by Rey Wells
Nineteen hardy bird folks gathered at Preserve headquarters on February 22nd. There’s a photo here of most of us. It was taken along the marsh trail there.
There was a patch of bushes and short trees next to the tower. That’s where Lisa Graham got a very active Black and White Warbler.
Out by the boardwalk was a Spotted Sandpiper. I snapped a photo of it just before it lunged and grabbed a morsel. Wintering Spotteds do not exhibit spots. Along the woods trail back, we watched a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker working its way up a tree trunk. I got a very bad photo of it with a large winged insect in its beak. It is not included here.
From the headquarters we headed in caravan style toward the Gulf. A stop at the bridge produced an eagle carrying a stick into a patch of woods. A pair of Hooded Mergansers rested far out. The emerging sun was most welcome. I took off a layer. My quest for a loon had to wait for the end of the road at the Gulf.
We risked trouble with the law by walking over to the beach that was technically still closed due to Hurricane Helene. Well, we weren’t doing what beach people do. And we didn’t stay long. The star of the show there was a Caspian Tern that was captured by Lisa. She also got a great shot of nine Forster’s Terns. Far out on a small oyster bar were a half dozen American Oyster Catchers. A flight of American White Pelicans circled far in the distance. Included here is a successful cormorant with its fresh lunch. Lisa got it out by the boat ramp.
Alas, the many hundreds of acres of water that we glassed at the bridge and out at the Gulf failed to produce a loon. But most folks seemed to enjoy the morning. We even got to remove a couple of layers. Some of us polished it off with lunch at the Blackwater (historically the Isaac Walton) riverside restaurant in Yankeetown. It was very good with large portions. Mine was large enough to provide leftovers for a complete dinner at home. Everyone took leftovers home. Fred would have enjoyed it.