Yesterday we surveyed the Sandhill Crane Unit from Van Dyne Spoor Road, Knox-Marsellus Marsh from the East Road Overlook and the Esker Brook Trails.  One of the highlights from Van Dyne Spoor Road was what appeared to be a killdeer family in the road.  There were still pied-billed grebe babies at the east end of the road in the Sandhill Crane Unit.  We also found beautiful water lilies in bloom in several locations. The number of great egrets is increasing in Knox-Marsellus Marsh.  We saw a pair of trumpeter swans with cygnets and there was a couple of hundred ducks (mostly mallards) as well.

We started out on the Orchard Trail at the Esker Brook Trails and discovered what may have been a recent hatch of ebony jewelwing damselflies. We struggled with the identification because our books said their bodies should be fluorescent green but they looked blue. Maybe it was the light.  Feel free to chime in and correct me if we have made a misidentification. Their bodies looked blue and they had black wings. They seemed to be everywhere and would flit and flutter along the trails. In a couple of places we came upon large rocks on the side of the trail that Pete referred to as an erratic. He said, “Essentially, an erratic is debris (large, medium, small) plucked out of Northern New York and Canada by the advancing glacier.  When the climate warms and the ice retreats, everything the glacier was carrying is left behind in a VERY unsorted fashion.  Erratics can be found just about anywhere and are easy to identify because they bear no resemblance to the bedrock in the location in which they’re found. Glacial erratic: https://g.co/kgs/VQduY4.”  Thanks, Pete!!  Overall, The Esker Brook Trails were not very birdy, but the trails are easy to hike and enjoy.  The trail on the south side of the pond was wet in places, thanks to the recent rains.  Dogs are not allowed on the Esker Brook Trails and insect repellent is highly recommended!

It was brought to my attention that there might be a dead purple martin in a compartment in one of the purple martin houses.  Chuck met me there to check on it.  The purple martin colony did not at all approve of our presence.  They loudly squawked and dive-bombed us the whole time we were working!!  We did indeed find a deceased female purple martin. However, the absolutely FANTASTIC news is that her mate must be caring for the babies, because they were alive and warm.

The weather forecast is for a cool, mostly rain-free weekend. Hopefully you can get out soon to explore the REALLY GREAT stuff at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex trails, towers and the Refuge Wildlife Drive.  Remember, the Refuge Wildlife Drive is now 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.