Call of the Wild

Josh went skiing at Wachusett with his buddy David this morning, so I took off for Plum Island and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. It’s a wild place just 50 minutes away, and it is pretty empty in the winter (except for birders). It was 31 degrees, with the wind whipping from the Northwest at 11–15 mph, so it was cold. I was met by song sparrows singing, and a lone killdeer near the boat ramp. Pretty early for that one.

Most of the birds were hiding from the wind and the cold, but I hiked down the road from the Hellcat Dike toward the south for a mile or so. Here, too, the snow and ice are melting, both in the marsh and on the road. The road is still closed, however, at Hellcat. With more open water, the ducks are more in evidence, with black ducks predominating. Buffleheads played and a lone red-breasted merganser regally swam into the whitecaps on Plum Island Sound. Just a week ago, most of the waterways were ice-bound. A northern harrier (or two?) hunted.

Am I “nature-bathing?” An article in the Wall Street Journal recently reported on the positive health effects of spending time outside in nature. “ A study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports in 2019 found that 20,000 participants were more likely to report good health and well-being when they spend 120 minutes or more in nature a week. The good vibe peaked at 200 to 300 minutes a week. anything less than two hours didn’t make a difference.” My mood is strong!

Maybe I’ll ski next time; it’s probably better exercise than hiking. But the sea and the marsh can’t be beat for uplifting spirits. And I love the surprise of seeing something I don’t expect: a killdeer.