Heading upriver I passed under the bridge construction project at US Route 20 and noted how much the temporary span rumbles and actually moves when a heavy truck passes over it. Hope it lasts until the new bridge is finished!
Next came the old Central Mass. Railroad trestle and after passing under it, I could look to the west, up the Wash Brook marsh and see Nobscot Hill in the distance...
Further up came the Pelham Island Road bridge and Sandy Burr Country Club on river left. A little ways past the golf course, just where the river bends sharply to the right, I saw a creature moving quickly down a sloping bank and into the river. From a distance I could see it was about the size of a beaver, but the long tail was prominent, its hind quarter was arched and it sort of slinked along the ground. The only animal I have seen that moved that way was a river otter.
Between that spot and Heard Pond, I came upon numerous Canada geese, mallards, a few wood ducks, red-winged blackbirds, cardinals, a good sized hawk perched in a tree and a group of at least 8 mute swans.
Trash began to pick up shortly after passing this beaver lodge...
The bulk of today's trash was in the area before and after the sign denoting the Allen Morgan Avian Area. Came upon a bowhunter's arrow driven into a tree at the river's edge. It reminded me of how I've often seen deer in this stretch.
As I approached the outlet from Heard Pond, I saw the slinky creature again as he made for the water from the side of a small hill. This time I watched as he swam into a shallow backwater and then moved quickly through the shallows as if trying to catch a fish. Next he popped up onto the marsh grass and took a short cut to save going round the oxbow. While I'm not positive, I am fairly sure it was an otter. Much bigger than a mink. I have seen river otters in SUASCO waters only twice before. On New Year's Day in 2005, I saw a lone otter at Egg Rock and on April 7, 2005 I encountered a pair of otters a little downstream of Saw Mill Brook on the Concord River. Considering all of the signs warning of mercury in the fish, I wonder how the otters are doing healthwise.
The rain had started at around 11am and became steady as I reached my turnaround spot where the power lines cross the river. After a brief 'mug-up' of hot cocoa, I began heading downriver and at the outlet from Heard Pond, I noted that the river's water level might be high enough to allow me my first access to the pond. Cautiously, I threaded my way through the trees and came upon a structure that looked like a crude bridge...
Drawing closer to the pond's open water, I recovered about 6 empty bottles and finally emerged onto the pond where this group of mute swans were whiling away the day...
It appeared as though they were being buzzed by tree swallows but they didn't seem bothered and were making some sounds that I've not heard them make before. Almost like clicking sounds.
At this point the rain had stopped and skies actually brightened a bit. In fact, there was no additional rain until after I had made it back to my takeout location. Once there all of the rounded-up escapees exited my ship's hold and assembled for this group shot...
My count for the patrol was 111 pieces of flotsam: 86 bottles/cans (21 redeemable) and 25 plastic bags, coffee cups, balloons etc. Under our present 'Bottle Bill' this batch of flotsam would have netted only $ 1 dollar and a nickel whereas if all the bottles and cans had a nickel deposit (as proposed) it would have netted $ 4 dollars & thirty cents. YTD total stands at 1012.
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