Wetland Field Notes 2006
Observations of plants and animals as I explore the wetland -
Pam Feagler
September 22, Friday - As a child of the
70's I grew up with the impending extinction of the bald eagle. Chances
were very high that I would never in my lifetime see a wild eagle. In the
80's I once saw a mature bald eagle caged at a zoo and felt nothing but sadness
at the certain fate of this magnificent species. Now, after 30 years of
massive efforts to eliminate the pesticide DDT
and
protect critical habitat the eagles are coming back. And now, in my
lifetime, I see them frequently in the wild in all their glory.
On this rainy gloomy day in September I glanced out my office window and saw this bald eagle perched on my favorite dead tree. He was literally 20' from the building. I dropped my sandwich, grabbed my puny digital camera, and snapped a picture seconds before he took flight across the lake. The picture is through glass, with rain falling, and not focused well - but I was thrilled to get the picture. The remainder of the day was warm and sunny for me, in spite of the rain.
Children of today are learning about the success of the eagle protection laws and how the birds are becoming more common. They can read in history books about how they almost went extinct, but now they are not. Will children of today look at a wild eagle and feel a sense of wonder at a species recovering from certain death? or will they see just another bird because they are now so common? I hope the wonder never fades for any of us.
August 30, Wednesday - There is no wind today and the lake is glassy. Films of green algae are blooming on the surface, interrupted by the odd turtle poking its head out for a look. The double-crested cormorants do not seem to be in any great hurry, they lazily dive beneath the surface for a snack and then pop up some thirty feet away. With the lake so still it is easy to see their features. The kingfishers were pretty noisy and active today. I could hear their squawks echoing all over the lake. A small female perched in the dead tree before darting off again. The trees are showing signs of fall as subtle color changes begin. The woodland sunflowers are intense this year, more blooming plants than I remember from previous years. I used the brush mower again today to continue clearing weedy areas along the trail, but with the massive swarms of bees and wasps on the blooming wingstem and japanese knotweed I decided it was not a good idea to mow into these potential hazards. Remember for next year, mow before the blooms, mow before the blooms...
August 28, Monday - I was glad to see the osprey at the wetland again. He has been absent all summer. He flew around the island and perched in a tree where he lounged for the longest time. Through my scope I could see him just hanging out on a branch, maybe napping after a meal...Our neighbors in Zoar are telling me they hear a strange bird screeching from the trees at the levee around 10pm each night. After consulting my handy "Birdsong Identiflyer" (yes, bird geeks do carry this tool) my neighbor decided it must be a barn owl. It seems to be hanging out in the overgrown arborvitae bushes near the picnic shelter. The bushes are giant and covered with grape vines, and they could be hiding a nest. My next task is to snoop around under the giant bushes in search of owl pellets, a sure sign of at least a favorite perch.
A big "Thank You" goes out to Ivan Redinger and the crew from Scout Troop 912 for descending on our wetland Sunday Aug 20 and opening up overgrown trails for our visitors. With chain saws, weed-eaters, and pruning shears they quickly cleared the path to the Zoar Cemetery, the fishing spot down the embankment, and the path down to the old swimming beach. They also cut down trees that had fallen across the paths and pulled up tree-of-heaven saplings from the cemetery hill. What they did in four hours would have taken me a month to accomplish. Beautiful job fellas!
August 15, Tuesday - I spent some time observing the wetland today. At first glance all was quiet, no bird activity, cicadas buzzing, slight breeze, no mosquitoes...then I looked closer. My favorite dead tree 20 feet from my office window has become the stage for animal theatre. With the scope I had a perfect view of a small bird called a blue-gray gnatcatcher flitting on the dead branches collecting insects. The white flowers of bindweed (morninglory) climbing the trunk attracted a lone hummingbird to its nectar. A female wood duck casually swam at the base of the tree into a swarm of insects and promptly began catching them in the air. The yellow flowers of wingstem and evening primrose (lemon-scented flowers) growing at the base of the tree attracted an American goldfinch. I could hear the prehistoric scream of the blue heron somewhere across the lake, and I saw a single green heron flying into the trees on the island. When several large flocks of Canada geese landed on the lake I realized that I had not seen any geese for several weeks. They are common and a nuisance, but watching their graceful glide onto the water and hearing the changes in their calls as they "found" a resting place is still a treat. I was wrong to think there was nothing happening today, animals are always happening.
The flowers in bloom right now are the intense purple of ironweed and the sunny yellow of wingstem and evening primrose. Our single great blue lobelia has bloomed in the small marshy spot next to the office. The blackeyed susans are brilliant, but the purple coneflower is beginning to decline. The patches of woodland sunflower have increased, and the pink swamp hibiscus on the island are in full bloom. Monarch and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are thick on the flowers. The weather is beautiful, low humidity, temps in the 70's, brilliant blue sky, and less mosquitoes. July was pretty slow for visitors due to the heat and bugs, but people are now coming back to the wetland every day for hiking or fishing.
