At our rendezvous point Refuge Biologist Lizzy Berkley and I swigged some warm coffee to fight off the morning chill then hopped into her white refuge truck. We bounced and jounced along miles of the internal "roads" that wander across the refuge. We navigated across parts of the refuge inaccessible to the public during the March 1 - August 31 sanctuary period set aside for breeding and nesting. This comprises most of the 31,000 acre refuge area. As we started out we were watched by many curious, inquiring deer scattered through the oak savanna areas. At one point a large wide-eyed white tail, ears erect, stood in the road facing us directly, didn't move for what seemed a long while in animal time. I was as curious as to what her animal mind might be doing as she probably was about our presence in her living room.
Along the way we encountered groupings of not so common ducks, some up close. As Lizzy did the counting I recorded her information on a special tally form. Here are a few of the species we saw:
Hooded Merganser Male
Photo by Doug Greenberg on Flickr
Greater and Lesser Scaup
Greater and Lesser Scaup
Photo by Kenneth Nanney on Flickr
Buffleheads
At times we did a bit of conferring. Part of the fun was pointing things out to one another as we moved along. In the tall-grass areas we passed several congregations of wild turkeys with males strutting their stuff for the choosey, seemingly nonchalant females. In one area three males were attracting a goodly band of ladies while off in the distance another male strutted all alone. Suddenly realizing he was missing the action he folded his fan and ran at top speed to join the party.
We saw a number of eagle nests with parents in residence; seven immature (one-four year old) bald eagles in a group; plus numerous mature eagles here and there; trumpeter swans and Canada geese in the early stages of pairing and nesting; tons of coyote tracks; a mink running down the middle of the road ahead of us, ducking into the cattails and then running beside us; and some elusive, ephemeral pasque flowers finishing their early spring tenure.
Pasque Flowers
Photo by Su Johnson, Friends of Sherburne NWR
In several ponds we spotted beavers swimming along as busy as - well, beavers. Some of the hidden little pond and marsh areas seemed to call out for us to stay, relax, and be plucked out of the normal flow of time. But we had a mission. By the end of our three hour survey I realized how truly lucky I am to have many incredible opportunities to volunteer at Sherburne Refuge.
If you're in our area of east central Minnesota you might find a volunteer opportunity at Sherburne NWR that will add a deep sense of satisfaction to your life. There's plenty to do. Check in at Exploresherburne.org for more information.
If you live elsewhere, check for opportunities on your home turf. Since the US Fish and Wildlife Service manages over 500 refuges there's a good chance you live near one. If not, there may be a nature center nearby that would like to have your help. Right in your own backyard you might find a place where you can make a satisfying contribution while finding respite from the noise and busyness of everyday life.
