Waterloo NY (May 19): We decided our best travel plan was to stay on I 90 across the top of NY state. This takes us right past the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, a renowned birding hotspot at the top of Cayuga Lake. We lived in Ithaca, NY, at the bottom of Cayuga Lake for 15 years, and passed by the Refuge every time we travelled to Canada. But we never stopped there. In fact, the irony is that Ann, the friend who got us started in our birding hobby, was among closest friends there, but we never went birding with her. So we decided that on this trip we would make up for some of our missed birding opportunities.
We stayed at the Junius Ponds RV Resort, which is close to Waterloo, NY. It is a bit different from other RV parks we have stayed at. On one hand, since they are only open 6 months of the year, they do not have “permanent” residents. On the other hand, most of the sites are taken up by seasonal campers, many of whom have been on the site for years, storing their campers on site during the winter. Apparently there is a long waiting list, and people who sell their campers often sell the right to the site with it. In any case, it is more like a cottage colony than an RV park. People seem to know their neighbors, and there are multiple activities as well as sports facilities. Many of the RVs have built on porches, fenced gardens, etc and appear to be cottages at first glance. This actually makes good sense as an alternative to a vacation cottage. The cost of a site is about $1200 for the season which is probably not that much higher than typical taxes, water and sewer charges for a cottage. And if annoying neighbors move in – you can pick up your RV and move or sell it with your rights to the site.
May 20th is Chuck’s birthday. Although we had planned to go to Montezuma early to do some birdwathcing, he was very tired from the long drive the day before, and I was not up to waking him up early on his birthday. In the end, we spreak our birdwatching over 2 days, with a walk from the visitor center in the late morning of the birthday and a drive along the birding trail earlier the following morning.
When it gets hot, it is hard to see the birds. I have no idea where they hide, but the best birding is on cool sunny mornings. Fortunately, the day morning was both clear and cool, so despite our late start we saw lots of birds. The hike takes you through the woods and along the shore of a marsh and the Seneca River, and with both habitats available, there is a vast variety of bird life. Now that I am recording my observations for the eBird citizen science project, I can tell you that were identified 25 species during our 2 hour walk. This was abetted by the fact that we met many birders familiar with the local birds and the ranger in the visitor center was also helpful. Nothing very scenic that can be captured with a phone camera, I’m sorry to say.
On the way into the Refuge, you pass a line of utility poles with their bases in the marsh. Atop each of these poles is a huge nest made of big sticks. I thought these were bald eagle nests (and we did see one of the 60 pairs that nest in the Refuge) but apparently they are osprey nests. Ospreys, which are a type of eagle, have made a remarkable recovery since the days of “Silent Spring” and are now common throughout the east coast. We saw several at the Refuge, but we have seen them at almost every stop east of the Appalachians, as they will fish in both fresh and salt water.
Unlike other wildlife reserves we have visited, dogs are allowed on the trail at Montezuma. However, we did not know this and left Rumple in the RV. By 2:00 it was getting quite warm, and although we left the air-conditioning on, we were worried that it might not work and that Rumple would overheat. So we returned to the RV. Actually, we need not have worried – it was much cooler at the campsite and the air-conditioning did turn on. Of course, Rumple was happy to sit outside with us, instead of being stuck on his own at home.
For Chuck’s birthday dinner we went into Geneva, NY to the “Beef and Brew”. Part of the Cornell School of Agriculture where I used to work is located in Geneva, and I also did a project with the Geneva folks while at Penn State, but we have never been there.
It is a very cute little town. More importantly for our purposes, the Beef and Brew turned out to be a very cute little restaurant with good food. However, since Chuck does not drink beer at all, and I am only a very occasional imbiber, we were not able to fully appreciate the offerings of the brewery. On the other hand, we did appreciate the attitude of the wait staff, who each exhorted us to “enjoy each others’ company” (and we enjoyed the food too).
The main wildlife attraction at Montezuma is not the hiking trail, but rather a drive between the Seneca River and the marshes. Since the campground has a late checkout time, we decided we could take a morning drive to see more wildlife. The Refuge has an amazing array of birds. We could easily have spent more time.
The area has two other important attractions, the Harriet Tubman House and the home of Susan B. Anthony which are on our list to do if we come back this way.