Friday -- rainy refuge

Friday 3/11

The Salt Pannes

After I dropped off books for the MRFRS book sale at the Unitarian Church in Newburyport (very historic by the way), I headed over to the refuge between downpours to see what I could see. Between the rain and the fog caused by melting ice and melting snow it was hard to see much of anything. The Salt Pannes were pretty much still frozen. A small group of Canada geese hung out on the ice, at least I think they were Canada geese. They looked like this:

Foggy Birds

Even when the rain wasn't pouring down, everything was dripping wet. The remaining winter berries, rose hips, and so on, looked all glittery.

Dripping Wet



Dripping Wet II

I did see the first (and second, third, fourth, and fifth :-)) redwinged blackbird of the spring. It was thrilling to hear them trilling in the rain.

First Redwinged Blackbird of Spring

Second Redwinged Blackbird of Spring

Puddles of snow melt were everywhere.

Melting Snow Near Parking Lot 7

The visibility on the beach wasn't any better, but it had stopped raining again so I took a short walk. I didn't see any of the contaminated discs from the Hooksett  sewage treatment plant, although they apparently started to be reported on Thursday. I did see two great black backs, many shells, and lots of sand.

Great Black Back

Great Black Back in Flight

Sand Dollar

Whatever lives in here keeps a nice neat hole

So that's how the refuge really looks on a rainy Friday afternoon in March.