| Show Urban swamp lands dot Salt Lake City Cit Long legged blue herons and snowy white egrets live within the city limits Cleova Williams Staff Writer swamps around U URBAN Salt Lake City attract fascinating fas- fas fas fascinating fascinating swamp birds The ground water level in the Salt Lake Valley is high so low lying areas fill with cat cattails cattails tails and swamp grasses v a Great blue herons snowy white egrets and noisy snipes are just a few of the birds that live in Salt Lake City's swampy areas The most obvious urban swamps can be seen se-en as motorists drive the freeways On the east side of 1 I between between between be be- tween South and South lies Decker Lake At Atthe Atthe Atthe the shallow west end of the lake large patches of cat tails have grown The area is a natural bird r reserve serve Two great white herons can frequently frequently fre fre- fre- fre be seen swimming on the lake They ignore the nearby freeway traffic and seem to create their own serenity photo by Cleova Williams A small blue heron stands reflected in the urban swamp Decker Lake is also home horn e for a variety of ducks small blue heron and other swamp fowl They feed on fish swamp grasses and insects At the north end of Salt Lake City swamp ponds are created between the built up freeways and the built up industrial industrial industrial in in- sights Within these low lying swamp ponds beautiful snowy white egrets can be found They have long feather plumes sweeping sweeping sweeping sweep- sweep ing out from the backs of their heads chest and tail f V 1 i 1 I t tt t C S 5 1 S. S S.'S S 'S Ii I i 1 1 photo by Cleova Williams At th the north end of Salt Salt- Lake City swamp oozes into the low lying j areas between the freeway oil il refineries and industrial buildings 55 S. S y 6 y r J JJ I J i i d r S. S L a Av 1 y y Ja Jay photo by Cleova Williams As s s trucks rumble by on an industrial back road a snowy white egret flies up from the swamp grasses The shallow hallow water is teaming with life With Nith the dignity of pure perfection per- per they strut across the theon Donds on their long legs Snowy egrets are on the endangered species list lume Plume hunters had so depleted the egrets that they they lad had become scarce The Audubon Movement made extensive efforts to save both he the h egrets and their cousins he the great white herons The first time I noticed my iny of the swamp birds was when Nhen a small black and bird distracted me as Iwas I INas was Nas driving north on between be- be tween Salt Lake City and Bountiful past a swampy ditch litch to the right of the freeway A sleek looking bird started at 10 feet above the water and dive-bombed dive straight down disappearing below the surface of the water I wanted to stop the car turn around and watch him come back up but there was was too mu much h tr traffic in ih my n wa way Birds are fascinating to watch Salt Lake City's dull ditches have become miniature miniature miniature minia minia- ture wild life preserves In these small preserves you might see coots great blue heron great white heron snipes ducks and many other long-legged long birds They swim strut fly squawk fish for their dinner and peck at each other On a a delightful deligh afternoon in early Spring I visited one o of my favorite swampy areas areas in in an industrial park The low lying fields are all swamps A little brown mama pintail duck with 10 tiny babies swam parallel to toa toa toa a chain link fence The babies followed their mama but didn't want to stay in a straight line They swam in inand inand inand and out of the chain links pushing through and popping popping popping pop pop- ping out When you visit swamp areas take your binoculars and old shoes along You have to be careful where you step Deceptively dry ground can be just a a. thin crust over muddy shoe-eating shoe bog I |