August 7, Monday - Dan Kramer, Wildlife Management Supervisor with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, District 3 (breath) started banding wood ducks at the wetland. He began setting large cages out in shallow water during July. They were baited with corn to attract the elusive ducks so they became accustomed to entering the cage. When feeding activity became regular he set the cage so it would close, trapping the ducks inside. Then he would collect each bird and place a band around its leg for identification. he reported to me that this banding was very low compared to previous years. Only sixteen birds were trapped, and only four of those were banded. The others had already been banded or were still too young to hold the band. He did see a juvenile bald eagle on Aug 1, a good sign that a nest is in the area.
August 2, Wednesday - One of our friends has let us borrow his brush-cut mower to keep the trails mowed. I just had to get it out today and tackle some problem areas that had overgrown. What a treat to cut into a 6' stand of tangled weeds and mow them down like a knife through butter. I was able to cut the Japanese knotweed away from a trail and from around our pawpaw and cucumber magnolia trees. It also cut a wider path through towering knotweed and wingstem past the guardlock and down the river trail, a section I could not get to this season due to chronic mower breakdowns. I actually had fun clearing trail, in spite of the intense heat today.
The river trail poses several problems for me. First, it is isolated so people riding ATV's have no problem riding the trail, as if they own the place. Second, it is prone to flooding due to the Tuscarawas River and its low elevation. Flooding + ATV riders = slimy muddy walking trails that most people would not venture onto. The only consolation I have for the ATV riders trespassing is that they often create a new trail around the large trees that frequently fall across the existing trail. This saves my volunteers from having to carry chainsaws and weed-eaters to open new trails. So far, the ATV riders are not demolishing all vegetation or creating mud pits for recreation. Short of placing cement barriers at either end of the wetland (substantial expense for us) there is not much I can do to keep them off our property. If you are reading this and enjoy riding an ATV on someone else's property...please understand that your fun is a heartache for someone else. Respect the owner, respect the land, get permission or stay out.
July 21, Friday - Monarch butterflies have been descending on our wetland for about a week. Their arrival coincides with the blooming of the swamp milkweed. Pink clumps of flowers can be seen around the edges of the water and the butterflies are all over them. All milkweeds are a vital food source for the monarchs, and the only host plant they lay eggs on. The wild sunflowers are beginning to bloom as well as the cup plant, another type of sunflower.
Another wetland plant in bloom right now is the purple loosestrife. I am seeing it in ditches along the highway, in open boggy fields, and in patches at our wetland. Today, I canoed out around the lake with the help of Jordanne Smith, a young volunteer, to locate and remove any loosestrife from our wetland. We found a dozen clumps in the shallow water, but could only pull a few of them. Most of the clumps are in thick muck surrounded by other vegetation, we were not dressed for wading in the mud to pull the plants. We canoed up to the northern end where the marsh meets the corn field and discovered a vast colony of purple loosestrife taking over the wetland. One plant can produce two million seeds...we saw thousands of plants. The loosestrife is a terrible plant because it completely takes over and eliminates all other plants. It has no value to wildlife as food or cover. When it invades an area the animals move out to find food elsewhere. I am checking into methods to control the plant, which includes an introduced beetle that feeds only on the loosestrife effectively killing the plants.
July 14, Thursday - The mosquitoes are ferocious! To enter the woods you must be wearing several layers of clothes with no exposed skin, even on hands. You must wear a hat with a net draped over and no gaps for the vampires to access. Even dressed for battle it is still a good idea to spray your clothes down or they will crawl on you and find the gaps between layers and bite. Ask me, I'll tell you how bad it is. Once covered and sprayed a walk through the woods is still the most enjoyable pastime I know of. During these walks I am looking for new flowers that may only bloom for a short time. I have found two clumps of what I believe to be Michigan Lily growing on a soggy slope. I have pictures and have consulted my flower field guides so I am pretty sure of its name. Another flower is in bloom right now that I still have to identify. They have tall stems and clusters of blue flowers at the top. I have to climb over blankets of poison ivy to get a closer look and I have to wait until the rain stops so I can carry a camera to document the flower.
One note about invasive weed control: Jim and I spent a day in April injecting undiluted glyphosphate 41% into the hollow stems of Japanese knotweed that is taking over our forest. We broke the tops off at about 3 feet and injected the herbicide right into the stem using a hypodermic needle. The stems are chambered so the herbicide was held in the chamber and absorbed into the tissue of the plant. I have monitored the test sites since then and am amazed that not only did the technique kill the entire plant, but the surrounding vegetation was also dead. Nothing has re-sprouted. A second test site we just injected the herbicide into the base of the plant so the roots would be subjected to the poison immediately. To our surprise the plant did not die and even sprouted more stems from the same base. We know not to do that again. Knotweed is a terrible invasive plant that grows similar to bamboo. It spreads by underground rhizomes and is a prolific seeder. If it is cut down the stem can send out roots along its length and grow a new plant. It truly is a monster from outer space. The labor intensive control method will continue each year until we have wiped out the invader.
