We have WATER!!  YAY!!  The rains did indeed refill our units!  I believe I heard a collective sigh of relief afterwards from humans, wildlife and the soil!!  However, the Canal system has lowered the Erie Canal in the areas around the Refuge.  It is usually done at this time of year for repairs and maintenance during the winter. That’s why it looks so different now.  Water is currently at regular levels and even higher in the areas around Northern Montezuma.  But that could change any day now.  FYI: “The NYS Canal Corporation runs the New York State Canal System, which includes the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca Canals.  Spanning 524 miles the waterway links the Hudson River with the Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain.” (www.canals.ny.gov)

     The Main Pool continues to have the greatest numbers and diversity of waterfowl.  Happily, we are seeing birds in Eaton and Benning Marshes again.  Woohoo!!   We consistently have 4 adult bald eagles hanging around the Main Pool area.  Also, sometimes the pair from May’s Point comes over the interstate to check things out.  If you are on the Wildlife Drive you may get to see the AMAZING spectacle of thousands of ducks and geese in the air when eagles fly over that unit!

     Yesterday while out on the Tschache Pool service road, we saw a group of common mergansers who seemingly had found a school of fish and were actively swimming around and diving to catch them.  As soon as a merganser came up with a fish, ring-billed gulls converged on it to steal the meal!!  HOLY COW, it was quite the drama!!

     On Friday, November 18 early bowhunting ends. Be aware that this coming Saturday, November 19, is “opening day” for firearms hunting of deer.  There will be way more people hunting in our area.  Please be super extra careful, especially when driving, as deer will be on the move, perhaps running and not paying attention to roads and vehicles.  Sometimes you may see people on the dikes in some of our units.  They may be hunters and have permission to be there. The Esker Brook and South Spring Pool Trails are now closed to hiking. The Seneca Trail currently is available for hiking and closed to hunting. If you are interested in exploring Northern Montezuma here is a statement from the DEC:

“Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area provides excellent opportunities for wildlife-dependent recreation year-round. However, birders and other recreationists should be aware that there will be a higher amount of hunting activity on the area on the opening weekend of the regular deer hunting season, which starts November 19th, 2022. Visitors can choose to wear fluorescent orange clothing during open hunting seasons while taking advantage of all the wonderful recreational opportunities the WMA has to offer.”

     I’m including pics of the mergansers and a gull, sandhill cranes that were in a field along East Road and some in the Visitors’ Center Wetland.  The cranes are being seen at Knox-Marsellus, East Road, VC Wetlands, Route 31 mucklands, and Armitage Road. They move around a lot!!  And sometimes the large group splits up and goes to different areas. The other pictures are hooded mergansers, mallards, northern pintails, a pied-billed grebe and the Clark’s Ridge bald eagles at their nest.  The last pic is of a wild mustard plant that has somehow survived the frosts.  Even though it is a non-native plant from Eurasia, in warmer weather its flowers are a good source of pollen and nectar making them good for pollinating insects. Furthermore, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi and brussels sprouts are all derived from wild mustard!  HOLY COW, I didn’t know that!!  They are in the cruciferous family or commonly known as cole crops!! That explains how it survived the cold!!

     Now that our Autumn splendor has definitely faded, we are seeing a lot of bare trees, typical of November.  Remember to keep looking for nests now that so many leaves have dropped. Let me know if you find any new eagle nests!!  Hopefully, you can get out to explore and experience our magical migration and the wonderful wildlife at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex trails, towers and the Refuge Wildlife Drive.   At the Refuge, dogs on a leash are only allowed in and around the Visitors’ Center and on the Seneca Trail.

ENJOY, be respectful and safe.