Little River Wetlands Project
| New growth on a tree in Eagle Marsh Woods. Photo by Lyle McDermott |
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| Field Notes |
Please submit field notes for publication on this page. These may be sent to info@lrwp.org until we develop an
online form for automated submission
Eagle Marsh, Thursday June 12, 2008. Cynthia and Ed Powers (Cynthia and Ed have been
faithfully monitoring the Eagle Marsh bluebird nest boxes 2007 and 2008): Ed and I checked the
birdhouses last evening so as to avoid the 90 degrees predicted for today. No bluebirds at all! But we heard several
dickcissels, from the main road and more back by the oxbow lake. New for our annual list! Another interesting
sighting: a big snapping turtle in the trail. Ed measured its shell: 11 inches long, covered with algae!
Eagle Marsh, Friday June 6,Angie Quinn & Betsy Yankowiak, 88F: Eagle Marsh, Angie
Quinn, June 7, 75F Overcast: Betsy Yankowiak and I pre-hiked the Wild Edibles hike on Friday afternoon, as the
severe weather was organizing over the horizon, with dramatic clouds, and increasing wind. On Saturday, overcast
skies and continued wind made for a very comfortable walk, with no sign of mosquitoes. We began the hike with an
overview of some of the literature available about foraging in wild, suburban and urban surroundings. Many of the
hikers asked if I could include the names and authors in the field notes, so they could seek their own copies. Here
are the names:
Gardon, Ann. The Wild Food Gourmet: fresh and savory food from nature. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books, 1998.
Brill, Steve “Wildman,” and Dean, Evelyn. Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and not so
wild) Places. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1994.
Sams, Tina, ed. Wild Foods for Every Table. Mannheim, Pennsylvania: The Sibling Group, 2006. www.
essentialherbal.com
Thayer, Samuel. The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants.
Ogema, Wisconsin: Forager’s Harvest. 2006.
Uva, Richard, et. al. Weeds of the Northeast. Ithaca, New York: Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of
Cornell University Press. 1997.
Johnson, Cathy. The Wild Foods Cookbook. New York: Stephen Greene Press, Pelham Books, 1989.
Peterson, Lee Allen. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1977.
The wild edibles found and discussed during the hike included: pineappleweed, nettles, dandelion, curly dock,
milkweed, clover, oxeye daisy, amaranth, mustards, raspberries and brambles, grapes, and plantain.
Arrowhead Prairie, Saturday, May 31 Betsy Yankowiak. Three of us arrived at Arrowhead Marsh to pull
garlic mustard from the mature woods. With 4-5 inches of rain the night before, we found that the Arrowhead Marsh
woods would be impossible to reach without hip waders. Since our group size was so small I decided we might
usefully survey our remote Arrowhead Prairie preserve. This preserve, where restoration was completed in 2006, is
very close to Arrowhead Marsh but is not currently open to the public. It was a beautiful day with warm sunny skies,
fluffy white cumulus clouds and a strong wind. Arrowhead Prairie was holding a significant amount of water also, but
manageable with knee boots. We found lots of sweet clover, milkweed, and patches of the grasses planted earlier.
The trees and shrubs were doing very well and generally at least three feet tall. One of our ponds had a good
population of spiked rush. I was tickled to find a Jefferson Salamander, numerous chorus frogs and American
toads. We also found baby American toads that were metamorphosing and still had a stubby tail. We saw toads,
centipedes, and staghorn beetles searching for any vegetation to escape the deluge of water pouring into the Prairie
from Aboite Creek.
Eagle Marsh by the barn, Monday, May 19 “Peepers, Creepers” with Nathan Herbert,
Nancy Bradtmiller - 58° and partly cloudy. Nathan explained that we may not hear many amphibian calls
because of the cool night temperature. We did however hear some bird calls. We heard a Scarlet Tanager which
has a repetitive, nasal “chip-bang” sound. We heard the “pit-pit-pit-pit” flute-like trill of the Wood Thrush, a relative of
the robin. Thrushes like a moist, deciduous woodland with a thick understory. We were lucky enough to hear one
call from a Pileated Woodpecker. It has a loud, deep, flicker-like “cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk” rising and then falling in pitch.
