September 1 It's been a few days since I toured the ponds and so I headed off with a bit of anticipation as if I might be turning the page to a new and exciting chapter. I went via the meadow behind the golf course, parts still squishy from the three inches of recent rain, though the dew in the thick high grasses was more of a problem. I relied on deer beds for relief from the damp, and paused to appreciate the fruits of the pileworts.
The apples here are not as forward as those on our land. I didn't pick any. As I climbed the ridge I heard towhee calls. I expected the mosses to be brilliant green, and should have anticipated that the heavily deer browsed juniper
would be coming back to life.
When I got to the small ridge in the middle of the plateau, I sat to see and hear what might be happening. I noticed something white waving in a nearby bush, My first guess proved the correct one, a caterpilar, but the motion was so striking, I approached cautiously so I wouldn't scare off some white tongued beast, snake, frog or lizard. It was indeed a small white caterpilar.
There were several in the bush and I kept seeing them on the grasses as I walked on. The apple tree nearby had a few green apples, and a doe underneath impatient, I suppose, for apples to fall.
As I continued through the bushes, two more deer ran off, perhaps fawns because I could hardly see them. At the edge of the ridge, I flushed a dozen turkeys. They all flew over and a bit up into the nearby trees. I sat down after I saw a few twitches highin the trees. Yet when I focused on where I thought a turkey was, all was still for a good ten minutes. Then I could see one high in a tree move again, and then one by one they flew to ground deeper in the woods away from me. As I walked down the ridge I flushed four grouse, flying off one by one. Otherwise the bluejays were making all the noise. The Double Lodge Pond was full and muddy
but it has been a while since I've checked the otter latrine by the Big Pond dam so I walked up there. The trouble with looking for otter scat after this wet summer is that the grass is so thick and lush. Once an otter gets in the grass it should leave an impression but it is difficult spotting the impression from just a few feet away. Something had come out of the water at the end of the dam and down toward the trunk of the old tree, now quite enveloped in green, that I always suspected was an otter den for a brief night or two, but there was no scat but a pad from a raccoon. The lodge on the north shore of the pond has been built up and I soon heard humming from it.
I crossed the formidable obstacle that the dam has become and could clearly see the beaver path down to the Double Lodge Pond.
Also there were huge heaves of mud at places,
and more precise repairs and building up of mud walls elsewhere. The ducks were down at the far end of the pond so I caused no commotion as I crossed. The bees and butterflies flew off but not this light footed bug on a thistle.
The path going up to the woods from the north end of the pond seemed used, I assume by beavers, but I didn't search for what they might be taken. I hurried up into the woods that relieved me from the thick vegetation. From there to the Lost Swamp Pond remains a leisurely stroll in the shade. I kept to the shade until I got to the big rocks on the south shore of the upper pond. I didn't see any fresh otter scats, but sat where the old ones were andnoticed that they were laced with bird feathers.
This is a corrective to my recent insisting that otters almost totally concentrate on eating fish and things that fish eat. I checked for scat further up the shore and found none, but did find the many geese in the pond interesting to watch. In the river the geese have flocked up mush later than usual, and here there were four different groups of about 20 geese each and when one group broke up I could see that it had been formed by three or four families. One family went off by itself and the remainder of its group joined another group nearby.
Meanwhile another group did form a long single line and then circle. They were rather quiet for geese. One honked trying to get a discussion going, but no one deigned to join in. As I walked slowly around the pond, I heard humming from the beaver lodge out in the pond which persuaded me to lie down in another unused otter latrine and wait. Two osprey flew high over head and a noisy kept low over the pond. After awhile I saw a muskrat bearing a grass bouquet swim across the pond, but going in the opposite way that I would expect. It swam from the burrows on the north shore to the beaver lodge. Perhaps the muskrats see the built up lodge as an invitation to move in. When I got to the dam on the other side of the pond, I saw that one beaver did come up and was placidly diving and bringing up branches near the point of the peninsula between the two halves of the ponds. When
I stepped up to the rocks to get a better view, I almost stepped on a brownish watersnake seemingly dead in the grass save for having its head cocked up.
