October 12, 2016
“O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow’s wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away.”
– Robert Frost, October
The paths I walk near my New Jersey home, and the views out of my Nature’s Window, are what Robert Frost must have experienced when he wrote “October”. I was very thankful that Mother Nature gave me, two, such beautiful days to explore. Some years the holidays come early, in September. This year, I enjoyed the time in October. Camera in hand I set out early both days.
The first day began cloudy. While sun glare would be no problem today, I would have to fight low light. I am still learning to master this tool of photography. It would be tricky today.
Hoping to find the colors of fall beginning to show and birds visiting, the river was my destination. My first stop was a place from my childhood. My uncle used to pasture some of his cows along the banks of the Raritan River at “Two Bridges”. It was in this spot, as a child, I ice skated in winter. In those days it was cold enough to freeze this part of the river. I never knew why we called the place Two Bridges, when only one bridge was there. It wasn’t until recently a friend pointed out that this spot is the confluence of the South and North Branch of the Raritan River. My father laughed when I told him that I never knew this fact. As a kid I guess it just wasn’t important. I didn’t notice or care that the river seemed to flow in two different directions. I just thought it one big river. Never too old to learn something new.
That morning, though the sky was gloomy, the Golden Rod was in full blooming fall glory. Golden Rod is one of those “weeds” I consider a wild flower. It is allowed to grow, under strict check, in my garden. It is a prolific bloomer and common site in New Jersey by late summer and early fall. It is often blamed for bringing out the worst in allergy sufferers. It is in fact no worse than other pollen producing plants that bloom in profusion. Ragweed, rather than its showy neighbor, is to blame for your itchy, watery eyes and stuffy nose.
Knowing Bald Eagles have been spotted flying here, I settle in to watch. No eagles came to visit today, but I had other visitors that day. Some were old friends. I was also treated by the sighting of a bird I had never seen.
The Great Blue Heron was the first bird I spotted that morning. Just at the place where the North Branch empties into the South Branch, a lone heron stood in the shallows hunting. This seems like a favorite fishing hole for the herons, as I have observed them here many times. I spotted another upstream in the North Branch. The bird was knee deep in lily pads, looking for something to eat just on the other side of the bridge from where I walked. Standing like a statue, and moving very slowly through the shallows, they sneak up on their prey and strike with amazing speed. While they are migrating birds, we do enjoy them year round in this area.
I almost missed my new friend and never before seen bird. The cloud filled sky made the river dark that morning. There was no breeze, and the river’s surface was as smooth as glass. Leaves drifted along the surface, lazily moving with the slow current. It was those floating leaves I was trying to capture, when I noticed a quick movement from the corner of my eye. I hastily turned my lens to find nothing but ripples moving forward on the river’s surface. Something was there, just below the water. I continued to watch and to my surprise and delight, up popped a small round bird. I thought duck, but it was different and like none I’ve seen before. I continued to watch this expert little fisher. It swam upstream, turned and began to float downstream again. Suddenly, that little bird dove under the water. At times, you could follow its course by watching the ripples. Other times, it dove so deeply, the tell-tale ripples were not visible. It was anyone’s guess where that bird would surface. Up it would pop, often with a fish in its mouth.
I had no clue what bird this could be. I’m not sure why, but Grebe came to mind. Of course, I researched to find this mystery bird’s identification once I was home from my adventure. Grebe was right, more specifically the Pied-billed Grebe. Apparently they are common, year-round residents in New Jersey. Perhaps one reason I have never seen this little bird before, is their ability to avoid detection from danger. They are able to submerge, leaving only their eyes and nostrils above the water, just like a crocodile! So fortunate to have met this little fellow this day.
The herons had flown away and the grebe floated downstream out of my field of view. The sun was trying to break free of the clouds. It was time for me to move on. Watch for part two of this day’s escapade, the treat I had yet to experience. Coming soon…
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
References
Nature's Window 