Although there is plenty to do at Awenda Provincial Park, we were not sure when we’d be back to the area, so we wanted to check out Wye Marsh. It was a short drive over to Midland, Ontario on a cloudy and very humid day.
What a great place! Lyssa went up in the Tula while we walked the many trails.
We dipped (bird watcher’s term for missing out) on the Trumpeter Swans (probably due to the extremely loud group of pre-teen day campers that preceded us), but did get some good views of a super cute Wood Duck family. Trumpeter Swans successfully nested at Wye Marsh this year, and I know Kory was hoping to see them. These huge swans were extirpated from Canada and have been reintroduced, so it is exciting that they are breeding at the marsh.
The marsh has an awesome boardwalk complete with dip nets! We had a great time scooping things up! There was an ID sheet to key out the benthic creatures, but the big girl had more fun playing with the nets (and who could blame her!).
Another neat feature of Wye Marsh was the honey bee viewing area. The centre had hives set up behind a screened in and enclosed viewing area! Such a great idea! I had a good time seeing the bees up close, and the big girl had fun posing for photos as a beekeeper, hehe.
Em climbed all the way to the top of the observation tower – a pretty big feat for a tiny 3 year old! Wildlife was resting in the heat and humidity of the day, but the views were fantastic.
Although we didn’t see much in terms of wildlife on this visit, Wye Marsh is a great place. It provided a perfect balance between kid-friendly activities and nature-viewing opportunities. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area!
Kory & Sarah — I think I’m going to love this new blog. Visiting the provincial parks ….What an excellent idea!
BTW – There is a park called Murphy’s Point … No relation but seriously, I’ve always wanted to visit.