Kayak Adventure V
We still have not gotten updated pictures of the pileated woodpecker. So we headed back to Shackford Point to try again.
We did not find the pileated woodpecker. But there was evidence that woodpeckers were in the area.
We finally saw some woodpeckers.
Meg saw a bird she didn’t recognize.
Mark saw a nuthatch as well.
We also saw a few more Belted Kingfishers.
It was October and the wind picked up. White caps were starting to form on the bay and it was a bit of a slog to get back to the dock. Meg did not have fun.
Kayak Adventure VI
We wanted to try a different tide to see what effect the tide had on the birds. I was under the impression that we could likely make it back to the dock as little as an hour before low tide. We got a late start and went to Shackford Point to observe the outgoing tide.
Mark paddled into the river and Meg stayed closer to the point. The tide was moving pretty fast. Here Meg scooped a snail from the mud.
Meg saw some Greater Yellowlegs. We see them in the spring when they migrate through. This is the first time we have seen them in the fall.
In this video, you can see the birds fishing the outgoing tide. You should notice how fast the tide is moving. Also in the background, you can see snails on the mudflats.
Greater Yellowlegs
Meg wanted to be sure I mentioned how wrong I was about being able to get to the dock an hour before low tide. We headed back to the dock two hours before low tide and we were dragging on the bottom as we came into the dock. Meg was not happy with Mark.
Meg took some pictures from the dock just after we arrived.
Gull 
Gull 
Cormorants 
Canada Geese 
Gull
So for the second trip in a row, it was challenging to get back to the dock. This time it was self inflicted.
Kayak Adventure VII
To get a wider tide and light experience, we decided to do a low tide kayak adventure. So we planned to take off just two hours before low tide, paddle into NewmaHket and take a break at Andrew’s then paddle against the tide back to the dock just before sunset. So that is what we did.
The first thing that is wrong with this plan is that the mudflats extend to far out that we couldn’t get decent pictures of birds on Shackford Point. Meg thought she could hear the pileated woodpecker but too far away to get pictures. The second thing that was wrong with this plan was that there was very little shore bird activity right at low tide, so there was not much to photograph. The real kicker was that abrisk northeast wind picked up and Meg was not sure she was strong enough to make it home against both the tide and the wind.
We saw a few herons on the way in.
Meg saw a spotted sandpiper in non breeding colors (no spots).
We also saw some cormorants.
We saw one kingfisher on the way in.
We also saw some ducks.
It was a pretty trip into NewMahket.
This guy greeted us as we got to the dock.
So we made it to Andrew’s and took a break. Meg decided she didn’t want to try to make it back to the dock, so Andrew paddled her kayak back. This was probably a good choice as it was a slog to get back.
I am not sure but this pin may have been placed here in the 1700’s when clipper ships used to dock in NewMahket. They had to winch them around so the clipper ships could navigate out of the bay at high tide.
We saw more greater yellowlegs on the moving tide on the way back to the dock. We saw three or four different sets of them.
We spooked an eagle when we got to Shackford Point.
We finally made it to the Moody Point dock in spite of the wind, waves and tide. Mark slept well that night.
Mark, Wink and Meg
PS – Still no pileated woodpecker updates. 🙁