There is a “mild” comeback of the Pileated Woodpecker in the area. They require large woodland with old growth
and dead trees. As we were leaving the marsh, we finally did hear the call of a Gray Tree Frog. Nathan describes its
call as a “prehistoric” sound. Gray Tree Frogs’ coloration looks like lichen. It changes color green – gray – brown.
Eagle Marsh, Monday, May 12 8:15pm, Rodger Rang- Blue-winged Teal- 4 (3m, 1f),Great Egret-2,
*BLACK TERN- 1 hawking bugs low over the water, my FOS From the Verizon parking lot overlook: Northern
Shoveler- 1m, Savannah Sparrow- 1, Eastern Meadowlark- 1,From Engle Road: Blue-winged Teal- 6 (3pr),No
shorebirds other than Killdeer and Spotted SP. Earlier, in the late afternoon, my wife saw a coyote in this area. *Black
terns are Endangered in Indiana.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller, 64° and sunny. Today, we decided to
head back into the woods. On our way, we saw Wood Ducks and their babies in the irrigation ponds. Wood Ducks
nest in trees and their babies are said to “flutter down like snowflakes.” We enjoyed watching them swimming in the
pond. We continued on to the woods and noticed many Crayfish chimneys along the trail. They make these piles of
dirt as they climb out of the ground from hibernating all winter. Mayapples carpeted the woodland floor. Deer are
said to use Mayapples as a cover for their young fawns. Other wildflowers we saw were White Violets, Virginia
Waterleaf, Sweet Cicely, Wild Geranium, Blue Flag Iris, Solomon Seal, and Spring Beauties.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, April 29, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller – 49° and sunny. As we headed out
past the irrigation ponds behind the barn towards the oxbow, we enjoyed watching the Tree Swallows swooping
over the pond catching bugs in their mouths. Tree Swallows are dark on their backs with white on their undersides.
Adults have a beautiful metallic blue-green color across the back of their head and down to the top part of the wing.
On the banks of the oxbow we saw the tracks of ducks, heron, and killdeer. We saw Red-winged Blackbirds, a
Snipe, and two Sandpipers. We noticed that there were some new sedges growing along the banks of the oxbow
too. We moved on to the Graham McCulloch just in time to see a muskrat swimming there. When we returned to
the barn, we checked on the Mallard and her nest. She didn’t seem very happy to see us, but she looked fine.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, April 22, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller, 62° and sunny. What a lovely day for
a walk at the marsh. We saw a variety of flora and fauna. We headed for the woods and the sites where our
salamander traps had been. On our way we saw poison ivy, but luckily we also saw Jewel Weed growing close to
it. Jewel Weed’s substance in its stem is a remedy for poison ivy. It is also a good indicator of very wet soil. Jewel
Weed is also known as “touch me not” because when the ripe seed pod is touched, it coils back and shots its
seeds. A plant I like to talk about is Bedstraw or “nature’s velcro.” Bedstraw is a prickly plant. Its stem sticks easily
to things. As I understand, settlers took advantage of this trait by using it to fill their mattresses. The Bedstraw sticks
to each other and thus holds its shape better. We happened to look up at the right time and saw two baby raccoons
peering out of hole in a tree. A Spring Peeper also caught our attention. It is recognizable by the “x” on its back.
There were a couple of male Flickers competing for the attention of a female. They appeared to be very agitated by
each other. Flickers have a red crescent on the nape of their neck and when they are in flight you can see their
yellow underwing and white patch on their tail. Unlike most Woodpeckers, Flickers forage on the ground looking for
ants. When we returned to the barn, we noticed a mallard had built her nest next to the porta-potty. She had eight
eggs in it. Probably not the best place to have her nest.
