Sunny, cooler with temps in the low 40's, windy!
We drove down to the area near Mattamuskeet NWR around Swan Quarter yesterday afternoon so that we would be close to the refuge this morning. Our goal is to get decent shots of the Tundra swans, and the rangers we called said Mattamuskeet was the place to check out. Upon our arrival, we found our first of the year Hooded mergansers in close and in great light. Whether we find the swans or not, this sighting makes the trip well worth the time and effort and puts our fears of a Friday the 13th jinx to rest.
Along the wildlife drive into the headquarters, we find no swans, but we did have good looks at Pintails, a fine juvenile Bald eagle, tons of Coots (again), our first DC Cormorants of the year and some nice Ruddy ducks and Pied-billed grebes.
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| Hooded merganser |
At the refuge headquarters, we struck up a conversation with one of the park rangers and asked him about his thoughts as to our best chance to capture some decent images of the Tundras. He sent us back out to the main road we followed on our way to the refuge access road and said to check all along the road sides along the impoundments. Although the birds were somewhat distant, we did eventually find a group close enough to give us acceptable shots....couldn't ask for much more than that.
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| Tundra swan |
Following a couple of hours at the refuge, we take off for Santee, SC where we will visit Santee National Wildlife Refuge tomorrow morning. From there, it's on to Hilton Head Island where we will spend the next week with our northern NY friends John and Rosie. Hilton Head is new to all of us, so it will be a case of the blind leading the blind around the island. Wish us luck.....
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