Kayaking around Marsh Creek State Park (1 Viewer)

[bkfisher]

My wife and I spent a beautiful July 1st kayaking around the lake at Marsh Creek State Park in southeast Pennsylvania.

I took my binocs and had a good birding day - saw a bufflehead, many belted kingfishers, a few green herons, a double-breasted cormorant, and a number of cedar waxwings, along with tree swallows, catching bugs over the lake.

I have never seen waxwings until two weeks ago along the creek behind our house, and now I've seen them three different places, all next to water - including along the Schuylkill River at Valley Forge park.

Happy birding!

 

[Rose Fletcher]

Birds seem to feel less threatened when you approach them from the water; it's another world, from the perspective of the water. There is a need to be cautious though, around breeding colonies, as some birds can take fright very dramatically if these are approached.

I'm glad you had such a good time on your trip - were you able to take photographic equipment with you on this expedition?

 

[buckskin hawk]

I have had the same luck while riding my horses. The birds seem to ignore me and the horse. It lets me get a little closer or just have a longer look.

The fact that wildlife seems to recognize some forms of human transportation as more of a threat than other forms is quite fascinating.

Looks like a great day! I am thinking of taking a birding vacation. Maybe I'll try canoeing or kayaking.

 

[bkfisher]

I'm glad you had such a good time on your trip - were you able to take photographic equipment with you on this expedition?

I wish I could have taken some pictures! We took a small digital camera which is worthless for bird photography. I don't have good photography equipment yet.

I've done some digiscoping with our little camera but doubt I'll be trying that from a kayak. I was looking for a place to come back to and set up the scope, but that part of the lake is pretty dense with woods and inaccessible from what I could tell. Which makes a great place for wildlife!