September 19 we were away three days, all relatively warm and dry. This morning it rained but at noon the clouds blew off and I headed for the ponds, aiming to pay my dues, so to speak, and earn the right to see the usual interesting sights of the fall. I could have spent the day in the woods cataloguing mushrooms, but I only photographed beauties, common ink caps, I think, that couldn't be denied.
I sat at my perch at the south end of the Big Pond dam and enjoyed several monarch butterflies fluttering about. With the west wind climbing up my shoulders I fancied that my aroma kept them flying over. Not one lit for a photo. When I stood to cross along the dam, a heron flew up from the next bank of grasses up pond. There were fresh raccoon scats on the dam. The channel in the pond grasses behind the dam was still open but the grasses seemed to be closing in on it suggesting that the muskrats are not as active here.
I looked for more closed gentian but didn's see any. The plant I photographed last hike now has a second flower. I continued around the pond out to the lodge, which was a tangle of dying smartweed and betrayed no impressions of otters.
When I got around to the old otter trail out of this pond that goes over to the Lost Swamp Pond, thicks stands of tall grasses blocked the way. I flushed two grouse out of a tree on my way to the pond and there to greet me were a half dozen ducks and three score geese. The ducks only flew across the pond -- whether the brisk wind or the array of things to munch in the pond kept these fowl in place, I don't know. Probably the former. One goose acted like it was spring and stood on the beaver lodge.
No other goose challenged it for that prime nesting spot. Perhaps it didn't want any other goose to dream of it over the winter. I walked up to the old otter latrines close to the lodge and while there was a trail or two parting the bur marigold and gaining the shore, there were no otter scats to be seen. I continued around the pond and saw no signs of recent otter or beaver activity. I did see a sunflower that was definitely not a bur marigold and was on drier ground.
And up a wet and dying tree, I saw a mushroom starting to beard it.
I saw mushooms popping up every where, and one old mushroom that refused to die.
The absense of otter signs didn't encourage me to linger longer at this pond. I headed down to the Second Swamp Pond, where otters have been visiting. From the ridge I thought I saw beaver nibblings behind the Upper Second Swamp Pond dam but on closer look, there was none to be seen. I found a dry shady spot on the south bank of the Second Swamp Pond with a good view of the otter latrines on the north shore and a good view of the south channel coming up from the dam. I waited an hour and saw one vulture, but I felt like I could have seen an otter and took a little nap. As I approached the dam, I saw a snail, picked it up and because it was quite alive put it back down and took its photo.
Looking up at the dam, I could see there had been activity there, by beavers
More stalks were littered behind the dam. On the dam I first saw raccoon poop and then a foot from the pond water some otter scats -- not fresh, a day or two old.
I looked hard but didn't see any more and raccoons could have made the trails through the tall grasses along the dam. The beavers had been busy everywhere and most importantly patched the leaks in the dam with broad swaths of
mud.
Where the beavers collected a couple alder saplings they left nibbled sticks behind and a bit of one sapling remaining.
Most impressive were the masses of chewed up grass and roots.
The log where the most of the beaver chomping seemed to have been done was, last year, a prime spot for otters to eat their fish.
Continuing on, I saw a large beetle heading for the pond.
I continued around to the lodge and saw new scats there, but they were older than the scats on the dam. There seemed to be nothing new at the latrine on the north shore of the pond, which was disappointing. Are three different groups of otters visiting this pond once a week or so: the mother and pup, that leaves a few scats, the gang of three males that leaves a spread of scats, and the lone otter who did much growing up here last year that left the smaller squirts that I saw here today? And does all this confusion arise because there is no boss male overseeing the territory, as indicated by my not seeing any scat from a touring otter going through all the ponds this summer? By the time I got to the Teepee Pond, it was 4:30 pm and I anticipated seeing the beavers again. I waited for a half hour, on the ridge north of the pond with the wind in my face. No beavers appeared, so I admired their recent activity. The large oak they had been working on had been cut down,
and because it had been topped by the wind years ago and that top had fallen toward the pond, the trunk fell up hill. That must have given the beavers something to think about. Or perhaps not. They have started work on another large
red oak nearby.
I walked below the dam and then up on it, and must say, with the recent rain, the pond has filled up nicely and the rich brown muddy water, vegetation remaining green and the start of changing colors made the area quite picturesque, turning this grubby little channeled pond into a gem.
Continuing along I thought I saw some otter scat just below the dam, but on closer examination I saw that it was the dead black leaves of some pile wort knocked over by a touring raccoon.
