Highstepping for a Quick Getaway

It was fun watching the trumpeter swans run on top of the water, and seeing all the other birds on our day long adventure...

KL and I met BV at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on the shores of Lake Erie near Oak Harbor, OH, about 2 hours from home.  We walked the trails through the 1,500 square mile Great Black Swamp, a vast network of forests, wetlands and grasslands.  Then we drove "next door" to Magee Marsh, for an easier stroll on its boardwalk through the marsh and forest.  Famous for its spring and fall migrations, photographers from all over the world jam the boardwalk for blip opportunities.  by delaying our trip, we missed some of the migrating birds, but also the crowds.  We had perfect weather all day and no insects!   After BV left us, KL and I returned to Ottawa NWP to do the driving tour through another section of marshes.  Our Merlin Bird ID app was very busy, especially at MM, where we didn't see all the species it identified.  This area along Lake Erie has over 30,000 acres of wetalnds where birds rest before or after their flights over Lake Erie coming from or going to Canada to the north.  And we can now tell (and maybe remember) how Great Egrets (larger, yellow beak) and Snowy Egrets (smaller, black beak) differ.  Extras to follow.

On the way home, KL and I stopped at Barnside Creamery (milemarker125 on Route 2) for mango vegan "ice cream".  Oh yum yum yum! 

It felt like a vacation getaway all in one day.  Lucky me.