WHERE ARE ALL THE DUCKS?!! The Visitors’ Center Wetland is our current “Hot Spot” and that is because it has the least amount of water right now!! An experienced birder found an eclipse male Eurasian Wigeon in the unit yesterday afternoon. Eleven sandhill cranes spent most of the day in the VC Wetland on Monday. There was a male whitetail deer on the west edge of the VC Wetland on Monday morning as well. Many of the birds that come to Montezuma want wet areas but not necessarily tons of water!! Many of our birds, shorebirds, dabbler ducks, geese and swans need shallow water and mud to get some of their preferred foods (invertebrates). Due to the crazy high water in the Main Pool, many ducks are WAY out closer to Maple Island where the water is less deep. Most of the ducks we counted yesterday were those that we could see from the Seneca Trail tower. The high water contributed to opening up the vegetated areas of the Main Pool, but the high water also pushed the ducks away from the Wildlife Drive. Holy Cow, we can’t win!!
We didn’t survey Knox-Marsellus Marsh yesterday but it had ducks, geese and swans on Monday. Yesterday afternoon an experienced birder found a red-necked phalarope at Knox. Even with the higher water levels there are still great things to see and experience at the Refuge!!
ENJOY, be respectful and safe.
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