March 2020: Life Marches On

Management and wildlife highlights this month included the following:

Due to the solitary nature of the research, Bowling Green State University was able to continue its multi-year investigation into northern pike reproduction and the top predator's dependency on coastal wetlands as critical spawning habitat.

The 40-acre Rest Pond was intentionally drawn down over several pumping events to move relatively warm marsh water from within the wetland into the (comparably cold) adjacent bay to coincide with ice-out. Bay water was then allowed to flow freely back into the marsh, inundating desirable spawning habitat (note deep water canal above and emergent vegetation below). This carefully timed water movement through Standing Rush's "fish-friendly" Structure 1 was intended to encourage pike passage into the marsh just as they and their future offspring would benefit from its refuge.

A Fyke net (aka fish trap) set by BGSU researcher Nate Stott just inside Standing Rush's West Marsh (see black framed structure highlighted by the red arrow in the left channel of the Rest Pond).

Two male northern pike trapped in the estuary off of Sandusky Bay immediately adjacent to Standing Rush's Structure 1.

A major goal of this year's research is to fit individual adult northern pike with small radio transmitters that can be harmlessly inserted into the abdomen to track future movements in and around the wetland, the bay, and broader Lake Erie over the next 2-3 years.

A true sign of spring -- one of three nesting pairs of "our eagles" -- birds that have set up residence on or immediately adjacent to Standing Rush.

How many bald eagles can you count in one willow tree? Many of these birds are juveniles, likely offspring of "our eagles."

Trail camera images retrieved late this month demonstrate why I may not have seen many deer the couple times I got in the stand this past season.

Our inability to secure a trapper this spring (due to the pandemic) has direct consequences in the marsh. The badly injured muskrat immediately above -- aside a healthy specimen for comparison -- shows the outcome of finite food and space availability, especially during the spring breeding season. It is not unusual for muskrats to battle to the death as populations grow and competition for mates escalates.

Beaver activity just north of our Tower Woods -- while SO COOL to see on one hand, a bit ominous on the other; these water-loving structural engineers are persistent and can be very destructive!

Busy as a . . .

Certain creatures leave evidence that makes their presence pretty unmistakable; Roy just captured this fresh sign
just inside our main opening to the bay

Life has been particularly busy as of late. I simply haven't found the time to write much this last week. I guess that makes the subject of today's post particularly apropos . . .

Back in the spring, I posted about our most prevalent rodent at the marsh -- the muskrat. Just recently, Roy found fresh evidence of their much larger cousins -- the beaver -- for the first time within our boarders. We've had some old sign on the east marsh and neighbors have had to trap a couple over recent years, but this was our first confirmed visit since we've begun our work on the property.

Photo courtesy of the Ohio Division of Wildlife

Considering these waterside lumberjacks can reach weights surpassing 60-pounds (compared to 1 to 5-lbs for a 'rat), it's not surprising that beavers are the largest rodent in Ohio. And like all rodents, they have to exercise their teeth.

Roy got a kick out of the fact that our recent guest chose to fall two willows that were 6-8" in diameter and that he (or she?) was falling them into an opening 100+ feet wide -- at the mouth of our estuary where the marsh water connects with Sandusky Bay. If creating a dam was the goal, this ambitious critter bit off more than he could could chew. But that's apparently not unusual, especially with adolescents (<3 years old).

Had to slip in photo of our oldest son (10)
just before his first time in the tree stand;
I'll hopefully have time to re-tell some fun
stories from last Friday night's sit soon!

Based on annual estimates from statewide surveys (largely tallied with trapper input), Ohio can boast of 25,000-45,000 beavers in any given year. Or at least that's the range published by the Ohio Division of Wildlife since the late 1990s. The northeast counties are our hot spot.

Prized for the properties of their pelt (warm, soft, and water repelling), beaver were actually critical to early European settlement in our area. Fur traders made their way through the unforgiving Great Black Swamp largely motivated by this specific animal. Beaver pelts were literally a form of currency.

At their peak, there were 400 million American beaver in the United States. By 1830, they were completely eliminated (extirpated) from Ohio and numbers dwindled to isolated pockets throughout the Midwest. It wasn't until one hundred years later (1936 to be exact) that the first (four-legged) pioneers made their way back into NE Ohio.

It is obviously neat to see them back in marsh country. But as I've heard it said, they are best enjoyed "on the neighbor's marsh." These industrious creatures are powerful diggers and competent brush-clearers. We are hopeful that this visitor was a guest, and that he doesn't feel obliged to make our marsh home . . . to block any of our pipes or water conveyance structures or to dig through any of our precious dikes.

Back to one of my common refrains: time will tell.