The Main Pool continues to have oodles of babies – baby grebes (mostly), coots and gallinules!! I saw and got pics of the common gallinule family very close to the Wildlife Drive again. I saw the male ring-necked duck yesterday. I haven’t seen it in a while. There were a lot of black terns in the Main Pool as well. I get the best look and count of them from the Seneca Trail Tower. I was lucky yesterday as a bunch of them were “dive bombing” something in the cattails, probably a black crowned night heron. There were a lot of terns and a lot of commotion!!
We saw one of the first-year bald eagles in a tree east of Benning Marsh. I often see anywhere from 1 to 4 eagles in the area of the nest. With your bins slowly search the trees in that area. Sometimes they are out in the open and sometimes they are tucked back in the shade of a tree. Good luck!!
The Sandhill Crane Unit along Van Dyne Spoor Road is another place to find and enjoy our babies!! The east end of the road usually has loads of babies. American coots stole the show yesterday but there were also baby gallinules and grebes as well.
All day Monday I only found 1 Canada goose in the Visitors’ Center Wetland which resembles a grassland currently. However, after the thunder storm there were 2 great blue herons, 2 bucks in velvet and a doe. COOL!!
Tschache Pool heron rookery is basically empty. The young have fledged and there is no need for nests until the next breeding season. Down in the marsh there were lots great blue herons and great egrets.
Swamp rose mallow is blooming in many areas around the Refuge! The flowers are absolutely gorgeous!! There are also a lot of the woodland sunflowers with beautiful yellow flowers!!
This week’s sound challenge is wood duck. Remember that the Merlin folks have changed the format some. Now, “Sound ID” is the first option when you open the app. However, you are going to go to the bottom of the screen and choose “Explore,” then touch the search symbol and type in wood duck. The first choice is mostly what I hear around the Refuge. Wood ducks nest at Montezuma and we have seen many wood duck broods this summer! Most of the ducks I have seen in the Main Pool lately have been wood ducks!! ENJOY!!
Hopefully, you can get out soon to explore the REALLY COOL and BEAUTIFUL things at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex trails, towers and the Refuge Wildlife Drive.
Pic #1: common gallinule family Main Pool, #2: common gallinule family Main Pool, #3: common gallinule family Main Pool, #4: great blue heron rookery Tschache Pool, #5: swamp rose mallow Wildlife Drive, #6: woodland sunflowers Wildlife Drive.
ENJOY, be respectful and safe.
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