I heard a few bluejays, but in the main, birds were scarce.
September 21 I was anxious to get out yesterday and did have a nice hike at the land where I saw a bit more activity at the Deep Pond dam,
and while I didn't see any sure signs of muskrats at the First Pond the lack of vegetation in the pond seems to suggest it.
Without the beavers about, the muskrats seem content to confine their activity to the night. Last year, I saw them during the day. Then when I got home, showers rolled through and I had to cool my heels at home.
Today was cool and sunny. After doing chores around the house I headed off to South Bay in the kayak just as the wind started kicking up. After getting around the headland, I was once again born by waves down the south cove of the bay. I steered directly to the beaver lodge under the willow where, it appears, the beavers are building their winter cache on top of the lodge. Many loose willow and alder branches have been brought up and put on top. I decided I'd have to hike out here on my way to watch for activity at the Second Swamp Pond dam at sunset. As
I paddled back up the South Bay shore, I noticed that the beavers cut down a small ash. Over in the north cove, I saw signs of a recent visit by the otters. The grass along the shore at the latrine in the marsh just below the rocks that form the point was all matted down. I got out of the kayak and saw two scats, not fresh, but left within the week. I checked the small flat rock nestled in the marsh a few yards off shore but saw no scats there. I continued down the cove, straining to see scats
especially on the flat rock but beavers, not otters, have been active there. There was a two yard long log bobbing in the water and I noticed that there was a deep trench in the mud leading into the marsh -- something else to check on a hike. I was out of the wind and in the sun and so relaxed and watched a heron, four ducks, and a turtle on a log go about their business, all next to each other and seemingly oblivious to each other. Of course, when I drifted close, they all disappeared. As I drifted I tried to enjoy the show in the water, but the breeze was a bit nippy. I
did notice that the raft of algae that warmed a turtle a week ago had broken up into fifty yellow islands. Paddling hard around the headland, two cormorants surfaced near to me, looked at each other and flew off.
I headed off on my hike a little after four, and took photos to illustrate my kayak tour, though it was not easy getting the right angle on the beaver work.
It looks more impressive from the water. I could get a photo of the beaver cut at the base of some stalks floating along the shore.
Turning back to the land, I could see how far the beavers pushed into the marsh. Behind the swath they made around the alders they cut
I found they were getting back to work on some old ashes left to die another year.
The beavers have gone a bit into the woods and have almost cut a larger ash and have tasted two others.
And they haven't neglected their willow out in the little cove on the point, making a rather deep cut, quite an echo chamber as they gnaw, I suppose.
Of course cutting the trunk will give them no advantage. The cut portion will be much too heavy to float or be carried by the beavers -- I assume the willow tastes good. In the litter on the fringe of this area were some purple button
mushrooms, more properly laccaria amethystea, I think.
Now I turned my attention to otter scats. I still didn't hazard trying to walk out to the next island, where I saw scats this morning. But it doesn't seem like otters have returned to the latrines here that they used early in the summer. Perhaps the surrounding water is too shallow. I got a photo of the log floating over the newly dug trench in the bay that I noticed this mornimg
Not that the photo shows the trench. Unfortunately I couldn't get an angle showing how the beavers seem to use the trench to get under the cattails so they can cut the stalks at the base and then get to the rhizomes they eat. Just as with trees, they don't seem to be all devouring when they feast on cattails, just eating particular parts of the plant. I've never been able to look over their shoulder as they do this. Following the line of the trench into the marsh, which I could only do with my eyes, led to a channel I saw on the side of the marsh
at the end of which the beaver got on shore and nibbled sticks and roots.
When I got back to the rock in the marsh that the otters favor, I nosed around the roots there skirting the marsh and while it looked like a beaver might have been down there, I couldn't see any leftovers. Up on the rock, all the old
scats are now just bits of bones. I waded back through the tall cattails and then checked on the willow lodge -- I thought it best to visit that last in hopes that a beaver inside it might be stirring. This is a remarkable lodge and from the land it was clear what the beavers were doing. They were putting the branches for a winter cache on top of the lodge.
Evidently they realized that the water here would freeze almost solid leaving little room to swim under and little chance to wiggle free what branches might be frozen in it. Here was the promising prologue of a saga that might keep me entertained all winter. The ramps up to the lodge were muddy on both ends
and I wondered if I could sneak out here on a moonlit night. The moon would shine behind the beavers, perhaps silhouetting them in an intelligible fashion as they brought up branches and mud onto the lodge. As I hopped over the low
junction of this willow's several trunks, I saw that a beaver, a small one judging from its teeth marks, had been gnawing on one of the partially exposed roots.