Eagle Marsh, Saturday, April 12, 2008 – Stockbridge Audubon Hike, Nancy Bradtmiller, 44°
with wind and rain. The following is our Bird List:
Eagle Marsh at Barn:
Fox Sparrow, Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker, Canada Geese, Northern Flicker, Mallards, Blue Winged Teal ,Song
Sparrow, Robin, Ground Thrasher, Brown-headed Cowbird, Rufus Sided Towhee, Northern Shoveler, Pied Billed
Grebe (?),Ring Neck, Duck, Blue Winged Teal, Green Winged Teal, Lesser Yellow Legs, Killdeer, Red-winged
Blackbird, Grackle Eagle Marsh at Boy Scout Office:
Green Winged Teal, Blue Winged Teal, Horned Grebe, Greater Yellow Legs, Northern Shoveler, Blue Bird, Red-
tailed Hawk, Kingfisher, Rough-winged Swallow – Northern, American Coots – flock, Redheaded Woodpecker, Tree
Swallow
Eagle Marsh, Saturday, April 5th, 2008 Betsy Yankowiak, "Salamander Eggs-Stravaganza"
Finally after a long, wet winter, spring has sprung! Hikers marched off into our mature forested wetland on the first
beautiful Saturday of spring. There were more children than adults in search of salamander eggs. We traveled
through the first large swamp where we saw skunk cabbage poking through the mats of reed canary grass left over
than last year. The children gathered around to have a chance to examine and hold a spring peeper. Then one of the
children found a decaying tree stump with small puffball mushrooms, which they enjoyed tapping on them to spread
the spores. Finally, we reach a large swamp without reed canary grass and looked for salamander eggs. We were
not disappointed. Everywhere we turned and looked for salamander egg sacks we found them attached to sticks
lying underneath the water. We estimated we found well over 2 dozen egg sacks that contain 10-20 eggs. Inside the
transparent, green egg sacks, we could see the small (less than a centimeter) beginnings of the next generation of
salamanders at Eagle Marsh.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, April 1, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 44°, windy and overcast.
Today we set out to check our salamander traps. We have three “friendly” traps set between a woodland and a wet
area. The traps are actually barriers that the salamanders run into as they make their march to the wetland to breed
and release their eggs. When they come to this barrier, they walk along it and fall into buckets that have been placed
in the ground. We check the traps every morning to identify the species, gender, length, and condition of the
salamander. We then release the salamander on the other side of the barrier to continue on his/her way. Today we
hit the jackpot!! We caught 23 salamanders – Tigers, Jefferson, and Jefferson Complex. The Jefferson Complex is
a hybrid between the Blue-spotted and the Jefferson. We are very excited about the salamander survey taking
place. Salamanders are an indicator species of the health of the wetland and woods because they require both in
their life cycle. This is LRWP’s first year to take part in this study. We also found a few toads and spring peepers in
the buckets.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, March 25, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 39° with gusty winds. We
decided to escape the winds by walking in the woods east of the pole barn. As we walked, we saw many remnants
of the year before and the promise of the year ahead. There were the wilted leaves of last year’s Putty root which is
in the orchid family and an indicator of a “rich woods.” The brown beaded stalks of the Sensitive Fern also withstood
the snow and ice of last winter. There is the spore-bearing section of the plant and is what has given the plant its
alternative name of “bead fern.” The square stem of the Yellow Giant Hyssop tells us it belongs in the mint family.
The purple-brown and green mottled hoods of the Skunk Cabbage were scattered in a wet area of the woods. The
hood produces heat which melts the surrounding snow when it protrudes from the ground. The large, egg-shaped
leaves unfold after the plant blooms and have a “disagreeable” smell when crushed. Another early spring bloomer
we came upon was Harbinger-of-Spring or Pepper and Salt. Say, “Yes” to spring!!
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, March 18, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 45° and rainy. We
decided to go see the new earthwork that had been done by the oxbow. The snow is gone and in its place mud. As
we walk back to the oxbow we see Canada Geese, Mallards, and a Blue Heron fly overhead. Around the oxbow we
see many deer, coyote, raccoon, and geese tracks. In the distance, we see a large object that we are not quite sure
what it would be… so of course we need to check it out. As we get a little closer, we can see it is some of the earth
moving equipment. We wondered if it had gotten stuck in the mud. On closer inspection, we see that it is resting on
tires to prevent it from sinking into the mud. We move on from there following the path made by the equipment to the
new ponds. There is a nice levee that surrounds the pond. We agreed that one day this would make a nice trail.
