Delimited Site Visit #3 - The Junk Pond
April 29th, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, ME
I didn't start my walk with a visit to my delimited site in mind, but after I got out there I just couldn't stop myself. When I started my walk at 6:19 am it was a little chilly, fairly wet, and very overcast. This didn't change throughout the entire time I was out. In fact, even though it didn't rain while I was out I was fairly wet by the time I got back home. In total I was explore for about 1 hour and 45 minutes and walked about 2 miles. I explored fairly well-trodden areas, but still was able to find many things which surprised and delighted me.
As usual, I entered the cemetery from the Brentwood entrance. Before I even got into the cemetery my bird list was large and growing fast, there were a number of different birds vocalizing. I debated in my head about which way to go. The overgrown area just below Brentwood Farms can be very productive but then I have a lot of less productive woods to go through before getting to the ponds, which is where I was heading. So I decided to skip the overgrown area and go right to the ponds. I'm happy that I did.
Not too long after I got into the cemetery I spotted a RED FOX running in away from my location with something fairly large and dark in its mouth. I watched where it went and kept heading towards the ponds hoping to see it again. After just a short while I noticed I was being watched by the RED FOX, as I watched it I also noticed some movement around it and quickly realized that it was young fox trying to play with the adult. The young one disappeared and then the adult followed suit.
I kept walking but kept an eye on the location of the two foxes. As I passed the location I noticed again that I was being watched but this time by just the pup. I stopped for a little while took some pictures and moved on. The entire time that I watched the pup it sat and watched me with what seemed like equal interest. It even yawned a couple times and after a while settled into a low resting position.
I've seen many RED FOX in the cemetery but this was the first time that I was able to see a pup.
After the fun of spotting the RED FOX pup I continued down to the ponds. They weren't all that busy but I kept looking. While I was down there because the bird action was lacking I also kept an extra eye in the water for turtles and frogs. Finding none of them either, I headed the powerline cutout. I knew there were some season pools there and I wanted to see if there were any indicator species, I didn't find any indicator species for a vernal pool, but was I alerted to BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (FOY) by its call and got quick looks of it as it flitted through the recently budding maples.
As I entered the cutout area, I heard the classic 'drink-your-teeee' song of an EASTERN TOWHEE, which was quickly followed by the 'zee-zee-zee-zo-zee' song of a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. I was able to snap a picture of the EASTERN TOWHEE but the BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER was much more elusive.
It was only at this point that I decided to head over the junk pond and log some delimited site time. So I worked my way over, making sure to check the OSPREY nest on the cell tower. It didn't look like anyone was there today but I have seen birds there as recent as a few days ago.
I got to my delimited site at 7:31 am and was instantly welcomed by DOWNY WOODPECKER, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, and SONG SPARROWS all singing and calling. I also noticed that a shrub which seems to grow every around and near the site was fairly far along in leafing out. iNaturalist suggested that the shrub was MORROW'S HONEYSUCKLE, but at this time I haven't done any research to make sure that identification is accurate. I also noticed that the pond had a layer of gunk on it. I wasn't sure what it was but it seemed to cover the shallow parts of the pond while the deeper middle section was lacking it. The gunk was green and a little lumpy looking.
An interesting side note, is that the tent which had been there most of the winter and there as recent as last weekend is missing and one of the slippers had been flung into the water. In terms of human connections I was also informed that the University of New England owns the pond and won't allow other people to clean it up because there is unspent ordinance in the pond and they are afraid someone might get hurt. Further, the road traffic was very noticeable, as was the hum of some kind of electrical apparatus housed in the industrial park behind the pond.
Another green plant that I noticed this time that I hadn't seen before, looked like it might be a type of iris. It was very green and growing up in a muddy spot with a lot of water. The leaves looked straight and were growing in a fairly tight bunch. I'll keep an eye on them and see if I can't get a better sense of what they are as the season progresses.
As I sat there I heard some SPRING PEEPERS and what sounded like a NORTHERN PARULA. I only heard that call once and it wasn't even to go on but it really sounded like one. I also took some time at this point to reflect on the call of the TUFTED TITMOUSE, a call which I say goes 'pew-pew' but my partner says is 'cheer-cheer' and I think she is right and I'm wrong. It does sound more like 'cheer-cheer' but I really like the idea of them pretending to fight space aliens or something.
After sitting at the bench for a while I headed on my way walking away from pond in the opposite direction from how I came in. As I was just about to stop my official time in the site I caught some movement and found a HERMIT THRUSH working the undergrowth. After I looked at it for a while I took note of the time and headed on my way. It was in the site for about 23 minutes.
At this point I needed to get home so I cut through the UNE fields (found a few NORTHERN FLICKERS there) and headed directly through the cemetery back to Brentwood Street and ending my morning walk in the cemetery.
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