Guest Tenants in the Shop

Mother (or father?) Carolina Wren bringing back a tasty mouthful of "pill bugs" or "rolly pollies"

A piece of duct tape now covers the switch that controls the exhaust fan in our make-shift shop. A pair of Carolina Wrens decided it would be an ideal location for a nest. We figure fan blades and nesting birds don't play nicely together, so the fan is out of commission for the next week or so, at least.

This is classic behavior for these precocious and highly vocal little boogers. As a kid, I can remember a pair that was certain our newspaper slot would make the perfect home -- despite the fact that my mom cleaned their collection of sticks and pine needles out on a daily basis. I've heard of nests being made in about anything and everything, but they ideally choose a cavity that is ~6-feet off the ground and well protected from the elements. Our fan fits that description.

This species is another than pairs for life. Mom and dad share nest building and child-rearing detail. They can have up to seven young in a clutch, so the "selfie" I took with my phone may have only captured a couple of the disgruntled youth.

We are on the northern reaches of the Carolina wren's yearround range. They don't migrate much, if at all, so bitter cold tends to limit northern expansion. Mild winters, like the one we just experienced, are kind to the species. Overall, their numbers are thought to be on the increase.

I'd love to know if one of these adults is the same one that was hanging around the bunkhouse last summer. One morning in August, I arrived and opened my truck door to get some air while finishing a phone call. Before I knew what happened, a wren flitted into my cab and landed on my steering wheel, jumped to my knee, then to the ground near my brake, and was out with a scrap of yesterday's lunch . . . all while I was still in my seat. Gotta love close encounters with wildlife!

My daughter loved this pic. It was not an easy one to capture. I was perilously dangling over tools and supplies inside the shop, while both parents chastised me from outside. Meanwhile, the youngins just looked on with disgust.

Punt Boats, Punting & Punters

One of the waterfowl hunters who now lease our West Marsh, circa 1983, setting decoys from a punt

While the visuals here foreshadow shortening days and waterfowl migrating north to south, I can't wait till fall to provide some definitions. I am realizing that certain terms become part of the everyday vernacular in the marsh, but that doesn't mean that they are everyday words.

That said I was surprised (though I shouldn't be) that Google could instantly offer basic definitions:

PUNT (/pənt/)
noun: a long, narrow, flat-bottomed boat, square or pointed at both ends and propelled with a long pole, used on inland waters chiefly for recreation.

verb: to travel or convey in a punt; to propel a boat by thrusting a pole against the bottom of a shallow body of water.

Here is further description from Winous Point: 150 Years of Waterfowling and Conservation
(Sedwick & Kroll):
". . . options for navigation across the vast mashes were generally limited to shallow-drift, flat-bottomed boats known locally as punts. These fifteen- to sixteen-foot-long wooden boats were doubled ended (pointed) with sturdy decks fore and aft, and flared cowlings to counter splash. The punts drew about three inches of water empty and six inches when loaded with two men and gear, and with a strong push could be punted to the edge of dry ground."

Roy's incredible history of Winous Point goes into painstaking detail describing the attributes and evolution of the boats and their primary forms of propulsion (oars and then eventually "punt poles"). Vessels of similar design date back more than 2,000 years according to a variety of sources, but recreational uses probably have origins in Europe starting in the last couple/few hundred years.

Roy's book has some incredible images dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s. Our history, at least visually, is much more contemporary. As is the construction of many of our boats. The punt to the left (one of my favorite photos I've personally taken, to date) is a carrier-over from the previous marsh manager (more on Tommy later). The hulking steel hull is built like he was: to last.

Punts made of wood are still very much in use elsewhere in the region, but we have opted thus far for other, lighter materials. Our main transport punt is made of reinforced fiberglass. We are contemplating another that is made from an even more forgiving plastic. Times, materials, and designs have evolved, but the basic premise has stayed constant.

While the topic of PUNTERS or "puntmen" -- essentially the primary navigator of a punt boat -- deserves more than one post to be sure, think of these marshmen as the guides. Starting all the way back in the mid-1800s on and around Lake Erie, they provided the entree to the marsh for recreational hunting (and to a lesser extent, fishing). They still provide an integral role today.

A True Collaboration from Day One

A survey team from the Mannik Smith Group in Maumee
(SIDEBAR: Note that the green Phrag now exceeding waste height was burned to the ground just three weeks ago!)

Roy spent most of his day and I spent a good chunk of my afternoon yesterday accompanying a two-man survey crew around the property. Priority one was establishing specific boundaries for several discrete management units. Our secondary goal was to shoot elevations at a good number of key locations around the property to lay the ground work for future restoration and improvement projects.

