Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Marsh madness

It had been some time since I'd walked around the marsh, so Sunday morning I woke up early and walked around for about two hours, hoping to see some late youngsters and perhaps some early migrants.

First, a report on the loosestrife, which is as rampant as ever if not more widespread. Here's a view of the main marsh area from the road:
Near the road, it's all teasel and thistle--good stuff that the birds like. But the water areas of the marsh are overgrown with loosestrife. Here's the boardwalk, completely surrounded by this stupid plant:
That's Egg Hill in the distance. I walked out a little ways, but I couldn't see a damned thing in the water for all the loosestrife. Here and there, a brave little cattail struggled for breathing room. How much longer before they're all gone?

I don't know what to think about these biological controls; the measure just doesn't seem to be working. I feel frustrated, as though they should mow this stuff down and collect it all before the plants go to seed--to at least prevent new seeds from falling. I realize that there are still animals among the plants; I heard at least one Virginia rail calling. Still, this invasion has to be stopped. It's only getting worse. Here is what it looked like back in March, when the plants were just dead stalks. Even then, the stuff was everywhere, but at least it was lower and didn't completely block one's view. Like this, the boardwalk is useless.

I remember back when we first moved into the Marsh House, in 2005, before I even knew what a blog was. I was sitting in the back doorway, holding my new Peterson's Guide (which was only new to me; it was printed in the late 40s or early 50s, and I had just gotten it at a local AAUW book sale for a quarter). I looked out on the marsh and saw a bunch of red-winged blackbirds (which I probably thought were crows or grackles or something) flying around something low to the ground and yelling at it. That's when I saw my spark bird--the American bittern--my first bird I ever ID'd using a field guide. The bird was in the tiny pond right near the back fence, doing his beak-in-the-air thing, being harassed by these RWBs. There was little if any loosestrife blocking my view back then. If the marsh had looked back then like it does now, I never would've seen the bittern. I wonder if I even would've become so interested in birds had I not seen and ID'd that strange bird.

Sigh. So the loosestrife pretty much prevented me from seeing anything in the water, both from the boardwalk and from the walking path next to Long Pond. I did get a glimpse of a mother wood duck and her two almost-grown babies on the Long Pond, just before they disappeared into the loosestrife jungle. Of course I was too slow to get a photo; sorry. Here's where they were, though--and this turtle was too busy getting some early morning sun to move:
I think it's a red slider. He was craning that little neck of his, trying to warm himself.

I found this on the boardwalk railing; an American crow left it behind:It was still soggy! Looks to me like a bunch of cricket exoskeleton parts. Ick! But it is my first pellet! (And of course it made me wish I could've found the pellet from that crow that ate the starling a few days back--there would've been a beak in there!)

So--moving on. Muskrats were everywhere, nibbling on vegetation. This one was in the grass right at my feet:

Here's a new flower I've never seen--anyone know what it is?

I saw lots of butterflies: some kind of hairstreak?
Uh--???

I also saw this gaggle of sparrows, but I can't figure out what they are--they don't have a breast spot or streaks, and the photo quality isn't good enough to determine too many more field marks. Anyone care to guess?


On the walk back, I happened to be looking down into the grass just off the highway and saw this:

What the heck? Voodoo stuff? There's dryer sheets, a devilish looking rubber duck, some straps and cords, a crumpled up photo maybe?, a candle, a cellphone battery, and an empty (?) prescription pill bottle. WTF?

15 comments:

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Ahh nature. It's quite something isn't it.

Fran said...

Wow- what a great post D.

The marsh looked so different back in March. Holy crap!

I love all of the things you say here- from what you experience as well as your commentary of concern.

You write so evocatively and the photos are great.

KGMom said...

Marsh madness. . .very clever.
Anyhoooo--you have posed so many issues in this post. Loosestrife--gee it sure is pretty in the distance, but obviously voracious as it chokes out native growth. Any way to control it?
At first, I thought the pellet was a really enlarged raisin (lol).
Finally, the weird collection. You don't have voodoo practitioners around, do you?

Anonymous said...

I want to come out there and start yanking out that loosestrife. Back before I knew it was an invasive plant, I had some, but I eradicated it as soon as I learned about how it crowds every thing out.

As for that mess of stuff next to the road? Very, very strange. If my kids had been there, I would suggest props. They're into movie making these days.

Unknown said...

Too bad about the loosestrife. I wonder if there is anything that could speed up the process of removal. I would be tempted to rip some out myself, but I am not sure if that is an effective control method.

