Category: muskrat

Spring, Montezuma Style

Winter is slowly losing its grip on western New York. Eaglets are hatching, osprey and herons are nesting, and ducks, geese, and swans have found their mates. Although spring arrived meterologically on March 21, it wasn’t really spring for us nature photofolks until April 1st, when the gate to Wildlife Drive swung open. Today was sunny (and warm!), so I packed a lunch and … Read More Spring, Montezuma Style

Just Too Hot

Summer is like that.  Sometimes it’s just too hot and too dry. . .even for an eagle! The water levels are still very low at the National Wildlife Refuge, but it’s breezy and cool out in the marsh, much more so than on the hot and dusty Wildlife Drive that encircles it.     So, it was no surprise to find an eagle resting … Read More Just Too Hot

West Shore Trail

West Shore Trail is in the northern part of the Montezuma Wetland Complex.  It’s rather isolated; nobody seems to go there much except me.  That’s too bad because now that the simulated drought is over, the water levels at West Shore have risen even higher than those at the main pool in Seneca Falls, and the resident wildlife is even more varied here than … Read More West Shore Trail

Wildlife Drive Is Open, No Foolin’!

Probably the most visited part of the sprawling Montezuma Wetlands Complex is Wildlife Drive, a 3.5 mile loop that allows visitors to take a hike from the comfort of their own cars. And today, April 1st, the gates were opened to welcome birders (and photographers) to the 2020 observation season.  Even CoVID-19 could not prevent this long-awaited event — in fact, it’s one of … Read More Wildlife Drive Is Open, No Foolin’!

They’ve Got Bette Davis Eyes

Well, not exactly Bette Davis.  Or Greta Garbo, either.     But they do have eyes that are expressive, bright, and sparkly.

Eagles

The West Shore Trail water levels are finally high enough to support fish. . .and where there’s fish, there are eagles not far behind.   There would be heron and osprey, too,  except at this time of year they are long gone to the southward.  Not so for the eagles, who generally stick around in the winter until the lakes, rivers, and marshlands freeze … Read More Eagles

‘Bye-bye Birdies!

Traffic has resumed on the Atlantic flyway as fall migration begins.   The songbirds have been gone for a few weeks now — the blackbirds, marsh wrens, and kingbirds have all left the watersides, leaving only tree sparrows behind.  The osprey nests are empty, and just the hardiest egrets and herons remain, stalking the waters of Montezuma for fish and frogs.  And there are … Read More ‘Bye-bye Birdies!

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