I didn’t do a write up last week due to the blowing snow and high winds shutting my survey down. I will share what I have seen since then.

Last Friday, I counted almost 300 Bonaparte’s gulls in the Main pool with Caspian terns and other gulls. Later we had a very cooperative short-eared owl on the north side of Van Dyne Spoor Road across from the Sandhill Crane Unit. On Sunday, I watched a great blue heron swallow a large fish. I was able to get a series of pics. Also, a beaver swam parallel to the Wildlife Drive in the area along I-90. That was a surprise. I have seen very few beavers at the Refuge over the years. On warmer days we have enjoyed listening to the Northern leopard frogs from the VC deck. Yesterday, we were driving on the Wildlife Drive just past Seneca Flats, when I saw an amazing encounter.  An immature bald eagle was harassing an osprey with a fish making quite a commotion.  There was an adult bald eagle perched in a tree on the east side of the Seneca-Cayuga Canal. All-of-a sudden, the adult seemed to shoot out of the tree like a rocket and flew towards the osprey.  The osprey had been evading the immature pretty well, but apparently felt intimidated by the oncoming adult. It dropped the fish and the adult bald eagle caught it mid-air!! I have seen countless immature bald eagles chasing ospreys with fish but every other time when the fish was dropped, it fell back into the water. Neither bird got the fish!! HOLY COW!! FANTASTIC sighting for me!!

Pic#1: Boneparte’s gulls, Main Pool; #2: short-eared owl, Van Dyne Spoor Road; #3, 4, 5 & 6: great blue heron sequence, Main Pool; #7: beaver, Main Pool; #8: female hooded merganser, Main Pool.

Hopefully, you can get out soon to explore the REALLY COOL and BEAUTIFUL things at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex trails, Tschache tower, observation decks and the Refuge Wildlife Drive.  Dogs on a leash are only allowed in and around the Refuge Visitors’ Center and on the parts of the Seneca Trail that are open to hikers.

ENJOY, be respectful and safe.