48 Nebraskaland • June 2024
MIXED BAG
Spring is my favorite time in the saline wetlands. The
mosquitos have yet to emerge, the foxtail slowly dances in
the breeze, the temperature is enjoyable, and the birds sing
songs of awakening.
It was a crisp spring
evening, and I was on
a walk at Marsh Wren.
The same walk I always
take — down the gravel
path, past the salt fl ats
and prairie plants,
around the saline
pond and back up the
same path. Sights and
sounds are diff erent
each time I walk this
path, as I usually hear
something I have not
heard before or see
something new and
surprising. One time,
I spent 30 minutes
sitting next to the
pond watching three
or four muskrats about
3 or 4 feet in front of
me diving underwater
and coming up to rest
again. They didn't
mind my presence as
long as I sat quietly.
Marsh Wren
Community Wetland
is an enchanting place
located just north of
Lincoln, Nebraska.
Previously a dog park,
this restored saline
wetland holds water
saltier than the ocean, as well as rare and endangered plants
and insects. In the past 150 years, more than 80 percent of
an estimated 20,000 acres of saline wetlands have been
destroyed by ditching, draining and urban development.
Today, local conservation groups are working hard to restore
and conserve the wetlands that remain.
During my walk on this particular day, I noticed a dead tree
in a way I hadn't before. I don't know what exactly made me
stop and look up at this tree, but that is one of the reasons
why I love frequenting the same places again and again, to
watch how they change over time and to notice even the
tiniest things in a diff erent light. I looked up at the leafl ess
tree, which forked into
two branches perfectly
positioned as inviting
perches. I pondered
what creatures may
choose to land on those
perches and decided
to position a game
camera to watch what
happened over the next
year. What I captured
on that camera was
more amazing than I
could have imagined.
Red-tailed hawks
feasting on mice and
meadowlarks. Great-
horned, short-eared
and long-eared owls
standing guard in
the night. American
kestrels dining on
spiders. Raccoons
licking up the remains
from the raptor's prey.
Songbirds singing,
resting and playing.
The camera even
captured a loggerhead
shrike, which is one of
my favorite birds.
The wildness from
the past still remains
in the saline wetlands,
and the eff orts to keep
these places intact
are important now more than ever. Watching the exciting
behaviors of the creatures that visited the perch reassured me
that every square inch of these unassuming and fragmented
spaces matter. The next time you are on a walk in nature and
stumble upon a lonely tree perch, I hope you'll gaze up, smile
and know that its visitors are frequent, and not so lonely
after all.
See "The Perch" video at vimeo.com/768286298.
THE PERCH
By Mariah Lundgren
PHOTO BY MARIAH LUNDGREN
