Nantucket Night Hikes
IT'S DIVINE: HUMMOCK POND AT NIGHT
This week, The Nantucket Independent

continues a summer series entitled

Night Hikes. This series will help you

to discover the island's natural world as the light of day fades into nighttime.

At dusk, while some Nantucket critters

bed down for the evening, the night shift of birds, reptiles, amphibians, animals,

fish and insects emerge, looking for food, love and vocal chord exercise.

Stars come out, planets glow and sparkle and as the air cools, a whole

new world opens up.

Less destination-oriented and much

more of a what's-out-there guide, we will also share with you what there is to

see, hear and feel out in Nantucket's

harbors, saltmarshes and ponds. If you are any kind of respectable outdoor enthusiast on Nantucket, you've already hiked the trails at Sanford Farm backwards and forwards.

While doing so, you undoubtedly looked longingly to the east at the ribbon of brackish water hemmed in by rushes known as Hummock Pond and pondered what it's like to explore that wonderland of aquatic life. Maybe you actually had the gumption to paddle a canoe or kayak up the length of it and out to the ocean.

But I'll bet, unless you're a pond fisherman, you didn't go out at night.

For explorations, day or night, Nantucket's ponds are the most underutilized wild areas of the island. There are pond dwellers who sail sunfish, row boats and captain small outboard motorboats on Hummock Pond, but not so much that it feels crowded with traffic. Although I occasionally see at least one other vessel on this pond, more often than not, it's just the mute swans and me.

At dusk and into the evening, however, don't expect to see a soul. But then, isn't that why you're out there in the first place? What you will see, and hear, is wildlife. Forget all the craziness of town and paddle into the night on Hummock Pond.

The Head of Hummock is the ideal put-in place. It is a small pond accessed by the Madaket Road end of Millbrook Road that is connected to Hummock Pond by a ditch through the cattails. Millbrook Road is 1.1 miles from the start of Madaket Road at Caton Circle.

Find Head of Hummock at the end of a public way beginning roughly where Millbrook Road curves sharply to the left, .2 of a mile from Madaket Road. A concrete post with the words "public way" chiseled into it at the start of a driveway opposite a black mailbox with the number eight on it marks the road. Go straight here, driving slowly down the gravel road. Just before the dirt boat ramp down to the pond, you'll find a small parking area on the right with room for three cars. Park here and do not proceed to the end of the road, as it is a driveway to private property on the pond. Also, be respectful of the houses near the pond by playing your car stereo at lower levels and not littering.

Try to get on the water about an hour before sunset so you can make it out to the ocean end of the pond and learn the landmarks for the darker return paddle, but take your time to enjoy the sights and sounds along the way.

At the south end of Head of Hummock is the opening to a ditch supposedly dug by Native Americans to trap herring in this small pond. You'll use this narrow channel through the cattails to reach Hummock Pond. As a guide, keep the osprey nest pole up on the Sanford Farm property on your right.

The ditch winds through the fens and out the northern end of Hummock Pond, but don't be in a rush to get down this magical water trail. Keep your eyes open for painted turtles scampering into the water from logs and the muddy shoreline and snapping turtles ambling into the depths at the first sight or sound of your passing. Also, black-crowned night herons - herons with short legs and stunted tail plumage - come out at dusk to fish the shallow edges of the pond. You'll see them roosting in low trees, bushes and along the shores, and you'll hear them making a "quok…quok…quok" call when startled or flying.

Also, in the fading light at this time of year, you'll see several species of dragonflies darting around the edges of the ditch and the pond, often landing briefly on your boat for a rest. By my best guesses, I think I've seen Northern bluet dragonflies and the Eastern pondhawk.

Once out on Hummock Pond, you'll get a much better view of the aerial stage where bank swallows dance. Swooping and gliding and darting after flying insects, these expert fliers are a joy to watch, as they show no fear of dipping within inches of the water and just feet from you and your boat.

Twice in my paddling trips up and down Hummock Pond, I've encountered white-tailed deer swimming across the narrowest section of the pond. You'll find this part of the Hummock shortly after getting out onto the pond, and if you paddle close to the towering, whooshing phragmites, you'll see the little animal trails cutting into the vegetation and heading inland.

Getting to the beach is simple: follow the pond and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. Get there with enough fading light and you'll get to see the first stars coming out. The way home is easy as long as you choose a clear night with a bright moon. If you're feeling lost, follow the east shore with the houses on it, some of which will be lit up, and when you get near the inland end of the pond, remember that the ditch is on the left side of this end of the pond. Once back in Head of Hummock, the gravel boat ramp is just north of the house on the east side of the pond after a

stand of cattails. I

Have a great night!

NIGHTWANDERINGS 101

Before venturing out into the night, it's a good idea to heed basic safety and personal comfort advice.

Bring a good flashlight and a compass and/or GPS (global positioning system) unit that are easy to carry if you get butterflies when the sun goes down. Maps of the island properties owned by the Nantucket Islands Land Bank and Nantucket Conservation Foundation will aid your wanderings, as will a copy of my book, "Walking Nantucket."

Choose a bug repellent that works for you, and lather up before you head out. Pay particular attention to your legs, ankles and booted feet. While it is the biting, winged bugs you want to fend off because of their immediate itchy sting, by far the most critical defense should be against deer ticks that carry Lyme disease, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis.

If you can, stuff your pants into your socks - although that may not be practical in warmer weather - and apply repellent. If you wear shorts, the more repellent the better, on your legs and ankles. And when you get home, check your body for ticks.

When paddling at dusk and into the early evening, have a loud whistle and strobe light attached to your life preserver. Turn the strobe on after the light fades or during foggy conditions. Be sure to tell someone where you are going and when you plan to return.

Take plenty of water and snacks. Always bring all trash back with you, and any that you care to pick up along the way.

- Peter B. Brace