The Marsh Project Week #15

The marsh is accessible again, although evidence of the recent flooding is everywhere.  Interspersed between the mud and dead vegetation is evidence of spring: trees leafing out, the first dragonflies buzzing around, even a butterfly or two.  The butterflies won't settle, so I haven't been able to get any good butterfly photos;  I keep having to remind myself that I have all summer.  As I walk down the trail I notice a large number of black and turkey vultures; they seem very interested in the trail where it divulges from the bank of the river.

I walk down the boardwalk to the blind itself.  I disturb a white egret and several ducks with my approach; they fly off, startled.  Turtles are sunning on logs; the ones closer to me slide off their perches back into the water as soon as they sense my presence.  The turtles further away seem to be more laid back; they stay put. Several common green darners are flying around and a few are busy mating.

I sit at the blind for a few minutes, watching the ducks in the distance; the gadwalls are definitely still around.

After several minutes, it is time to go; the Son of Never Stops Eating has a school dance tonight and he has agreed, for the first time in his life, to wear a collared shirt and a tie; this is a momentous occasion.  I walk back down towards the trail, stealing a few more minutes to watch the common green darners fly around.  As I turn my head towards the entrance to the boardwalk, I see a Carolina wren crouching on the boardwalk.

At first I think the wren is having spasms of some kind; it seems to be crawling around the boardwalk on its belly.  Then it stands up, bends its head down, and puts its beak close to the boardwalk. It seems like it's pecking at the boardwalk itself. It does this several times, then flies off a few feet and perches on a dead tree.  After a minute or so, it flies to a signpost a few feet away from the dead tree and stands there for a minute, then flies off into the woods.

Seen on my walk: Black vulture, turkey vulture, fox squirrel, orange butterflies (possibly monarch or viceroy), common green darners, Carolina wren, gadwall, mallards, great blue herons, great egrets, American white pelican, red-eared sliders, cardinals.