I saw my first Eastern Kingbird at Fort Hill on Cape Cod the other day! I heard some rustling in the trees and thought it was a Cedar Waxwing. But, out flew this bird which I learned later was an Eastern Kingbird.
Eastern Kingbirds are about 8″ with slate colored wings and back, a white throat and underparts and a black head. Its tail is black with a white terminal band. My bird book says it perches on the tips of trees near fields which is exactly where I saw it.
I’ve seen so many Cow Vetch wildflowers along the trails in Eastham on Cape Cod. Cow Vetch is a climbing plant with many blue-violet 1/2″ flowers on one side of a long, hairy stem. These plants grow to 2-3 feet from May to August.
You can see them in the fields and meadows of Cape Cod, as well as along the roadsides.
Have you ever see Indian Rock at Fort Hill on Cape Cod?
For thousands of years before the Europeans landed, the Nauset Indians lived beside the marshes of Cape Cod. Among the evidences of their occupation is this grinding rock, one of four such boulders found in the Nauset Bay area.
The Nauset Indians used this rock to grind, polish and sharpen their implements made of stone and animal bones, as well as shape their fish hooks.
It is so cool to see things like this and give tribute to the Nauset Indains who thrived in this area.
We awoke this morning at dawn to the Crows squawking outside our bedroom window. I thought it must be the little Red-tailed Hawk nearby. The other morning it was in our birdbath at dawn, splashing away.
I went out on the deck and looked all around in the pine trees for the hawk, but could not find him. And then… I saw these golden eyes looking down at me. Wow!
There was a Great Horned Owl in the tree right outside our bedroom window. How cool is that?!
I ran in and got the binoculars while Phil clicked away with the camera. Unbelievable! I knew there are Great Horned Owls here on Cape Cod, but I had no idea we would ever see one in our backyard!
You can see why the boats can enter and exit Rock Harbor in Orleans on Cape Cod only before or after high tide. Otherwise, they could get stuck in Cape Cod Bay or in the harbor for many hours waiting for the tide to change.
You can see the “buoy trees” which mark the channel into the harbor sitting on top of the sand. It is dead low tide. No boats will be going in for quite a while.
And at low tide, you can walk out it seems for mile. Have you ever been to Cape Cod Bay at low tide?
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
