another season begins

Coffee of the Day: Tanzania Peaberry
Bird of the Day: tree swallow
Weird Wrack Item of the Week: a knot
Invisibird Status: they're here! Number actually seen by me: 1 (flyover)

Sand, Sea, Sky

My first shift of the season was Saturday, April 4.  It was raining when I got up, so I thought I'd be rained out, but it stopped in time for me to get in a couple of hours. The beach wasn't very busy. I only answered one question all morning and that wasn't even about piping plovers. Someone wanted to know when the road to Sandy Point would be open. I told him it would open when the snow is gone and the road is passable. BTW,  the road is now open. I personally would not drive my car on it until it's less muddy, but that's just me.

Looking North

I heard a piping plover peeping within the first 15 minutes that I was there. It flew over and did not land on the beach. I heard some killdeer also. However, the most common bird of the day was the tree swallow.

Looking South

As the skies cleared, the clouds and the light on the water put on an ever-changing show. When I wasn't drinking my coffee or trying to keep my hat and glasses from being blown off my head by the increasingly intense wind, I managed to take a few photos.

Looking West

There's still snow on the beach, some of it covered with sand. Also, the dunes seem to be building back up a little bit -- there's definitely been an increase in sand.

Snow's Still Here

There wasn't much bird action because of the wind, so I entertained myself by inspecting the debris on the beach. Besides some wooden stairs, a lobster trap, part of a fence, and lots of mono-filament  fishing line, I found a piece of driftwood with a rope tied around it into a granny knot.

Weird Wrack Item of the Week