We had another really wonderful weather day yesterday for our survey! We so enjoyed having Marsela, our Visitor Services Intern, with us again. Her enthusiasm, knowledge and love of nature was awesome. In addition, she is trying to learn as many new plants and birds as possible before she goes back to college in a few weeks. We are lovin’ the opportunity to “teach”!!
We started our day out on Van Dyne Spoor Road to survey the Sandhill Crane Unit. There was not much to see or hear at the west end of the unit, except for several sections of the electric lines that were densely lined with swallows! When we got down to the east end there was some water and a bunch of great birds! The two belted kingfishers were up on the wires at that end. Also, almost every electric pole had a ring-billed gull perched on top. There was a willow flycatcher on a wire running northward from the east end of the road. It’s distinctive “fitz bew”ing caught our attention. I also got a picture of an American goldfinch gathering the downy seed fluff from a plant, most likely for nest building. According to NestWatch, their peak nesting is late July through early August. I am including pictures of an American coot family and a great blue heron, both seen in the Sandhill Crane Unit. The great blue heron is showing much striping on its front. Allaboutbirds.org said that usually great blues have most of their adult plumage at around 2 years, but some will not have all of their adult feathers until their fourth spring. So it looks like this bird is a young’un!
We found shorebirds in the slough just before Larue’s Lagoon again, a few in Larue’s and in the Main Pool. Just like Tuesday, something flushed a couple hundred shorebirds way out in the unit. They were up and flying so we could get an estimate. We couldn’t determine what may have flushed them but we were glad to get eyes on them! There were also some shorebirds in the Main Pool near the Wildlife Drive in the section across from Seneca Flats and on up toward the spillway.
There are plenty of baby/tween/teen coots, gallinules and grebes in the Crane Unit and the Main Pool. We have been seeing them also from May’s Point Observation Deck, but we didn’t check it yesterday. We found the sandhill crane family in the Main Pool across the drive from the north end of Larue’s. There were also 35 great egrets in the Main Pool. WooHoo!!
Benning Marsh has been mowed and disced. Eaton Marsh has been drawn down to allow the staff to work in it. These units, like the Visitors’ Center Wetland are works in progress. Only time will tell if Mother Nature will cooperate or foil the best laid plans! In the meantime, be sure to check out the amazing flowering plants in the units, along the Wildlife Drive, Van Dyne Spoor Road and throughout the Wetlands Complex. If you haven’t seen the flowering swamp rose-mallow, it is worth a trip. It is spectacular!! There is still pickerel weed, evening primrose and sunflowers to name a few.
Hopefully, you can get out soon to explore and experience all the amazing things at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex trails, towers and the Refuge Wildlife Drive. Remember, the Refuge Wildlife Drive is open to hikers and cyclists as well as cars. Dogs on a leash are only allowed in and around the Visitors’ Center and on the Seneca Trail.
ENJOY, be respectful and safe.
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