Its tongue wasn't working -- it was that chilly last night. I went over the otter trail from the north slope down to the Second Swamp Pond, frowning at old scat,
until at a small stump in the moss near the latter pond, where there was old scat laced with crayfish shells, I saw a moist brown smear.
It could very well be otter scat but if it is, that's rather melancholy as this is the season when mother and pups usually quite litter the slopes with thick black scat. The last time I was out I had the notion that the Second Swamp Pond was lower and I made a note to check for a hole in the dam. Today
the pond looked OK, but we did have heavy rain recently. So I made my second difficult pond crossing and saw no signs of otters, beavers, nor any hole. This had all been slow going and lunch at home was beckoning when I got to the East Trail Pond. I sent several groups of wood ducks off flying, as well as a heron, and sat long enough to see the wood ducks who stayed finally sense me. Then I crossed below the dam, still managing to get my feet wet, and continued the theme of this hike: no otter scats. Meanwhile, in the river, the water level continues to drop. My
otters-staying-in-the-wet-marshes theory will soon no longer hold. Needless to say, no scats at the South Bay trail latrines and I checked the New Pond knoll, where, a dozen large and noisy green frogs jumped in while I looked down on the pond. At least, I heard humming from two beaver lodges, saw a beaver, a muskrat feeding another litter and the pure wisdom of a still snake.
September 2 I sat in the chair by the first pond at about 4pm; first heard the chattering of a kingfisher which seemed to set off a gray tree from which seemed to set off a red squirrel. All chattering. Then the crickets and katydids remained. A raven flew low over the pond and perched low in a tree until I twitched and it flew off. Then as I sat a gray squirrel came racing for me. I recoiled a bit and it veered closer to the pond, then stopped just beyond the hickory, regrouped and hopped away at a slower pace. I heard occasional humming from the lodge. Sat until just before five; no beaver came out.
September 4 Usually at this time of year, I feed on inside knowledge and key into a drama that everyone else ignores. But this year the otters have escaped me and the thick noises of people on vacation blanket the island. That my camera jammed again early on didn't improve my mood. And weather-wise it was a strange day, basically warm and humid but with a slight cold front making its presence felt with a northeast wind. I walked around the South Bay trail to Audubon Pond and saw nothing at the three otter latrines, including my docking-rock. Audubon
Pond presented the usual mystery -- where does the beaver lodge? I got some evidence for my hunch that the beaver lodges in the large embankment. I could see what looked like large holes in the soft mud in the water behind the embankment. Not that it was
clear that the beaver was still around, save that two large trees that it had been working on, both ash, had been cut down. As I sat on the bench near the pond, scowling at the lack of activity and signs -- birds were not even flying over, I spied something at the far corner and with the spyglass zeroed in on a snapping
turtle hightailing it on the path to South Bay. The chase was on, though I took the time to admire a fawn that I flushed from some tall grass fringing the woods and that had outgrown its spots. I also stopped to look at another snapping turtle swimming in the pond to the east of the big pond. When I finally caught up to the
snapper, it was almost half way down the trail to South Bay. It had been going fast but now it had stopped. I figured because it sensed me. I gave it wide birth and tried to get out of the wind, but that didn't inspire it to move on. That got me back on the South Bay Trail and went via it to the East Trail and then up to
Thicket Pond where I though the wind direction might favor a watch for the beavers. Unfortunately the southwest corner of the pond seemed unused so I moved over to the northwest corner which afforded a view of the muddy channel the beavers had been using, and which I hoped was sufficiently out of the wind. As I waited for beavers I had some distractions. Blue jays were active and at this time of year they seem brassy, with weird noises and perching on tree tops. Then a mink pranced right in front of me. Not long enough for me to capture on the camcorder, but it was nice to see it here. I have seen mink tracks through Thicket Pond in the winter but never thought of the chance of seeing one given the cover all around. I confess I did doze a bit and then tried to rally myself by taking a video of the surroundings. Then half
awake I was startled by a sharp report from a beaver's tail, right in front of me. When I focused on the beaver it was staring right at me. It splashed two more times. Once it seemed to go down the canal a bit, then thought better of it and swam back and even closer to me for a better look. Then it grabbed onto a branch in the water with its jaws and took that back toward the lodge. I waited another ten minutes, well knowing that the sounded alarm might not keep other beavers away. I did here
beaver inspired commotion in the thickets but on the other side of the pond well concealed from me. I continued walking around the pond marvelling at all the small maples that had been cut and several segmented. This would be the best place to try to get video of beavers at work, save that the valley is so narrow it would be hard not to be noticed by the beavers. The upper East Trail Pond is blooming yellow thanks to the burr marigolds. If the camera comes back to life it will make for good photos. The heron was still around, but no sign of otters. I didn't linger but headed home to dinner, now beyond wondering where the otters are.
