Early Fall at Soaring Eagle Wetland

The last full week of September had been misty, each morning starting with light rain and fog. That Thursday was no different, but as I was driving down Rt. 150, the fog started to rise. I continued my journey as the land to my left transitioned from parklands to towns, then to wetlands. I was heading to Soaring Eagle Wetland in Julian, a place long on my list to explore.

The parking lot was half-full with construction equipment, but I paid it no mind. I parked near the ADA parking and hopped out to survey the area. Goldenrod blanketed the lowlands around me, humming with life. A high chorus of insects almost drowned the birdsong, but I could catch the sound of sparrows and finches.

A paved pathway led to a boardwalk, dotted with grasshoppers. A big one caught my eye, and I managed to take a picture before it flung into the grasses. Birdsong grew louder closer to the small trees, dominated by the chips of swamp sparrows. I passed a cute bench and made it to the accessible fishing area.

Bald Eagle Creek rushed by the pier, and I took a break on the bench. Later, I explored down to the water using the accessible ramp, and continued to a worn trail to the water’s edge. I stepped out, and enjoyed the cool flow of water over my boots. Not wanting to disturb a fisherman, I headed back to the trail.

Other trails branched off from the paved section. One path looked new, level and graveled alongside Bald Eagle Creek. A grassy path, named “Long Trail” headed out into the goldenrod. If I had more time, I would have explored Long Trail. I was a little put off as the brochure map was not detailed, not listing a length or difficulty. I can imagine it is an easy trail, but as I was alone with poor cell reception, I was hesitant to depart from my plan.

Heading back to my car, I saw many nesting boxes of all shapes and sizes. Bluebird boxes were close to the paved trail, and larger owl boxes were high in the trees. One of the owl boxes had been in recent use, with sticks and grasses poking out in the seams.

Soaring Eagle Wetlands has a second area- the Galen & Nancy Dreibelbis Birding Area. I went there next, hoping to complete a checklist. I followed a small gravel trail to an accessible viewing pier. A small plaque shared that the platform was a 2022 Eagle Scout project. Immediately below me were many frogs, moving too fast for me to photograph.

While at the platform, I took a sound recording with Merlin. The app heard blue jays, American goldfinches, and grey catbirds. The app struggled to identify birds over the sounds of Rt. 150 and insects. With my binoculars, I spotted some wood ducks landing in the water. They were definitely too far away for Merlin to catch their oo-eek calls.

Before leaving, I checked out the blind by the accessible parking. Yet another beautiful view out of its window- one I would have loved to admire for much longer! Another path branched off from an accessible ramp.

On my drive home, the clouds descended again, and the rain began again. While I was leaving Soaring Eagle Wetland behind, I already knew I would return. Next time I know to plan for more bug spray and time to walk the trails.