The Harbinger of Herring...

For the first time this year the extremely reliable precursor of the arrival of herring was spotted on Mill Pond - the aptly named Herring Gull!

Since I live beside Mill Pond and observe it year-round, I can tell you with certainty that the only time they are here is when the herring are running.

You can find them in two locations: at the top of the ladder where they just sit waiting for a herring to pass through the control gate [they fight over this spot] and also at the northerly end of the pond where the river enters - here a delta makes the water very shallow - and they just stand in the water waiting for a fish to go by.

Since the herring are most likely already in Prince Cove [scouts have been spotted just below Route 28] the gulls probably know this and since they aren't good at taking fish from open water, they come to Mill Pond and just wait for some easy pickings.

There were no herring in the run this morning, but I'd bet they are coming very soon...

The gulls, however, are completely upstaged by the Osprey. They put on an incredible show one afternoon last April when five were fishing at the same time at Mill Pond. It's amazing to watch them circle overhead and then when they spot a fish go into a feet-first dive into the water and then come up with a fish in their talons.

Stay posted here and we'll let you know when they're working Mill Pond this year.

Update: The water temperature here at 4:00pm was 44F - with a long ways to go before the herring will come.