I feel it appropriate to single out the Mannik Smith Group (MSG) for their work. They were prompt, professional and efficient yesterday, per usual. But even more notable from my perspective: yesterday marked a continuation of their ongoing support for the project. They are among a handful of Toledo-based organizations that were instrumental in this project getting off the ground in the first place.

Other notable contributors include: Marshall & Melhorn (legal), Louisville Title (title/survey work), Hull & Associates (environmental), and Signature Bank (financing). All of these entities have supported with expertise and a commitment to stretch our project dollars as far as they can go. I should also recognize Miller Diversified and SJS Investment Consulting for playing crucial advisory roles from the onset.

This project has been true collaboration from day one. And for that, I am truly thankful.
________________

Before signing off, I have to share a few images captured in yesterday's brilliant (and welcomed) sunshine. I had the luxury of helping to direct traffic, rather than do the work myself, so I could carry the camera. As usual, for every fun photo captured, there were dozens that didn't make it in front of the Canon -- or at least not in focus!

Another common site, the Yellow Warbler. These brilliant little guys are early to arrive and happy to stick around all summer to breed. They are constantly shuffling through lower branches of the understory and provide brief glimpses as they dart across the dike from dogwood to dogwood. This particular individual couldn't resist the warm morning sunshine, so it gave me the rare opportunity to find and focus.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker (figure that name out?!) is perhaps most recognized for its propensity to visit suet and make a mess of neighborhood bird feeders. But there is something different about seeing this striking bird in the trees. It's shrill call and constant motion make it fun to observe about anywhere though. We're blessed with lots of these and other relatives -- one of the silver linings of loads of dead ash trees.

I had no idea snakes would be this photogenic until I got a camera that could do them justice! This little garter was particularly cooperative because it was in the midst of a molt. Note the cloudy eyes and loose skin at the base of its neck. A warm rock and more of that irresistible sunshine made it tough to want to move, but I'm pretty sure it was far enough along in shedding its old exterior that it couldn't even see me 12" from its nose (the clouding of the eyes can make a snake temporarily blind until the molt is complete). Young snakes can shed their skins as often as every few weeks, so this makes them particularly vulnerable to predation.

I should get back to work . . . more photo sharing coming soon!

MOST WANTED: The Eastern Foxsnake

What's hiding behind that snarl of last year's growth? The Eastern Foxsnake: A Species of Concern in Ohio

I'm heading out to Erie County for what I hope to be a busy (dry) day in the field today. We have a couple guests touring the property in the morning, and among other things, we hope to show a survey crew around to establish some parcel lines and establish some elevations at key locations on the site.

But before I hit the road, I wanted to share this find. I finally got the photos organized last eve . . .

On a recent afternoon where the sun actually broke the clouds, we found ourselves in the midst of one of our MOST WANTED. Roy was monitoring for recent muskrat activity, when he stumbled onto the sight pictured above. You have to look closely, but it was definitely a highlight of the day.

Roy was fully confident that our marsh should be home to a decent number of Eastern foxsnakes, a species that played an important role in his Masters work when he lived and conducted research on the property in the late 1970s. As one of Ohio's largest snakes (growing to 5'+) and boasting of one of the more impressive contrasts in coloration you'll see in a Midwest snake, this reptile would seem hard to miss. But this species is only known to inhabit a handful of northwest counties in Ohio, and is therefore one of eleven "state-listed" reptiles recognized as a Species of Concern.

Along with its immediate physical attributes (size and color contrast), its bronze head and propensity to shake its tail when threatened make it often mistaken as a rattler or other poisonous snake. In truth, this surprisingly docile creature is tightly tied to lakeside marsh environments and, as Roy found out through his studies, would rather eat mallard duck eggs than latch onto your calf or hand.

Based on his research, Roy found that foxsnakes were actually the #1 predator of mallard eggs on the property. A raccoon or possum would break all the eggs (leaving broken shells) and eat without restraint until the entire nest was decimated, but a foxsnake would stealthily take one egg per overnight visit, leaving no tell in the form of broken shells.

Julie showed her experience with reptiles by gently handling this individual long enough to photo-document, sex, and measure before releasing back into the protection of the sun-drenched vegetation. A female, she measured just over 50-inches long. She's apt to be mating now, and if all goes as planned, she will introduce as many as 30 young snakes to the marsh by late summer or early fall.

Next on our herpetologist most wanted list: the threatened Blanding's turtle,Lake Erie watersnake, and possibly the endangered Eastern Massasauga.


P.S. For a great photo field guide of the reptiles of Ohio, check out the Division of Wildlife's Publication 354. It is actually part of an entire series that is free and available to the public.

