Wes and I celebrated the gift of a cloudless 74 degree day in February with a hike around the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. This sanctuary is free and only a ten minute drive from Center City. It is a remarkable urban oasis.
Oasis in Tinicum
Hiking the 3 mile loop trail around the Tinicum Marsh can be a serene, immersive experience with nature. That is, until you reach a clearing where the I-95 overpass looms up, or you hear the rumble of a regional railcar. Then moments later, you’re back peering through cat tails, spying on a family of egrets.
It’s not your classic nature hike, but I relish the shifts in perspective along the way. And I am grateful that Heinz protected this special refuge which could have become an airport parking lot, or worse.
Bald Eagle Sighting
Our February 19 hike was special not only for the record-breaking weather, but also because we saw our first bald eagle in action. We had just read a shiny new sign announcing the refuge’s first resident eagle. We weren’t scanning the sky because the sign said eagles migrate. As we hiked a little further, we saw the telltale signs of a wildlife sighting: couples scanning the sky with binoculars and guys setting SLR cameras on tripods. There was a huge nest across the lake in the highest tree. As we watched, we saw the eagle swoop into the nest, hurl down to the water and zoom back up. As the group debated whether the ducks were toast, I realized I knew little about eagles. Here are some basics and eagle lore.
Impoundment Wildlife
Thanks to Wes’s sharp eyes along the hike, we also spotted a small black turtle sunning itself on a wooden raft. The best panoramic view of the many bird species is from the boardwalk, which spans the width of the pond called an “Impoundment”. There were no herons or egrets in February, but there were lots of duck pairs, one male and one female. Each pair had staked out its section of the pond, and a lone duck family got a secluded pond section to themselves. We’re looking forward to visiting in the summer, hopefully to see the new eagle family.