Spring officially arrived on Tuesday, but let’s be honest: the whole winter of 2023-2024 was a modified spring, with a lack of big snow storms and fairly mild temperatures. I only had to plow my driveway a few times and the mild conditions had wildlife doing a lot of unusual things.
Folks were complaining about the lack of birds at their feeders but with such an “open” winter, birds could find a lot of food in their natural habitat, so they just weren’t using the feeders as much. Even the squirrels were not as active around my feeders and there was waterfowl hanging out in the local marshes that we don’t normally see in winter.
Tundra swans have been here consistently since December, and these birds are not normally seen in the Alabama Swamps except for brief periods during the fall and spring migrations to and from the Arctic. They found shelter and food here because the marshes didn’t freeze over. Surprisingly, some of them are still here in mid-March; I wonder if some will remain here and nest in the future.
Another new bird we have been seeing in recent years is the sandhill crane. A small number of them nest here now and that number seems to be growing. What I found unusual this winter, while photographing all those beautiful tundra swans, was that periodically a few small groups of these cranes showed up. On several occasions large groups of them joined the tundra swans; one day I saw a group of about 40 cranes gathered near the swans, and another day I saw about 50 cranes. Again, the winter conditions allowed them to find food and shelter.
I also saw migrating Canada geese flying high overhead in large flocks much earlier than usual. Pintail ducks were showing up much earlier along with Wigeon ducks, too. It was like the spring migration started early and then stalled. Eagles seem to have started incubating earlier as well.
And now spring is here and many other species are showing up. I have gotten some reports of flocks of snow geese but haven’t seen any myself.
This past week I spotted some wood ducks looking for natural nest cavities, and there are a lot of ring-necked ducks in the marshes now along with some of those big common mergansers. Mallards, some hooded and red-breasted mergansers, a few black ducks, buffleheads and even some teal have been spotted. While roaming around the Swamps I caught a glimpse of great blue herons and some turkey vultures.
What I have not seen recently is those big, high-migrating Canada goose flocks, so I’m wondering, will there be a normal, big spring migration, or will it occur at a slower, drawn-out pace? A slow migration gives more time for closer observation of species but it lacks the overwhelming sight of a massive migration event. I like the slow pace, as it gives me more opportunities to photograph nature.
We are lucky to have the Alabama Swamps here to draw all this wildlife into our region but there are some things that folks coming to see this spring’s event need to observe. Wildlife can easily be spooked by over-ambitious photographers and nature lovers, so it is necessary that people don’t “push” them by trying to get too close or exposing themselves suddenly.
I have a cardinal rule when photographing and that is to never get out of my vehicle or photo blind while wildlife is around. The upright human figure is a high alert for wildlife, especially when it suddenly pops out of a vehicle. This usually sends them into flight which of course spooks other nearby creatures and before you know it everything is taking off. The same goes for trying to sneak up on them. Wildlife depend on their keen eyes and ears to stay alive and they are much better at it than most folks realize.
If you’re headed out to the marshes to see nature’s big spring show, there are some cautions that you should exercise for your benefit. There are several great overlooks on the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge and also on the two state Wildlife Management areas, but at present three of them are in extremely poor condition, with numerous potholes thanks to the uncontrolled damage done by vandals and their “donut” making vehicles. The Ringneck Marsh Overlook, the nearby Mallard Overlook on the dirt section of Sour Spring Road, the Cayuga Overlook off Route 77 and the big state Overlook at the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area, also off Route 77, are the worst. Some of the potholes are super bad and great care should be taken to avoid them, as serious damage could be done to your vehicle. The Ringneck Overlook has several pits in it that are hard to see; last week I hit one and it ended up costing me almost $200 to get my vehicle fixed.
So, get out to the Swamps and enjoy the spring show, but don’t disturb the wildlife, and be cautious where you drive!