"What a thousand acres of Silphiums looked like when they tickled the bellies of the buffalo is a question never again to be answered, and perhaps not even asked." -Aldo Leopold
Greetings on a gorgeous wintery day. I hope everyone is safe. I was driving yesterday evening when the snow was really coming down, and was reminded that the first day of winter precipitation in the StL metro area is very much like one of those figure eight races.
I want to give a very late thank you to all of the folks who visited the Art at the Shaw Nature Reserve 9th Annual Show & Sale last weekend. I enjoyed and appreciated seeing all my old friends and meeting new ones. I apologize for being tardy with this message.
I also want to apologize for being so tardy in posting these images from my last visit to the Bald Eagle nest.
Bill Duncan – 11/16/2014
The Nearly Empty Nest…
Arriving near first light on a very foggy morning, I could not find any presence in the nest. I feared that the chicks had fledged and the family had moved on. After waiting about 30 minutes, I decided to walk under the nest tree to see if I might find evidence of what they ate, or some other artifacts that may have landed during their nearly three month stay. Not finding much on the ground, I peered up the trunk of the giant sycamore to see what the nest looked like from my vantage. As I did, I saw both chicks 10-15 feet above the nest looking down at me! They were hidden from my view earlier due to the low light, fog and foliage. Not wanting to disturb them, I slowly hiked back up the hill to my usual observation spot.
WEEK ELEVEN
I watched for a few hours as they climbed up and down the stout branches that rose over their nest, exercising their wings as they went. I was sure they were close to taking that first plunge. Little did I know what was in store. I watched as the older and bolder of the two took what was likely its first flight attempt. It fell like a rock. After the initial “flight”, I listened for sounds of life behind the dense foliage below the nest. I heard not a single sound for nearly half an hour. I had to see if the bird might have broken its neck or perhaps landed in the river below. I slowly walked down the slope, under the nest tree and onto the flat of the river’s bank. I looked up and finally, to my relief saw this one looking back at me from about 50 feet above me and ten feet or so from the nest. Not much of a first flight, but this one was out of the nest.
WEEK ELEVEN
With its older sibling out of the way, the remaining chick put even more efforts into practicing…
WEEK ELEVEN
The chick spent a lot of time in limbs well above the nest. When one of the parents brought a meal, it must have been confused that nobody was there to take it…
WEEK ELEVEN
The chicks have been out of the nest for about five months now. I hope they are doing well and learning a lot during their first winter. Maybe we’ll run into each other one day.
Warning: although I find the material in this post quite interesting and I am pleased with the observations made and detective work accomplished, there is not, unfortunately, a happy ending.
Having the fortune of living within minutes of a few Ste. Genevieve County gems, this summer Steve was fortunate to find something we had been on the lookout for while on a stroll at Hawn S.P. He sent word that he had found an active nest of a pair of Acadian Flycatchers. Not only that, but it was in a fairly nice position for photography and the pair did not seem too concerned if the viewer stayed low and silent. Needless to say, I was excited. We visited days later to find mom on the eggs – yet to hatch.
Acadian Flycatcher – On Nest
The female would leave the nest for less than three to four minutes at a time to feed herself. The male was primarily concerned with scouting and announcing his territory, vocalizing continuously as he traveled its circumference.
Acadian Flycatchers – Mom Taking a Break
Once in a while both parents would be at the nest at the same time. Gee, I wonder why dad doesn’t come around more often… 😉 We were surprised by the relatively large size of the bird’s beaks and the small size of the nest!
Acadian Flycatchers – Giving the Business
To give some idea of the habitat these guys were using… These are definitely forest dwelling birds. This section of Hawn was close to a 50:50 mix of Short-leaf Pine and deciduous trees. The nest itself was located in a Black Gum that was approximately 30-40′ tall.
Acadian Flycatchers – Habitat Shot
A follow up visit a week later found that two visible chicks were in that tiny nest! In the photo below, one of the parents had just brought a spider back to feed to one of the altricial young.