MULE and a Marsh Tour

A little rain didn't deter this group -- I really enjoyed showing my cousin (Mike), his wife (Carol), and three
of Mike's fraternity brothers around the West Marsh the other day

To me, there is no better way to see the marsh than being out in it. The photos that help make up this online journal provide literal snapshots in time, but nothing beats the air on your face, the mud on your boots (and other places), and the sun and wind on your neck.

A drive along the dikes in a pickup truck or SUV sometimes has to do . . . say when it's 10 degrees, pouring rain, or blowing 40 mi/hr our to of the northeast. Walking tours are awesome, but ironically, sometimes limit the diversity of wildlife viewing at close range. (Somehow, they often just know that you are coming.) "Punting" quietly through the shallows in an open-topped kayak-like "punt" boat is another great way to see and experience these unique surroundings. More on that soon.

But as Roy will tell you, my vehicle of choice for quick introductions to the property is our 4x4 Kawasaki MULE. As the name suggests (Multi-Use Light Equipment), we use this thing for a wide range of work and fun. Low and high gear, four-wheel drive, a winch, a work bed, and a tow hitch lend themselves nicely to the work side. But the open-top and two rows of seating make for a nice combination of comfort, convenience, and intimacy -- at least in my mind.

We definitely felt the wind in our hair last Friday afternoon. The recent rounds of showers were just rolling in, but not before we had the chance to drive the entire exterior of the West Marsh. Egrets and herons, immature eagles, and yellowlegs entertained from the air and shallow water. Tree swallows took advantage of the spring gloom to get busy catching bugs. The pump was running, so the group got a kick out of carp viewing -- somehow, it never seems to disappoint. At mid-afternoon with weather rolling in, it was actually relatively quiet from a wildlife perspective. But at least a couple of our guests independently commented on the "explosion of life" as soon as we pulled off the road and into the marsh. I try my best not to take all that life for granted.

My message to all of them as we wrapped up our hour-long tour (and the raindrops got bigger and closer together) was that every day is different on the marsh. In fact, every hour, every minute, every second brings change. More and more people are asking for tours. We are happy to provide them. The biggest challenge is that I want to show everything that the marsh has to offer. What I'm learning is that it is only in consistent time in the field that "everything" slowly reveals itself.

The Algonquin Indians Called it "Musquash"

Muskrat, showing off the teeth and the fur that make them famous

It's about time to get enter a mammal into the discussion. The Common Muskrat (with special emphasis on Common) is aptly named in marsh country. While often mistaken for a miniature beaver, they are actually an adeptly aquatic freshwater rodent more closely related to mice and rats. At 15-28" long (including their markedly narrower tail), "rats" rarely exceed 4-5 pounds (compared to 20-70 lbs for their paddle-tailed cousins). Anyone who has encountered them at particularly close range can attest to a strong and distinct odor that literally fills your nostrils . . . and won't let go!

While seemingly small and innocuous (at least at a distance), muskrats are more than just pungent passers-by in a coastal marsh ecosystem.  They are intimately tied to the ebb and flow of cattail populations, driven historically by water level changes and more recently by an influx of invasive species like purple loosestrife and Phragmites. When cattail populations are strong, dense stands can support tremendous numbers of muskrats.

According to the ODNR, females normally produce up to five litters per year in Ohio, with each litter containing up to seven young. That’s up to 35 young a year from a single reproducing female! Juveniles are able to take care of themselves within a month and are on their own and often reproducing themselves by the following spring. With this dizzying math in mind, it's not outside the realm of possibility that local lore could be true: a neighbor of the marsh contends that in the 1920s and '30s as many as 10,000 muskrats were trapped off the Bay View marshes in a single season!

A free-standing muskrat lodge made out of cattails becomes a haven
for everything from nesting waterfowl to reptiles and amphibians

Muskrats are deeply intertwined with the natural and human history of marsh country. Like commercial fishing, trapping has been a mainstay for generations along Lake Erie -- and muskrats have been a foundational and consistent resource. While fur prices continue to yo-yo, trappers persist not only to supply domestic and international demand (now largely from Russia and China), but also to help prevent these tireless tunnelers from making Swiss cheese out of the earthen dikes and levees that help sustain their aquatic habitats.

In the last two weeks alone, we have repaired more than a half dozen subsurface "runs" that have caused breaches within internal dikes. This management challenge tends to come in waves, particularly when water levels are altered in areas that have not dramatically changed in recent history. By drawing water off a unit that has been held high for multiple years, we are exposing internal cavities that can quickly become breaches under changing water pressure. As with everything on the marsh, change begets change.