Monday, July 12, 2010

Walking Thompson Levee

Thompson Lake is still pretty deep and spreads out across most of the Emiquon Preserve. On most days I haven't seen many water birds from the front side of the lake, so on Monday I took a walk along the south levee to see what I would see.

Before the power poles came down last winter, a long line of power poles lined the eastern edge of the preserve. Now there is only one pole remaining. The above ground electric line was replaced with an underground line to the pump house, allowing TNC to pump some of the water from the lake that accumulated over the past two years of high water on the river system.

EmiquonThompsonLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5100

EmiquonThompsonLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5101

Dragonflies were everywhere, a couple even showed up in this landscape as two black specks near the top of the photo.
EmiquonThompsonLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5102

I didn't find many waterfowl on the south end of the levee.
EmiquonThompsonLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5113

As I turned the bend heading north, I found some ducks far out on the lake.
EmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5281

A female Eastern Pondhawk dragonfly rested on a dry patch of dirt on top of the levee.
EasternPondhawkDragonflyEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5184

A Conehead Katydid hid in the grass growing on the side of the levee.
ConeheadKatydidEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_4777

A Slender Spreadwing damselfly rested on a blade of grass with its wings open.
DamselflyEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_4767

A male Widow Skimmer dragonfly posed briefly for a photo.
WidowSkimmerEmiquonSouthLevee07122010_MG_5528

Halloween Pennant dragonflies were everywhere, seemingly on every grass seed spike or leaf on both sides of the levee.
HalloweenPenantDragonflyEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5506

HalloweenPennantDragonflyEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5556

A Stillwater Clubtail dragonfly sunned himself on the gravel and shells brought in the fill used to cover the ruts left by the electric and gas line repairs.
StillwaterClubtailEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5392

As I walked north on the levee, I heard loud cries from several birds rising out of the cattails south of the lake. Black-necked Stilts flew over and around me. There must have been eight of them at one time. Three persisted and followed me crying their warnings as I continued my walk.
BlackNeckedStiltEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5365

BlackNeckedStiltEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5373

BlackNeckedStiltEmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5462

On one of the high spots along one of the former agricultural canals I spotted an egret with some gulls. Farther out were a line of gulls, and more farther out were a group of pelicans.
EmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5443

A female Wood Duck flushed as I approached.
WoodDuckEmiquonSouthLevee07122010_MG_5539

Far away in Fulton County, smoke rose over the bluffs as I walked back to my car.
EmiquonSouthLevee07122010JGWard_MG_5381

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very nice! It's just like being there, only cooler...

Ed Kinsel

Jane said...

Ed, it wasn't so hot on Monday. Today, tomorrow, and the rest of the week it will be sizzling, and no way I'm walking a levee!

ILBirder said...

How would one get to this south levee viewing area? I'm from Chicagoland and I would love to see this place. Beautiful wetlands!

Jane said...

The Nature Conservancy doesn't allow the general public out on the levee at this time. As a member of the Emiquon Corps of Discovery, a group of volunteers working to document the restoration at Emiquon, I have access to areas that others do not. However, TNC has opened up a wonderful area off of IL 78/97 (the highway that bisects the nature preserve) with boardwalks, viewing stations with scopes, and a 1.5 mile trail through the wetlands, that is now open to the public.