Harbingers on the Assabet

For my first daylight saving time paddle of 2013 I ascended the Assabet River from Egg Rock to West Concord.  The photo at left, taken upon my return to Egg Rock, shows the Calf Pasture in the distance with Egg Rock on the near right.  This afternoon's abundant sunshine and blue sky was greatly appreciated by this paddler.
 
My goal for today was to confirm the presence of my favorite harbinger of spring: the red-winged blackbird.  After launching into the lower Sudbury River I paddled down to Egg Rock and soon heard and saw the object of my quest...

Up the river a little further was another favorite harbinger, the eastern bluebird...

However, the most numerous birds on this day were robins.  They were everywhere.

Unfortunately, trash was also encountered in good numbers.  This floating trash bag was half full with what looked like someone's household rubbish...

Water levels have dropped slightly as can be seen at the Egg Rock inscription...

However, I suspect they'll soon be rising.

Today's trash haul soaked up some sun while my boat's brakes cooled down...

 

 

There were 47 recyclable containers (7 redeemable) and 61 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish including 18 nip bottles, a balloon, an empty can of spray paint, and a small propane cylinder.  YTD = 644

 

While listening to tunes on my shuffle today, two songs in particular stood out from the rest:

 

Blue Wing by the Tom Russell Band with the lyrics "....it's dark in here, can't see the sky, but I look at this blue wing and I close my eyes, and I fly away, beyond these walls, up above the clouds, where the rain don't fall, on a poor man's dream...."

 

Starboard by Nels Andrews with the lyrics  "...follow the silver fish upstream, then wakeup portside of a starboard dream....".