Blue Goose ~ Day 103

September 11, 2014 ~ Easton, MD to Shady Side, MD

I thought there was a Starbucks nearby, and there was, but it was in a grocery store with no tables / WiFi space....just coffee from a brusque, not very friendly young lady, almost unheard for a Starbuck's employee. 

But the coffee was good....yes, I probably am addicted to Starbuck's coffee...

Eastern Neck NWR is two hours north northwest of Easton, with even more of an off-by-itself feel  than most refuges, probably because it is an entire island. The small town of Rock Hill is five miles to the north. I drove over an old bridge, saw the refuge sign and parked to look out over the choppy waters of Chesapeake Bay. A couple was fishing and said there was water over the road to the refuge so they had turned around. Only a duck blind and a  couple of small fishing boats were visible. As always, when one approaches a refuge, signs of civilization and commerce diminish. Which I like...and birds are more immediately more abundant. 

I went on and there was water on the road but not that much.

Eastern Neck NWR - MD

A lovely dark brown cedar-shingled VC was staffed by women volunteers. As I walked in, I heard one of them say to whomever she was talking to on the phone: "I'll call you back; we have a visitor..." And then we talked for 15 minutes or so. She said it wouldn't take much for her also "to get sand in my shoes" when I told her what I was doing. She looked at me quizzically at one point after reading my name on the visitor log and asked if I were Anna Quindlen? She also wondered if I were a "Fitzgerald" as I reminded her of someone she knew who apparently is a Fitzgerald. (It's sort of digital: either people are interested and ask questions and seem envious or they barely acknowledge what I've said when I tell them what I'm doing.)

There is a national organization of Friends (of the refuges) who staff the gift shops, raise monies, volunteer time and are often the interface between the public and a particular refuge. So this woman was a Friend of Eastern Neck. Her sister from Pennsylvania was visiting and handing around also and then the buyer / manager showed up. It was as much of a social interlude as I have nowadays. 

I was somewhat apathetic at this refuge and half-heartedly drove the few roads open to the public, leery of the fly menace-annoynace and did, in fact, notice a few, but then found myself at the Butterfly Garden / Trail. I thought immediately of Deborah as I meandered on the paths, right on the edge of the Bay, with a variety of flowering plants, blue blue sky above and Northern Mockingbirds all over. I knew she would love this place.

Butterfly Garden - Eastern Neck NWR - MD

I walked the half mile trail first next to a meadow and then through woods, seeing two Ovenbirds, a Black and White Warbler, a Blue Jay, a Northern Parula (first of those on this trip)...more Mockingbirds, a Brown Thrasher...all foraging in this pretty habitat next to the Bay...sans flies or mosquitoes. Once again, I was glad I pushed myself just enough to get out of the car. On the way back to the main road, I watched three immature Bald Eagles fly around a small freshwater pond. Some of this refuge is contracted out and is farmed, so  part of the road wound between nearly dry corn stalks. 

Seaside Sparrow...still on my mind as I walked a short boardwalk over the salt marsh. I tried again and pished up (again) a curious Marsh Wren but no SS. Well, I tell myself, it's good to have a quest. 

I eBirded what I saw, the first time I've done that on this trip. 

Two hours later, and 30 minutes after crossing the beautiful Bay Bridge, I arrived in Shady Side, at the lovely bayside home of Faith and Bob. It was mid afternoon, very warm (too warm to sit in the sun on the end of the dock), so I found a comfortable chair on their screened porch, and settled in with a glass of wine and a book. Eventually, I soaked in a tub and scrounged in the kitchen for something to eat. After dinner, clean and somewhat revived, I headed to the dock again and just got comfortable when the rain began. But I was tired so chose a bedroom, opened the windows and slept soundly.