We participated in a black tern survey yesterday. The Refuge staff was hoping to get an overall number of terns in the Main Pool by paddling out and having us count from the Wildlife Drive. It was great in theory but due to the high vegetation out in the Main Pool and the terns staying quite low, we didn’t see many from the Drive. RATS!! But, the paddlers did from their positions and came up with about 35 for their efforts! Our count of 23 was from the Seneca Trail Tower a little bit later. A by-product of the tern survey was that we counted 29 black-crowned night herons that they kicked up out there!! REALLY COOL!!
From the Wildlife Drive, along the Seneca-Cayuga Canal, we found a pair of adult bald eagles perched in a tree. One was calling all the time we were doing the tern survey. Around the corner near Benning Marsh, we found one of the fledgling bald eagle eaglets. It was in the top of a tree kicking up quite a fuss. I suspect it was hungry and was encouraging its parents to bring food. After a short while it flew to the empty nest. However, no adults arrived with food. Further along the Drive (near the eagle sculpture) we found the mama redhead duck and her one duckling.
While I was photographing the adult eagles I looked up and saw the Goodyear Blimp traveling eastward. A Google search told me it was heading to Connecticut for a PGA event. It is amazing what can be seen from the Wildlife Drive!!
The Sandhill Crane Unit, along Van Dyne Spoor Road, is a fabulous place to see birds, especially babies. From the comfort of your vehicle, the babies and parents can easily be seen with binoculars. Most of the babies in the Main Pool are currently pretty far from the Drive, requiring a spotting scope. Toward the West end of Van Dyne Spoor Road we found a sandhill crane family with a colt!! FINALLY, my first colt of the season!! WOOHOO!! Later, on the way back to the refuge office, we checked out the East Road Overlook for cranes and found two adults with their colt!! WOW, two in one day!! Also, toward the west end of Van Dyne Spoor Road, we heard Virginia rails in two locations. We couldn’t see them but we sure did hear them!! I recommend for you to stop your vehicle and connect your Merlin app/Sound Id. If Merlin picks up the calls, then listen carefully and note when the app highlights (in yellow) the rails. We heard two different calls for them. If there are no rail calls there, move a little further down the road and try again. Good luck and have FUN!! At the East end of Van Dyne Spoor Road we found an American coot family on a low muskrat mound, a trumpeter swan and some pied-billed grebes and their babies to name a few.
Remember, although this week’s sound challenge may not be much of an actual challenge, I hope you are enjoying it anyway. In Merlin, choose explore birds, type in Red-winged blackbird. The first choice is what I hear all over the Refuge and at home. But also check out the 6th and 10th calls since there is a variety that they use. We heard all those calls yesterday during our survey.
For June 27 and 30 there will be surveys, but no write ups. Survey results will be posted in the sunroom and on the desk at the Visitors’ Center. There will not be a survey on July 4th.
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.
Pic #1: adult bald eagles, #2: fledgling bald eagle, #3: mama redhead duck with duckling, #4: blimp, #5 & #6: American coot family, #7: trumpeter swan, #8: sandhill crane colt, #9: sandhill crane family, #10: sandhill crane adult.
ENJOY, be respectful and safe.
great pictures