About a mile further north on Center Creek Road, a wetland meadow lies west of the old Nome dump, which is now used as a monofil area for large bulky refuse that does not belong in the sanitary landfill. The monofil area might attract ravens or gulls, but the real gem is the wetland meadow interspersed with remnant structures from earlier mining activity. Rednecked phalarope, pintail, teal, and scaup are often floating on the pond near the road, and geese, gulls, and terns are common in more distant locations. When it’s warm out and insects are flying, an abundance of swallows forage just above the water and meadow. Rusty blackbird feeds and nests in the area, so be on the lookout for a dark-bodied, long-tailed bird walking the perimeter of the ponds.