Leaving the pond, we cut across the field thick with dead horseweed. However, amongst the horseweed are little
oak seedlings. Some of our ramblers help with mowing. We talk about how these little seedlings will need the sun
to grow and thrive and about the challenge of mowing the horsetail and not the seedlings. One day, these seedlings
will be massive oaks providing homes and food for the animals of the marsh.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, March 11, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 32° with partly sunny
skies. We decided to head east from the pole barn and walk along the woods. The ice had taken a toll on the tree
seedlings planted last year. Many of them are leaning to one side from the shifting ice as it melts and refreezes.
Deer and coyote tracks criss-cross in the snow. I have come to love these winter hikes. It is fascinating to see the
traces left behind from the activity of the night before. As we entered the woods, we could see how high the water
had actually been by the shelf ice still hanging on to the trees. We estimated it was almost three feet off the ground!
Our marsh had really done its job of retaining excess water and preventing flooding downstream. There were also
scratch marks on the trunks left from the shifting ice. Again, they suggested that the water depth must have been
close to three feet. In the lower areas there was still water covered by ice. We enjoyed what we thought would be
our last “water walking” for the season. The news’ weather forecast said there is a “warm-up” ahead. Winter, the
time for rest, is nearing its end and the promise of “renewal” is approaching with spring!
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday March 4, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 33° and windy and our first
day back at the pole barn on Engle Road! There are remnants of ice covering the road back to the pole barn. Ice still
covers the marsh as far as I can see. I can tell that the water level is much lower because the ice is buckling from its
own weight and not having water underneath to support it. We decided to head toward the train tracks at the back of
the property. The wind is blowing pretty hard so we appreciate the buffer the trees offer as we walk along the tracks.
The only green that is apparent is the moss and lichen growing on the slag boulders along the train tracks. It
reminds me of my Montessori lessons about the “Coming of Life” and how the early plants broke down the parent
rock to begin the formation of soil. We eventually cut into the woods and found many animal tracks in the snow –
raccoon, deer, rabbit, and coyote which appeared to be quite fresh. As we walked, I kept an eye on the tracks and
wondered to myself what I would do if we came upon the coyote. Meanwhile, my fellow Rambler stopped and
pointed to where he had just seen the coyote trotting off. We had just passed a pile of brush which I guess the
coyote had been in until we came strolling by. Wow!
Eagle Marsh by the Boyscout Office, Saturday, March 1, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller – “If it Quacks
like a Duck” hike with Ed and Cynthia Powers. The weather was partly sunny and 33°F, a great day for a hike and we
were not to be disappointed. Under the guidance of Stockbridge Audubon members, Ed and Cynthia Powers, we
saw an assortment of birds on the marsh. Before we even got started, one of the members mentioned she had
seen a bald eagle at Eagle marsh by the Boy Scout office during the week of the Backyard Bird Count – around
February 18th. She said at first it looked like a trash bag, but then realized it was a bald eagle. This is the same
time one was spotted last year! As we started out on the marsh a flock of about 12 mallards flew over us. Later we
would see an even larger flock of about 35. A blue heron flew out of one of the linear ditches. Just as Cynthia was
saying the way to tell the difference between a blue heron and a sandhill crane in flight is by the s-curve of the blue
heron’s neck, three sandhill cranes flew overhead. We were all very excited to see them. Another bird returning to
the area after the winter is the wood duck. Cynthia remarked “wood ducks are a sign of spring.” This made me very
happy. Other birds we saw were crows, song sparrows, one more blue heron, American tree sparrow, 5 more
sandhill cranes, horned lark, sparrow hawk, kestrel, and a mourning dove. When they saw the kestrel, they noticed it
was feeding on something. Moments later there were feathers floating through the air – coincidence?
online form for automated submission
Eagle Marsh, Thursday June 12, 2008. Cynthia and Ed Powers (Cynthia and Ed have been
faithfully monitoring the Eagle Marsh bluebird nest boxes 2007 and 2008): Ed and I checked the
birdhouses last evening so as to avoid the 90 degrees predicted for today. No bluebirds at all! But we heard several
dickcissels, from the main road and more back by the oxbow lake. New for our annual list! Another interesting
sighting: a big snapping turtle in the trail. Ed measured its shell: 11 inches long, covered with algae!
