Joann Merritt's Essays

Memories Of Rocky Sock Ridge
January, 2007

Rocky Sock Ridge, known henceforward as RSR, was formed during the Great Road Construction Age of the 1960s. Caliche for use as road bases was being excavated from Adams Quarry when Midland’s 1967 flood filled (Yea, overflowed!) the quarry halting work until the water could be pumped out. To prevent a recurrence of this problem a dam, which became known as RSR, was constructed.

The view to the south from RSR is the Gallinule Pond and overflow area where there were large native willows and salt cedars. The Canary Grass that grew in the overflow area had up to five-inch heads filled with small black seeds and from atop RSR we could observe Lazuli, Indigo and Painted Buntings as they fed on these seeds which by chance (or by nature’s plan?) mature just in time for spring migration. North of the ridge was a veritable forest of Siberian Elm trees, and the understory of this forest was perfect habitat for the male American Redstart who helped deplete the insect population in May of 1994.

In rainy years water stood in the overflow area and from our vantage point on RSR we have seen Wood Ducks swimming quietly in the shallows. By cautiously peeking over the ridge we watched a Sora pick its way along the water’s edge for several weeks. The only recorded Clark’s Grebe for Midland County was found in Gallinule Pond by Don and me as we walked on RSR one Sunday afternoon. Being camouflaged by the trees enabled us to observe the grebe without causing it to take flight so we slowly retreated, the hurried home to call fellow birders.

Night Herons startled us and vice-versa as they noisily exited the elm trees where they slept. One spring day as we neared the west end of RSR a male Parula Warbler flew into view displaying his breeding plumage to perfection then in the fall two Townsend’s Warblers busily gleaned insects from the leaves. Our elevated view permitted us to see field marks other than the underside of birds. Pity the poor Long-eared Owl who thought he was secure from prying eyes as he roosted on a limb toward the top of an elm. On the approximately ten foot high RSR we came eyeball to eyeball with this stately owl. We stared at each other, but the owl blinked first and flew away.

In 1992 RSR was inaccessible for many weeks because of heavy rains that produced huge weeds and innumerable mosquitoes. At least we assumed so until a Warbling Vireo was heard singing somewhere along the ridge. His song lured Rose Marie, Frances and me to the west end where we started tromping our way through weeds over our heads while Don used long-handled nippers and even a machete in an attempt to clear a trail from the more heavily overgrown east end. By Golly, we walked that ridge and we found that vireo, later confirming the first nesting record of a Warbling Vireo for Midland County.

Inaccessible? Nonsense!

RSR is the north boundary of The Pits (the old Adams Quarry) which is a familiar location to long-time MIDNATS. The ridge is so named because years ago Grandson Rocky ripped off his sock’s raveled cuff which was bothering him, and threw it into a tree beside the path. His sock hung there a year or so before we coined the phrase “Rocky Sock Ridge”. The name made it much more fun to walk and bird there. Midnats were exhorted to “Come get high with us, bird Rocky Sock Ridge!!”

January 2007 update: After the Sock Incident occurred, Rocky’s blue-striped cuff clung tenaciously to its branch home for 19 years before becoming rotten and falling onto the dirt below. Midland’s many years of drought caused the trees on this once great birding place to meet the same rotten fate as the sock did until eventually the ridge resembled a wooden Stone Henge. Recent strong winds huffed and puffed and blew the sock tree down across the ridge prompting Rocky to exclaim “Grandma! It’s the end of a dynasty!” then he quickly offered to furnish another sock. We have had so much fun and such good birding at this place in the past 20 years that we’re accepting Rocky’s offer. Perhaps a new forest will grow to replace the old one and birds, as well as birders, will once again visit Rocky Sock Ridge.