The week of Thanksgiving usually marks a significant turn in the weather and this year is no different. While we have not had any real cold or big amount of snow yet. The change is obvious to everyone. The ground is white, making it look like the coming season. The national weather service has a great site that shows snow depths across New England http://www.erh.noaa.gov/nerfc/graphics/snowmaps/html/snow_depth.html
I spent the last few days guiding sea duck hunters. It is always rewarding to spend some time on the ledges and see what is going on out there. The weather is usually a very big part of my life but it dominates sea duck hunts. We had strong wind for a couple of days that kept us from the outer islands and ledges but Saturday was perfect. We had little wind until noon or so. A three foot swell left over from the wind of the previous few days kept it interesting.
Went on a scouting trip in the Lower Saint George River yesterday to see if there were any ducks around. There were a good number and a variety of species including the first Ruddy Ducks that I have ever seen in Maine. When I first graduated from college and worked at Brigantine National Wildlife refuge Ruddy ducks were not common but you saw them frequently enough that it was not a surprise. These were together almost in mid river confused I’m sure. I was with another guide who had never seen one. One of the best parts about my job is the unusual things that I see.
