CRITTER NOTES—

Sunday, May 20th; finally some Tadpoles. They are the tiny black variety and are thick along the shore north of the island. Maybe the water is just now getting warm enough. I checked the temperature today and it is 62. By Monday tadpole activity was noticeable along the north shore as well.

Wednesday evening while enjoying beverages around the campfire, son Craig, who is here for a week’s visit, heard then found a Flying Squirrel visiting the thistle-stocked bird feeder.

During the family reunion over Memorial Day a Snapping Turtle’s visit was a highlight of the event. June 2nd, another female Wood Duck showed up with a new family of seven chicks.

I’ve been noticing small patches of disturbed soil on the pond side of the dam, then, on June 3rd I saw the Snapping Turtle being very busy with her hind legs laying and covering her eggs. While she would occasionally disappear, this process went on for over an hour.

June 6th, momma Hooded Merganser reappeared for the first time since her chicks hatched and swam nonchalantly across the pond with six chicks in tow—nearly ½ grown by now. Makes me wonder if it is actually my nesting merganser, and, if so, where she has been these many weeks. Moreover, how did she manage to protect those chicks from predation?

Periodically this month I flush momma Wood Duck and her brood of seven chicks. They zoom across the pond in a “wing flapping” fury, their pre-flying version of their escape from predation. Both momma woody and momma merganser have done a marvelous job of protecting their broods. I’ve seen seasons with zero chick survival.

By the way, pond temperature in mid June is now 83 F and the water level is about 10” below normal pool due to the dry weather.