My post from earlier in the week set the stage for what we are experiencing now in on the East Marsh. All our water management over the last several months has finally allowed us to reach our goals, and we are experiencing the extensive "late season drawdown" that we established as our primary 2017 restoration objective for nearly 200+ acres of marsh.The vegetative response will be very interesting to watch. If we like what we see, we let it ride. If we don't, we always have the option of re-flooding one or more of the management units and essentially starting over.
But one thing we definitely can see is that the timing of our newly exposed mud is setting the stage for what we hope will be a bonanza of shorebirds. Dozens of species like the one pictured to the left are specifically adapted to capitalize on these situations. Their feet are typically long and well suited for "snowshoeing" through the wet mud, and long legs don't hurt anything when the mud is soft and the bugs are plentiful.
What amazes me most about this group of birds? (1) Their diversity [I have a lot to learn to differentiate all the subtleties that differentiate the species]; (2) Their ability to find and exploit new mud [they seem to appear out of nowhere the instant water goes away]; and, (3) Their metabolism [most of these species seem to never stop moving!]. Identification is tough (I'm always looking for positive id's from those who know more than me), but photography can be even more challenging. We hope to spend more time in the marsh with a camera over the days and weeks to come.
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| This medium-sized hunter of the shallows let me get pretty close yesterday while I was photo monitoring. Can anyone ID? |
Just like shorebirds, bird watchers seem to appear out of no where as soon as new opportunities arrive. I witnessed six vehicles and nearly a dozen individuals armed with scopes and telephoto lenses on the roadside to the west of our East Marsh late on Wednesday afternoon. Word is out that we have "fresh mud." Seasoned birders are well aware that the shorebirds are sure to follow.
For perspective, here are some comparison photos from the same vantage points: June versus August. The "after" shots were just taken yesterday.
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| BEFORE: Very sparse emergent vegetation and turbid water dominate in the Tower Marsh; June, 2017 |
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| AFTER: Millet and other annuals are beginning to fill in opportunistically thanks to the dry conditions that are conducive to germination; August, 2017 |
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| BEFORE: Broad expanses of shallow water dominate the 100-acre Dinky Track, leaving little but dead and decaying loosestrife clumps in the background; June, 2017 |
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| AFTER: The same perspective following drawdown -- shorebird activity is picking up and so is the germination of new annuals in the mud; August, 2017 |