The ducks and geese were trapped in the water unless they could fly away.

I try not to think of the food packaging, the drink containers, Styrofoam worm containers and wildlife-killing fishing line that will be left there by the great outdoorsmen.

In the preceding 6 years, I had 2 rabbit sightings. This year I’ve seen individuals at both ends of the park, and caught a couple of bunnies playing together in the grass. I wonder what has changed?

In the first week of the month when my daughter and I went to the north shore to clean up a dangerous mess of fishing line, we happened upon several toads – just the size of my fingernail.

Of course, as few times as I was there, on one occasion the noisome parks department tractor came through blowing the trash off the pavement into the woods and pond instead of cleaning it. So thrilled to see my tax dollars at work.

I asked what was going on, their representative said they were “working with the state” and looking for a motorcycle, built in 1962 that was purportedly driven into “a pond.” I expressed the wish they watch out for bird nests and wildlife. “Oh, there’s nests in there?” He seemed genuinely astonished at the idea. His companions sniggered.

“I hoped you were here to clean up the place.”

He laughed and replied, “I think that’s your job!”

Earlier today we found this turtle, which someone stomped to death. We have seen other small creatures crushed. It is great to have park rules and laws against this, but without actual enforcement. This continues.

Murdered Painted Turtle

This was the first sun in many days and there were 3 (painted) turtles soaking up rays. I’ve been alert for signs of nesting.

The last couple of days, even with clouds / low light, hermit thrushes have nearly fooled me into thinking they were cardinals, the plumage looks so red. They are beautiful. They seem have have cut back on their singing, and I miss that lovely trill.

New mushrooms are popping in response to the damp, – white ones and the showy orange-red caps.

This was the third day I saw no geese. There had been a steady census of 12 adults and 12 young (down from 15). Where have they gone?

I’ve been seeing a female wood duck with 4 ducklings fairly regularly, but I’m saddened not to see the male and because I counted 10 young initially.

Last week, I was seeing a mallard hen with 4-7 young at different spots. This week it’s been a single hen, accompanied by multiple males (5 today) but no babies.

I’ve had some interaction with park employees and they actually followed up promptly. On Monday 6/7 someone removed a grate on road and leaving a hazard (the miscreants shoved a trash barrel down there). They also cleared a horrible trashing of the children’s play area, -which was far more than my daughter and I could handle ourselves. – So I’m happy to report something positive about maintenance.

This morning, I rolled out early to beat the heat and expected a pretty nice walk. So I come through the gate…and yes, the dead chicken, outside the box now, is still there on the ground next to the barrel. I took another picture, but it is too gross to post.

None of the trash has been emptied (the Chicopee end barrel has been full since Friday, which I also reported.) —So here’s the punch line, — as I was leaving park, a white-haired employee was riding a noisy, smelly, mower was jockeying around at the edge of the field. [Yeah, carcasses can decay, trash can overflow, tires and plastic can fill the ponds.....but the grass gets cut.]

Yesterday I walked with my daughter and her boyfriend. As we came in the south gate and approached the view of the water under the pines, I saw large piece of blue trash, as I got closer, I saw more and went about my clean-up. The kids followed me down toward the shore and I heard a quiet, “Oh, no.” My daughter recognized a dead chick on the ground, its body being scavenged.

I’m always afraid of the animals being entangled in fishing line (as happened to at least one gosling last year), but there was no visible clue to cause of death. My daughter stated a natural predator would have eaten the goose, so what killed it? –No CSI here. No care for wild things from those appointed to ‘care’ for city resources.

Additional: That barbecue grill someone left two Sundays ago is still here, though I thought it gone, it was just moved behind a bush and no longer visible from the track. Oh yeah, the box with the headless chicken in it —still there, right on Armory Street.

Found evidence of animal cruelty, too which I’ve reported before here, -and through phone calls to the park rangers. Below, is a cardboard box with the body of dead chicken inside. The green string appears to have been used to behead the bird.

More animal cruelty