With a trip coming up in the near future I was anxious for the rain to stop falling so I could sneak in a quick visit to Great Meadows. So it was a quiet Wednesday morning that found me at the refuge.
The refuge was pretty quiet as both the people and animals started to recover from a couple days of battering rain. All this rain certainly hasn't helped F&WS efforts to drain down the upper impoundment to kill the lotus.
Black-capped Chickadee flew right up to me on a tree near the kiosk
This pair of sparrows must have a nest near the end of the cross dike trail
They can be seen collecting bugs
The gosslings are getting large
A Baltimore Oriole near the lower impoundment outflow
Landing above my head for a brief moment
Thanks to Alan's identification of the song we determined this was a Red-eyed Vireo
I hope their chicks don't hatch before I return
If you come often enough you see the dark side of nature too. This one didn't make it.
Too bad I wasn't paying attention. I stumbled upon the Wood ducks in the area of open water near the cross dike & upper impoundment. They were in the open for about 2 secs before they saw me and retreated into the reeds.
I have mixed feelings about the invasive yellow iris. I thought it looked interesting as it was almost ready to open.
Walking along the railroad bed I heard something rustling in the gravel
It only took me about 50 photos to get the one I could see in my mind's eye.