Although it seemed at first that it might take a while for the
Southeast to recover from the ice storms of last February, spring weather has pushed its way into most of these previously frozen areas. As many readers are already well aware, I
frequently visit Sam D. Hamilton Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge to enjoy the
natural sights. I did just that a few days ago. The woods at Noxubee are beautiful right now,
with plenty of blooming trees, such as flowering dogwood. The cypresses that grow all around the two
main lakes have just started unfurling their leaves, and the oaks and redbuds
have nearly completed their leafing-out.
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Flowering dogwood
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The birdlife at Noxubee is in the process of a changeover,
with winter residents—such as ducks and most of the sparrow species—leaving the
area, and the summer residents—including Purple Martins, Northern Parulas, some
types of wading birds, and warblers—settling in.
That is exactly what’s happening right now at Bluff Lake.
In this photo from earlier in the month, you
can see an enormous raft of American Coots:
However, near the end of the month, the coots are nearly all
gone from the refuge:
Instead, what can be seen from Bluff Lake right now are the
Great Egrets beginning their breeding period.
They roost and nest in the cypress trees over the water.
Cattle Egrets, Little Blue Herons, White
Ibises, and several other species also use these trees, but the population of
Great Egrets at this location has really exploded in recent years, likely as a
result of the trees growing taller.
The
smaller Cattle Egrets still nest at the lake, but their numbers are a bit lower
than they were a decade or two ago.
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Great Egrets at heronry
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Little Blue Herons are very common at the refuge, as well,
even though they never appear in numbers as high as those of Cattle and Great
Egrets.
These Little Blues can be seen
foraging in one of the marshy shorelines of Bluff Lake.
Their slate blue coloration is distinctive,
and they are unlikely to be confused with other herons in this part of the country.
Unlike the adults, though, juvenile Little Blue
Herons are almost entirely white, with touches of gray on their wingtips.
They acquire a patchwork white-and-blue
appearance as they gradually molt into adult plumage.
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Little Blue Herons foraging in the grass
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Little Blue Herons
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Other spring water birds of note are Blue-winged Teal. Although these small ducks generally do not
overwinter in northern Mississippi in large numbers, flocks of them do pass
through regularly during spring and fall migration. The photo below shows two teal swimming in
the shallows of Loakfoma Lake. The male duck
has a prominent white crescent-shaped marking on the face, while the female has buff-colored scallop markings on the wings and flanks.
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Blue-winged Teal
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If you spend some time scanning the cypress and pine snags over the
water or near the shore, you may spot a Bald Eagle or two.
These huge raptors nest at the refuge every
year, and can often be detected by their startlingly chirpy,
piping calls.
In the middle part of the
20
th century, Bald Eagle populations experienced sharp declines as a
result of DDT poisoning, but they have since rebounded, and it now seems that
nearly every large body of water in the Southeast may have a pair of eagles
nearby.
But Bald Eagles’ commonness
doesn’t take anything away from their amazing charisma, in my opinion.
No matter where I am, I love seeing them.
Yes, spring is here.
The
temperatures are still fluctuating quite a bit, which is normal, but the heavy
rains and strong storms, blossoming and leafing-out plants, and
breeding and migrating birds signify the change in seasons.
Be sure not to miss it!
