Our heavy activity day started on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway in Cambridge, MD. I had it on my must-do list but I didn't realize until we started the drive that many of the sites are merely placards or locations where buildings used to be so there's not necessarily anything to see or visit. I've always been a huge fan of Harriet Tubman's ever since reading about her in elementary school. She was such a hero then and now. One reason to return to the area is that they're building and dedicating an entire center to Harriet Tubman, which is set to open in March 2017.
One of the few spots that we could visit and enjoy was the Long Wharf Park where we saw a replica of the Choptank River Lighthouse. This is where the ships would arrive carrying in slaves from Africa and when that practice was abolished it's where slaves from the region were carried away to be transported to slave owners farther south.
Blackwater was our next and last (self-imposed because there were many other stops we could've made on the Byway but chose to forego) site on the Underground Railground. If you can imagine it, runaway slaves trudged through the waters of the Refuge on their journey to freedom. They had to contend with bugs, wild animals, the very real danger of drowning, and of course, being tracked and caught.
I almost can't describe the magic of Blackwater. It's truly a world unto its own. There's a road going through and around the Refuge so you can see and sometimes hear that civilization isn't far away. But there were many times when we were the only car on the road and when we turned off the engine all we could hear were the sounds of nature. It felt as close to a safari experience as I can imagine.
It's a vast wilderness and haven to all kinds of animals. While there we saw egrets, great blue herons, Canadian geese, ducks, seagulls, ospreys, bald eagles, a woodpecker, bunnies, foxes, deer, turtles, and though we couldn't capture it on camera, we're pretty sure we saw a muskrat (or a similarly featured animal) scamper across the road.
A word to the wise - stop at the Visitor Center and talk to a ranger. I waited in the car while Evan did that but we both benefited from his sacrifice. He learned which driving routes to take for the best wildlife sightings and which spots to avoid. Another great tip - go during the day AND in the evening.That wasn't our original plan but our camera battery conked out toward the end of our afternoon foray and we hadn't done all of the driving route that the ranger had suggested. We returned to our Inn, charged the battery, and then went back out in time for the last remaining hours of daylight and sunset. It was spectacular and that's when we saw the most wildlife, especially the mammals.
An anecdote: I was initially happy to have our second fox sighting but then became sad when I realized it looked malnourished and maybe even ill. It seemed unnaturally interested in us and cars. At one point, our car and the car going in the opposite direction had to stop while the fox just stood in the middle of the road looking at both of us. It didn't seem at all afraid, like it should be. It even chased our car a bit as we drove away.
We had to come back that way and when I got out of the car to pick up some litter (all litterers disgust me but I'm especially disgusted by people who would actively choose to drive through a wildlife sanctuary to then throw their trash in what's meant to be a pristine and clean environment - JERKS), Evan spotted the fox again. It was only about 10-15 feet away so I got back in the car immediately. Just as before, it not only seemed perfectly calm in my presence, it seemed almost playful or friendly. As we slowly drove past it, it lied down on the side of the road with its head pressed down between its paws like a hungry/begging dog. I felt so sorry for it and I wondered if the same BONEHEADS who litter in the Refuge are also feeding wildlife like the fox, which is ILLEGAL and creates a dangerous dependence on man for food.
It weighed on me heavily, not only because the fox looked unhealthy but because I don't want it to get hit by a car. I sent an email to the main office about it but I don't know what the rangers can or would do about it. After doing some research online I saw something from the Humane Society of the United States that said if a fox is unnaturally friendly or seems tame it could be rabid or have mange. Due to the fox's physical appearance I'd guess that it could have the beginning stages of mange. It's treatable so I'd like to the think that a ranger could help it or refer it to a wildlife rehabilitator who could help it. *fingers crossed*
A non-update update: I followed up with a local (to the fox) wildlife rehabilitator and relayed my tale. She said she'd call the Refuge tomorrow morning and that it sounds like the fox has mange.
On to the pictures:
This is not the aforementioned fox. This was our first fox sighting and I'd say this was a pup or young fox born this spring.
A truly breath-taking experience. I'd love to go back to the Eastern Shore just for the Refuge but also to get some crab cakes since I couldn't do that on my sensitive stomach. There are also walking/hiking trails in the Refuge and under different circumstances, we definitely would've explored on foot. There were a lot of bugs, though! I didn't actually notice mosquitoes but there were physically BIG bugs that kept flying into our windows and hitting the windshield. I'm sure they would've been flying into us had we been trekking outside.
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