Tamarack Trail September 1, 2022

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DeKorte August 31, 2022

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Celery Farm August 30, 2022

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Celery Farm camaraderie

Lucky for me to find Fred there

Looking through his telescope

Set up on the observation platform 

Spotting the migrant shorebirds

He's talking to a younger person

Who also has a telescope to see

The subtle differences in the distance

Giving an impromptu lesson in identification 

I get to listen and learn from an expert

Picking up on his palpable excitement

Seeing birds not seen there in twenty years

Thanks to the mudflats exposed by the drought

The younger person is effusively happy 

Having just acquired their telescope

Thrilled to see two lifetime species

Absorbing everything Fred imparts

Thanks to being invited to look

Through these excellent optical devices 

I see a sora and a stilt sandpiper

Sharing in the birdwatching camaraderie 

Thanks to the existence of this place

Open space protected from development 

The wildlife have a place of refuge

And people can enjoy a nature preserve 

I would stay longer on the platform 

But the sun will set soon on this day 

So I set off to walk around the lake

Getting in my evening perambulation