After the morning walk which was mostly a bust due to inexperienced guides and after getting our badges we decide to go to the Magee Marsh Boardwalk which is the center of birdwatching activity in the area. There is a free guided tour so we try to get there in time but are held back by the Canada Geese with chicks that decides to cross the road right in front of us. The parking is quite full but luckily we find a place and then it is time to find the group.
As we have arrived a few minutes late we have no chance of finding the group. Or to be clear there are lots of groups here some private some public but with no signs we don’t know which is which. So we decide to bird on our own and already from the first tree see a lot of interesting birds but no lifers yet.
That changes after a beautiful Black-and-White Warbler show as we see our first Bay-breasted Warbler. The first of quite a few but a beautiful one nonetheless and our first lifer here.
There are lots and lots of birders here which is good as whenever they get excited we know there is something interesting nearby. In fact this is better than any guided tour as we can choose which group to join and to check if what they are seeing is something interesting.
And so we find a Prothonotary Warbler and then a few Redstarts as we slowly make our way up the boardwalk looking for other lifers.
No luck with the bird lifers however soon we have luck with a snake lifer as we see a watersnake just hanging around. Literally. And it doesn’t care that a group of children are almost screaming as they are pointing at it while trying to take photos.
The boardwalk passes through marshy areas and then follows the side of a pond. At this point we are quite tired after only a few hours of sleep so we would like if we could just jump over to the parking but nope we have to take the long way around.
On we go finding a few more rarer warblers like the Black-throated Blue Warbler that somehow we are best placed to take photos off.
And there are also a lot of common birds of course, Common Grackles and Catbirds and the ever present Blackbirds. And then we are back at the parking and decide to go back to town to eat and buy provisions before a nap that recharges us before the evening walk we intend to do.
