Delimited Site Visit #8.5 - The Junk Pond

June 15, 2018, Evergreen Cemetery, Portland, ME

I've been trying to get over to the Junk Pond about once a week, but some weeks it hasn't happened. So Friday morning, I didn't have an pressing birds to twitch so I headed over before work. It was noisy with breeding birds, even before I got to the pond. As I was walking in I could hear people talking but I didn't really think anything about it. Then I saw a tent. So I walked around to another vantage and scanned over the pond. The mother MALLARD was out with only one young, who is much larger now. When I first found this duck and her brood there were 6 ducklings, now she is down to one.

I then decided to head over to my usual spot, but to get closer to my spot also meant getting closer to the the tent. As I walked up I heard the tent open and a voice say, "What the f*** are you doing here?"

I replied with a quick, "Going for a walk," and I promptly turned around, as the face in which the voice emanated was looking very friendly. As I was heading back to my car, though I spotted what at the time I thought was a dead rodent, I snapped some quick pictures and kept walking.

Once in the car I called the University of New England security office and informed them of the angry "campers." Later, once I had posted the "rodent" on iNaturalist I was corrected and informed that it was actually a NORTHERN SHORT-TAILED SHREW. I wonder what happened to it. It was the first time that I had seen a shrew, which apparently is related to moles.

Here is my full eBird checklist from the short time that I was there.

Posted on June 17, 2018 11:55 PM by