Every now and then, one has an experience that is unexpectedly wonderful. That's what happened for Rick and me recently when we joined the Nature Conservancy for a nature walk at Erie Marsh Preserve, a nature preserve located in Erie, Michigan, not far from the Ohio Border.
Erie Marsh is one of the largest marshes on Lake Erie and is comprised of a total of 2,216 acres, 946 of which are part of a multi-year restoration plan. Its most significant feature is to provide a nesting area for migratory birds and waterfall. The Nature Conservancy of Michigan has implemented a plan to restore those 946 acres of degraded coastal wetlands to provide access to spawning areas for fish and control of invasive species. (For more, including videos, google Erie Marsh)
To be honest, I was a little worried when I looked at the Erie Marsh website. There are miles of trails and I worried a bit about my foot (which is acting up a bit again). But the event was about two hours and if I couldn't make that, then I was in real trouble! (As it was, I did just fine!)
It was a brisk, windy morning but the sun was shining and the sky that shade of blue I call "impossible" because it's hard to match it in paint, fabric or yarn. It was such a clear day, the sky only occasionally punctuated by a few white, puffy clouds. It made it perfect for spotting birds in flight. And it felt wonderful to be around water, especially water so beautifully populated!
This is migration season and I'd like to say I saw a lot of birds. My Merlin certainly picked up plenty more than I saw, as did our guide, Pete, who had a knack for spotting them in the leafy trees. (Let's just say I deleted a lot of photos of tree branches and sky shots!). They were hard to spot at a distance or in the trees, and digital delay made some of the photos a real challenge (birds fly, as you know, and it's hard to hit a moving target!). More often than not, by the time I got the binoculars up to my eyes and focused, those birds decided to move on! When one stayed, hooray!
No matter! I saw many. (Don't ask me what most of them are now -- some I didn't hear named, though Pete named them all.) But remembering didn't really matter.
It was the experience -- rather magical, walking these paths with others who were enthused and as delighted to be there as I was. And when you saw something, all the better.
I was especially impressed by the white pelicans. (I didn't know white ones existed!) In fact, the first one I saw, before the walk began, I thought might be a swan, with their long and graceful necks.
They flew in a peleton, seven or eight in most of the groups. This photo is radically cropped and hence, blurry, but imagine standing below, watching one flight after another. It was mesmerizing.
Pete explained that as birds migrate, they don't like to fly over water and and seek out spots where they can rest and eat before continuing on their journey. On this day, the birds were going south, finding a safe haven in this migratory sanctuary.
We spotted a bald eagle (another highly cropped shot). . .
. . . and egrets. More than a few!
I don't think I'd ever seen one with a fluffy head like this one!
And of course, I saw one of Harry's cousins!
There were swallows (I think this is a barn swallow, but please correct me if I'm wrong!)
We learned about controlled burns and controlling invasive species from Kim. It's a massive job, maintaining a spot like this and this team more than earns their keep!
Let's just say I was a very happy camper!
I am grateful to Leslie from the Nature Conservancy who invited Rick and me to come along.
It was unforgettable.
Gotta fly!
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