windchill February 26, 2006
Between having the cold from hell for 2 weeks or more and weekend snowstorms and other commitments, we haven't been to Watchemoket Cove to see the wintering ducks for months. Since winter is almost over -- at least from the point of view of migratory ducks -- we were determined to take a walk along the East Bay Bike Path for duck viewing today no matter what. Fortunately there was hardly any snow in Providence even though when I left my house yesterday the crazy lady was out compulsively sweeping the snow from the parking lot and the weather forecast was for 4 to 6 inches. Today's forecast was for below zero windchill but why should I believe that when they've been wrong about everything else all winter? The walk down to the end of the cove was fun and easy and there were tons of birds, although curiously no canvasbacks. The wind picked up but it was at our backs so we didn't really feel it. As we watched people walking in the other direction and as we turned to look at birds in the Providence harbor we began to realize that the walk back was not going to be pleasant. That's an understatement. Walking back to the car against the wind was like walking with a giant pushing you backward with every step. And the windchill was approximately -10 degrees F. Nancy was wearing a scarf that she wrapped around her face. Alas, I was not wearing a scarf and halfway back I couldn't feel my face anymore. Fortunately despite walking against resistance of like 40 mph winds I made it back to the car before I got frostbite. My face is very red though. Windburn. We drove on down to Colt State Park to have one last look at the huge flock of brant before they migrate back north to make new brant. Rather than congregating in one big flock like they have been recently they seemed to have organized themselves into three smaller groups and distributed themselves around. Some on the bay, some on the grass, and some in the inlet. We watched them from the car. Just seeing the whitecaps on the bay was enough to make me shiver with windchill.		Today's Bird Sightings Watchemoket Cove American wigeon American black duck mallard bufflehead hooded merganser red-breasted merganser common goldeneye mute swan Canada goose domestic goose ring-billed gull herring gull great black back gull northern cardinal norhern mockingbird American robin Colt State Park brant herring gull Today's Reading Words from the Land edited by Stephen Trimble , Timothy or, Notes of an Abject Reptile by Verlyn Klinkenborg This Year's Reading 2006 Booklist
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