Field Notes

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, July 7, 2009, Travis Paul

We had a great turnout today at the Ramblers hike with an attendance of 27. We decided to hike the eastern trail near the
oxbow. As we walked along the edge of the woods, we saw some great plants: Canada anemone, prairie rose, and figwart.
Along the northern stretch of the trail we came across poison hemlock and spiderwart. We also saw two great blue herons,
several great egrets, and an indigo bunting. It was fun to introduce all the new people to Eagle Marsh!

Eagle Marsh (T.Paul)

Poison hemlock (T.Paul)

Spiderwort (T.Paul)

Milkweed (T.Paul)

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, July 14, 2009, Travis Paul

It was a clear sunny day at Eagle Marsh. We started our hike in the woods and after a few yards we saw a great blue heron
taking off. As we hiked deeper, I noticed a lot of moss covering old logs and fallen trees. Some of the dead trees had new
plants growing out of the them. We also came across some chewed bark and beaver tracks towards the end of the trail in the
woods. It's a clear sign that the beaver(s) have started to get comfortable.

Beaver activity (T.Paul)

Ramblers in Eagle Marsh woods (T.Paul)

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, July 21, Travis Paul

It was a warm clear morning for the Ramblers hike at Eagle Marsh. We hiked the longer, northeastern trail and saw what
appeared to be some sort of pinecone-like growth on the willow trees, but it was in fact insects that had created galls on the
tree. We saw many plants such as monkey flower, purple vervaine, walflower, multiflora rose and a purple loosetrife plant
that was immediately removed because it is highly invasive.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, August 4, Travis Paul

It was a warm and cloudy morning at Eagle Marsh. We walked into the woods on the southern entrance of the trail and hiked
through the woods. We noticed some mushrooms that came up after last night’s rain . We also saw blazing star, bell flowers,
and many toads and frogs. As we exited at the northern opening of the trail and walked along the small loop we saw a gray
tree frog that blended perfectly into the foliage that it was sitting on. While walking back to the barn we also saw two
northern water snakes basking on a rock. The cold blooded creatures seem to be enjoying the sunny days at Eagle Marsh.

A number of us volunteers gathered this morning to help remove invasive plant and shrub species from the Eagle Marsh
Woods. Removal of invasive species is rewarding partly because it gets you out of doors on days when you might not go
otherwise. Even cool damp days can be refreshing to body and spirit. Birds and other wildlife tend to be moving around
more on cloudy days than in bright sunshine as they are somewhat less intimidated by predators. Days with brilliant
sunshine have their special rewards as well; for example, photographs of our beautiful prairie flowers take on that special
appeal when viewed in brilliant fall lighting.
More to the point, however, exotics must be controlled so that we have room for our complete natural ecosystems. It comes
down to this inescapable notion: If you like birds and other wildlife, you must have their food sources and generally
speaking, wildlife prefer the seeds, insects, etc. with which they have evolved over time. Removal of invasives allows the
return of complete, natural ecosystems which we along with wildlife enjoy.
As our Eagle Marsh evolves through successive seasons to more and more return of natural diversity, we are rewarded
with sightings of dickcissels, ospreys, sedge wrens, and yes, on one of our last outings, a beautiful immature bald eagle!
Sharing these special happenings with others gives rise to a sense of hope and deep satisfaction.

Eagle Marsh, Saturday, August 29, Sam Schwartz

September 29, 2009, Eagle Marsh, Cathy Keler

A cool, 50 degree, mildly misty morning greeted the Little River Ramblers of Eagle Marsh. There was no mosquito activity.

We traversed the woods trail and enjoyed the following plants in their late summer foilage: thoroughwort, sweet cicely,
clearwood, tearthumb, and snakewort. Evidence of "eager beaver" activity was observed on several trees. The spice bushes
had been nearly stripped of their berries as this is a favorite bird food. As we exited the woods to proceed along the mowed
trail we were treated to the lovely fall colors of New England aster and ditch stonecrop. Unfortunately we also saw a large
patch of first year growth garlic mustard in the woods that will need to be removed.

October 6, 2009, Eagle Marsh, Travis Paul

It was cloudly this morning at Eagle Marsh as we began our Ramblers hike on Trail 3. We hiked through Trail 5
where we walked along the berm. We saw stirred-up dirt in the water from something moving around but no fish. Once we left
the berm and got onto Trail 6 we saw multiple flocks of birds, mostly red-winged blackbirds, starlings, mallards and geese.
We walked about 1.8 miles and didn't see any of the rain that was expected.

