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While passing through Illinois, I stopped at Mermet Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area. The cypress swamp is encircled by a two-way dirt road which I drove counter-clockwise. As a birding location I was disappointed to find very few species here, but the time of day and time of year were not favorable. The road was in good enough condition and wide enough to stop for wildlife and still allow other traffic to pass (a characteristic a lot of National Wildlife Refuges lack!). Located throughout the drive were small picnic/rest areas with bathroom facilities and several pull-outs to stop and look for wildlife. The site also contains two marked interpretive trails, but I did not try either due to the heat.
My favorite photo was of a Great Blue Heron, below. Another great find was the Mississippi Kite, which I did not identify until I downloaded the photos later.
Click Here for more information about this location.
Click Here for more information about this hotspot from eBird.