I looked but didn't expect to see a water snake on the trunk -- too cold for that. I did see some fresh raccoon right at my nose level. No otter scats, still as I lounged on the grass, I recalled the baby otter, baby porcupine, and baby raccoons I saw here and wondered if I might see a baby beaver. I waited until 6 pm, then moved on. My plan was to try to see the beavers at the Second Swamp Pond dam, but not only did the wind shift more to the north, a rain squall moved through. By the time I got to the ridge overlooking the pond the sun was back out and
a rainbow, briefly doubled, encouraged me to think I had an angle on a significant slice of the universe though Elijah didn't come out of the cloud.
I sat under some cedars on the ridge, dry underneath, but the wind whipped my scent up the pond and I couldn't imaging any nose-respecting beaver swimming down to the dam. The sun got too low to bother with gilting my horizon
anymore so while I still had light, I checked the nearby latrine for otter scats. I could easily see that somethying had gone up and down it at a different angle than previous visits, more to the east
and I did find one new, though not especially fresh, scat.
Then I went to the point of the ridge and looked down at the old beaver lodge. More vegetation had been pressed down, but here too there was no fresh scat. The shower had the old scats glistening, but the smell was missing.
I'm waiting for fresh scats to invite me out at dawn. And there were none on the dam either. On my way there, I saw frog that still found the heat of the sun reflected by the granite.
On the dam I saw how a beaver had piled much mud on one clump of roots and saplings, and I had to wonder if they were starting to build a lodge of some sort.
I don't think the old lodge, that I was just standing on, is ready for re-habitation so the beavers might build something new down here. Meanwhile I was losing the light. The wind stopped blowing but if a beaver swam down I could hardly see it anyway. As I pushed through the cattails and vervain I was struck by two clumps of milkweed partying below the high level of the predominant vegetation.
Milkweeds had never seemed so companionable,
but I was late for dinner. I took photos and moved on home.
September 22 calm, sunny day, so we went off in the motor boat to check the Picton Island latrine. Last week I saw scats here that were a few days old, and today I only saw one scat that while large -- always a pleasure to see -- was also quite bleached.
No invitation for coming out here at dawn in hopes of seeing otters. This scat was in what I call the new latrine. There were no scats, old nor new, at the point proper -- what I call the old latrine. We eased by the large rock on Murray Island, but it didn't look like otters had been there. As we left the Narrows we noticed a large patch of bright green algae on the bottom
and rowed over to get a close-up.
At the land I saw an army of yellow caterpilars, devouring the leaves of an oak sapling.
They rapidly cut the leaf to the bone, so to speak,
and then when I got too close, they all shaped themselves into an S shape, which sawfly larva are supposed to do.
September 23 on rainy days, I've gotten into the habit of heading to Audubon Pond to stretch my legs with the option of a covered bench for protection if my guess that the rain is over proved wrong. And I was due to check Audubon Pond. Otters had been there in the summer and hadn't been there recently. I got there just when a shower came over the river, but it didn't last long. Where I hoped to see otter scats, just in front of the bench along the water's edge, I saw an impressive array of raccoon poops. The lodge nearby has had the
semblance of a winter cache for most of the summer, and I keep waiting for fresh branches to be added to it. I saw just a few green leaves. I get the impression that the beavers have not quite decided where they are going to spend the winter. They seem to be doing their most successful tree cutting close to the bank lodge on the west shore. On the north shore, which is close to the lodge in the pond, they cut a maple but it seems to be hung up
They gave up on a second cut in an attempt to bring down an ash
And never got beyond tasting a smaller ash -- that probably would come down if it was cut.
At the end of the canal at the northwest corner of the pond, a large ash is at least down enough to provide some branches.
And there is a smaller ash, cut down and segmented a bit.
I saw other ash trees that had been tasted, and the beavers continue to gnaw deeply into the first ash they cut.
But despite all that there are no branches in front of the bank lodge -- just a few stripped twigs. Perhaps I make too much of the relative position of these trees. Once they drag a branch into the water pulling it anywhere in the pond is easy. The interesting thing about beavers in this pond is
that they never go far from the pond to cut trees. I think, because they rely more on grasses in the pond. As I walked along I saw a beautiful snake with a yellow stripe.
