Adventures in a Crane Marsh
Volunteers at the Illinois Audubon Society Amboy Marsh Preserve were eager to show me a recent photo of a Merlin eating solitary sandpiper…
Volunteers at the Illinois Audubon Society Amboy Marsh Preserve were eager to show me a recent photo of a Merlin eating solitary sandpiper. They are part of a dedicated crew of volunteers and a local chapter that meets monthly at the preserve. They told me where a LeConte’s Sparrow was seen yesterday and I set off down the trail through the Black Oak Sand Savanna. This area is part of an historic wetland that once covered 100,000 acres. Groups like IL Audubon are restoring this habitat and bringing back some of the wildlife that depend on it. Blanding’s Turtles breed in the wetlands on site and Sandhill Cranes nest in the marshes. I enjoyed seeing the rolling savanna and wetlands and I found a few flocks of White-throated Sparrows and Juncos. However, the bird I was hoping to see was not showing itself today.
On my way out the volunteers told me about a larger IL Audubon preserve nearby so I headed over there to hike back to the Big Marsh. The Bremer Nature Sanctuary is around 400 acres and it has limited infrastructure and it is a long walk back to the marsh. This made me hopeful that the bird I was looking for would be hanging out in the marsh. The trail to the marsh takes you through beautiful sand savanna with isolated small pockets of wetlands.
I could hear the telltale signs of a wetland from hundreds of yards away — Killdeer. The marsh became visible as I rounded a corner and I had a view through open savanna out onto the wetland. Three Sanhill Cranes were probing in the mud in tandem at the far end of the marsh. My heart beat a little faster and my spirit rejoiced at the sight. Their large gray forms stood out against the dark soil. They appear light gray from a distance, but upon closer inspection you can see that they are molting and they have a mix of gray and orange feathers. The orange feathers have yet to be replaced and they contain red pigment from the soil that the cranes rub on them to help with camouflage during the nesting season. My view of the cranes did not last for long — a Bald Eagle dropped down from the top of a large cottonwood and flew over the cranes. They flushed and slowly rose in a gentle arc over the wetland. They appeared to be more concerned with the eagle than me and they repeatedly flew over me calling out as they circled over the marsh assessing the situation.
The resounding calls of the cranes and their synchronous circling over the marsh elevated my experience to a different plane. When they landed and started foraging again I moved down the trail and had another close encounter with a primitive resident of the marsh. It stood motionless with its large claws sunk into the sandy soil. Its eyes were fixed on me with a questioning look. I relaxed since I knew I had time to appreciate this encounter. The large Snapping Turtle was not going anywhere fast. I got down to his level and admired the golden and green folds of skin, the curves of his beak, the asymmetrical nostrils, and the muckiness of it all. He is of the earth and he is on his way to bury himself somewhere to overwinter.