Marshy Creek is a relatively shallow body of water where visitors can kayak April through October. A number of water fowl use Marshy Creek as they migrate back North and can be seen on the water either by kayaking or from the viewing tower. Some of the birds that can be identified are below.
Ruddy Duck, males and females, Oxyura jamaicensis, are found on Marshy Creek as they migrate North. They feed on Plants, insect larvae and mollusks. The voice of the female is a low, nasal raanh and a high sharp squeak and falsetto queer. The male is essentially silent unless mating and has a muffled popping series jif jif jif ji ji ji ji jijijijijiwirrrr. It is 15″ in length, a wingspan of 18.5″ and weighs 19.2 oz.
Horned Grebe, Podiceps auritus, can be seen on Marshy Creek in the Winter and Spring as it migrates North. It dives for fish and aquatic insects. Its song is rilling, usually in duet, with rising and falling pulses of sound way-urrr or ja-orrrr. It is 14″ in length, a wingspan of 18″ and weighs 16 oz.
Ring-billed Gull, Larus delawarensis, is probably the most widely seen gull. They are scavengers and will eat almost anything they can find. They eat fish, rodents, small aquatic animals, insects and vegetable matter. Their call is a high rather hoarse kuleeeeuk, kleeeea or k-heeer. It is 17.5″ in length, a wingspan of 48″ and weighs 17.6 oz.
Doubled-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, can be seen year-round, but also will migrate North in the Spring. Its main diet consists of fish, which it dives for. Its voice is a hoarse, bullfrog like grunting yaaa yaa ya. It is 33″ in length, a wingspan of 52″ and weighs 59.2 oz.