Last July we were in upstate New York and decided to visit the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge northwest of Batavia and northeast of Buffalo. We first experienced this refuge back in the 1970’s on the way to Niagara Falls in the spring. It was the migration season and we were amazed at all the birds! There must have been tens of thousands of them. Everywhere you looked there were birds. It was a birdwatcher’s delight! We wish we had stayed longer than just driving through but we wanted to get to the Falls. Thus, the return since we were in the area. As a matter of fact, the image seen in the upper right hand corner is one of the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge’s marshes.
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1958 and comprises 10,818 acres of marshland, wooded swamp, wet meadows, pasture and cropland. Two state wildlife management areas are on either side of the Refuge, creating almost 20,000 acres among them.
The Refuge is a managed refuge using mechanical and cooperative farming arrangements to control the vegetative growth. A series of dikes and dams control water levels to keep certain areas wet year round. Man’s manipulation is required because lakes, swamps and marshes don’t stay lakes, swamps and marshes forever but evolve into meadows and forests.
At least 268 birds have been identified on the refuge; however, most are migratory and are most likely seen only at specific times of the year. The Refuge provides a brochure at the visitor’s center on Casey Road that lists the specific birds and the best seasons in which they can be seen.
Unfortunately, our visit was on a somewhat rainy and dreary day so viewing was not the best. We did get some pictures, though. Most were of ‘birdsoutmywindow’--car window, that is. You can be sure we will be going back again. The pictures included here were taken on July 5, 2007.
There are over 500 national wildlife refuges in the United States and they are all administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The first national wildlife refuge was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 on Pelican Island in Florida to protect birds from poachers interested only in their feathers. The entire national wildlife refuge system comprises over 92 million acres. They provide a refuge for wildlife but they are also great recreational and educational opportunities.
You can learn more about the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge at the following link: http://iroquoisnwr.fws.gov
