First day at the Marsh

January 4th, 2022

It was a cold and overcast day as I pulled my vehicle through, approaching the North End entrance. I was humbled amidst what I can only describe as the most snow I had ever seen. The immense marsh cells stretch far out into the distance to our left. Herbaceous reeds poke out from the deep windswept snow, with more significant snags reaching up from the buried pools. A ditch creates a moat between the raised berm and the pockets of dense forest and mixed shrubbery to our right. Poplar, Alder, Cedar, Tamarack and Pine. We trudged through the snow, sinking an inch or so into the fluffy powder.
As we approached the end of the berm, we were fortunate enough to see a single stoic Canada Jay perched at the top of a pine. While at the cabin, we set up the nets and lit a fire, warming up to settle in for an afternoon of capturing black-capped chickadees. I banded my first Hairy Woodpecker, and it was invigorating. After we packed up and headed out, a few Ruffed Grouse flushed over the fresh trail we pressed into the snow.

Posted on February 1, 2022 04:39 AM by swampgirl123