FYI: masks are still required in the Visitors’ Center due to the high COVID rate in Seneca County.
I hope your Friday the 13th went as well as mine. Instead of having bad things happen, a whole bunch of cool things played out at the Refuge yesterday!! Before 8AM I had a life bird!! Yup, I saw the curlew sandpiper in the Visitors’ Center Wetlands on my way in for our survey. Woohoo, great way to start the day!! It is still being reported there this morning. There was also a Wilson’s phalarope in the same area. I’m sure glad I knew I was looking for a phalarope as I would have had trouble figuring out what it was at first. I am accustomed to seeing them swimming and spinning in the water. This one was feeding like a yellowlegs!! Holy cow, that was different! There are two Wilson’s phalaropes reported in the VC Wetland this morning!!
When we were out on the Wildlife Drive just south of the spillway, I saw dozens of large birds flying out over the cattails towards Maple Island. Maple Island is the forest that is seen to the left (west) of the Wildlife Drive along the section that is parallel to the Seneca-Cayuga Canal. I got my bins on them and they all were black crowned night herons!! Something must have flushed them up out of the cattails.
At the Seneca Spillway, there were some shorebirds in the shallow water and vegetation, just north of it, on the Main Pool side. There was also a great blue heron trying to swallow a HUGE fish. We watched it struggle for several minutes but couldn’t wait for it. We also saw one glossy ibis in the pool by the eagle sculpture.
From Tschache Tower there, of course, were LOTS of great blue herons on the nests and flying to and from them. There appears to be a trumpeter swan on a muskrat mound. I am hoping she is there next week and she is incubating eggs!!
From the East Road Overlook we saw 13 sandhill cranes. Two were on the east dike, two flew in from the south and landed on the north dike and there were 9 standing out in the shallow water in the middle of the unit. Otherwise, Knox was pretty quiet. We didn’t see any birds over in Puddler Marsh.
It looks like we have some rain coming tomorrow and Monday, but I hope you can get out to explore the Montezuma Wetlands Complex trails, towers and Wildlife Drive. It would be fun if you get to see our current bird celebrities!!
The pictures are of the curlew sandpiper, Wilson’s phalarope and great blue heron with a fish.
ENJOY, be respectful and safe.
I so enjoy your reports on what you’ve seen and the pictures that you send. I made a trip through the wildlife drive last week and liked the many birds I saw. I hadn’t been there in a few years…have to go more often!
Thanks for the pictures and info. Helps me when I ride through.
Thank you for letting me know that you enjoy my pictures and that you find my info helpful. The Wetlands Complex is a truly wonderful place with much to experience. I am thrilled to be able to share it with you.