Eagle Marsh, Friday June 6,Angie Quinn & Betsy Yankowiak, 88F: Eagle Marsh, Angie
Quinn, June 7, 75F Overcast: Betsy Yankowiak and I pre-hiked the Wild Edibles hike on Friday afternoon, as the
severe weather was organizing over the horizon, with dramatic clouds, and increasing wind. On Saturday, overcast
skies and continued wind made for a very comfortable walk, with no sign of mosquitoes. We began the hike with an
overview of some of the literature available about foraging in wild, suburban and urban surroundings. Many of the
hikers asked if I could include the names and authors in the field notes, so they could seek their own copies. Here
are the names:
Gardon, Ann. The Wild Food Gourmet: fresh and savory food from nature. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books, 1998.
Brill, Steve “Wildman,” and Dean, Evelyn. Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and not so
wild) Places. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1994.
Sams, Tina, ed. Wild Foods for Every Table. Mannheim, Pennsylvania: The Sibling Group, 2006. www.
essentialherbal.com
Thayer, Samuel. The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants.
Ogema, Wisconsin: Forager’s Harvest. 2006.
Uva, Richard, et. al. Weeds of the Northeast. Ithaca, New York: Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of
Cornell University Press. 1997.
Johnson, Cathy. The Wild Foods Cookbook. New York: Stephen Greene Press, Pelham Books, 1989.
Peterson, Lee Allen. A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1977.
The wild edibles found and discussed during the hike included: pineappleweed, nettles, dandelion, curly dock,
milkweed, clover, oxeye daisy, amaranth, mustards, raspberries and brambles, grapes, and plantain.
Arrowhead Prairie, Saturday, May 31 Betsy Yankowiak. Three of us arrived at Arrowhead Marsh to pull
garlic mustard from the mature woods. With 4-5 inches of rain the night before, we found that the Arrowhead Marsh
woods would be impossible to reach without hip waders. Since our group size was so small I decided we might
usefully survey our remote Arrowhead Prairie preserve. This preserve, where restoration was completed in 2006, is
very close to Arrowhead Marsh but is not currently open to the public. It was a beautiful day with warm sunny skies,
fluffy white cumulus clouds and a strong wind. Arrowhead Prairie was holding a significant amount of water also, but
manageable with knee boots. We found lots of sweet clover, milkweed, and patches of the grasses planted earlier.
The trees and shrubs were doing very well and generally at least three feet tall. One of our ponds had a good
population of spiked rush. I was tickled to find a Jefferson Salamander, numerous chorus frogs and American
toads. We also found baby American toads that were metamorphosing and still had a stubby tail. We saw toads,
centipedes, and staghorn beetles searching for any vegetation to escape the deluge of water pouring into the Prairie
from Aboite Creek.
Eagle Marsh by the barn, Monday, May 19 “Peepers, Creepers” with Nathan Herbert,
Nancy Bradtmiller - 58° and partly cloudy. Nathan explained that we may not hear many amphibian calls
because of the cool night temperature. We did however hear some bird calls. We heard a Scarlet Tanager which
has a repetitive, nasal “chip-bang” sound. We heard the “pit-pit-pit-pit” flute-like trill of the Wood Thrush, a relative of
the robin. Thrushes like a moist, deciduous woodland with a thick understory. We were lucky enough to hear one
call from a Pileated Woodpecker. It has a loud, deep, flicker-like “cuk-cuk-cuk-cuk” rising and then falling in pitch.
There is a “mild” comeback of the Pileated Woodpecker in the area. They require large woodland with old growth
and dead trees. As we were leaving the marsh, we finally did hear the call of a Gray Tree Frog. Nathan describes its
call as a “prehistoric” sound. Gray Tree Frogs’ coloration looks like lichen. It changes color green – gray – brown.
