As my dog Molly and I were turning onto the preserve road, a shadow filled the windshield. It was a low-flying adult bald eagle. We walked on the Whistler Trail starting near Mallard Road. There were many downed trees, and I wondered if that happened during the October 2017 severe windstorm. I was working and boarding at a horse farm not far away, on Ridge Road, and numerous trees were uprooted and several of our structures were tumbled. The wind had an uneven path, and our woods looked a lot like the Whistler trail. 

        On the shore side of the path, I heard a song/protest/alarm call that I’ve never heard before, and I couldn’t tell if it was squirrels or birds. There was a high-energy exchange across the path for a few moments. As we walked, my dog’s footsteps often sounded like we were on hollow ground, but nothing was giving way. We saw many beech nuts, interesting fungi tucked into tree hollows, Canada Geese and maybe eiders with their tails up, eating in the very shallow-appearing water. We also saw many ferns, and remembered the interesting lore Terry shared with us. 

       There were no people. This made me happy, as my youngest had tried to hike at Acadia last weekend and felt like they were in a city. All I could hear was Mother Nature.

       We didn’t complete the loop due to time constraints. As we were driving out, I saw a small bird with a bright white ring around its eye, bouncing around the branches of a small tree. No one was behind me, so I was able to pause and watch it for a while (to my dog’s dismay). I think it was some type of vireo. So it was a huge bird in, and a tiny bird out. I can’t wait to go back and try the other trails.

    BTW Maine Public has a short but beautiful “Assignment Maine: Merrymeeting Bay” video up on the TV app.