Marsh Diaries Part One

We have been fortunate to obtain a seasonal camping spot for the summer at a large, cattail lined lake an hour and a half away. There are not a lot of lakes here in southern Alberta, so shoreline campsites are always at a premium. Naturally, as a blog person, I`ll be doing regular updates on our adventures under the Marsh Diaries headline.

This lake, situated amid the dry prairies, is a bird magnet. We’ve camped here before, and the bird life kept me awake long after dark, and woke me up before dawn. It was wonderful. Our spot this year is a mere 100 yards away from the shore. By the end of the summer, I suspect I’ll be able to identify individual blackbirds, wrens, geese and coots etc from their never-ending calls.

This is our view from our campsite. I seriously doubt I’ll ever get tired of it.

While we did have access to our campsite the first weekend in May, the snow covering our yard at home somewhat diminished our enthusiasm for camping. We finally made a day trip out to the lake this past weekend, just to get the trailer set up and things organized for the summer.

Pulling into the campground, which was nearly empty of human occupants, the first bird I saw was a shorebird. Naturally. My initial (and incorrect) identification was that of Long-billed Dowitcher. When I got my pictures on the computer however, I discovered I had photos of a Marbled Godwit, poking his way through the grass and dandelions in the campground.

Bird number 2 was a Killdeer. Actually birds number 2 through ??? were Killdeer. They were everywhere, and very vocal about it too. Next came a Willett, and I started thinking, oh crap, I am seriously going to have to work on my shorebird ID skills this summer. (Which will give more than one of my friends a real good chuckle).

This early in a very cool spring the cattails are brown, the grass is just turning green, and the hardiest prairie blossoms are poking their way through the grass. In this windswept area, the plants and flowers that survive are the ones that hug the ground.

At the south end of the lake, just a short walk from our camp spot is a little prairie pothole. It has water in it now, but I suspect it will be dry by mid-summer. On this chilly day, the pond held only a pair of Northern Shovelers, but I could also hear the optimistic calls of a Wood Frog.

There was a Muskrat in the lake, and a great number of ground squirrel holes in the grass, although I didn’t see any animals. I did see a dead Plains Gartersnake on my walk, and will be keeping a close watch for more gartersnakes, as they prefer to live near water.

My first White Pelican of the year floated by, and he will soon be joined by hundreds of his friends. This lake is famous for the quantity of fish in its waters, and the fact that jet boats and water skiing are not allowed make it bird-friendly.

There are no leaves on the willows or poplars yet, I was wishing I had brought a pair of gloves to hold my binoculars, and the sun hid behind dark clouds all day, but I did pick up 16 bird species.

As if the birds, plants and the lake are not enough, I also have internet access at our campsite. I am truly the definition of a happy camper!

Stay tuned…

Bird List Day One

• Northern Shoveler
• Bufflehead
• Canada Goose
• White Pelican
• American Coot
• Marbled Godwit
• Killdeer
• Willet
• Thayer’s Gull
• American Crow
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• American Robin
• Cliff Swallow
• Song Sparrow