DUCKS ARE US, TIMES 10!! Last week hundreds of tundra swans arrived and this week oodles of diver ducks joined them on the Main Pool. It is truly MAGNIFICENT to see thousands of ducks, geese and swans out there!! As you drive along the Wildlife Drive and lower your vehicle’s window you can hear the tundra swans, Canada geese, mallards, American Wigeons, gadwalls, American coots and occasionally sandhill cranes!! It is a magical, Montezuma symphony that is worth the trip to experience firsthand. Use your Merlin app to help you sort out who’s who!!
You have probably noticed that our AMAZING Autumn grandeur has fallen to the ground and we are left with lots of bare trees. That might cause some sadness but it ushers in a time when we get a glimpse of what our wildlife has been doing “behind the scenes (leaves)” this summer! Mother Nature is revealing bird, wasp and squirrel nests. One new nest of note is a new bald eagle nest at May’s Point. It can now be seen from the May’s Point Observation Deck!! Go to the left end of the deck and view from left to right. You will first see the new nest and if you keeping looking further to the right the original nest will come into view. Both can easily be seen with binoculars. Only time will tell which nest our eagle pair will choose to use next season. You can help me monitor these nests now that you know where to look! ENJOY!!
FYI: 1) The Esker Brook and South Spring Pool trails are currently closed for hiking. The Seneca Trail at the Visitors’ Center area is still open for hiking and dog (on a leash) walking. 2) Also, on Friday, November 10, I am giving a bald eagle presentation at the Ovid Public Library at 11:30 AM. Some of you have seen it before, however, it has been updated to include Tina Milburn Morris who developed the “hacking” program that was used to reintroduce bald eagles to Montezuma. The librarian told me that a veteran is going to drive a small military tank to the library that morning. Come on over to check it out!! 3) Pete is giving two more guided nature walks at the Refuge, November 11 and 25 at 11AM.
Hopefully, you can get out to explore and experience the awesome, magical migration at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex trails, towers and the Refuge Wildlife Drive.
Pic #1: bald eagle pair Sandhill Crane Unit (note band on leg of near bird), #2: new bald eagle nest at May’s Point, #3: mallards Main Pool, #4: male hooded mergansers Main Pool, #5: female common merganser Main Pool, #6: Esker Brook Trail closure, #7: Pete’s Guided Nature Walks info.
ENJOY, be respectful and safe.
Spectacular photo of the two eagles, Jackie. Is the banded eagle a “local” (one that nested here) or a migrant?
It is difficult to say given the time of year and the fact that when the eagles left the tree they didn’t fly towards the nest. (That scenario would have made an answer much easier and definitive!!) However, this pair was in the vicinity of an active nest. I think if eagles, other than the pair associated with that nest, were that close to the established pair’s territory they would be chased away. Yet, I have discovered in a few areas around the Wetlands Complex that eagle pairs have tolerated each other’s nesting relatively close to each other. Sorry, I can’t say one way or the other.