sorry for the silence

Somehow the fall slipped by before I noticed. Well, I noticed the leaves and such, but before I got around to commenting. I had a glorious experience recently at the Ipswich River Audubon sanctuary. The day was gray and overcast, dampish. The fun began as soon as I stepped onto a trail that runs along the edge of a meadow. The bare bushes were thick with chickadees, tree sparrows and juncoes. With the leaves off, their movements through the tick mass of tangled branches was easy to spot. I ambled to the observation tower and, climbing to the middle level, put up a hooded merganser. Although this day I didn't have my camera, I did have the "bins" along and waited for the little guy/girl to settle on the water to get a better look. I enjoy watching the "V" widening behind swimming birds on a quiet pond. Much farther along I stopped on a trail bordered by swamp on either side. A downy woodpecker was busily rat-a-tat-tatting on a dead branch about 5 feet from me while 2 muskrats played in the water on the other side. I even watched while on of them washed her face. They never knew I was there. While I stood for several minutes just being there, more chickadees swooped around me, followed by juncoes again. The beat of their wings was the loudest sound. I was awed to be surrounded by wildlife so oblivious to my presence. It was amazing in a quiet way. It was very close to the intersection of 2 trails. I had been on the other trail this summer one day, about 7 feet from the other when all of a sudden a deer flew by me. I do not know who was more surprised. I heard its companion, just down the trail, snorting. Trying to demonstrate the sound made me conclude that deer don't have allergies; I had to keep wiping my face! This sanctuary is very popular and a lot of people pass through. Even with that there are so often these magical moments. It's a rare day that I don't experience something that resets me.