This is a great time of year to explore wetland areas. I've made regular visits to both the SCNWA wetland, as well as the public trails through or adjacent to wetland areas in the Mitchell's Bay area. The camera has been busy!
Here are some of the things you can expect to find at either spot, with the exception of one species which I will point out.
Bald Eagles are much more plentiful than not that many years ago. Most of the time they are seen at a distance, but I managed this photo from my vehicle.
Black-crowned Night-Herons are regular, but not frequently seen. This next photo show one in its juvenal plumage.
In fields nearby, sometimes there are hundreds of geese feeding, before getting ready to fly out to the lake for over night.
Double-crested Cormorants can be fairly abundant.
One of the highlights of my recent visits was to see this shy Eastern Musk Turtle right on the trail. When it saw me it withdrew its head.
I turned it over briefly just to get a photo of its underside. Musk Turtles are a Species at Risk, as are several turtle species, but this one is extremely rare. They do occur in the wetlands adjacent to Lake St. Clair, but are rarely seen.
Great Egrets are, of course, pretty reliably seen in most wetlands in the area, as they nest in the cattail islands as well as Walpole Is FN.
It's always enjoyable to capture a good flight photo!
A smaller heron type, even more abundant than the egret, is the Green Heron.
Along the Mitchell's Bay trail are quite a few tallgrass prairie species nicely visible over the season. One that was doing quite well was one called Cup Plant. It has been planted, as the area historically had lots of tallgrass species in this part of Chatham-Kent. It is quite rare and is one of the very few locations I have seen it in C-K. It had several Monarchs feasting on it...
Along the trails, Leopard Frogs are periodically seen out in the open.....
...and Northern Harriers are on the prowl for something to feast on.
Sandhill Cranes are seen in small groups around the fields or flying over the wetlands.
Ducks are increasing, although they are getting shyer. The regular booming in adjacent fields to scare off the blackbirds, etc., are getting the ducks wary of the upcoming duck hunting season. But for now, things like Wood Ducks are quite common and occasionally quite visible for the photographer :-).
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