Spring has sprung!! We have a good diversity of ducks in the Main Pool. Also, in the past week there have been reports of Eurasian wigeon, long-tailed ducks, a horned grebe and a pair of red-breasted mergansers there as well! There has been a single tundra swan in Benning Marsh. There have been sightings of both yellowlegs and a dunlin in Benning Marsh but Linda and I saw just 1 lesser yellowlegs there on Tuesday. Keep an eye out as some Canada geese are on muskrat mounds incubating. Lots of ospreys are back and many bald eagle nests appear to have hatchlings! Our spillway eagle pair is not using the very convenient (for us) nest across the canal from the spillway. RATS!! There is a new nest that Allyn Paul discovered east of Benning Marsh between the Wildlife Drive and I-90. So, I think the spillway eagle pair has relocated to that nest. The nest can be seen from the VC decks with bins/scope as well as from various places along the Wildlife Drive near Eaton Marsh. Yesterday I received a pic of an eaglet in a nest in Northern Cayuga County. FANTASTIC!! The other pics are of the great egret that was in Benning Marsh on Sunday, a great blue heron in the Main Pool, sandhill cranes in Eaton Marsh, and an older pic of a tundra swan family in Eaton Marsh. I am including a picture of the rack with the Artistic Avian Abodes that are on display in the VC. They are “for sale” for a suggested donation of $15 each. However, many visitors and staff have donated more than $15 for each one!! Each mini birdhouse is uniquely decorated by a local artist or creative nature lover. All monies go to the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex to support projects in the Complex.
ENJOY, be respectful and safe,
Welcome back! I missed your blog and pictures while the Wildlife Road was closed. Since I volunteer at the MAC, I often use your info about where to find birds when visitors come in.
Thank you for your kind words. I am delighted that you can use the info when you are helping visitors at the MAC!
I missed the pictures. I enjoy learning the names of the birds for when my husband and I visit.
Hi, Jackie, 11 April, 2023
Becky & I have been out finding & re-finding osprey nests in the Cayuga Basin. Some Os returned early & some are still arriving. Her red notebook has locations of all the nests we know about & all has been shared with Candace Cornell who is coordinating the information.
On 7 April Becky & I checked the eagle nest in a tall tree along Mentz Church Rd. out of Montezuma & she confirmed seeing the Adults. I’m bad at hearing & remembering but I think she said she saw at least one eaglet. The nest is very clearly seen across a field in a tall tree at the end of a row of trees on the hill.
Have you found that nest? I believe we found it 2, maybe 3 yrs. ago.