Acadian Flycatchers – Feeding Time
The next photo documents the large, developing eyes of these sightless young. Also take note of the characteristic nests of these birds. The tendrils on these nests are strung up with spider webs and can be up to a meter long. According to the literature, this nest is near the maximum height range from the ground (~25′) that this species will build. As great as this was, I would love to find a nest built lower.
Acadian Flycatchers – Unmistakable
The following Saturday we visited during prime lighting hours for where the nest was located. With the relatively quick fledging time of these songbirds, we gave it about a 50% chance that the chicks would still be in the nest. We got to our viewing spot – a dry creek bed that gave us partial cover, and waited. Other than an occasional song from dad at a distance, we had no sign whatsoever of anything going on at the nest. After sitting silent and ready for about 40 minutes, we had concluded that the nest was no longer in use. The chicks might have fledged?
We decided we could safely walk directly under the nest without interfering with anything. When we arrived we were disappointed to find that both chicks were lying directly underneath the nest, dead. For a while we contemplated what could have happened. Could a storm or wind gust have knocked them from the perch? As we lamented the demise of these fresh beings, Steve saw something near the crotch where the nest branch met the trunk. Here is what we observed and answered our questions.
Black Rat Snake – Eater of Chicks
See that bulge in this young Rat Snake? We hypothesized that this was a third chick that this guy had preyed upon. We suppose that during the process of ingesting this chick, the other two were either pushed or decided they were better off jumping from the nest, then wait for the fate of the unfortunate sibling. We were fortunate to arrive at the nest in time to spot this snake before it had moved on. We bothered it long enough to take some images, then let him hide in peace to digest his meal.
We had been anxious to get Steve’s newly acquired canoe wet for sometime. The only questions were, “where to put in?” and “how to find the time to do so?” Because we found ourselves near the halfway mark of the summer season, we knew the favored Ozark streams would potentially be packed with the pop-top kind of crowds. Getting familiar with Mingo, which lies near Puxico in south-east Missouri, had been near the top of my list for sometime. The opportunity to do so during what might be considered the most mildly pleasant summer of our lives made the decision easy.
On what was to turn out to be a perfect July day, I was on the road at 04:00, breaking my fast with an apple, granola bar, and French press that I prepared the night before. Arriving at Steve’s promptly at 05:30, I found he already had his Dagger Legend canoe tied into his tiny Toyota Tacoma – a somewhat comical appearance. We hit the road and it worked out great. We were in the water within ditch number five by a little after 08:00, paddling slowly northward towards Monopoly Marsh, the true Wilderness of Mingo.
In less than fifteen minutes we spotted our first wildlife find of the day, this perched Mississippi Kite. This was my first experience of the fact that Steve had previously explained; wildlife react differently to humans in the water than they do to people on land (a learning that caused me considerable agitation throughout the day). We were able to glide right under this spectacular bird without disturbing it. Not knowing how long I might have, I burned through nearly half a memory card before being satisfied.
Mississippi Kite
Other birds of note in our list, which grew to near 60 species by the end of the day, were Acadian Flycatchers, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Wood Duck, Yellow Warbler, and Canada Geese.
To save space in the dry bag inside the canoe, I brought only two lenses on this trip. Covering the extremes of focal lengths, I brought a wide-angle zoom and a fixed 400mm f5.6. As I mentioned above, this proved to be almost heartbreaking, as I have never experienced “having too much lens” in a wildlife photography situation. But, this would turn out to be the case on several run-ins with wildlife throughout the day. It was in ditch number five that we encountered our first of several groups of raccoon. A couple times we came across a mom with up to four youngsters. We were usually so close that I had to settle for head-shots! 😉
Mingo Raccoons
In October, 1976 Mingo and Hercules Glades Wilderness areas became the first of the officially designated Wilderness Areas in Missouri (1). At over 22,00o acres, Mingo is the last significant remnant of swamp and marshland in Missouri, which prior to European settlement were the primary habitats in the Missouri boot-heel.
Mingo Raccoons
Mingo was named for the mixed tribal peoples known by this name that were composed of assorted Iroquian tribes (2).
