Saylorville Lake Sunny 75 Degrees
I started my Sunday morning doing my favorite thing. Going outside and just being present. After a busy Saturday of socializing I was ready for some alone time. I needed to go to Red Feather Prairie and take some pictures for the feature story in the newsletter that I write for the lake. It turned into one of the best birding excursions I’ve had on my own.
I set out this morning about 7:30 with my camera bag and binoculars. The brilliant morning sun was rising above the eastern tree line giving perfect lighting for photography. At 62 degrees being outside was inviting and pleasant after 10 days of oppressive heat and humidity. The birds agreed.
Red Feather Prairie is a special place in central Iowa. Having camped here for over a decade, I didn’t even know it existed till last year when we began volunteering for the park. I simply didn’t notice it when all I wanted to do was sit by the campfire or go out on the lake in our boat. It boasts 4 specific habitats. Native Prairie, Oak Savannah, Wetlands and Timber all nestled against the eastern shoreline of Saylorville. The variety of wildlife that call this place home is astonishing.
As I set out on the trail I saw the Henslow’s Sparrow for the second time in my birding life and photographed it for the first time. The bird’s numbers are declining rapidly and this is one of the few places it can be seen. As I walked along the trail past the first of several wetland habitats that dot the area I could hear the wind blowing through the giant Cottonwoods. It was a soothing sound that reminded me more of water rushing over a fall, than wind blowing through leaves. People passed me on their early morning bike rides or jogs and I took my time. As I made my way down a narrow trail from main path to the lake shore I flushed out a male wild turkey who was resting in the tall grass. Within arms length of each other, neither one of us was too concerned about the other, but he moved into the tress just in case.
I realized toward the end of my 2-hour visit that I am hearing birds before I see them. I recorded 23 species, from shore birds to grassland birds, the most I have ever done without an experienced birder with me. I wonder if that means I’m becoming an experienced birder? I’ll put my list from this morning at the end with some pictures.
I get very philosophical and contemplative on mornings like this. I marvel at the beauty of nature and feel somewhat ashamed that I lived most of my life in the shadow of this place without even knowing it existed. As we work in different areas and put our efforts into preserving and sharing these kinds of places with others, I become more passionate by the day about teaching others an appreciation for slowing down from their busy life to notice how beautiful the world is when you get away from the concrete, high rises and fast pace of the urban areas where most of us live. With a little luck maybe after spending some time with me, they will think twice about throwing out an old chair, when it could be fixed or maybe toss a can into the recycling bin instead of the trash, knowing they are doing their small part to keep the world clean and beautiful. When people visit me at Saylorville, this is the place I long to bring them and hope to instill a deeper appreciation for the environment and the wonder of watching animals go about their life in these tiny slivers of natural habitat that we have left in between our modern world. It’s hard for me to explain but I think it’s about as close to the abstract thought of god that this unapologetic atheist can get. With my cortisol levels low, and my spirit souring I came back to my patio to try to put my thoughts into worlds and share my morning with you.
Until tomorrow…
6.3.18 Red Feather Prairie
In order of sighting:
Henslow’s Sparrow, Red Winged Black Bird, Dicksissel , Eastern Kingbird, Blue Heron , Baltimore Oriole , Widgeon , Turkey Vulture , Wild Turkey, Eastern Bluebird, Tree Swallow, Robin, Field Sparrow , Indigo Bunting, Lark Sparrow, Herring Gull, Caspian Tern, Western Meadowlark, Eastern Phoebe , Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Black Capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird , Dark Eyed Junco.
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