Date: 6.4.24

Time: 2:30 pm to 5:45 pm

Location: Main Dike Road and Auto Tour

Animals Spotted: turtles, baby raccoons, squirrels

Birds: Check out the eBird list and photos

Photos Taken: 257

Keepers: 43

If the last visit to the marsh was shadowed by themes of death, this trip was all about life and growth. Armed with fresh knowledge to improve our photography skills, my niece and I ventured into the marsh, embracing the Buddhist notion that the right actions lead to the right results. The proof was all around us: baby raccoons, nesting turtles, and sightings of five new bird species, not to mention some dramatically moody pictures of the marsh under rainy skies. This trip even holds the promising potential of capturing baby turtle photos, though from a respectful distance.

This might sound like the ideal marsh expedition, but the reality was a bit more complex. Torrential downpours occasionally reduced visibility to nearly zero. Fortunately, we managed to avoid getting soaked, which was definitely a bonus.

I must confess that focusing on capturing better photographs made this trip particularly challenging to write about. Perhaps it’s because our focus—yes, pun intended—wasn’t just on experiencing the trip but on documenting it through our lenses. The marsh continually inspires me to strive for improvement. If I can enhance my skills, the resulting images will better represent the essence of the marsh. And if that’s not motivation enough, the adorable image of baby raccoons certainly is. While I typically refrain from sharing color photos here, I’ll make another exception today. How could anyone resist these little guys?