Eagle Marsh, Monday, May 12 8:15pm, Rodger Rang- Blue-winged Teal- 4 (3m, 1f),Great Egret-2,
*BLACK TERN- 1 hawking bugs low over the water, my FOS From the Verizon parking lot overlook: Northern
Shoveler- 1m, Savannah Sparrow- 1, Eastern Meadowlark- 1,From Engle Road: Blue-winged Teal- 6 (3pr),No
shorebirds other than Killdeer and Spotted SP. Earlier, in the late afternoon, my wife saw a coyote in this area. *Black
terns are Endangered in Indiana.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller, 64° and sunny. Today, we decided to
head back into the woods. On our way, we saw Wood Ducks and their babies in the irrigation ponds. Wood Ducks
nest in trees and their babies are said to “flutter down like snowflakes.” We enjoyed watching them swimming in the
pond. We continued on to the woods and noticed many Crayfish chimneys along the trail. They make these piles of
dirt as they climb out of the ground from hibernating all winter. Mayapples carpeted the woodland floor. Deer are
said to use Mayapples as a cover for their young fawns. Other wildflowers we saw were White Violets, Virginia
Waterleaf, Sweet Cicely, Wild Geranium, Blue Flag Iris, Solomon Seal, and Spring Beauties.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, April 29, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller – 49° and sunny. As we headed out
past the irrigation ponds behind the barn towards the oxbow, we enjoyed watching the Tree Swallows swooping
over the pond catching bugs in their mouths. Tree Swallows are dark on their backs with white on their undersides.
Adults have a beautiful metallic blue-green color across the back of their head and down to the top part of the wing.
On the banks of the oxbow we saw the tracks of ducks, heron, and killdeer. We saw Red-winged Blackbirds, a
Snipe, and two Sandpipers. We noticed that there were some new sedges growing along the banks of the oxbow
too. We moved on to the Graham McCulloch just in time to see a muskrat swimming there. When we returned to
the barn, we checked on the Mallard and her nest. She didn’t seem very happy to see us, but she looked fine.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, April 22, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller, 62° and sunny. What a lovely day for
a walk at the marsh. We saw a variety of flora and fauna. We headed for the woods and the sites where our
salamander traps had been. On our way we saw poison ivy, but luckily we also saw Jewel Weed growing close to
it. Jewel Weed’s substance in its stem is a remedy for poison ivy. It is also a good indicator of very wet soil. Jewel
Weed is also known as “touch me not” because when the ripe seed pod is touched, it coils back and shots its
seeds. A plant I like to talk about is Bedstraw or “nature’s velcro.” Bedstraw is a prickly plant. Its stem sticks easily
to things. As I understand, settlers took advantage of this trait by using it to fill their mattresses. The Bedstraw sticks
to each other and thus holds its shape better. We happened to look up at the right time and saw two baby raccoons
peering out of hole in a tree. A Spring Peeper also caught our attention. It is recognizable by the “x” on its back.
There were a couple of male Flickers competing for the attention of a female. They appeared to be very agitated by
each other. Flickers have a red crescent on the nape of their neck and when they are in flight you can see their
yellow underwing and white patch on their tail. Unlike most Woodpeckers, Flickers forage on the ground looking for
ants. When we returned to the barn, we noticed a mallard had built her nest next to the porta-potty. She had eight
eggs in it. Probably not the best place to have her nest.
