Birdwatching by Canoe

by Dick Lamster and Maeve Sowles, trip leaders

The almost annual (low water last year prevented this trip) "Birdwatching by Canoe" field trip to Fern Ridge Lake was a great success. At 8:00 a.m. 13 birdwatchers in canoes and kayaks set out from the boat ramp on Cantrell Road and paddled north on Coyote Creek.

It was a perfect morning for birdwatching: nice temperature, no mosquitoes and no wind. We identified 46 species of birds in the four hours we were on the water, a new all time record for the over 25 years we have been sponsoring this trip! The highlights were seeing two Great Horned Owls fly across the creek shortly after we started, many adult Black Terns feeding their young, Ospreys also feeding young, Purple Martins, American White Pelicans, Swainson's Hawk, Brown Creeper, Virginia Rail, Great Egrets, Band-tailed Pigeons, and the best look at an American Bittern that anyone on this trip had ever experienced. The bittern was within 30 feet of us and it stayed in the "frozen" position with its head pointed upward for several minutes. It was a great trip! Please consider joining us next year.