Blue Goose ~ Day 94

September 2, 2014 ~ Hither Hills State Park, NY to Hazlet, NJ

Thick palpable fog in the morning but warm air on the skin.

Morning fog near Hither Hills State Park - NY

This cleared as I drove west through the Hamptons where I passed a Starbucks and pulled over. The trees were dropping leaves littering the brick sidewalk and collecting in the curb gutters. A man in a black Porsche convertible was screaming into a cell: "I told you; I AM leaving....." and he continued his rage as I walked into the store. The rich people are interesting to observe, especially the women. We all do this I'm sure (watch rich folks). One thin women had on a long loose black cotton outfit with leg slits up the sides. Her smart phone had a case with white raised hard plastic daisies. The men dress more casually and seem more at ease, and are usually quieter...

I tried to find Amagansett again. Even the environmental person at the campground was no help. She suggested going to the end of Indian Wells Road; my book said go to the end of Atlantic Avenue. I did both and never saw a sign for the refuge.

East Hampton / Amagansett - NY

Later I asked at Wertheim and was told several of the Long Island refuges were closed to the public, but I still wondered where exactly they were. Why is building on the dunes allowed? Like huge homes and high rise hotels?

I got on State Route 27, soon turned off at Quogue and went to the library, mostly to use the bathroom, but then browsed in this charming cedar-shingled building noting titles of new books that I will eventually read. It was quiet with only a few people and lots of old shade trees, and I thought that one could live in much worse places.

Wertheim NWR is situated about halfway to NYC, with a large Visitor Center. It is also the headquarters for the Long Island complex of refuges. I had blueberries, cheese and crackers and juice before walking 3.4 miles on the Black Tupelo Trail. I didn't intend to as it was HOT again, but much of this wide trail was mulched with pine needles which emitting a wonderful dry piney smell in this heat. The trail was over level terrain and mostly in shady. I just kept walking not realizing how long it was until near the turn around point.

I was rewarded by seeing an Ovenbird move along the edge of the woods just ahead of me, not a bird I see every day.

When I got back, I sat on a stone terrace in a comfortable chair at small table. A roof provided shade but it was open on three sides and the delightful breezes made me want to sit for hours.

Wertheim NWR - Long Island - NY

The only thing missing was a glass of cold dry white… and, of course, someone to share this with. I was glad I preserved and had none of the energy depletion of yesterday.

Inside, I bought some fair trade chocolate and a jar of bug deterrent with many of the same ingredients of Esther's recipe. The volunteer said it was supposed to work; if it doesn't, it makes my van smell good.  I watched a 10-minute movie which explained and showed a point count. This one was pre-sunrise in the marsh. For ten minutes, the observers noted every bird they heard, including the very elusive Black Rail. The wide screen first showed only marsh grasses silhouetted against a sky still full of stars but which gradually faded as the sky lightened. The other wish-list bird I "heard" was the Saltmarsh Sparrow, and mixed in with these of course were Red-winged Blackbirds, yellowlegs, sandpipers, egrets, herons....all immediately identified by the biologist narrating.

The rest of the day was a counterpoint to this.

The next four hours, I headed west, moving along well at first but then getting into more traffic on State Route 27, which allowed more access and signal lights as the traffic increased...and the heat and the noise. I really wanted to go back to Jamaica Bay, and figured I would arrive at the optimal time of a few hours before high tide and carried on an inner dialogue before deciding not to…especially after reading on the JB Wildlife website that it is best to bird with someone in case you get STUCK, in the mud I guess, and to be sure to let the staff know where you are going. So, based on muck, mud, heat, the need to carry my scope and wear Wellingtons (or better foot gear than flip-flops) and then to also worry about stuckedness, I drove right on by..... But now, at least, I will be able to visualize Jamaica Bay when I read about the birds found there.  

The option of continuing in traffic was almost as bad but necessary unless I wanted to settle permanently on Long Island. And other than a few unexpected lane changes and the initial craziness on the New Jersey Parkway, I was fine, although needing to quickly learn the Parkway rules made me decide to find a motel and just chill, which I did, rousing after an hour to walk to a Japanese restaurant for delicious sushi rolls and some Japanese soda in a glass bottle with a glass marble in it. I had to have instructions to open the bottle and hoped no one was watching me negotiate eating (rather gracelessley) with chopsticks. The restaurant was BYO for alcohol. 

I then stayed up very late, getting caught up with bookwork and watching the chilling stories about Ebola and Mr. Sotloff.