Eagle Marsh, Saturday, April 12, 2008 – Stockbridge Audubon Hike, Nancy Bradtmiller, 44°
with wind and rain. The following is our Bird List:
Eagle Marsh at Barn:
Fox Sparrow, Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker, Canada Geese, Northern Flicker, Mallards, Blue Winged Teal ,Song
Sparrow, Robin, Ground Thrasher, Brown-headed Cowbird, Rufus Sided Towhee, Northern Shoveler, Pied Billed
Grebe (?),Ring Neck, Duck, Blue Winged Teal, Green Winged Teal, Lesser Yellow Legs, Killdeer, Red-winged
Blackbird, Grackle Eagle Marsh at Boy Scout Office:
Green Winged Teal, Blue Winged Teal, Horned Grebe, Greater Yellow Legs, Northern Shoveler, Blue Bird, Red-
tailed Hawk, Kingfisher, Rough-winged Swallow – Northern, American Coots – flock, Redheaded Woodpecker, Tree
Swallow
Eagle Marsh, Saturday, April 5th, 2008 Betsy Yankowiak, "Salamander Eggs-Stravaganza"
Finally after a long, wet winter, spring has sprung! Hikers marched off into our mature forested wetland on the first
beautiful Saturday of spring. There were more children than adults in search of salamander eggs. We traveled
through the first large swamp where we saw skunk cabbage poking through the mats of reed canary grass left over
than last year. The children gathered around to have a chance to examine and hold a spring peeper. Then one of the
children found a decaying tree stump with small puffball mushrooms, which they enjoyed tapping on them to spread
the spores. Finally, we reach a large swamp without reed canary grass and looked for salamander eggs. We were
not disappointed. Everywhere we turned and looked for salamander egg sacks we found them attached to sticks
lying underneath the water. We estimated we found well over 2 dozen egg sacks that contain 10-20 eggs. Inside the
transparent, green egg sacks, we could see the small (less than a centimeter) beginnings of the next generation of
salamanders at Eagle Marsh.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, April 1, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 44°, windy and overcast.
Today we set out to check our salamander traps. We have three “friendly” traps set between a woodland and a wet
area. The traps are actually barriers that the salamanders run into as they make their march to the wetland to breed
and release their eggs. When they come to this barrier, they walk along it and fall into buckets that have been placed
in the ground. We check the traps every morning to identify the species, gender, length, and condition of the
salamander. We then release the salamander on the other side of the barrier to continue on his/her way. Today we
hit the jackpot!! We caught 23 salamanders – Tigers, Jefferson, and Jefferson Complex. The Jefferson Complex is
a hybrid between the Blue-spotted and the Jefferson. We are very excited about the salamander survey taking
place. Salamanders are an indicator species of the health of the wetland and woods because they require both in
their life cycle. This is LRWP’s first year to take part in this study. We also found a few toads and spring peepers in
the buckets.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, March 25, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 39° with gusty winds. We
decided to escape the winds by walking in the woods east of the pole barn. As we walked, we saw many remnants
of the year before and the promise of the year ahead. There were the wilted leaves of last year’s Putty root which is
in the orchid family and an indicator of a “rich woods.” The brown beaded stalks of the Sensitive Fern also withstood
the snow and ice of last winter. There is the spore-bearing section of the plant and is what has given the plant its
alternative name of “bead fern.” The square stem of the Yellow Giant Hyssop tells us it belongs in the mint family.
The purple-brown and green mottled hoods of the Skunk Cabbage were scattered in a wet area of the woods. The
hood produces heat which melts the surrounding snow when it protrudes from the ground. The large, egg-shaped
leaves unfold after the plant blooms and have a “disagreeable” smell when crushed. Another early spring bloomer
we came upon was Harbinger-of-Spring or Pepper and Salt. Say, “Yes” to spring!!
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, March 18, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 45° and rainy. We
decided to go see the new earthwork that had been done by the oxbow. The snow is gone and in its place mud. As
we walk back to the oxbow we see Canada Geese, Mallards, and a Blue Heron fly overhead. Around the oxbow we
see many deer, coyote, raccoon, and geese tracks. In the distance, we see a large object that we are not quite sure
what it would be… so of course we need to check it out. As we get a little closer, we can see it is some of the earth
moving equipment. We wondered if it had gotten stuck in the mud. On closer inspection, we see that it is resting on
tires to prevent it from sinking into the mud. We move on from there following the path made by the equipment to the
new ponds. There is a nice levee that surrounds the pond. We agreed that one day this would make a nice trail.
Leaving the pond, we cut across the field thick with dead horseweed. However, amongst the horseweed are little
oak seedlings. Some of our ramblers help with mowing. We talk about how these little seedlings will need the sun
to grow and thrive and about the challenge of mowing the horsetail and not the seedlings. One day, these seedlings
will be massive oaks providing homes and food for the animals of the marsh.