October 13, 2009, Eagle Marsh, Travis Paul

Early arrivals for today's Ramblers hike were thrilled to see an immature bald eagle in a tree being harassed by crows. Then
three eagles, including one mature and two probably immature, flew quite near overhead. A parent eagle taking fledglings
for a training flight? Once we all got started, a couple of large birds could be seen flying in the distance but none were
positively Identified. We began our hike on trail #1 and saw asters in bloom, wool grass, fig wart and cup plant among other
plants.

As we started out walking east on Trail 1 (west trail) late Sunday afternoon, we saw a kestrel sitting on an electric wire.
Further along, the water in the ponds shimmered with light as the vegetation grew darker from the overcast sky. Ducks were
there in abundance, including many coots, mallards, and a few grebes and northern pintails. We travelled the whole trail and
were gratified to see many asters, goldenrod, and other native wildflowers, as well as many milkweed pods laden with seeds
about to be released, among the grasses and cattails. Near I-69, we discovered a field mouse whose small, lovely body was
still intact suggesting it must have died fairly recently. Two red-tailed hawks were "making lazy circles in the sky," but I'm sure
if they had been the perpetrators, they would have taken the small morsel away to be eaten.

Eagle Marsh, Sunday, October 18, 2009, Judy Nelsen and Marty Stern

Eagle Marsh

Field Mouse

Milkweed Pods

Saturday, October 31, 2009, Eagle Marsh, Betsy Yankowiak

It began as a very blustery morning with strong winds and temperatures barely over 45 degrees. A group of intrepid volunteers
from Raytheon were out of bed early to help gather and scatter native plant seeds at Eagle Marsh. I’ve been receiving
numerous phone calls and emails lately informing me of eagle sightings—usually a mature and immature bald eagle--at the
marsh, so we were all on the alert. We set off north of the barn to collect seeds and, once we nestled into the tall native
grasses, the wind diminished and the sun came out. We enjoyed gathering seeds from Canada wild rye, Indian grass, switch
grass, and a number of wildflowers including rosinweed. We also kept a keen eye to the skies.
When we walked south of the barn on trail six to the big cottonwood tree scarred by a beaver, someone noticed a large, dark
raptor soaring near the electrical tower. Then another one landed on the tower, but they were still too far away to identify. We
watched one soar closer and closer until there was no mistaking that bright white tail. This eagle has a white tail, but its head is
still mostly dark, indicating that it is probably about three years old and beginning to acquire its adult colors. It soared right
above us and stopped in midair to look down to see who we were or what we were doing. Then it followed the strong wind
currents further east into the woods. It’s amazing how a wildlife moment like this makes you forget about the wind and chilly
temperatures. We spread our seeds and excitedly discussed being among a growing number of people who have seen a bald
eagle at Eagle Marsh.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, Travis Paul

A good turnout today at Eagle Marsh with clear skies and cool, windy weather. It was my first Ramblers hike at the Boy Scout
office parking lot entrance to Eagle Marsh since last spring. The new native plants have started to establish themselves around
the ponds and there was a lot of foxtail in the areas that we seeded last year. We hiked along trail 1 and saw egrets, coots,
mallards and a great blue heron; then we we cut across into trail 2 on the way back.

Eagle Marsh, Sunday, November 8, Judy Nelsen

On a quick trip around Trail 1 on this warm, cloudy afternoon, I saw three swans and numerous coots and mallards on the
ponds, as well as a belted kingfisher on the electric wire. A small yellow butterfly fluttered over the grasses, and wooly bear
caterpillars crawled here and there. I was surprised to see frogs still jumping into the water as I passed. There were a lot of
deer and raccoon tracks. I guess the marsh has not yet begun to settle down for the winter.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, November 14 Rachel Rossiter Smith

It is a beautiful day at Eagle Marsh! The sun shined brightly on the group of intrepid hikers leaving from the Boy Scouts of
America office. We found an owl pellet under a utility pole which we dissected to find the remains of what I think was a mole.
Judging from the copious mole tunnels on the trail, that is a pretty good hypothesis. The kids on the hike thought that was
pretty cool! We wandered around the wetlands and found a beaver slide and some raccoon tracks. Two hours were quickly
spent as we looked at prairie grasses and mute swans, gulls and other wetland creatures.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, November 24, Sam Schwartz