September 5 warm humidity day with the river crowded with show-off boats, perfect, I always think, for ignoring all with a kayak tour of South Bay. As I rounded the point into the bay I was gratified to see a black-backed gull deign to fly down to me. It deftly plucked up a bullhead that I presume was floating dead in the water. I also picked up a dragon fly lying on its back in the water. It was barely alive and hitched a ride home, but didnt' survived. I photographed the beauty remaining.
The lilies are all done in the south cove of the bay so I preened my eyes for bryozoa. I didn't go as far in to the cove as last time and this time I didn't see any bryozoa. I did bump into a small water snake curled up in the mix of algae and duckweed on the surface of the water. I put a bit of the mix into a plastic bag
and when I got home was treated to even more critters than my last plucking of duckweed and water velvet. Once again a snail popped out, and there were the scuds. But this sample had flealike black bugs on the surface;
a green larva with the style of a dragon, and what looked to me like wee leeches rather than mere worms.
And there were smaller indistinguishable critters darting through the water. I have been seeing two herons who act like residents, but only one today, and it staying high in a tree. One tern flew in and out and I heard the osprey but
didn't see it. I expected a rich harvest of bryozoa in the north cove where I usually find them but I only saw one, and that a small one that seemed to be breaking up. I took that home, assuming I'd see many more, and when I examined it I could see how many of the spores once on the jelly
were now floating in the water of the cup I had the creatures in.
It was on a stalk and I was curious to see what invertebrate life might come out. Since bryozoa filter the water, I didn't expect much collateral critters and I was right. I didn't see any sign of otters. Where I think the beaver is lodging there were many more branches piled on, some sporting berries indicating how recently they had been cut. Plus there was more gnawing on the venerable willow trunks. I floated closeby for a bit, but heard no humming from the lodge. The water level continues to drop, helped by frequent east winds. Another kind of duckweed seems to be choking the surface and I noticed that under it the water feels cold as if the vegetation is preventing any thermal mixing. Maybe that accounts for the lack of bryozoa or they are simply under the thicker vegetation and I can't see them. That said. most the of the surface is clear of vegetation including those areas where I saw quite a few bryozoa a month ago. We haven't had many strong winds kicking up waves. A mystery why I saw only one dying colony.
September 6 we spent last night at the land and got there too late -- 7:45 to bother the beavers. But I woke up at 6:15 and was in my chair at the first pond by 6:30. On my way into the pond I noticed a nice bouquet of freshly cut branches at the end of the Teepee Pond and I saw some stray ripples so I assumed there was at least one beaver in that pond. Up in plain view from the chair nothing was happening, but it was cloudy and still dimly lit, and the wind was in my face, so I expected to see plenty. The first two beavers that came out, an adult and a
kit, fed off some branches out in front of the auxilliary lodge. Most of the activity I first saw was outside that auxilliary lodge and the two beavers that swam up from the Teepee Pond also went out there, but, in the case of a yearling, not before checking me out. I didn't cause any obvious alarm. I think one of the kits got wind of me and it tagged along as an adult moved in for a closer smell. Then when the adult swam away the kit came right up to me. A kit and an adult briefly played. The kit seemed to dive under the adult. This happened three or four times and
the adult more or less ignored it. As the morning wore on the activity oriented more toward the main lodge. I could hear dives and see bubbles going from the auxilliary lodge to the main lodge. I could hear gnawing from the burrow underneath me, and
then saw heard a dive and saw bubbles leave. A kit wrestled a chunky log outside the main lodge and perhaps dove with it into the lodge. From observing the morning's munching I was about to conclude that the kits were only eating leaves. Then a beaver I took for a kit gnawed a twig -- I could hear the gnawing. I think I saw six different beavers, and judging from the wag of their tails when they dove, three of them were kits, which means we have seven beavers in the colony. Just before 8 am I moved to the little platform below the bank at pond level. A yearling or adult swam near me and a kit grazed on the leaves outside the auxilliary lodge, but they didn't swim too close to me.
