Along The Flyway

April 1-2, 2014

After the gale force winds and driving rains of this past weekend, there’s been nothing but cool crisp sunshine and while the thermometer may say near 60, those brisk ocean breezes are keeping our jackets nearby. But, oh the stars at night are breathtaking. We have so little light pollution here, it’s as if you can see all the way to Alpha Centauri. Today our chore was to find the RV repair place in Salisbury, MD for bulbs for the dining room light and a cap to cover the vent for the gray water tank. We wouldn’t want perfectly good rainwater to mix with our dirty old dishwater, would we?

The rhythm of this island changes with the seasons and so does the opportunity to see all manner of wildlife and waterfowl. Just this morning I watched a rabbit trying to sneak up on a pair of Mallard Ducks. Everywhere we hear the songs of Baltimore Orioles and Red Winged Blackbirds. And dare I say, I’ve seen bright flashes of red from Cardinals hunting for seeds under the Loblolly Pines. Right now, I’m looking out the window and a White Tailed Deer is grazing his or her way through the campground. We’ve seen more Sika and White Tailed Deer these past couple of days than we have horses. It was just the opposite when we were here last August. Carl and I figure the shy deer stay well out of the way during high traffic summer months and are a bit more brazen during the quiet spring.

This afternoon, we took a walk after lunch down to the picnic area on the bay side of the island. During the summer, they rent bicycles and kayaks from this location but it’s also the beginning or ending of the “life of the Marsh trail”. The shallow waters of Sinepuxent Bay were on our right as we made our way along the sandy tide line. Waterfowl of all shapes and colors flew overhead searching for that perfect place to rest, refuel or to set up housekeeping. We watched a pair of Mallards check out a brackish pond before waddling out on shore to preen feathers.

And even though we won’t be officially trained until the 3rd, we have already had several interactions with the public. One of the rangers told us the public will knock on our door at all hours of the night over the littlest of things. As it happens, we did have a knock on our door last evening about 8:15. A fellow was watching the sunset from the Bayside boat launch and when he decided to leave his vehicle wouldn’t start. Not having any jumper cables, I called the ranger station with no response so I recommended the man check with our neighbor hosts, Larry and Gwen. They had cables to loan the fellow and he was happy and off in minutes. I have since found out I could have called 911 which, as it turns out, isn’t always just for emergencies here on the island. The dispatcher would have located a Law Enforcement officer and sent him to help the man.