Our 11-24-09 Ramblers hike originated from the Boy Scout headquarters on a blustery, late autumn day. Temperatures
ranged from a low of 35 degrees to a high of 53 degrees later in the day. Dark clouds periodically covered both the
landscape and our hardy band of Ramblers with fog and light rain. Northwesterly breezes kept the birds and other wildlife
close to protective cover, but did not prevent our group of eight from enjoying the sights and sounds of Eagle Marsh. The
family of mute swans always captures your attention from the parking lot due to their white contrast and high visibility from
afar. Do not venture too close as the parents are very protective of their young. A closer inspection of the wetlands reveals
the reddish-brown hues of ditch stonecrop, which is producing lots of seed. Steve Ross pointed out the value of other native
plants such as umbrella sedge, knotweed,and amaranth which provide food and cover for wintering native sparrows and other
creatures. Movement in the cattails and accompanying squeaky noises left us all wondering about the source. Dick Harnly
ventured into the water as far as his boots permitted, but this only caused the mysterious musician to stop the performance.
We were dismayed by the sight of a clone of phragmites, which can be seen between the third and fourth high towers when
looking to the south. Mallards would lift off the waters when approached too closely, but coots trail their feet as they require a
longer takeoff space. Solitary great blue herons were seen flying to the southwest on two occasions. Muskrat castles are
becoming more evident as winter approaches. The high point of our hike was the viewing of two bald eagles! The first was
seen flying along the railroad track in an easterly direction. We speculated about its identity until it landed in one of the big
dead trees along Graham-McCulloch Ditch and then we spotted the second bird. Dick Cross provided us with higher
magnification pictures and proof of white heads and tails. We returned to the parking lot, warmed with the realization that
Eagle Marsh provides space for both human visitors and magnificent creatures such as this.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, December 5, Rachel Rossiter Smith

On this Saturday hike, we were searching for signs of animal life at Arrowhead Marsh and we sure did find it! We found many
coyote “calling cards” in the form of scat on the trails. Coyotes like to leave their “trademarks” on trails as a territorial marker.
We found what appeared to be fox scat on the trails as well. There were also signs of domestic dogs, whose scat lack the fur
and bones of their wild cousins. It should be noted that pets are prohibited from the preserves due to the fact that they can
disrupt the natural ecosystem and spread diseases. On the trail we also found remains of turtles and fish by one of the
shallow-water wetlands on the property. In the woods, we saw evidence of pileated and hairy woodpeckers in specifically
shaped holes in dead trees, rectangle and circular respectively. Finally, a herd of white-tail deer came crashing through the
icy wetlands and off to a farther field where they wouldn’t be disturbed by wide-eyed wetland wanderers.

Eagle Marsh, Thursday, December 31, Thom Maher

With the weather moderating and temps in the low 30’s, I decided this would be a good day to get out to the Marsh. My goal
was to clean out all the birdhouses on the property that we have put up over the years. This task must be done each year
prior to the spring return of our “guests.” I started with cleaning out all the bluebird houses. I could tell from the nesting
materials I removed from the boxes that most had been inhabited by tree swallows and house wrens – and not bluebirds. I
found evidence of bluebirds nesting only in one or two of the nest boxes down near the pump road trail. I did find one nest box
near Fox Island, installed without a protective baffle, that had been taken over by field mice. I had no choice but to evict the
intruders in order to clean out the nest box; there were eight of the little “squatters” living inside that quickly scattered into the
snow and weeds. I am sure they found the nest box dry and secure compared to their normal digs. Alas, they had to find new
shelter elsewhere.
I checked two of the three wood duck houses on the marsh and found they had not been used for nesting this past spring--
nothing inside but the wood shavings from
last year. I attempted to check the third one on the west end near I-69, but found the ice just a little too thin. I gingerly
ventured out and one foot quickly went through into a foot of water. I decided not to risk it. Cold weather will make the ice
safer soon.
As I walked along the Graham-McCullough Ditch, a large flock of mallards lifted off, noisily quacking their displeasure at my
presence. They were enjoying what had to be some of the only open and unfrozen water for several miles. I also counted
four great blue herons coming up off the ditch. They needed the open water to look for their next meal.
As I walked along the power line trail, I noticed a large number of muskrat dens that have seemingly popped up over the past
year. I counted over 15 of the mounded huts of cattails in varying sizes on just on one small macro. Evidently Eagle Marsh is
prime development real estate for these little brown critters.
Just more excitement on the Marsh.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, December 15, Rachel Rossiter Smith

