High water is still impacting most units. It is amazing to think that two months ago Shorebird Flats was our “hot spot” with ducks, geese, shorebirds and long-legged waders. Yesterday there were no birds to be found there. The water level is at least 2 feet higher than normal. I can’t be more accurate because the gauge is under water!! The Main Pool has lots of ducks however, they are still way out towards Maple Island. They can be seen from the Seneca Trail Tower (best viewing is with a scope). Many American coots are hanging out in the vegetation along the Wildlife Drive. So, there is something cool to see on the drive. They are fun to watch swimming around picking at the vegetation. I am including some pictures of the high water between the Wildlife Drive and the Seneca-Cayuga Canal. A belted kingfisher flew from its perch on the chain link fence at the spillway as we approached. Based on its chatter, it may not have been happy with our presence! I saw a rough-legged hawk kiting then dropping down into the cattails at one point! It could be the same rough-legged that has been seen of late.
Knox-Marsellus Marsh had thousands of Canada geese, and hundreds of ducks. Many ducks are in the less deep water along the west edge of the unit, putting them closer to the East Road Overlook. When we were approaching the north dike of Puddler we flushed 19 sandhill cranes out of the vegetation north of the unit. On Monday morning, there were three sandhill cranes on the north Puddler dike when I did my survey from the East Road Overlook prior to opening the Visitors’ Center. This morning Alyssa, from the MAC, reported groups of cranes on both sides of the road, east of the flooded fields on Armitage Road and west of the Route 89 intersection. She also reported that there are still over 100 tundra and trumpeter swans in the flooded fields on Armitage Road. She advises to “stay in your car (use your directional signals and pull to the side of the road if you’re going to come to a stop) but they’re sensitive it seems and as soon as a human shows themselves, the swans move back or fly off.” Great advice, please be respectful of wildlife. Remember, they are travelling great distances and need to rest and feed before they can continue their journeys.
We surveyed the Visitors’ Center Wetland early in the day so our numbers were low. But as I have said before, late morning and all afternoon there are usually huge numbers of geese and dozens of ducks. I did not see the snow geese and Ross’s goose on Monday. The weather was awful until late and numbers were low all day. However, yesterday, late morning, the famous three showed up again. Also, in the early afternoon a birder found a cackling goose in the mix! Both Chuck and I checked it out and agreed with her identification. An amazing find considering the number and density of the geese out there!!
ENJOY, be respectful and safe.
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