July 10, Monday - June and July have flashed by with fundraising events and daily chores. The most active birds on the lake have been the tree and barn swallows and the chimney swifts. They swoop non-stop over the surface of the water catching insects. To watch their complex aerial maneuvers is a treat. Such a tiny bird but with amazing grace they can accelerate, dive, dip, hover, and somersault through the air to catch small insects that are also moving in all directions. The tree swallows have been nesting in the wine cellar and as of July appear to be hosting a second brood. The entrance to the cellar is beneath my office window so I have the best vantage point to watch them flying in and out all day. A sad note, a brood of eastern phoebe chicks has died in the nest. The mud nest was built last year by barn swallows under the eave of our picnic shelter and used this year by the phoebes. Both parents had been actively feeding the chicks, but they either abandoned the nest due to too much human activity or died because they both disappeared at the same time. By the time I realized they were missing the chicks had already died. This is the second phoebe nest I have found in two weeks with the chicks about the same age that have perished, curious.
July 4, Tuesday - The Kahler/Newsome family picnic in our shelter was still a success in spite of the steady rain that fell all day. Jim and I were invited so we were there when the bald eagle flew around the island to the delight of family members. Seriously, we did see the eagle on Independence Day...
May 29, Monday - Jim and I took out the canoe to explore the lake. The carp are spawning in the shallows and are oblivious to our approach. They are so intent on their love-carp-style that they splash out of the water and bump into the canoe. We can also hear them sucking air at the surface all around us. Jim splashed the canoe paddle on the surface and the carp actually came in to investigate. We spotted dozens of blue herons and a number of wood ducks, but no chicks yet. The wild hyacinth has not bloomed. Discovered patches of delicate tiny sunflowers called Golden Ragwort, Senecio aureus, growing along the river path in light shade.
May 22, Monday - The wild geraniums are in full bloom, as well as sweet cicely (licorice scented), woodland phlox (the scent is intoxicating), buttercups, false solomon's seal, and a delicate blue flower called Miami Mist, Phacelia purshii, blanketing the hillside on the cemetery path. The bird songs are vibrant and intense these days.
May 14, Sunday - I brought visiting family members to the wetland. There was a light rain falling and a great amount of bird activity on the water, green herons were very active flying into the trees on the eastern tree line and the great blue herons were noisily jostling for territory. We heard a distinctive kee kee kee call and turned the spotting scope towards the sound. Viewed a bald eagle chasing a larger brown eagle around the island and into the trees. Referred to the field guide to identify which eagle was making the call, determined it was a golden eagle by the call, by its size, and by the golden flecks in its feathers. They were both flying eye level between the island and picnic shelter where we were standing so it was very easy to see the details of color and form of the golden eagle. This chase lasted for about 10 minutes until both disappeared towards the northern end of the wetland. Contacted the Division of Wildlife and spoke to their expert on bald eagles. Seems the chasing behavior indicates the bald eagle is nesting in the area and will aggressively chase other predator birds away. They do not display that behavior if they are only feeding in a location. The presence of the golden eagle is not common, but they are known to winter in West Virginia and migrate to northeastern Canada for summer. This one could have been passing through and "bumped" into the resident bald eagle. Whatever the reason we were thrilled to have seen these magnificent birds.
May 10, Wednesday - My office window is right on the lake and provides a perfect vantage point for viewing birds without disturbing them. With spotting scope in hand and field guide open I have learned to identify many species of bird; song, water, and predator. This day I saw two eastern kingbirds in the dead trees twenty feet from my window. Kingbirds are a flycatcher, meaning they swoop through the air and eat flying insects. They are also aggressive and will chase crows and hawks if they get too close to their nest.
May 6, Saturday - Members of the Canton Audubon Society explored the wetland and helped me identify song birds. Before the last car door shut members immediately spotted cedar waxwings in the mature scotch pines next to the picnic shelter. I knew the waxwings were here because I had found some distinctive tail feathers belonging to them, but had not seen the bird. They eat pine nuts and cedar tree berries, so it was no surprise they were all over that scotch pine. I should have known that. We walked slowly through the woods and spent time just standing, waiting for the birds to come to us. Group members pointed out the yellow warbler (singing his heart out), a rose-breasted grosbeak, a warbling vireo, a spotted sandpiper, a male baltimore oriole, and various woodpeckers. The best birding spot of the day was in the open clearing by the guardlock and powerhouse. This is where we saw a great blue heron soaring on a thermal with a beak full of nesting material. It soared with outstretched wings further up than we knew it could. It appeared to be having fun... We also spotted the bald eagle gliding on a thermal over the lake. Ok, the birds may be common but just learning to identify them by song, color, or habit is still a rewarding experience. Thanks to the Audubon members for sharing their expertise!