Spring 48: A Fond Farewell

Friday, May 6, 2011

4:50am-6:00am, SERC and Schoodic Point, Acadia National Park, ME
cool, patches of clear sky

Finally got my wake-up robin, on a fence post near the entrance of the apartment complex. Turns out he's not right next to my window, though he sounds that way at 4:40 in the morning.


It was a fond farewell - Nature put on a good show for me. All my old friends came by to say good-bye.

The chickadee who accompanies my morning robin.
White-throated sparrows. A couple of hermit thrushes.
The song sparrow right by institute entrance, who was also on a fence post.

A porcupine whose sudden emergence, and unhurried waddling on the road just a few feet in front of me, made me feel invisible. Later I learned that they only have about 5-6 feet depth of vision.

I thought it would be fittingly surreal if two bald eagles were to swoop down and grab him up.

Minutes later, I began to pick my way across the damp rocks at Schoodic Point. I looked up to see a giant bird with a white tail flying by - my bald eagle!

Really the only ones who didn't say good-bye were the rabbits and the ruffed grouse from the Alder Trail. I'm sure they would have if I'd stopped by there.

At Schoodic Point, the clouds were going all-out. There were giant, wispy blue strokes plunging into the ocean; layers of oil-painted subtle clouds in the sky; patches of pink and clear.

It was an unexpectedly non-rainy dawn that unfolded into a beautiful sunny morning for my drive home. A lovely way to say good-bye to Acadia!