When I saw how close to me the path of totality would be for the April 8th eclipse, and that it ran through my favorite birding area, I just knew I had to brave the traffic and go. With the draw of a total eclipse, I also talked Mr. C into going with me. Neither of us had experienced a total eclipse before. The forecast called for partly cloudy skies, but I was less concerned with brilliant views of the eclipse than what the effect the sudden darkness and chill would have on the wildlife. The eclipse was as fabulous as the setting, and left us both filled with awe and wonder.
THE DAILY BUCKET IS A NATURE REFUGE. WE AMICABLY DISCUSS ANIMALS, WEATHER, CLIMATE, SOIL, PLANTS, WATERS AND NOTE LIFE’S PATTERNS.
The drive from suburban Detroit to Ohio was busy but not too bad. It looked like a large portion of Michigan had the same idea that we did. Our first stop was Howard Marsh Metropark. The park was about as busy as it will be in a month for the height of spring bird migration. The visitors were a mix of birders, kayakers and eclipse fans. Lots of families were picnicking, and there was palpable excitement in the air on this sunny, warm spring day.
I was hoping to see Black-necked Stilts as they’d been reported recently on eBird. These delightful birds have nested here the past two years and I was hoping they would return. Sure enough, I spotted three from the entrance road. They were active, flying in the background and chirping. Two were kind enough to come near the road and pose nicely.
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We didn’t linger too long at Howard Marsh because I wanted to be at the fabulous Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, both for the birds and the eclipse. Magee just never disappoints. The parking lot looked like it was already the Biggest Week in American Birding, largely coordinated by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory. (I know that sounds a bit presumptuous, but it’s not just hype.) There was still plenty of room to park, with lots of people setting up gear and grills in the parking lot or on the Lake Erie beach. Like Howard Marsh, kids of all ages were giddy with excitement.
Not many people were wandering the boardwalk, which was fine with us and where we headed. Before we left the parking lot, the first surprise called from above.
Once the weather turns warmer, turtles are a common sight. Snakes are a little harder to find.
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We had been using our special eclipse glasses to keep track of the sun. Well before totality, the temperature had started to cool. My phone only recorded a two degree (F) change, but I’m sure it was more. I’m glad I kept my sweatshirt on. Surprisingly, the amount of sunlight did not seem to change until minutes before totality. By then, we’d made our way to the back section of the boardwalk, where there were just a few observers, widely spaced out.
Totality started at 3:12. I took this next photo at 3:11.
By this time, the Tree Swallows had gone largely silent and to ground. Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese became restive and noisy, with a Sandhill pair taking to the air and calling as they flew west. Before this, they had been mostly quiet.
Totality came quickly, like a curtain dropping. It looked like breaking dawn, but along all 360 degrees of the horizon. The sky close to the horizon was a warm yellow to light pinkish, and overhead dark grey, but not total black. Stars were visible. The sun in total eclipse was breathtaking. I only have a cellphone photo, so I’m hoping other Bucketeers will give me an assist and add theirs in the comments.
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The quality of the light approaching totality and just after is hard to describe and like nothing I’d experienced before. It wasn’t quite like a cloudy day, because shadows remained sharp. The tint of the light was unusual too. I’m used to pink or golden light at dawn and sunset. But here, the sun was overhead and the shadows short instead of long. And the light had a colder bluish color. Mr. C and I both remarked that it felt like we forgot to take off our sunglasses.
The end of totality was unmistakable, with a spot of blinding light first appearing on the lower right side behind the moon. This was the area that the moon had first covered at the onset of the eclipse. However, the moon did not follow a straight line, but instead a slightly curved arc. Just before totality, the remaining sliver of sunlight was glowing across the top of the moon, not at the upper left like I’d thought it would.
Red-winged Blackbirds kept at their singing and calling throughout. Other birds were silent, at least in our area. I didn’t hear any nighttime creatures or birds, like frogs or owls. We didn’t stay long as we figured the drive back was going to be hellacious. (It was, and more.) So we slowly walked back along the boardwalk to the parking lot. Birdsong came back quickly, and the Tree Swallows were back in the air. Interestingly, the turtles and snakes were no where to be found. They must have headed underwater and stayed there.
Now it’s your turn.
What’s up in nature in your area?
Any eclipse stories or photos to share?