On Christmas Day...

   On Christmas Day, an eagle flew over the swamp.

 Another eagle perched on the edge of the swamp.  Note how the white head and white tail blend in with the background making it appear as if it is a smaller hawk, such as a red-tailed hawk, at first glance.  Eagles are returning to their nesting territories now through late winter. 

Often eagle courtship both in the air and on the ground is mis-identified as fighting.

After the Eagle Release

  After releasing the latest eagle, the swamp seemed suddenly quiet, yet enduring.........and so this photo of late fall over the pond just after the eagle flew.

Woodland Wetlands

   Woodlands surrounding the swamp are equally important.  We stumbled upon a doe and her two fawns, and before she was aware of us, we were able to blend with the forest.  She remained unaware, but the little ones picked up movement, our scent, or some other indication of our presence.  The curious fawns walked cautiously towards us for ten or more yards while we practically held our breath.  We finally turned away, showing ourselves, and the family scampered away.  Their wild nature and naivete was what made the moment special.

The Swamp

   The swamp is abundant with a wealth of wildlife, both rare and common; all species important in the web of life when the ecosystem is in balance.  When we can protect the conditions that foster this balance, we can enjoy all that it offers.  A few of the more common species we see............

Shelf Nesters

  The swamp is teeming with life in the spring, and birds use every conceivable location for nesting.  This mourning dove stopped construction for a while, as did a robin who nested on the tops of some 2x4 boards.

Cavity Nesting Birds at the Swamp

   When a pileated woodpecker flew out of the woods and showed his agitation towards a raccoon in an old oak tree, we (Kristy, Joanne, and Barb, who is not in the photo) followed his return flight in an attempt to find the nest.
   The pileated was flicking his tail directly at the raccoon and chirping loudly.  It was clear that the pileated woodpecker was upset with the raccoon and wanted the raccoon out of his territory.  Raccoons eat the eggs and young of many cavity nesting birds and ground nesting birds. The current raccoon population is much too high and they have decimated certain bird populations and contribute to declining numbers of blandings turtles, which are now becoming extremely rare.

   Although we couldn't find the pileated woodpecker nest, we did find many other cavity nesters............including tree swallows, house wren, and sapsucker, all of which nested successfully.

Bird Photos by Kristy Morris

Kristy photographed many of the resident and migrating birds, from hummingbirds at the feeder, to young eagles soaring overhead.

Summer Photos

Kristy was able to photograph many of the WRA events as well as wildlife in and around the swamp. She enjoyed even the tiniest of creatures......

Red-tailed Hawk

   A pellet (bullet) was discovered in this juvenile Red-tailed Hawk when Kristy palpated the wing. Sadly, this hawk had been shot, but had found a resting place on a small spit of land next to a sea wall. Some very caring people in the neighborhood fed her to keep her alive while they worked on locating someone to rescue her.



   The pellet was surgically removed by Dr. White, and the hawk is healing well in one of our large outdoor cages. We expect to release her this fall.


   For more updates on raptors in rehabilitation, check our our new blog spot, wildtowild.blogspot.com.

Summer Highlights

 Cool nights and clear blue skies in the morning mark the shift of seasons. It is summer’s end. Though we look forward to the crisp days of autumn and the changes it brings, we treasure those special moments of summer.


Kristy Morris, heading into her senior year at Central Michigan University, worked for Wildlife Recovery Association as part of our summer staff. She is majoring in both Biology and Parks and Recreation, so our emphasis on education seemed a good fit. Last summer, 2009,, Kristy spent several months in Madagascar working on lemur research. She brought with her a wealth of outdoor experiences and knowledge that we were able to incorporate into our wildlife education programs. We hope that this past summer has also been a great learning experience for her.