10:15-2, 60s, E - SE 10-15, clear, all waters high. TROPICAL KINGBIRD, we go to Wildlife Drive where 14 cars are stopped on the east end of Pool 3 and see it there, c. 11:15; later during our picnic lunch it favors the persimmon tree next to the photovoltaic cells by the Visitors Center c. 1 P.M.

This is its 15 day here, has been seen by 100s and very well photographed. I’m impressed by the birders’ courtesy: all cars pulled over so other cars can pass, everyone obeying the no entry signs, several making sure we’d seen it. We saw the one in Wicomico County, I think it was December 31, 2006.

Also, rather few other birds: cattle egret 14, northern shoveler 6, bald eagle 7, Forster’s tern 20, field sparrow 1, killdeer 2, northern pintail 45, great egret 1, and 6 red-bellied turtles basking. Still a few Tickseed Sunflowers in bloom.

EGYPT ROAD is dead but the north 2 miles or so on the west side are delightfully fallow. The Prothonotary Spot has become very open and may no longer be suitable for breeding prothonotaries. Back at RIGBY’S FOLLY Liz hears, from our bedroom, a great horned owl at 9:25 P.M.

NOVEMBER 12, FRIDAY. 0.2” rain last night into this morning. overcast becoming clear, high 50s to 61 degrees F., NW 10 turning to SW 5, then calm at the end.

Dinner in Easton at Osteria Alfredo with Bob Anderson and Thuy Tran. Bob is exhibiting at the Waterfowl Festival and has sold 2 of his paintings. He also does carvings in the old, classic style.

Fox squirrel, 1, in Woods 6, with the most luxuriant tail I’ve ever seen, very bushy, almost glowing. Months can go by w/o seeing a fox squirrel here. In Field 1 at dusk 4 does and a buck. Bufflehead 5, common loon 1, ruby-crowned kinglet 1. sea roach (a.k.a. wharf roach), 320 at least, estimated within view from our dock, c. 4 P.M., when it is not especially warm. My thanks to Gene Scarpulla for pointing me in the right direction as to species. DEEP NECK, a perhaps 1/3-grown snapping turtle I rescue from basking on the road.

Spend time today winterizing, storm windows, drain hoses, close crawl space vents, check heat in the pumphouse.

NOVEMBER 13, SATURDAY. bufflehead 52, 3 flocks, seems like a goodly number this early. Only 4 adult males and those courting, pumping head and neck straight up and down, and chasing females, who are not receptive.

21 species, all in the yard except the thrush, incl. Canada goose 82, house finch 2 males, Carolina chickadee 6, eastern bluebird 3 (at the bird bath), myrtle warbler 20, northern flicker 1, turkey vulture 11, laughing gull 20, ruby-crowned kinglet 1, cedar waxwing 25, belted kingfisher 1, hermit thrush 1.

At sunset in Field 2 two does and one doe and two 6-point bucks in Field 4. Dinner again in Easton with Bob and Thuy at Pho Van.

fair becoming mostly overcast, NW 5 - SW 10, returning to fair at mid-day and with winds 15-25, high 50s to low 50s, 48 at dusk, cold and windy, 44 at 8 P.M.

NOVEMBER 14, SUNDAY. “Last night I had the strangest dream I’d never had before”. Never. I dreamt of Science Citation Index. Hadn’t thought much about SCI since 1967 when I wrote a paper for my masters comparing the citation rate of the major ornithological journals of the world. I was surprised then that the Condor was cited more than the Auk and that both were cited more than the ranking British ornithological journal the Ibis.

Leave by 9:50 A.M. Along ROUTE 481 an American kestrel and a northern harrier.

the SAGA OF OUR LOSt CANOE.

“Time and tide wait for no man.” Geoffrey Chaucer.

I often think: “Strange things happen when I am not here.” Herewith … one of the strangest.

I go down (November 12) to our crude launching ramp that is surrounded 300 degrees by high bushes (Baccharis & Iva, free-standing poison ivy, panic grass & persimmon trees). This a good ways up toward the head of Poplar Cove. Thinking the recent, October 29 tide 2-3 feet above normal, could not of possibly do anything to our rather sheltered canoe, that we’ve had for 50 years, that gets hauled up far enough so no tide could touch it. NO TIDE. Albeit not secured anywhere. BUT … it is GONE.

I’m guessing the strong easterly winds accompanying that high tide may have blown the canoe over to the west side of Irish Creek. But first the canoe would have missed being intercepted by our dock and then the point projecting from our shoreline west of the dock. Not so. There is no sign of it anywhere, except for a life preserver floating close to the ramp.

With typical Eastern Shore serendipity I run into several neighbors and others and then speak to folks on Deep Neck about this. Within a few hours one of them sent me the message below. Bear in mind that the lighthouse in question is a healthy 3 miles from Rigby’s Folly and out in the middle of the Choptank River a good mile. Turns out that Phil Gay, who I have only spoken to once previously, was a classmate of ranking Talbot County birder Jeff Effinger. They were both in the H.S. class of my mentor and friend, Dick Kleen, their teacher.

“I talked to a guy that I know and he told me while they were fishing that they saw your Canoe between Benoni lighthouse and Cambridge and it was headed towards Cambridge. They tried to pull it into their boat but it was blowing and your canoe had a lot of water in it and they couldn't lift it because it was too heavy. So they let it go and the last they saw of it, it was headed to Cambridge. That was this past weekend [Nov. 6-7]. So I am guessing your canoe has drifted to shore somewhere in Dorchester County. Hope this helps!!” - Phil Gay

WHAT are the chances of getting THIS news at all and getting it so fast?

Our canoe might be seen as Choptank River’s answer to “The Flying Dutchman” (Der fliegende Hollander). Perhaps there is an unheralded, potential Wagner in the area who could immortalize this event. That doesn’t seem very likely.

“The Flying Dutchman (Dutch: De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship which was said to never be able to make port, doomed to sail the oceans forever.” - Wikipedia.