Paddle sports
Wildlife Conservation Areas:
Abundance of birds and creatures
is a delight for patient paddlers
We found a beautiful canopy for "treeyaking" along the edge of the Maquam Wildlife Management Area in Swanton, Vermont.
As we paddled our sea kayaks unobtrusively through the reeds, twigs and shrubs of the Vermont wetland, we watched several osprey soar overhead, hover with rapidly beating wings, then dive with a splash into the water to snatch up a fish now wiggling between their talons.
During our paddle in Maquam Wildlife Management Area in the northern part of the Lake Champlain Basin, we counted five osprey nests. Over the course of several hours, it became clear that each provided a current home to a pair. We also spotted some migratory ducks, including a bufflehead meandering along the shore and a greater scaup scooting across the open water.
Don’t forget to pack:
Binoculars
Camera with a good zoom lens
Two-way radios
GPS (for navigating labrynthine waterways)
It was the first week of May, the weather was sunny and fairly warm, and we jumped at the chance to get out on the water for the first time of the season. While we always enjoy paddling wetlands because of the abundant wildlife, early spring is a three-fold treat: many migratory birds stop in the area while passing through on their way home to more northern realms, the trees haven’t leafed out so it’s easy to spot birds, and few other people are on the water to disturb the peace and quiet.
If you’ve never paddled in a wetland, you don’t know what you’re missing: water-loving mammals surfacing under or next to your boat; birds building and defending their nests; animals, birds and waterfowl feeding and grooming; turtles basking in the warmth of the sun; deer nibbling on grasses growing along the shore. Wetlands are some of the earth’s most productive ecosystems, right up there with rain forests and coral reefs. They are crucial for bird nesting, fish breeding and migratory bird resting stops. They often provide habitat for endangered species, such as the bald eagle.
We’re fortunate to live in the Lake Champlain Basin, home to more than 300,000 acres of wetlands. Maquam Wildlife Management Area and the adjacent Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge are favorite destinations because they’re close by and easily accessible, either for a midweek evening paddle or a prolonged weekend day of kayaking. The Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge protects the habitat of Vermont’s largest great blue heron rookery, with up to 600 active nests during a season. It’s impossible to miss the huge jumble of sticks that serve as nests, resting in the tops of dead trees soaring above the water.
We’ve often spent hours watching muskrats playing and working, completely oblivious to our presence just a few feet away.
Early spring also means high water levels and the opportunity to do what we’ve dubbed “treeyaking”—kayaking through the trees along the shoreline. As devoted tree skiers, we view this as a way to extend that experience to the water. There is nothing like being enveloped and embraced by the trees. Not only are you able to quietly observe the smaller birds that flit from branch to branch, including yellow warblers, great crested flycatchers and Baltimore orioles, but you also might see water-loving mammals such as muskrat, beaver and river otter. In fact, we’ve often spent hours watching these creatures playing and working, completely oblivious to our presence just a few feet away. More than a few times, we’ve been thumped from underneath or expected one of them to crawl right up on our boat deck as they went about their business. Who do you think was more surprised—us or them?
Even critters as commonplace as turtles, frogs and snakes can cause great excitement, depending upon what exactly they are doing when you spot them. A massive turtle popped up next to my boat one day—he looked as old as the sea, probably a common snapping turtle but I didn’t put my fingers in the water to find out. If you’re really lucky, as you paddle near upland areas, you could happen upon some deer, as we did during a recent visit. We discovered the deer were as curious about us as we were about them and as long as we made no sudden movements, they were content to graze nearby and peek at us from behind trees, shrubs and tall grasses. We’ve also observed fox, raccoon and woodchuck. We’ve yet to see moose, but we’re always on the lookout. And that’s part of the fun: What will we see next?
Last fall, we saw several great egret, rarely seen in our area.
When we first started paddling in wetlands, Scott was mainly interested in the large birds, such as the osprey, great blue herons and bald eagles, or the possibility of seeing moose. I, however, have always been fascinated by birding—something I inherited from my mom—and my passion has finally rubbed off on Scott. He increasingly focuses his camera on all the birds around us. He seems as excited as I am when we see a bird that we don’t recognize, or perhaps he just enjoys the trouble I go through back home trying to identify them by comparing his pictures to what I can find online. This past weekend, we saw our first-ever American bittern, great crested flycatcher and female wood duck. It was during this research that I discovered a noise we’d been hearing was in fact the call of the American bittern, which sound like gigantic bullfrogs echoing across the water. Last fall, we saw several great egret, rarely seen in our area.
The wonderful thing about wildlife conservation areas is that each season brings new delights. In spring, nature wakes up after a long winter; in summer, the breeding animals and birds bring newborns into the world and foliage creates a game of hide-and-seek; and in fall, birds are once again migrating, this time against the flaming colors of fall foliage.
Every state has wildlife management areas and national wildlife refuges, so chances are, you too can enjoy the natural wonders they provide without having to drive very far. And perhaps you’ll discover that your backyard neighbors include wildlife you didn’t realize live nearby.
To see more photos of paddling in wildlife conservation areas:
Our Paddle Sports Photo Gallery | Our Nature Photo Gallery
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Vermont Fish & Wildlife
Wildlife Management Area Maps and Information
Find maps and information for all Wildlife Management Areas in Vermont, including Maquam Wildlife Management Area.
www.vtfishandwildlife.com/wma_maps.cfm
Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge
For a profile of the refuge. Includes links to various informational brochures related to activities at Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge.
www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=53520
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
America’s National Wildlife Refuge System
Find maps showing locations of all refuges in the U.S., as well as downloadable PDF files of brochures for each refuge.
www.fws.gov/refuges
www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/index.html
Wildlife Management Areas
Wildlife Management Areas are overseen at the state level through a designated department that varies by state. The easiest way to find Wildlife Management Areas is to do an online search using the state name in conjunction with Wildlife Management Areas (ex: Vermont Wildlife Management Areas).