I continued back down to the South Bay shore to see if there were any signs of otters being up at the latrine above what I call the entrance to the bay. On the deer path there I saw a carp carcass
which could have been first killed by otters and dragged up by raccoons, or it might have just been washed ashore so the raccoons could get it. I went down to the shore and saw some fish parts, but no otter scats. And at the latrine there were no hints of otters coming there. Nor were there any signs of otters at the docking rock. So have the otters vibrated back to the Second Swamp Pond? Weather permitting, I'll check tomorrow.
September 24 a great blow whipping up the river, quite a sight, as always, but I headed to the ponds. Before going up to the Second Swamp Pond I did go up to the old dock at the end of South Bay. This area is protected enough to dodge the waves but the raking wind had me holding my hat. I was surprised to see painted turtles on the dock -- the strong wind did not neutralize the warm sun. There was also a Caspian tern flying low looking for fish and the four mallards I usually see here were bobbing along pecking in the roiled water. The herons seemed to be laying low. Today I avoided the East Trail and went to the Second Swamp Pond via Otter Hole Pond meadow. For old times sack I sat briefly and looked at remains of the pond
Could that brief green soup attract otters? As I headed up the meadow, I took a photo of a little ridge where I fancied otters might have made a latrine as they visited the pools behind the older dams in the nearly dry
pond
I was surprised that there is no longer a creek coming down from the East Trail Pond -- at least I couldn't see it under the tall, tangled grasses. And I was surprised at how small the upper pools are. The one below the Second Swamp Pond dam was but a foot wide creek. The other pool did have a heron in it, but the shore was all tall grass, no chance to see any old otter scats. And up on the rock, while I didn't see otter scats, I did see what could be fisher dropping.
On the other side of this meadow, I saw the fisher last fall. I kept an eye on the woods behind me but saw no sign that the beavers active at the Second Swamp Pond dam had gone down there to finish cutting trees they were tasting two years ago. Then I headed up through the grass to the dam. I checked the south end of the dam first, thinking then of going up the north shore and crossing the dam above, which I haven't done in months. In a seam through the cattail stalks about two feet from the pond shore, I saw some very fresh otter scat.
And then up along the shore, I saw a freshly cut bullhead head.
An otter had just been here. Well, probably yesterday. The fresh mud pushed up by beavers had no otter prints, even though I found fresh liquidy scat up on the dam behind the mud.
I stepped back to take a photo of this portion of the dam that had seen so much activity and it's clear that the beavers leave the greater impression.
Then as I continued along the dam, I found two groups of scats. In one a fresh squirt was next to one a bit older.
And the other spread was almost a complete lesson in scats, going from brown liquid on the right to bone unshrouded by the usual otter black.
This gave me the impression that a group of otters had visited the pond at least twice since I was last here. I continued around to the lodge with great anticipation and I did see a scat high up on the uneven ground
behind the lodge but below the rock face of the knoll. I could also smell fresh scat coming up from the grass covered lodge. I got another whiff of scat above the latrine along the north shore that they have been favoring. The scats I saw didn't look that fresh
but this slope gets the brunt of the sun and south wind prevailing the last couple days. Now I expected to see scats around the Lost Swamp Pond, but to get there I had to negotiate the narrow, over grown, and always damp Upper Second Swamp Pond dam. I did see some modest mud work at the north end of the dam
and fresh mud at the spillover, and no otter prints, by the way.
The beavers seems to be munching the cattail stalks in the pond, and doing a neat job of it because the pond is not muddy.
Then I went up to the Lost Swamp Pond dam, where I have seen a few otter scats now and then recently and was miffed at seeing no scats there. Nor did I see any scats at the latrines along the western shore of the pond and I kept my nose down. Two herons and a kingfisher seemed to be finding fish, but no otters. I sat to ponder this and several black bugs enjoyed my warmth.
Then a squall moved in from the northwest, and I headed for the Big Pond dam. I had been flushing quite a few sparrows out of the grasses. The little things were seeking protection from the wind. Going along the Big Pond dam I flushed black birds out of thick cattail stalks.
They had the strength to ride the wind over to a similar stand of cattail and they dove in there for cover without too much complaining. No otter scats on the dam, nor beaver signs. So, I don't know what to make of the otters. Evidently there are comfortable with one pond, and South Bay. Maybe the family is larger than I think, and the mother is not rushing the upbringing of her pups. Or there is just one otter, finding enough to eat in one pond, and sleeping most of its days away, but where?
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