Rainy, raw, but calm
As we drove around in the
pouring rain, the temperature finally hit 40 degrees. We figured that the best bet for today was to check all the
local ponds and see if any new waterfowl had shown up. We knew it was a day to bird from the
car, and the ponds were all easily viewed from that vantage point.
First stop, Roe Pond where we had found the Pied-billed grebe several
days ago. Today, the only birds
found on the pond, however, were the omnipresent Mallards. Several pair were found along the
shoreline along with one lone Canada goose. The little grebe obviously had more sense and had moved out
of here, hopefully to points south.
Mallards were likewise the only game
in town (no pun intended) on Garrison and Brooks Ponds down in Fort
Montgomery. We were surprised to
find that even the swans had found the conditions better somewhere else.
The best sighting of the day,
however, was mammalian. Back up at
Cragston Lakes at Morgan Farm where we had seen the river otters reported to us
by our friend from O’Neill High, we relocated three of the playful
creatures. They were still
distant, and the rain and fog certainly did nothing to make the viewing clearer,
but the otters were more cooperative and raised up to get a better view of our
vehicle on the opposite end of the pond.
I drove to an area a bit
closer and parked, walking down through the woods to see if I could get just a
tad closer. The otters had other
ideas, however, and when I got down to what I thought would be a better site
from which to see them, they had withdrawn even further away.
So, as I said before. These
otters are presenting me with a challenge. They have thrown down the gauntlet, and I must pursue them
further…..on a brighter drier day. 
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