Road's End from The Thumb

Today, May 5, Johnny and I hiked up The Thumb from the approved trailhead at the end of NE Devil's Lake Blvd. It is a long, steep route and very popular. We were early enough to avoid many people going up and were the first ones to reach the top. However by the time we left there were many coming up and going down. My goal was to find out if the Middle Rock pair were nesting, to see if there was any sign of BLOY activity on South or North Rocks, and to see if the trail was doable for me. It was, once. I would not want to climb it on a weekly basis to check nesting! However, today we were successful. The Middle Rock BLOY nest is where it has been in the past, directly down from the highest point of the rock, just below the horizontal cleft in the rock. 

Update: This nest was lost and another begun, also with 3 eggs. I monitored mostly from the cove below but on June 24 climbed up the trail again and saw the new nest with 3 eggs. When I no longer saw BLOY from the cove, I climbed again on July 14 and BLOY and eggs were gone.

2021 Road's End Revisited

 A minus tide (-1.4) at 8:30 a.m. had me doing barn chores very early so I could get to Road's End. (It's a 45 minute drive from our farm.) I entered the cove at 7:50 a.m, after scrambling over boulders below the cliff... not much of an improvement over last week's boulder scramble higher up. Only a few people were in the cove when I arrived but by the time I left there were many... a decided down side to a minus tide.

South Rock left, Boot Rock in center, part of Middle Rock on right behind cliff

Middle Rock

BLOY guard post on Middle Rock

BLOY visible on Middle Rock guard post

At 8:07 it called and flew south and appeared at 8:12 on a foraging rock at the South foot of Boot Rock (the rock north of South Rock).

  However a Canada Goose flew over calling from the north and landed on top of South Rock. The BLOY called and flew back up to its Middle Rock guard post.

 

South Rock left with goose , Boot Rock Center, Middle Rock partly visible right

Goose on South Rock (The rock in front is an adjunct of South Rock that is surrounded by water except at low tides. South Rock usually has a stream of water separating it from the beach, but not always.)

 The guard BLOY was preening as I left shortly before 9. Lots of people in the cove then. The goose had settled down to stay when I left. If the South BLOY were anywhere around, I think they would have kept hidden while the goose was present. But I did not see them before the goose arrived either.

 

It was frustrating not to see a nest exchange on Middle Rock. I could not see any more at this minus tide than I did at last week's low tide, so I think the best thing to do is go in at a low tide and stay as long as possible. Fewer people there then, too, although the one visible BLOY seemed not concerned about little people on the beach far below.

I considered hiking in on the trail past The Knoll but I see they have moved the parking area another almost half a mile farther. So I am very grateful to Halle for monitoring from The Thumb!

2021 Road's End

 Since easy access to The Thumb, where I have monitored BLOY for many years, was not accessible last year, 2020, I gave the monitoring to someone else who was willing to hike the 4 mile round trip from a parking area for The Knoll. However, thanks to Covid and a narrow trail, she only made it in twice. So this year, I volunteered to send reports whenever I was able to access from below, in the cove that the nest rocks sit off of. However only the South Rock and Middle Rock are visible from the cove. In extreme low minus tides, the North Rock is distantly visible.

Today, April 21, 2021, I hiked the beach into the cove on a .2 tide. At this level tide, entry to the cove requires a scramble over large boulders at the base of the cliff. At a minus tide, I can sometimes walk below the cliff. Luckily, two BLOY were visible from the south side before I had to go into the cove. They were foraging on the exposed tidal rocks at the south end of the cove when I arrived at 1:10 p.m. Then sat down some distance from each other but within  sight of each other, I'm pretty sure. One called once that I heard.

Road's End beach with exposed tidal rocks and Polly Island in distance

BLOY on tidal rock

BLOY resting on tidal rock

2nd BLOY was on flat rock center of photo

2nd BLOY (close up rock not so flat!)

Both BLOY were in this camera view but I can't pick them out. They were in line of sight range of each other but not close together

Inside the cove: big rock in center is South Nest Rock. Middle Nest Rock is partly visible to right of rock landward of South Rock

Polly Island in middle distance. Edge of South Rock visible on right

Middle Rock Two BLOY are on left side of rock left of and above whitewash

Pair of BLOY center of photo from left to right, just below top of rock

View a little farther back to show bump at top of rock

Close-up of two BLOY together

This seems early for pairs to be in their nest vicinities. I'll try to check again before the end of April, tide permitting.