So I had a very interesting hour and a half. It is difficult to think of any other mammal you can observe in such close proximity and that also exhibits patterns of behavior that seem at once disjointed and frought with
meaning. But what does it mean? On my way back to the cabin I enjoyed the latest blooms including these pale blue asters.
And I noticed that the pool in the valley is being deepened, like a canal, and that there is a little feeding station there, indicative of this being a comfortable place for a beaver.
Then I noticed some purple asters in the process of opening to the sun (the clouds moved off.) The closed flower looks quite unruly, a bad petal morning
We didn't rush home to the Labor Day noise on the river. I sawed wood shocking this baby garter snake from under the bark of a log I was cutting.
Back at home I got the urge to go out and check the ponds for otter signs and wind up at the northeast corner of the Thicket Pond hoping the strong south wind would blow a beaver up the canal and into range of the camcorder. I took the ridge of the first swamp down to Double Lodge Pond which has been freshly
mudded. I saw some deep impressions in the mud and decided a deer left them, not an otter. Then as I walked up the north side of the small pond a fawn, still boasting spots, leapt out of a patch of Queen Anne's lace. I didn't check the Big Pond dam but I studied a few far bodies up in it and they all turned out to be ducks. At the Lost Swamp Pond I found a large compliment of geese all flocked together. Goose hunting has started and this is a good refuge. I walked along the shore aching to see some otter scats, but saw none. The grass is growing up in the upper Second
Swamp Pond,
where they have left a bit of scat this summer, so I think when otters come back they will spend most of their time in the Lost Swamp Pond which has stayed high and grasses low. I crossed the upper dam which even with the lower pond below is not getting any easier. The meadow remains soggy and it is a lottery trying to find a dry spot in the very tall grasses. I glanced at the lodge on the north shore and it appeared unused then I crossed the little creek coming down from the East Trail Pond. There were no new otter scats along the ridge trail nor in the old latrines. With all the rain we've been having, this pond seems viable for an otter. Of course the upper end of the pond has been dry so long it is now a meadow of yellow burr marigold -- quite beautiful.
On a cooler day with more time, I will wade into it. I hurried on to Thicket Pond and claimed a vantage point on a low lying fallen tree trunk and waited between 5:30 and 6:15. A few days ago I saw a beaver in the pond at this time and got the impression that others might be out. But nothing was happening today, so I content myself with taking photos of are their recent work,
mostly small maple
and larger ash.
Quite a few maples remain. I should investigate to see where they are dragging the logs.
They aren't accumulating around the lodge by the dam. But this is hard pond to see into. I also saw golden crane flies tanging in the sunlight, but on my walk home saw none to photograph.
September 7 taking a break from sawing wood, I checked the first pond and as I sat and trimmed back some honeysuckle to provide a better view of the beaver lodge. Then a porcupine appeared, medium sized, and somewhat oblivious to me.
Indeed I think it was tasting trees
and didn't want to be bothered by me. Of course, as I moved closer to get a photo in moved away, but didn't, as porcupines usually do, climb a tree. Then as I sat in the chair, a little green bug lumbered over the hair on my arms.
I took photos and it seemed relieved when it got back on a leaf, as its little legs seem designed for speed. Walking back down the road, I saw a doe browsing some buckthorn I think.
Then I went down to the Deep Pond seeing how the apples are developing. Only one was ripe so I ate it. Nothing new at the pond, but I realized that I had still not taken a swim and cold days might be soon upon us.
I dove in and beavered about. The water temperature was quite comfortable and cold still welled up from the deeps that my toes could not touch. I swam over to the last home of the beavers and walked on the water logged logs outside
the lodge. Only mammal working the pond, I think, are raccoons. I'm not even sure muskrats are still here. A kingfisher flew high overhead. We are getting a modest crop of burr marigolds.
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