Spring has sprung and great things are happening all around the Wetlands Complex!! Tuesday, Allyn and I saw the sandhill crane colt in Eaton Marsh!! SO CUTE!!! I couldn’t get a pic as it was in dense vegetation, but we were able to get enough of a look to positively identify it! There has been a whole lot of attention to the great horned owlets that can be seen from the Seneca Trail and the beginning of the Wildlife Drive. That’s why there is often a traffic jam in that area lately. Our bald eagle eaglets are growing by leaps and bounds. Several are large with lots of dark brown feathers. A couple still have fuzzy gray feathers, but not for long. Last Friday we discovered 3 eaglets in the nest at the end of Van Dyne Spoor Road. The eaglet in Allyn’s nest, East of Benning Marsh, is large, dark brown and can be seen from the wildlife Drive. It appeared that many great blue herons have hatched. There were still some redheads, ring-necked, ruddy ducks and a few buffleheads on the Main Pool mixed in with some dabbler ducks. Often, American coots are hanging out near the Wildlife Drive providing great photo ops for visitors. Shorebirds and songbirds are migrating into our area and black terns are back flying around in Tschache Pool! Hopefully, you can get out soon to explore and experience all the amazing Spring happenings at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex trails, towers and the Refuge Wildlife Drive. Currently, the Wildlife Drive is only open for vehicles, no hiking or biking yet. Dogs on a leash are only allowed in and around the Visitors’ Center and on the Seneca Trail. The Seneca Trail is partially closed but the South Spring Pool and Esker Brook Trails are open.
Pic#1:great horned owlets seen from Seneca Trail, #2: immature bald eagles at Tschache Pool, #3: eaglet East of Benning Marsh, #4: eaglets in Seneca Trail nest (seen from Seneca-Cayuga Canal), #5: 3 eaglets in Van Dyne Spoor Road nest, #6: common mergansers at Tschache Pool, #7: double crested cormorants at Tschache Pool, #8: redhead in Main Pool seen from Wildlife Drive, #9: sleeping ruddy ducks in Main Pool seen from Wildlife Drive.
ENJOY, be respectful and safe.
Oh, My! As usual, Jackie, your photographs are amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Hi, Friend of many yrs.. …. Becky & I continue to check for ospreys & have found several new nests but we have found numerous nests unused.
Candace Cornell has extended HER area looking for Os to both sides of Seneca Lake … Becky nor I can do that. She has too many irons in the fire & is having to do more for me.
We were hoping to retire with the spring counts but Candace says we have to finish this yr..
Coming back from a jaunt on Mon. Becky spotted a new-to-us nest as we were crossing the 89 bridge at May’s. It appears to not be finished. What’s your info on that nest …. easily visible while on the west (?) side & not far from the bridge?
We also saw 2 eaglets on the Old Mentz Church Rd. nest which we spotted 3 or 4 yrs. ago.
I rarely get out much. Will be 91 next mo..
I never go down to Long Point SP without thinking of the very first spot & time we met LaRue over 30 yrs. ago when he told us about where to go to see the swans he had just seen. How can it be??? Now John has been gone over 2 yrs. since 19 Mar. 2022. The time comes to all of us.
May you have a blessed & loving Mother’s Day. fb