Can you see the BIG SIGN in the sky over the Bottoms welcoming the birds and critters back to the marsh after such a long dry spell? It is for real! There is water at sufficient levels to support the migration and lifestyle of the marsh inhabitants! You can feel the joy and relief when you visit. Take the tour!
The deer have maintained a presence even during the drought. Raccoons were also present, but mostly nocturnal. Now I have a little raccoon friend that has a specific territory and grins at me every time I drive by—he is getting chubby!
We miss Kim and Gene. Their happy retirement will serve them well. Please welcome Hunter Hanzlick to the marsh to join Jason and the crew. How lucky are we to have such terrific people caring for our precious place! Strong, smart, happy management makes for a successful wetland. We are grateful!
Don’t miss the birds! The Franklin Gulls are here! They migrate from Canada to the coast of Chile and Peru in winter. We get about 80-90 percent of the world’s population through the Bottoms every year. That just amazes me. I didn’t see very many during the dry period—they must have alternate routes on their GPS. There are hundreds of egrets—all three species! The Great Egret is tall and stately, the Snowy Egret is shorter and cranky by nature with black legs, and the Cattle Egret has an orange crest and follows the herd. Keep your eyes open as you approach the marsh for the cattle egrets. They are eating insects that the cattle stir up while grazing. Fun to watch! There are hundreds of Great Blue Herons. Tall, stately, eyes focused on the water in front of them—they are eating machines. The number of herons and egrets indicates that we are getting fish populations as the water flows into the marsh. Did you read Andrew’s article on water flow into the marsh in last week’s Tribune? It was a clear and concise, and understandable description of that process and the complexities of the water management in the Bottoms as I have seen. Thank you, Andrew, for a terrific article!
There are Black-necked stilts, Avocets, and varied sandpipers. There are thousands of red-winged and Yellow-headed blackbirds. There were pheasant, grackles, and I saw a covey of quail.
Mother Nature has a way with climate and environment that we don’t understand. Maybe we should observe and enjoy what she does. She serves our marsh very well.
Doc
Doctor Dan Witt is a retired physician and nature enthusiast. He can be reached at danwitt01@gmail.com.
