The Marsh Project Week #9

This is actually week #10 of my project, but last weekend I had bronchitis. I could barely stay awake, let alone hike, so I missed a week- but if I call this Week #10, it will bug me because there won't be a week #9.  My project, my rules.  I did get some nature-related reading done;  "Coyote America" by Dan Flores, which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend if you have any interest in urban coyotes.  

Two weeks with no actual nature time was driving me nuts, so even though I am still hacking and feeling very tired, I had to get outside for a short hike out to the tall blind and back.  The day was chilly and windy, and I didn't see a lot of wildlife on the way out to the blind.  I did walk past a brushy area full of birds, and as I walked by my coughing apparently flushed them out and they flew away, so for a brief moment I felt like a Disney princess surrounded by happy chirping birds- except these birds did not land on my shoulder or head, and they did not offer to make me a ball gown or do my chores.  Well, darn. 

(I know what you're thinking: Just how much cough syrup ARE you using?)

So I got to the blind, and there were some people already there, so I wandered around on the boardwalk for a few minutes until they left.  Then I went and sat up in my usual spot and watched the waterfowl- it was a big duck day, apparently- there were good-sized groups of common goldeneyes, mallards, coots, and gadwalls. The various groups were in close proximity to each other but they didn't interact; they all just did their own duck thing which for the gadwalls included diving down into the water and sticking their butts up in the air.  At one point two osprey flew close by overhead and then quickly departed. 

I also saw a pretty flower. OK, it was a dandelion.  Still, it was nice to see something brightly colored.  I think I'm ready for spring; I'm missing my dragonflies and butterflies. 

After watching the gadwalls dive for awhile it was time to head back; the walk back was a bit more fruitful in terms of observations.  The sun came out for a few minutes and a belted kingfisher came out and flew around the marsh as I began my walk back to my car.  

Just before I got to the parking lot, I saw two little winter wrens on rocks, and was able to get a fairly decent photo of one.  

Observed on my walk: Downy woodpecker, belted kingfisher, cardinals, white-throated sparrow, winter wren, what I think was a cotton hispid rat (it moved too fast to get a positive ID, but it was a rodent), some turtles beneath the water surface, various little brown birds, American coots, gadwall, common goldeneye, mallards, osprey, great blue heron,  Carolina chickadee, Carolina wrens, and what I think is a towhee but I only have a photo of the butt so I'm hoping a better birder than I am can ID for me.