Waterfowl are the big attraction at the always-damp Erie
National Wildlife Refuge. Ducks are the specialty, with up to 20
species frequenting the natural and man-made wetlands that
dominate the rolling landscape. The low-lying refuge is in two
tracts that together cover 8,800 acres about 35 miles south of
Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania. The 5,206-acre Sugar Lake
Division lies 10 miles east of Meadville in Crawford County, in
a narrow valley. Woodcock Creek drains to the north and Lake
Creek to the south. Beaver ponds, man-made pools and marshlands
along the creeks are bordered by forests, grasslands and wet
meadows. Ten miles to the north is the Seneca Division, a
swampy, forested valley with 3,594 acres in the federal refuge.
Muddy and Dead creeks provide the pristine wetlands. The two
areas are a haven for migratory birds, with excellent habitat
and wildlife. The refuge -- one of 551 units of the national
system operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
covering more than 150 million acres -- wa