Changing seasons at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

by | Aug 25, 2024 | Blog, Homepage Feed

By Emma DeLeon

Summer is winding down here in Western New York. At Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, the mornings are starting to be crisp and cool. You can see hints of reds and yellows in the trees, but there are still long warm afternoons with the drone of crickets and the sun shining on fields of purple and gold wildflowers. This edge season between summer and fall is one of my favorite times to visit the refuge. The peak of fall foliage is still a few weeks away, but the temperatures are pleasant, the trails are uncrowded and mostly mosquito-free, and there is plenty of wildlife to observe. Consider a visit now to experience a season of migration, abundance and activity.

Last weekend, I took my family to some of my favorite spots on the refuge. Our first stop was Kanyoo trail where a short loop hike (just over 1 mile) takes you through forest and marsh habitats. Follow the trail to the left and you will travel through a mixed hardwood forest where you should look for woodpeckers, nuthatches and brown creepers.

A bumper-crop of fallen acorns was attracting red squirrels which scolded us from the trees. The damper, milder weather is starting to bring colorful mushrooms and fungi to downed logs and mossy hollows. The woods are also full of berries and wild grapes attractive to a variety of wildlife.

This trail can be a good place to see warblers, many species of which are only present in our area during their brief spring and fall migrations. At this time of year, most warblers have molted out of their showy summer breeding plumage, so they are notoriously difficult to identify, but it can be a fun challenge. Along the boardwalk through the marsh, keep an eye out for swimming muskrats and look for painted turtles basking in the late summer sun.

Back at the Kanyoo trail parking lot, follow the path behind the red building to access the Feeder Road trail. The water in Kumpf Marsh directly in front of you is currently drawn down, and the remaining pool of shallow water and surrounding mud flats are a good place to observe wading birds, ducks, shorebirds and Sandhill cranes. The skies were full of honking Canada Geese which are starting to arrive in large numbers. Mallards, blue winged teal and a scattering of other species paddled in the pool. We saw both greater and lesser yellowlegs as well as least sandpipers.

Keep an eye out for rarities as migration season often brings unexpected visitors like the glossy ibis recently sighted at this location. Cayuga Overlook just down the road is also a wonderful place to see waterfowl and wading birds. We were lucky enough to see a black crowned night heron, plenty of common gallinules, and one of the resident bald eagles soaring overhead. Center Marsh, along Sour Springs Road, is also drawn down and is a good place to see herons, egrets and shorebirds. Long billed dowitchers have been reported here recently. On your way, be sure to stop at Ringneck overlook for a beautiful marsh vista.

Next, we hiked the visitor center trail. This one-mile loop trail is fully graveled and is an easy walk. Follow the trail to the right of the building. It passes through a field full of beautiful purple, gold and pink wildflowers where you should look for sparrows and migrating monarch butterflies. The pine grove at the back of the trail can be a good place for warblers. Check out the floating bridge for a closer look at the marsh. We enjoyed watching a belted kingfisher hunting and huge flocks of red-winged blackbirds swirling up from the cattails as they group together and prepare to migrate south. The newly installed benches along this path are a nice place to have a picnic lunch, and you can stop at the Visitor Center to see the educational displays, use the bathroom and visit the Flyway Nature Store.

Our final stop of the day was to the Swallow Hollow nature trail off Knowlesville Road. This 1.3-mile loop winds through forest and marsh and includes a long section of elevated boardwalk. As we entered the boardwalk to the left, we passed through a large stand of cottonwood trees where a few yellow leaves were already drifting down to the forest floor. The Virginia creeper vines (not to be confused with poison ivy!) have turned a deep red and are covered in berries which attract gray catbirds, cedar waxwings and other fruit eaters. This is also a reliable spot to see flocks of rusty blackbirds. Watch for them in late fall foraging in wet leaf litter. Deer are common along this trail, and it is a wonderful place to look for warblers, thrushes and other songbirds.

Local birders have reported a huge variety of migratory warblers at this trail over the past few weeks and we were able to observe several species. Listening for calling chickadees can be a good way to locate the mostly silent warblers at this time of year, since they often flock together to forage. The 2.5 mile out-and-back Onondaga Nature trail is another good place to look for warblers and is an especially nice spot to observe mushrooms and to enjoy the fall foliage.

Overall, we enjoyed a beautiful day full of the glory of late summer and the promise of the coming fall.

Come visit the trails and overlooks of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge for your own seasonal adventure! The refuge is located south of Medina and north of Pembroke and is open from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is at 1101 Casey Road between Route 77 and Route 63 (check the refuge website for seasonal hours). The refuge and its partner organization, Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, also offer frequent free public programming.

For more information, hours, trail maps, directions and upcoming events see the refuge website (www.fws.gov/refuge/iroquois), the friends group website (finwr.org), or follow both organizations on Facebook.

FINWR supports the programs and activities that go on at Iroquois NWR.

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