I think the butterflies are an Eastern Tailed Blue and a Cabbage White. Both are very common; the latter is an introduced species.

Texas Travelers said...

All of what kgmom said.

Nice story and nature blog with great photos.


Our "C" is Here.
Come visit,
Troy and Martha

Susan Gets Native said...

Those nondescript brown birds are juvie house sparrows.
But to give you good news...that plant with the pretty pink flowers is swamp milkweed, girl! A GREAT plant among all the crappy loosestrife.

Susan Gets Native said...

By the way, how's the egg? Anything hatch yet?


; ^)

Anonymous said...

I guess you are finding out about Integrated Pest Management with that nasty purple stuff. I would think that some sort of chemical treatment will be necessary to terminate that stuff. There are a number of products that are labeled for use in marsh lands. I think that your local ag agent in the county CO-OP extension office could help with some suggestions. Good luck
That stuff is a primary noxious weed in ND.

Kathi said...

Awe, Susan beat me to the only two IDs I knew for sure - swamp milkweed and nasty HOSP. (Any sparrow that hangs out in huge groups like that is probably a HOSP, in my experience.)

Can't help with the flutter-bys.

Wow, your spark bird was an American Bittern? What an extraordinary bird! (At least, here in OH.) I only got my first ones this year - Lifer in Fla in Jan, and first Ohio Amer. Bittern at Magee Marsh this May.

The loosestrife is pretty, but I can see how badly it mucks up your view of the marsh.

~Kathi

Earl Cootie said...

We went to a bird sanctuary on Westham Island in British Columbia this weekend. Loosestrife is taking over all the marshes there too. As if the Himalayan blackberries weren't enough of a problem. Ugh.

dguzman said...

Dr Monkey--yup. You should come up here sometime and wander around with me. I don't think we have any banana trees, though.

Fran--Yeah--the loosestrife is now the dominant feature. Ugh. Thanks, Fran!

KGMom--you got the college hoops reference, eh? It is a beautiful plant with beautiful flowers, but I HATE it. I should've dissected the pellet but it was still wet and gooey and I was kinda grossed out. hee hee a raisin! As far as that "collection" of stuff goes--boy, it looks like some kinda weird ritual, no?

DCup--I was afraid to touch anything!

John--I know you have to pull out roots as well, or it's useless. Someone suggested a controlled burn--but that sounds dangerous. Thanks for the butterfly and IDs! I suspected Cabbage White, but the other one was beyond me. I love those little guys though. Thanks for the info about the cabbage white--I'm guessing it came on imported veggies?

Texas Travellers--I'll come check it out.

Susan--NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Really? I guess I didn't know because they didn't have the black. Oh man. They are EVERYWHERE. This is the first year we've had them out there, at least that I've seen at the feeders. ugh. Hey--swamp milkweed! I'll watch for the plant to go to seed (that's the only one I saw out there) and then I'll spread 'em around! oh gees--I better go check on that egg! I haven't seen (or heard) any ping-pong playing yet....

Rick--The owners (who've been working with the local conservancy, Fish & Wildlife, and ag ext agent) wanted to try biological controls before resorting to chemicals, but i think it's clear that chemicals are going to be the only way to resolve this infestation. It's also hitting a lot of other areas around our valley. Ugh. It's sad how quickly it spreads.

Katdoc--so much for my hope that it was a bunch of clay-colored sparrows! ha ha! And yup, that bittern was my spark bird. Kinda sets the bar way up high, no?

Earl--if you talk to the mgmt at the reserve, tell them to ACT NOW. When I think back to the first time I noticed the loosestrife, it was just a few plants here and there. I didn't know what it was then, or I'd have run out there and dug that shit out by the roots! If only. It kills me to think of it.

Anonymous said...

The purple flower looks like milkweed, as someone else commented.

The mess of stuff at the end looks like a geocache gone awry!

At least loosestrife is pretty. I get to look at ugly Melaleuca and Brazilian peppers for my invasives.

ehunter said...

Regarding your weird cluster of items: I briefly entertained the idea of a geocache but I think you're meant to leave something cool in geocaches and the evil rubber ducky and dryer sheets didn't strike me as fun rewards at the end of a long coordinate trail.

I wonder what will happen if you were to remove it? Why don't you do that and write us a post? :O

nina at Nature Remains. said...

You're so lucky to have this in your backyard. I'd be walkin' that boardwalk every day. Marshes attract such a wide variety of everything!

In some parts of the country, they've brought in an insect, maybe a small beetle (?) to eat the loosestrife. When an import becomes invasive, you have to import the solution.