February 8: Harbor Walk

Sun after snowfall.

Other walkers before us

have cleared the path.

Posted with Blogsy

May 7: 80 degrees in Belfast

First warm night--

street music, chimney swifts,

and suddenly, a longing...

Posted with Blogsy

December 28: Ducks on the Passy

Counting birds on some of Coastal Mountains Land Trust's Passy Greenway preserves in Belfast for part of the day, for the N. Penobscot Bay Christmas Bird Count, was more of a challenge than I'd anticipated. The effects of the recent ice storm are still quite visible, thanks to persistent cold temperatures. Everywhere, trees remain coated and bent to the ground with their burden of ice. It was as if entire forests were bowing down in severe obeisance to Skadi, the Norse goddess of winter.

It took me hours to clamber around one trail on snowshoes on the partially crusted snow. The second trail I'd planned to hike was impassable--too many frozen trees in the way. The third trail was too steep and icy for me to get far. So in the end, I gave up: I shucked my snowshoes, drove to Belfast harbor, and walked out on the Footbridge to watch ducks bobbing in the falling tide.

In the chilled harbor
ducks posture for mates.
When you feel it, you feel it.

Entrance to the Stover Preserve.
See why I didn't get far?

The icy forest of the Stephenson Preserve

October 28: Hooded Mergansers

Driving through Belfast this afternoon after a couple of meetings, I gave myself permission to take the time to stop and watch a group of about ten Hooded Mergansers bobbing in the dark waters of a small, city-owned pond called The Muck.

Pulled over to watch
mergansers gathered on a pond.
Just that.

Hooded Merganser drake.
Photo by Ken Billington via Wikimedia Commons

November 27: First ice

In Belfast there's a tiny, city-owned pond called The Muck that sometimes hosts ducks or a heron--or skaters when it's frozen. As I drove by today, several gulls stood around in a loose group atop a thin skin of ice skimming the pond's surface. The ice is still so tenuous it probably wouldn't yet hold anything heavier than a bird. But it was perfect for a small gathering of gulls.

As if waiting all year
for this--gulls
balanced on new ice.

September 15: Road race

This morning was Coastal Mountains Land Trust's 4th annual Run for the Hills 10K road race in Belfast. As I was helping to register runners, a small falcon--probably a merlin--flew overhead. A bird known for its speed seemed particularly auspicious.

The finish line was on the Belfast Footbridge over the harbor. While I was there helping the timers, seagulls perched atop a nearby waterfront building kept flying up in big scattered flocks against the backdrop of blue sky--like a scene from "The Birds" but without the scary, "they're attacking us" part.

Fanfare of feathers
greets runners after six miles.
And, ah, the harbor!