Kip’s Comments - March 19, 2023

Sweet Marsh in the Wind Observations

Breezy or not, Kristy and I walked around the refuge, above the dam, along Marten’s Lake, and around Segment A at Sweet Marsh this afternoon. With the windy conditions we were not sure if we would see much or not. See things we did!

Our first observations were killdeer - maybe a dozen pairs - in the shallow channel in the refuge. It seems wrong to have killdeers on ice, but we do!

Killdeer at Sweet Marsh - Image 795029

We found most of our bald eagle observations in the protected area in the corner above the dam and over Marten’s Lake. Adult eagles were not nearly as willing to fly over us as younger birds were.

Bald Eagle at Sweet Marsh - 794991

The bald eagles were floating over the largest congregation of northern pintail ducks I have ever seen. My guess was there were 150-200 pintails with a handful of other duck species mixed into the gathering. We did not try to sneak up on the pintails with so many eyes watching us. In fact, I paused near a water control structure to study the large flock when most suddenly exploded into the air, then flew to the north.

Northern Pintails at Sweet Marsh - Image 795039

Northern Pintails at Sweet Marsh - Image 795074

As we walked we noticed a pile of carp skeletons between the dike and the now dried out Marten’s Lake bed. I would guess these fish provided plenty of food for other wildlife.

Carp Skeletons at Sweet Marsh - Image 795240

As we hiked the marsh I wondered where all of the sandhill cranes were. We heard a couple pairs in the refuge, but I expected many more to be in the area. As we approached the east dike of Marten’s Lake (now dry), we found probably 100 or more sandhill cranes. None were too spooky and, if they flew rather than walking away, they did not fly too far. Their show was impressive!

Sandhill Cranes at Sweet Marsh - Image 794175

Our hike was worthwhile, even with the cool temps and wind. Both of us are glad we went and very thankful for the natural show we enjoyed.