an unlikely bird oasis

 Usually, a shopping center project doesn't spell good news for wildlife. But this past Saturday, I discovered an unlikely bird oasis that has actually benefited from such a local development.

_{View below & beyond the bridge.}

This is one view of what some call the Tempe marsh area, which is bordered by the crisscross of two major roadways and a large shopping/theatre complex along the Salt River, east of Tempe Town Lake.

_{View of the roadways.}

The marsh has apparently been there for some time, likely since the Lake was dammed. But before the shopping center was developed, a junkyard full of rusting vehicles leaking who-knows-which toxic chemicals occupied the site, and birders had no legal access.

Now, the shopping center parking lot abuts a pedestrian overlook that runs along the marsh for several  blocks. A waist-high metal railing protects observers from the steep embankment down to the water. Even better, the restrictive legal flood control status of the area protects the marsh wildlife from curious intruders -- at the risk of $1000 fine and 6 months in jail!

_{It looks well-fed...}

And if that's not deterrant enough, this riverside coyote might discourage trespassers too.

_{View of the marsh below the overpass.}

The juxtaposition of urban structures and natural beauty is oddly very appealing.

You might have an osprey silhouetted against highway pillars one moment

and silently gliding inches above beautiful sky-blue water the next.

As a photographer, I was surprised to discover how variably the shapes and colors of the structures were reflected or distorted in the water.

_{Great Egret.}

Sometimes I was taking conscious advantage of the reflections...

_{Belted Kingfisher.}

and other times, I was so focused on the bird that the reflected setting was a happy accident.

Luckily, Tempe marsh is just a few minutes' detour on my way to or from the DBG, so this little oasis is a discovery that my camera & I intend to revisit often.

 

Comments

[susan m hinckley]

Oooh -- cool juxtaposition indeed! I could do without meeting the coyote, but I can't help but be thrilled that you have another picture venue. Can't wait to see it through your lens.

[luanne]

Seeing the coyote was cool, it was running along the bottom of the embankment and after one glance it had no interest in me.

I suspect this spot is a more popular site for bird-birders than for bird-photogs -- many local photogs like to get really CLOSE to their waterbird subjects. Here, there's a mandatory distance imposed on humans, and only the critters can decide to come closer, which they sometimes do. Also, many bird photogs seem to dislike the busier backgrounds that I find so appealing here. This tells a different story & I think it offers a lot of possibilities. So stay tuned!