Speaking of Visitors . . . More Tours, More Fun

Independent of weather, I literally always enjoy driving the dikes in the Mule; but when it's 74º F with low humidity and a breeze off the Bay . . . well in my world, it's hard to get much better

An unusually moderate August with afternoon highs in the 80s (or even 70s) rather than 90s with lower than typical humidity have lead to some good touring conditions. A handful of my older nieces were nice enough to make the trek out almost two weeks ago. Where does the time go? . . .  I'm just catching up with the photos.

The weather was ideal, and we had a really nice morning together. True to form, my niece Ellen is always behind the camera, so she isn't pictured. But I'm planning to share some of her really solid photos from our outing in a subsequent post. I've watermarked the photos above and below as ours, but truth be told, she should be credited. Thanks, El! And thanks again to all of you guys for spending a morning on the marsh!

Four of my oldest nieces taking in some of the finer points of marsh management; they really asked some good questions over the few hours we spent together -- raised right! (not that I'm biased)

We took advantage of more perfect late summer weather this past weekend, and finally checked off a "bucket list" bullet of our own (see previous post). Jenny and I were excited to host our neighbors and great friends for a driving/walking tour and maybe more importantly (for our respective 9-year olds) frog hunt. Our Anderson has been wanting to get his best friend out to the property for . . . well, since we took possession of it. With ten kids between the two families, timing has been a challenge to say the least. But we finally made it . . . with seven of the ten kids, at least!

The 4-wheeler got a workout at times, but the kids ended up really having fun chasing leopard frogs in the tall grass of the dike fringes. Sometimes the little guys marched ahead and other times they lagged behind, but either way, their hand nets were busy chasing leapers and fliers.

I always wish we could find a way to bug these conversations; it would be so fun to know what is being said between the distraction of a jumping frog, slithering snake, or buzzing dragonfly

Success can come in small packages

Eagles and waders were characteristically plentiful during our drive. Blackbird numbers continue to build. We got good looks at a handful of trumpeter swans and probably flushed 100-150 ducks (by far the most I've seen since spring). Most were in last year's millet to begin with, but we had fun watching them bounce back and forth between the Rest Pond and the main West Marsh. I would say 75% were wood ducks and most of the rest were mallards. I did see a few small groups (6-10) of green-winged teal. The fall migration is coming! More on that soon.

Sunday's stop at the marsh was bookended by a dip in Lake Erie (at the beach at East Harbor State Park) and dinner on Cold Creek. The kids slept well that night. The adults are still recovering. Fun stuff.

MULE and a Marsh Tour

A little rain didn't deter this group -- I really enjoyed showing my cousin (Mike), his wife (Carol), and three
of Mike's fraternity brothers around the West Marsh the other day

To me, there is no better way to see the marsh than being out in it. The photos that help make up this online journal provide literal snapshots in time, but nothing beats the air on your face, the mud on your boots (and other places), and the sun and wind on your neck.

A drive along the dikes in a pickup truck or SUV sometimes has to do . . . say when it's 10 degrees, pouring rain, or blowing 40 mi/hr our to of the northeast. Walking tours are awesome, but ironically, sometimes limit the diversity of wildlife viewing at close range. (Somehow, they often just know that you are coming.) "Punting" quietly through the shallows in an open-topped kayak-like "punt" boat is another great way to see and experience these unique surroundings. More on that soon.

But as Roy will tell you, my vehicle of choice for quick introductions to the property is our 4x4 Kawasaki MULE. As the name suggests (Multi-Use Light Equipment), we use this thing for a wide range of work and fun. Low and high gear, four-wheel drive, a winch, a work bed, and a tow hitch lend themselves nicely to the work side. But the open-top and two rows of seating make for a nice combination of comfort, convenience, and intimacy -- at least in my mind.

We definitely felt the wind in our hair last Friday afternoon. The recent rounds of showers were just rolling in, but not before we had the chance to drive the entire exterior of the West Marsh. Egrets and herons, immature eagles, and yellowlegs entertained from the air and shallow water. Tree swallows took advantage of the spring gloom to get busy catching bugs. The pump was running, so the group got a kick out of carp viewing -- somehow, it never seems to disappoint. At mid-afternoon with weather rolling in, it was actually relatively quiet from a wildlife perspective. But at least a couple of our guests independently commented on the "explosion of life" as soon as we pulled off the road and into the marsh. I try my best not to take all that life for granted.

My message to all of them as we wrapped up our hour-long tour (and the raindrops got bigger and closer together) was that every day is different on the marsh. In fact, every hour, every minute, every second brings change. More and more people are asking for tours. We are happy to provide them. The biggest challenge is that I want to show everything that the marsh has to offer. What I'm learning is that it is only in consistent time in the field that "everything" slowly reveals itself.