Mingo Raccoons
Oh, how I wish I would have had a medium-zoom lens on this trip. I was often too close to take an image of any kind. Oh well, enough about this, just learning for the future. We continued following ditch number five, with the flooded hardwood forest of bald cypress, tupelo and assorted oaks on one side of us until we came upon the clearing known as Monopoly Marsh.
American Lotus
We knew that by this late into the green season the marsh might be impenetrable due to aquatic vegetation such as American Lotus, which we found in peak bloom. For the most part we were able to make our way around well enough, although much of the marsh would have been quite difficult to navigate by paddle.
The Only Way to Travel
An auto tour route is available that gives access to the refuge area, but the only way to see the Wilderness is by boat. The Wilderness act of 1964 put into law that no motorized equipment can be used within a Wilderness area. It was interesting to hear the staff in the Refuge Visitor’s Center say they could only use hand tools to cut through tree falls across waterways in the Wilderness. I suppose this also means to not expect helicopters or ATVs to come to the rescue in case of emergency?
White-tailed Deer
White-tailed deer where more numerous than the raccoons. The refuge is more popular for the opportunities for waterfowl hunting, although I believe at least a couple managed dear hunts are conducted each year. However, without true predators, it seemed to me that the wilderness area was already being potentially overrun by these animals. We pushed groups into flight nearly every ten minutes along the waterways.
Did I mention all the raccoons?
More Mingo Raccoons
Mammals and birds are definitely not the only groups of animals that thrive in this Wilderness. Reptiles and amphibians are quite abundant and are probably second only to the insects in shear biomass. We glided gently passed this Broad-banded Water Snake, which feeds on other reptiles, amphibians and fish.
Broad-banded Watersnake
While in Monopoly Marsh, we stopped under a couple of well-placed cypress in order to watch one of the year-long resident Bald Eagles soaring overhead.
Swamp Thing
After going about as far into the Marsh as we dared try from the south, we headed back to our put-in and had some lunch. Already the day was worth every bit of respiration, but there was so much more to come!
The Dagger Legend
After lunching on the best hippy food Mother Earth provides and paying an entertaining visit to the newly constructed Visitor’s Center, we decided to put it at Stanley Creek. Here we planned on heading downstream and then up into the marsh again via the Mingo River. A GPS or good map skills are critical in finding your way in this area by boat.
We paddled down Stanley Creek with much ease, due to the nearly non-existent currents within these streams. It was in this section that we came upon the highlight of the day for me and one I will never forget. River Otters!!!!
Along a dry bank, almost perfectly eye-level to where we sat in the canoe, we watched a mom and four otter cubs. I tried my best to capture what Steve so wonderfully described as a “collective ball of play”, but mostly struck out due to their non-stop activity and the fact that they were often obscured by vegetation.
Collective Ball of Play I
It was quite the experience. We let our momentum move us slowly closer to the bank, watching as play was interrupted by periodic rests and grooming opportunities.
Collective Ball of Play II
Whether due to poor eyesight or that we were mainly a floating log that was downwind, we were quite surprised how close we were able to drift without the alarm being raised. Finally, we put on the breaks and maintained our distance to take in the show. Once in a while the play would evolve into a slide into the water by one or two of the animals, followed by heading back onto the land, not to stray too far from mom’s protective gaze.
Lontra
The history of the River Otter in the Show-me State is, of course, terrible and controversial. Between the 1930s and early 1980s otter numbers hovered somewhere between 30-70 animals, due primarily to the loss of marsh and swamp habitats like those of Mingo and because of over-harvesting by the fur industry. Following the River Otter being classified as endangered in Missouri, the Missouri Department of Conservation finally began a restoration project in 1982. This was considered a success as River Otter numbers rebounded into the 1990s. As the animals searched outside their minuscule and not-increasing natural habitats, they discovered that other animals, such as one of their primary prey items – fish, were also being stocked by man (3, 4, 5, 6).
To Relax or Play?
