6. Evandale Marsh
Route 102, Evandale
Along the river banks here, Red-winged Blackbirds clutch stems of wild rice to pick the grains; newly fledged American Black Duck broods await the rice grains dislodged into the water below.
Further down the trail, the large open water wetland called Nutter Creek contains a breeding colony of Black Tern. This uncommon ‘marsh tern’ has a very sharp and unrelenting; some would say annoying, call. You will recognize the bird immediately as it has a habit of swooping down on intruders that may be getting too close to their nesting area. These beautiful creatures have a distinctly buoyant and seemingly effortless flight, swooping down to a few inches above the surface of the water to pick off insects suspended there. The Black Tern is found in the lower river valley because of the abundance of open water wetland habitat such as that supplied by Nutter Creek.