It is another cold morning, windy and overcast, at Eagle Marsh. The Ramblers and I were glad we hiked the long trail despite
the discouraging weather; we saw a bald eagle hunting in the shallow water wetlands! A magnificently large bird which I
mistook at first for a great blue heron, the fully mature eagle came to rest on the ice of a partially frozen pond. It didn’t take
long for a mob of crows to find and harass the bird of prey. We continued to watch as we hiked around the ponds. Eventually
the eagle caught something to eat, but the crows thought they were entitled a few morsels. To me, it is absolutely amazing
that these once rare birds and symbols of our country are right here in Fort Wayne, easily seen from many of our hiking
trails. Eagle Marsh is becoming home to its namesake and we have the thrill of seeing it--a great example of how both wildlife
and people benefit from the restoration of this wonderful wetland habitat.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, December 8, Rachel Rossiter Smith

A very chilly and overcast day, I met the Ramblers at the Boy Scout office for a jaunt into Eagle Marsh. I was disappointed
that I couldn’t stay for the hike, but just from the parking lot we saw a lot of things. There were a few mute swans in the
shallow water wetlands among the mallards and coots. We also witnessed some interesting behavior between a red-tailed
hawk and an American kestrel. The hawk flew in from the marsh to roost on a telephone pole. The kestrel apparently did not
like that and proceeded to dive-bomb the much larger hawk until it was able to displace the hawk and take its place on the
roost. The kestrel remained on the roost for a while watching other small birds take up the charge of harassing the hawk.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, December 29, Cathy Kelker

This was a beautiful day for a Ramblers hike with the temperature at 28 degrees F., cloudy, no wind, and 1-2 inches of snow
on the ground. Trekking on Trail 1 was pleasant because of no wind, and the snow was fresh and powdery. With our animal
track identification field guide in hand we set out to ID as many tracks as possible. Mice, voles, deer, mink, muskrat, bird (most
likely sparrow) and coyote were the tracks we observed.This property is truly a place for serene observation of nature’s
beauty (except for the interstate noise!). The animals directly observed included: a swan on a small patch of open water,
muskrat popping his head out of a pond, and a flock of geese flying over head.

Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, January 5, Cathy Kelker

It was 20 degrees F., cloudy with a light wind, and 2 inches of snow on the ground for the Ramblers hike. I am so loving this
winter hiking –good company and NO MOSQUITOS! Again our nature loving group attempted to ID tracks we came across.
Definitely a lot of coyote activity. It appears most tracks were a lone animal, but occasionally it appeared they paired up. Other
footprints we would expect included: mice, vole, rabbit , deer, and mink.
The area of high activity and mystery occurs along the Graham-McCulloch Ditch. A dark brown mink scampered into a culvert
close to the old iron bridge. Lots of prints were observed all along the ditch at water’s edge--some are a mystery. A couple of
areas on the ditch slope show signs of a den and “sliding” activity, along with scuffle areas in the snow--so let your
imagination run! Urine markings were also observed. We were surprised to see a great blue heron and a flock of 5 mallards
take flight as we rambled along. A few brave souls walked across the frozen pond to get a close-up look at a muskrat den.
From my safe vantage point on the shore I could see the den was waist high.
The native grasses are a lovely sight with a light dusting of frost and snow. Flocks of sparrows were enjoying the seed heads
today. So, if you are inclined to enjoy our Indiana winter with fellow nature observers, bundle up and join us!

Ramblers at Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, January 26, Cathy Kelker

Weather: 22 degrees, wind brisk at 20 mph, wind chill 4 degrees.Light fresh snow overnight, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
We are a hearty bunch that kept a brisk pace today to keep warm.
Wild life we saw included: hawk( not sure what kind), a lonely duck on the Graham-McCullough Ditch, not a mallard-possibly a
blue winged teal, and a flock of robins in a tree by the parking lot possibly eating some tree berries.
Track identification was difficult because of the wind obliteration.We were guessing at rabbit, mink and vole.
Plants of note were nice-sized box elder trees along GM Ditch trail and hawthorn bush along the road and close to the metal
gate. Even though we had minimal snow overnight there were several areas of drifting 6-8 inches deep along the wind swept
road. It amazes me how strong and firm the old cattails stand in defiance of the wind. One odd identification: our bench is in
the GM ditch along the railroad track and will need to be retrieved.

Ramblers at Eagle Marsh, Tuesday, February 2, David Hedeen. cold, snowing and windy:

For the first half hour or so we really didn't see much of anything as far as animals go, mainly some small brown birds. Later
on we were joined by another hiker, Steve, who was able to point out some of the plant species to us. Some of them were
invasives, like phragmites and multiflora rose. Some native plants he showed us were stone crop, bull rush, water plantain
and knot weed. We also saw false blue indigo and boxelder trees. Later on we did see some tracks, but we don't know if they
were dog or coyote. As far as birds go, we saw a flock of mallards and a great blue heron. I never really learned the
difference between cranes and herons until then--herons usually kind of fold their necks up.