Rotary ditching achieves the objectives of mosquito control, and allows the marsh to function more naturally. It's not always easy to achieve both the objectives of good wildlife management and effective mosquito control. The refuge and the local mosquito control district are trying new techniques so that both objectives can be met. The mud flats may not look very appealing to you, but on close inspection you may observe a variety of birds feeding in this area. During low water, the mud flats are teaming with shore birds, which feed on various worms, clams, snails, shrimp or crabs burrowed beneath the soft blanket of moist mud.
Most shorebirds feed by sense of touch, using their sensitive bills to probe for and gather food.
Overhead, aerial-searching birds, like gulls, terns, and kingfishers, spot their prey visually and dive to capture it in isolated water pockets. Their diet consists mostly of fish stranded by the receding tide. It all depends on your perspective. This water depth benefits the widest range of species and is a highly productive system. Sunlight easily penetrates the shallow water, and submerged plants provide food for waterfowl, shelter for fish, and form the base of the impoundment's food chain.