Eagle Marsh

Eagle Marsh, Fort Wayne, IN

My mom has been doing so much better that I invited her to come with me to Eagle Marsh yesterday. Some of you may remember her car accident last summer and all those long months in the hospital. Well, now she can walk short distances, and it's high time she started getting outside. And I don't mean between the house and the car.

Eagle Marsh

Eagle Marsh is a conservation area in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  It might have been there when I lived there as a child, but I certainly never heard of it.  I just did a search on the internet for such a thing, and voila, there it was. http://www.lrwp.org/page/eagle-marsh

barn swallows

No sooner had we parked the car and opened the doors than we heard the birds. Lots of birds. Barn swallows swooping around, along with goldfinches.

I love goldfinches.

I was a little dismayed that there were so few trees and no benches - Mom can't stand all that long - but it was beautiful nonetheless. I gather that wooded area at the far end is part of the conservation area, but she couldn't make it that far. 

Mom walking!

The next thing we saw once actually out there was a leopard frog.  Quite a few, in fact.  However, we wouldn't have seen them at all if they hadn't jumped. Even when I knew exactly where one had landed, it was quite difficult to find it again until I crouched down a bit.  Really outstanding camouflage.

leopard frog

OK, maybe not this one below.

froggie has some learning to do about successful camouflage...

I have to say that I've always liked frogs and have lots of personal associations and stories with them, but I found these to be cuter than most.

You don't see me. 

Lovely wildflowers along the  path...

We saw a bird I'm still trying to identify - think it might be a dark morph red tailed hawk, which I haven't seen before. I have lots of photos, but they soar so high up that I couldn't get a close enough photo to be sure. 

waaaay up, but still beautiful to watch

We finally reached the water - not far for most of us, but quite a hike for Mom, who said that was as far as she was going.  Next year?  I went a little further, as I could see gulls, a heron, and an egret in the distance. 

opinionated gulls

There were at least two kinds of gulls and a great variety in personality among them.

The Odd Couple

I didn't actually see the duck until I edited my photos a few minutes ago. 

gull arriving, carrying dinner

Everyone was looking for an afternoon snack, or maybe an early dinner.

Great Blue Heron with gulls

found something...

Great Blue Heron, Great Egret

I could have stayed there for hours. Too bad they didn't have a bench for Mom and Tammy.

time to head back... Mom and Tammy, her home health aide

still watching swallows swoop around

Meanwhile, up on the tower...

Starlings, maybe? Anyone, anyone?

They just kept coming...

We may have been leaving, but it looked as though the party were just getting started.

It's a convention!

So thankful for this bit of peace outdoors.  In the midst of all that's going on in the world, we can all use some time in God's creation, remembering he created it good - that means us, too. 

Tiny creatures can be beautiful, too.

Until next summer...