Yellowlegs were the bird of the day. I spent a good deal of time looking at them because the staff at the visitor's center informed me that a Wilson's Phalarope had been seen the day before. They are quite similar in size and color, so every yellowlegs got a good look, and as many as possible got photographed.
At the end fo the day, and after reviewing lots of photos of yellowlegs, alas, no phalarope.
This grass is common here in central New York, mostly in damp areas. I think it is beautiful with it's purple seeds. I just wish I knew what it was...this stand is just outside the visitor's center. [update: it is phragmites, or the Common Reed, and is an invasive species in North America.]
Rose Mallow next to one of the pools.
Several immature Pied-billed Grebes were actively feeding.
I enjoyed watching a Great Blue Heron trying to figure out how to gulp down a fish that was a bit big for him....
Gulp!
Maybe a drink will help.
Great Egrets were present in abundance.
Tundra Swan
And finishing with something completely different, a Downy Woodpecker I saw near the Audubon Visitor's Center.
3 comments:
That was kinda gross, Dad. :P But kinda cool at the same time.
The title of your blog that you linked in your post about Long-tailed Ducks in Oswego intrigued me (very awesome title for a blog, by the way), so I had to check it out. The grass you saw at Montezuma, although kind of pretty, is very invasive. It's called phragmites, and quickly overwhelms wetland areas, causing them to be unusable for nearly all wildlife.
Mike, thanks. I had subsequently figured out the grass, just never bothered to update the post.
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