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday, March 11, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 32° with partly sunny
skies. We decided to head east from the pole barn and walk along the woods. The ice had taken a toll on the tree
seedlings planted last year. Many of them are leaning to one side from the shifting ice as it melts and refreezes.
Deer and coyote tracks criss-cross in the snow. I have come to love these winter hikes. It is fascinating to see the
traces left behind from the activity of the night before. As we entered the woods, we could see how high the water
had actually been by the shelf ice still hanging on to the trees. We estimated it was almost three feet off the ground!
Our marsh had really done its job of retaining excess water and preventing flooding downstream. There were also
scratch marks on the trunks left from the shifting ice. Again, they suggested that the water depth must have been
close to three feet. In the lower areas there was still water covered by ice. We enjoyed what we thought would be
our last “water walking” for the season. The news’ weather forecast said there is a “warm-up” ahead. Winter, the
time for rest, is nearing its end and the promise of “renewal” is approaching with spring!
Eagle Marsh Barn, Tuesday March 4, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller- Today is 33° and windy and our first
day back at the pole barn on Engle Road! There are remnants of ice covering the road back to the pole barn. Ice still
covers the marsh as far as I can see. I can tell that the water level is much lower because the ice is buckling from its
own weight and not having water underneath to support it. We decided to head toward the train tracks at the back of
the property. The wind is blowing pretty hard so we appreciate the buffer the trees offer as we walk along the tracks.
The only green that is apparent is the moss and lichen growing on the slag boulders along the train tracks. It
reminds me of my Montessori lessons about the “Coming of Life” and how the early plants broke down the parent
rock to begin the formation of soil. We eventually cut into the woods and found many animal tracks in the snow –
raccoon, deer, rabbit, and coyote which appeared to be quite fresh. As we walked, I kept an eye on the tracks and
wondered to myself what I would do if we came upon the coyote. Meanwhile, my fellow Rambler stopped and
pointed to where he had just seen the coyote trotting off. We had just passed a pile of brush which I guess the
coyote had been in until we came strolling by. Wow!
Eagle Marsh by the Boyscout Office, Saturday, March 1, 2008, Nancy Bradtmiller – “If it Quacks
like a Duck” hike with Ed and Cynthia Powers. The weather was partly sunny and 33°F, a great day for a hike and we
were not to be disappointed. Under the guidance of Stockbridge Audubon members, Ed and Cynthia Powers, we
saw an assortment of birds on the marsh. Before we even got started, one of the members mentioned she had
seen a bald eagle at Eagle marsh by the Boy Scout office during the week of the Backyard Bird Count – around
February 18th. She said at first it looked like a trash bag, but then realized it was a bald eagle. This is the same
time one was spotted last year! As we started out on the marsh a flock of about 12 mallards flew over us. Later we
would see an even larger flock of about 35. A blue heron flew out of one of the linear ditches. Just as Cynthia was
saying the way to tell the difference between a blue heron and a sandhill crane in flight is by the s-curve of the blue
heron’s neck, three sandhill cranes flew overhead. We were all very excited to see them. Another bird returning to
the area after the winter is the wood duck. Cynthia remarked “wood ducks are a sign of spring.” This made me very
happy. Other birds we saw were crows, song sparrows, one more blue heron, American tree sparrow, 5 more
sandhill cranes, horned lark, sparrow hawk, kestrel, and a mourning dove. When they saw the kestrel, they noticed it
was feeding on something. Moments later there were feathers floating through the air – coincidence?
| Frog at Eagle Marsh. Photo by Leslie Hamilton |
| Skunk Cabbage beginning to grow at Eagle Marsh. Photo by Leslie Hamilton. |
| Skunk cabbage. Photo By Leslie Hamilton. |
| Eagle Marsh woods Fall 2007. Photo by Betsy Yankowiak |
| Shelf Fungus on a fallen tree branch. Photo by Lyle McDermott |
| Butterfly count held at Arrowhead Marsh 2007. Photo by Ray Steup |
| Wild flowers at Eagle Marsh. Photo by Judy Nelsen |
| Tiny Tree Frog, saying hello. Photo by Lyle McDermott |
| Yellow Violet in Eagle Marsh Woods. Photo by Lyle McDermott |