46 days out

Eastern Point at York Harbor early morning.

Sunrise at the mouth of the river from the terrace at Camelot-by-the-Sea this morning revealed the sun about midway -- 46 days out -- on its northward journey between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice (c. March 21 and June 21). Check out this comparable shot -- under clearer skies -- from May 10, 2004 (scroll down).

Tiny posed yesterday afternoon amidst an artful grouping of Goomp's Walpole furniture, set out upon the terrace not long ago by groundsman Tuck after winter storage in the garage.

In the late-afternoon sun yesterday Tiny paused atop the table on the terrace to savor her latest triumph, the bold capture of a tiny sparrow only moments after we had arrived Down East. Goomp happened to see her skulk by, bird in mouth, and alerted us. She -- according to her nature -- tried to elude us, while we -- according to ours -- pursued her. After quite a runaround, she took a breather under one of the cars, dropping her quarry for one unguarded moment, when we reached under and swept the bird to safety. It had a small yellow marking between eye and beak, possibly a Savannah Sparrow.* Everything seemed intact, and we released the little fellow along the edge of the Lower Forty, where it rustled off into the underbrush. Meanwhile, Baby came sniffing around where the bird had been, while Tiny experienced a Miss Moppet Moment (scroll down for Beatrix Potter illustration of the surprised cat who "forgot about that hole in the duster" when she tried to catch a mouse).

*Cool fact from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology: Although they are grassland-loving birds, Savannah Sparrows were named not for a grassy habitat with scattered trees, but for Savannah, Georgia, where Alexander Wilson took an early specimen.

Comments

[Teresa]

As usual - gorgeous water view at sunrise... I don't know how you do it, I must admit that the likelihood of me being awake at that hour to take a picture of it - would be just about zero unless I'd been up all night. *grin* Looks like the beginning of a beautiful day though.

[goomp]

The early bird gets the spectacular view.