Quiet and Neaturey

Yep, Another cold and windy evening on Plum Island. Is it really spring? Well yes but not on Plum Island because, lets get real here....this is New England. Anyway, when I was astutely looking for any signs of life or movement from any creatures, i found absolutely nothing. No seagulls, no birds, no ducks, etc. I saw some foam stuff that I have posted about before and that was it.

It was bizarre to hear nothing but wind and cars on Plum Island. There is ALWAYS something making noise in the spring time whether it is a duck/goose or bird. My best guess is that all the little barrier island creatures were just kinda hunkered down or in another location trying to keep warm.

Construction? Thats less neat than marsh...

 It was a wicked windy day down there on the island.

When I got to my usual spot to sit, take pictures, and make observations, i realized that there was construction equipment blocking me from getting there. I asked myself "What the hell is going on here?!" After making a closer look, I noticed that the tide was very high and here were straw rolls and other flood deterrents.

To expand on plum island and flooding, it is actually a very serious problem. Last year a few families lost their homes due erosion of the beach.

Due to the jetties not working properly, the beaches are being swept away rapidly.

If you are more interested in learning about this problem, the link to an informative website below.
http://www.plumislanderosion.com/




As for the other observations, I noticed that there were a lot of sea gulls in the marsh and not too many ducks. Still more life and activity than there was in the winter though!

Littering is SO Un-neat

 Today, I found a beer can right next to the river. Other than that, the island was beautiful. Unfortunately it was absent of any ducks or geese that Ive seen in the past.

The Plum Island marsh is starting to look bland and absent of ice; spring is on it's way! Soon enough we will get to see a lot of phragmites and all sorts of other wildlife!

Today, I noticed this "foam" stuff on the top of the water. Even though i've been visiting Plum Island for the past 10 years, I actually had no idea what exactly this stuff was.
With a little bit of research, I found a little bit of information which seemed like a valid explanation of this "foam". I also learned that the foam is not necessarily from pollution.

"Lakes and streams are surrounded by living organisms, and many organisms live within the water itself. Both plants and animals produce lipids like simple fats — three fatty acids combined with a glycerol molecule. When any of these organisms die, they release fats, proteins, sugars and other molecules into the water. Nonpolar molecules like lipids float since they have a lower specific gravity than water and will not mix with water. As fats and other lipids break down, the released fatty acids also float to the surface. Thus, the surface of the water often has a thin, completely transparent layer of lipids on it. Through reactions similar to those used to make soap, the resulting molecules change the surface tension and, just like soap, they cause bubbles to form."

The quote above was taken from an article, if you would like to read more about this surface foam, here is the link.
http://redoubtreporter.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/science-of-the-seasons-bubbling-curiosity-%E2%80%94-most-water-foam-is-no-cause-for-concern/

Not so Neat Day

Another day closer to spring, another warm day. Today was absolutely beautiful. Warm enough to walk around in a tee-shirt.

There were NO ducks or geese at the usual spot on plum island, maybe they were somewhere else on the island. Maybe not. All we saw was a low tide and a lot of snow free marshland.

Day 15 Duck...Duck...GOOSE!

Some Geese in the distance that had just taken off from the marsh.

Another neat evening down on Plum Island. There were fewer Black ducks tonight than there were in the past but the Geese were everywhere. 

You might not be able to see them in the photos because of how far away they were, but they were indeed waddling around the marsh.

I asked my friend why there would be fewer black ducks this week and he gave a simple response "They must be in essex. It's the same marsh but there is a lot less traffic and activity." With his background in hunting with his Grandfather in essex, I trust his opinion.

Believe it or not, way off in the distance, there are about 60 Geese sitting in the water/mud.

Day 8, The Ice retreats (kinda)

I thought the sky looked kinda cool; beautiful blue sky on the left and then dark and sad looking clouds on the right.

Today was another windy day at Plum Island. Despite the wind, the Canada Geese and Black Ducks were just kinda chillin' out in the water, having a snack. I wondered, what could they be eating? After a little research, I realized that they were probably just eating some plant material floating around in the water.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck)

Here are some more Black Ducks and Canada Geese, they were just kickin' back on the land (I would too if the water was that cold).

Neat Story:
When I first ventured out to Plum Island for this blog, I referred to the Canada Geese as "Canadian Geese". My friend snickered and corrected me. I learned that the "Canada Goose" is the species where "Canadian Geese" are literally geese from Canada.

Here, we see some Phragmites way off in the background. I mentioned them in the last blog post but neglected to explain what it is.

Facts I took from Wikipedia:
Phragmites is a common reed, seen in marshes or other wetlands. They tend to grow in large clusters known as "reed beds" which can take up 0.39 square miles or more. It  can grow on ground or in up to 3 feet of water and can be anywhere from 6 feet to about 19 feet tall. It also spreads pretty rapidly due to it's "horizontal runners" which can end up spreading at a rate of 16 feet or more per year.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phragmites)

February 17th, Neat Discoveries

 There was little wildlife out and about, but I was able to see a few Black Ducks and some Canada Geese.

 In the first Picture, way off in the distance, you can see some Phragmites standing almost in a huddle.

Other than that, there was a lot of ice and a nice sunset/evening skyline to watch.