Observation Deck

Late Thursday afternoon we found some time for a little nature walk up at Arcadia. This time, we parked at the entrance to the Manhan trail in Easthampton, and rode our bikes in. The shadows were getting long when we got there, but the humidity had finally let up for the afternoon, so it was a pretty refreshing ride...



In Arcadia the summer colors are out and bright.





Over in the field where the Tree Swallows nest, our legs became covered with tag-along pollens from these guys:





A few Swallows could be seen, here and there. A Cardinal whistled away in a nearby tree, and a Catbird could be heard 'meowing' in the thicket nearby. Otherwise, all was sedate in the meadow.





Kelly kept a lookout for dive-bombers anyway...



We exited through this Sumac-arched pathway, into the woods by the water.









The water levels are very low right now, But this vernal pool is, surprisingly, holding in there. It must be fed underground from the river right nearby...



The bird observation platform is one of the best features of Arcadia. It's nice and tall, but a little creaky and wobbly, being tied down by big cables on each corner. First time up it'll take a little bit to get your sea-legs and adjust to the wobble, before you feel comfortable. But the platform is secure. Being up there, is a feeling a kin to being a kid in tree house. There's a great view of the woods behind and the water ahead, and you get the feeling you could defend the fort, should the need arise. Here's the walk to the top, in exactly one minute:



The platform is starting to show it's age. I hope it'll be renovated and not taken down. It really is a great feature of the sanctuary.



From the platform, looking down below, we could see this beaver coasting along with the small mini-currents weaving their way through the weeds and grasses...



The sun had almost gone down by now. We made our way along the Mill river, which empties out into the Oxbow, here at Arcadia...



A quick scoot back down the Manhan trail, and were back in the arms of civilization, by twilight.