Wakarusa Wetlands Wonderland

Posted on December 31, 2012 by admin

I could not wait to get to the Wetlands this morning and experience the snow coming down. I arrived before the snow started and walked back as far as I could just waiting for those first flakes. I really needed that. There is something so amazing and renewing about walking in the falling snow. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Long-eared owl

Posted on December 17, 2012 by admin

I heard some crows giving someone a hard time on my walk this morning, so I zoomed in with the camera. I was very far away, and there was no accessible way to get a bit closer, but at the bottom of these pictures, there is a long-eared owl. How exciting! The crows gave up and left, but he continued sitting there. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Home

Posted on November 9, 2012 by admin

The following pictures are all homes that will be destroyed by the construction of the SLT through the Wakarusa Wetlands in Lawrence, Kansas. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Swallow feeding

Posted on June 28, 2012 by admin

It is so much fun to see all of the young tree swallows at the Wakarusa Wetlands. They were keeping their parents very busy. It is amazing how quickly mom and dad swoop in, plop some food in, then move on to the next kid. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Wetlands magic

Posted on June 22, 2012 by admin

Two young men out running at the Wakarusa Wetlands this morning stopped to talk to me as I stood staring up at a tree watching swallows. They seemed to be visiting for the first time. They wanted to know what kinds of wildlife I was seeing. I don’t think they were from around here because they asked me if there were any bears. I did tell them that the Wetlands are home to coyotes, bobcats, and supposedly a cougar, though I have never seen him/her. One of them said, “Bobcats are sick!” They asked if I was a birdwatcher, which they thought was pretty cool. They asked about where to run and said they thought they would do it again tomorrow. When I got back to the car, the windows were misted over (the humidity). Written in the mist on the window was, “We saw an awesome bird!” I cannot quite put into words how great this made me feel. It is truly a magical place.

The lovely little blue heron

Posted on May 8, 2012 by admin

I was privileged to have some wonderful time this morning with several little blue herons at the Wakarusa Wetlands. It was a heron morning! Click on pictures to enlarge.

Between storms

Posted on May 1, 2012 by admin

It was a great morning to be out. I was able to spend some time at both the Wakarusa Wetlands and Clinton Lake before getting rained out. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Threatened red-headed woodpecker

Posted on April 25, 2012 by admin

I saw a red-headed woodpecker at the Wakarusa Wetlands yesterday. As I watched, I realized I had never seen one there before. I know birders report seeing them every once in a while, but the only one I have ever seen was at Clinton. Of course, my next thought was those in favor of the SLT care little about how rare this is. They do not care that the red-headed woodpecker populations are in decline. The official status is “near threatened.” As I watched him dancing around the cavity in this old tree, I wondered how the treeless “mitigation area” would solve his problem of a lack of real estate. It will not. Raise and/or widen 23^rd street. Close 31^st street between Haskell and Louisiana. Keep the people with the people, the sacred space sacred, and the wild spaces wild. Click on pictures to enlarge.

Egrets and herons arrive in abundance

Posted on April 11, 2012 by admin

Yesterday, I had a wonderful morning walking the Wakarusa Wetlands and was happy to see an egret had arrived. I decided with all this beautiful weather, this week, I work nights. I went back this morning and as I was coming down the path, seven egrets and five great blue herons came sailing in. It was magical! I was also privileged to see a host of little blue herons, green herons, blue and green-winged teal, grebes, and even a white-faced ibis. Click on pictures to enlarge.

There must be something really good down there

Posted on March 30, 2012 by admin

I had a great walk in the Wakarusa Wetlands this morning. Not a whole lot of new arrivals, but we are still very early in the migration time. Click on pictures to enlarge.

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Category Archives: Wakarusa Wetlands