Over the last two to three weeks, spring and sunshine have decided to make a more consistent appearance here. I've been kayaking once so far on Lower Togus Pond and have walked around Jamie's Pond Wildlife Management area and Vaughan Woods, known locally as Hobbit Land. I had never seen a loon until 2 years ago when I went to Acadia for the first time, and, in a week, I saw 3. One entertained me for quite awhile on Jamie's Pond. Watching him (?) dive and trying to guess where he would surface was fun; I was usually way off. Vaughan Woods was wonderful because the stream flows over a number of very small falls, and the sound was glorious. Lower Togus Pond is notable for the islands throughout and the wide swaths of lilies. Although someone had told me that I might see eagles, the only avian life form was a cormorant. The quiet was impressive. It had a presence unto itself, one that I was grateful for. I pulled my boat into a tiny inlet thick with brush and saw sparrows just a few feet from the boat and could watch one singing.
In Jamie's Pond the other wildlife I saw that I enjoyed watching was a snake, garter I believe. I startled it, but when I stopped, it did as well. Snakes have never been that interesting to me, but this time I decided to watch for a bit. It bobbed its head occasionally as if testing the air - vibrations?
One bird I had not seen until recently was a great blue heron. I finally saw one on the banks of the Kennebec, standing in the shallows among the grasses. Mostly it waded. Was it, like me, just out for some fresh air or to see what it might see? I can be surprised or thrilled to see some form of wildlife - does the heron experience that same thrill? Or do any animals?
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