2023.0930  

    The rainy day was a surprise, the morning forecast called for partly sunny skies with a chance of showers.  How nice this is a planned down day. After a slow start around the camper, taking advantage of the rare working WiFi and a warm lunch for a change, a short drive is planned.  The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is HQ’d in Germfask, we received some advice based on the late season, and our preferences, and proceeded to drive to the one-way 15 MPH loop roads.  The land encompassed is low land swamp/marsh/ponds.  The land is very flat, trapping shallow waters, some of these are managed with small man-made dams to control the waters and create two dozen “pools”.  The wildlife refuge is primarily a refuge for seasonal water fowl.  A summer home for productive Loons (looney toons?), and Great Blue Heron, Egrets, various ducks, geese and swans.  We were told the big migrations have already occurred, summer winged water fowl have flown the coop.  We may be lucky and see white swans, maybe a Heron, and a few migrating groups taking a feed and rest stop on the way south.  The speed limit is 15 MPH, but the drive is slower on a treasure hunt seeking signs of very little life late in the season.  Several small groups of white swans are seen by binoculars in the distance.  Small groups of Canadian Geese are resting, sleeping during this stop over, they are late compared to most of their breed.  We are looking intently for resident otters, without luck.  All of the rain has turned the waters murky. It is a rather cool slow windy drive looking at each turn, and new body of water. 

   A second Heron is seen at reasonable distance.  I wish I could match a fraction of the patience of a blue heron fishing.  This skilled hunter moved its head and neck imperceptibly slowly down toward the water over a period of minutes.  I have watched the action before, and 8 of 10 times the great bird comes up empty.  When the strike occurred today, victory was achieved for the great blue, pulling a fish in its bold beak, roughly a 4-5 inch length fish.  The catch leads to the next battle for survival, the squirming/flapping fish versus hungry heron.  This lasted longer than you would expect, minutes. The heron did not quit, and flew the fish to a sandbar, tossing the fish to the land.  After several tosses to align the head of the fish toward the throat, the big gulp ended the battle.  Score one for the heron, 0 for this fish, and a National Geographic moment for two.

   On the drive out, the bird watcher ahead of us stops and photographs a Marsh Hawk perched on a stump.  I was able to snap it flying away.  We also saw later in a photo a half dozen wood ducks in a shallow reeded pool, barely able to see their distinctive markings.   

• 2023 Fall