Finding easy prey in stock-ponds, the population grew even more. Unsurprisingly, the naked apes could no-longer put up with a species trying to compete with its sport and maintenance of the Missouri River Otter population began via a trapping season in 1996.
Collective Ball of Play III
Destruction of commercial stock fish ponds and natural fishing holes along with the usual claims of “property damage” were used to justify the change from restoration to management.
Please don’t get me wrong, I have nothing necessarily against hunting or trapping, especially when we have exterminated all the original predators long ago. However, I cannot see justification in this day and age for the hunting season on any predator in this country.
Commercial Menace?
Finally, maybe from the odors of so many digesting fruits, 😉 the jig was up. We were spotted and all five animals headed to the water. The next two minutes was like being in some sort of reverse “whack a mole” game. The pups, sometimes getting within 6-8 feet of our boat, would pop their heads out of the water just long enough to get a look before disappearing. Mom, keeping a greater distance, would snort and snap at the water, throwing splashes in our direction. In the photo below, you can see a curious pup immediately in front of mom’s suspicious private eyes.
I See You, You See Me
Finally, just when we started to worry if we should be worried, the entire group disappeared. We watched them briefly as they resurfaced downstream about 25 yards. After getting ourselves together, we portaged the boat over Flat Banks Rd to continue into the marsh.
Just prior to getting into the marsh, we spot this handsome Cottonmouth. We slowly followed the snake as it swam along the bank. I heard some sort of whimpering coming from the back of the boat, but that fell silent with a dull thud when the snake raised its head and looked back towards us. Remembering that these guys can be a little more curious, or potentially aggressive when in the water, I called for reverse engines, rather than gaining a new passenger.
No, No, No, It Ain’t Me Babe, It Ain’t Me You’re Looking For
Arriving into the marsh from this direction got us up close to what must be some of the oldest living organisms in Missouri.
I Shall Not Be Moved
Hooded Mergansers, Belted Kingfishers and Barred Owls were some of the creatures keeping us company as the sun began to fall. We arrived just in time to tie the boat on to the vehicle before last of light. Just before we did, we observed that the night shift was checking in. This juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron was preening and stretching on an overhead snag.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Well, that’s all from Mingo for now. These being the highlights from a single day, I can’t wait for another visit!
Bald Cypress
Oh, in case you were wondering, yes, that is an 18-pointed sun-star. 😉
Works Cited:
1) Farmer, Charles J. “Unspoiled Beauty – A Personal Guide to Missouri Wilderness”, University of Missouri Press, 1999.
3) Schwartz, Charles J., Elizabeth R. Schwartz. “The Wild Mammals of Missouri – Second Revised Edition”, University of Missouri Press and Missouri Department of Conservation, 2001.
Perhaps the most appropriately named warbler, this special bird is said to nest almost exclusively in pine trees and is one of the earliest nesting warblers within it’s range. These special birds were a thrill for us to find and watch. Closeup images of the male bird were taken at Big Spring State Park, while the nest was located in a Short-leaf Pine located on a parking lot within Shaw Nature Reserve.
Male Pine Warbler, Big Spring State Park, April 2014
The chicks were adorable and near-helpless, only able to open their gigantic craws at anticipation of a juicy insect meal.
Pine Warbler Chicks, Shaw Nature Reserve, May 2014
During the time Steve and I strained our necks watching the child care from ~50 ft below, we were able to observe that when dad visited the nest he always approached from the side of the nest facing us as seen in the image below. Mom always visited on the opposite side, affording us poor looks. It was interesting to observe that both parents approached the nest in a slow and indirect manner, usually starting low in the nest tree or an adjacent neighbor. They would then hop from branch to branch, often in a spiral up the tree to reach the nest. I do not remember watching either parent make a direct flight to the nest.
Pine Warbler Father with Chicks, Shaw Nature Reserve, May 2014
I’ll leave you with the Pine Warbler advertisement song and with hopes of seeing them as soon as possible in the next spring.
Male Pine Warbler, Big Spring State Park, April 2014
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 