Mentor Marsh

Bird migration continues to heat up and Wilson’s Snipe are joining the birds utilizing Mentor Marsh’s varied habitats on their routes to wintering grounds.
Snipe? Are they real? Have you ever been on a snipe hunt? “Though the long tradition of ‘snipe hunt’ pranks at summer camp has convinced many people otherwise, Wilson’s Snipes aren’t made-up creatures. These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature “ (All About Birds). It’s no joke, these birds are beautiful!
Wilson’s Snipes, as pictured here captured yesterday by Jackie, are chunky bodied, short-legged shorebirds. Beautiful and buff colored, with a striped head and three stripes down their backs, Wilson’s Snipe are very camouflaged. As you can see in these pictures, their long, straight bills are several lengths of their heads, too (we use bill length as a field mark to help make identifications).
Wilson’s Snipes, like so many other birds, require wetland habitat with diverse microhabitats in them. These microhabitats offer refuge, meeting locations, and diverse food sources. “Wilson’s Snipes feed mainly on insect larvae, including flies such as crane, horse and deer flies as well as beetles, dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, ants, mayflies, butterflies, caddis flies and moths. Other invertebrate prey include snails, crustaceans, and worms. Wilson’s Snipes use their flexible bills to probe for food in wet soil and can swallow small prey without having to pull their bill from the soil. They occasionally eat small vertebrates including lizards, frogs, fish, and nestling birds. Plant materials make only a minor contribution to their diets” (All About Birds).
For more natural history information on Wilson’s Snipe: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wilsons_Snipe/overview
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 9/12/24
Photo credits: Jacquelyn Hall

Woohoo! Bird migration is really picking up here on the north coast! Nan spotted these treasures yesterday while out exploring the Marsh along the Wake Robin boardwalk.
Have you peeked at migration data from BirdCast, Cornell’s Migration Dashboard? It’s fascinating! https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-OH-085
This marsh is marvelous!
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 9/11/24
Photo credits: Nan Patrick

Hurrah for more wetland restoration and conservation! As we reflect on the enormity of this day, we’re thankful for our freedoms and for the absolute beauty of our country’s incredible biodiversity!

🚨𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬 & 𝐖𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬!🚨

🦆 The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved more than $𝟒𝟔.𝟐 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 in North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants today!

These grants, matched by an additional $𝟗𝟗.𝟏 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 in partner funds, will go to 18 habitat conservation projects across 17 states. All together, there will be 𝟗𝟏,𝟒𝟐𝟓 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬 of essential wetland and upland habitat protected for waterfowl, shorebirds and other migratory birds!

💧More than half of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed species rely on wetlands for essential habitat. This new NAWCA funding will benefit at least 11 ESA listed bird species and 68 species identified as Birds of Conservation Concern, which helps prevent species from being listed.

🔗News release linked below!

📷Photo credit: George Gentry/USFWS

Our cheery palette of fall flowers includes asters like this New England Aster, a brightly colored late summer and fall blooming wildflower. Their long lasting blooms provide nectar and pollen for migrating Monarchs and many other butterflies as well as native bees, beetles, wasps and flies. Some specialist bees only collect pollen from asters to provision their nests for offspring. Pearly Crescent butterflies use asters as a larval host plant as do many moths (see moth table in IL Wildflowers link). Deer do browse on New England Aster, but this herbivory results in the asters growing and blooming lower and in a more compact shape. You can also trim (Chelsea chop) asters yourself in late May for this same effect!
Is buying mums as fall decor on your list to do? Why not plant some asters instead for their wild beauty, their benefits for wildlife and because it reflects the native heritage of our land?
There are several purple flowering aster species that can be purchased and planted in native landscaping including Sky Blue Aster, Smooth Aster, and Aromatic Aster. The white asters, too, include Big-leaved Aster, White Wood Aster, Calico Aster, Flat-topped Aster and more. All are beautiful mixed in landscaping and provide so many benefits beyond their good looks!
For more natural history information on New England Aster: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/ne_asterx.htm

https://www.backyardecology.net/new-england-aster-a-beautiful-and-diverse-native-wildflower/

New England Asters blooming at the Mentor Marsh Nature Center’s native landscaping beds, late August 2024
Photo credit: Nan Patrick

Happy Monday! Enjoy these majestic to start your week off right!
Juvenile and subadult eagle plumage can be variable over the 4 1/2 years before eagles reach their adult plumage of white feathered head and tail. Immature eagles have been stumping ornithologists since Audubon’s days in the early 1800s. Did you know he illustrated a juvenile Bald Eagle and called it a new species? He named it the Bird of Washington. “Audubon claimed to have discovered the largest and most magnificent bird of prey in America, a full 25 percent larger than the Bald Eagle. He named it for George Washington and included it among the first color plates for his ‘Birds of America’” (Kaufman). See link to illustration in comments. Eagles are phenomenal and large enough to see, but it’s hard to imagine figuring out birds (bird species!), bird plumages and bird migration without the technology (telescopes, binoculars, cameras, radar, telemetry, Motus and more) we have today. You can dive into this story and more about early North American ornithological discoveries in Kenn Kaufman’s ‘The Birds That Audubon Missed.’ It’s a great read!
The details in these eagle pictures are incredible. Best viewed in full screen. Hurrah for the technology and skills of photographers like Keith and other who allow us to share their gems with you all!
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, September 2024
Photo credits: Keith Marchand

Sure are glad to provide habitat for so many animals at the Marsh! This dapper Black and White Warbler captured an Orb-weaver meal as it foraged along the Wake Robin boardwalk in Mentor Marsh.
Bird migration is heating up! What are all of these migrating birds eating as they stop at Mentor Marsh to refuel, rest and recharge?
Spiders are one of the arthropods they're eating. What great timing to have adult spiders to feast on during migration. Are you noticing a lot of spiders these days? It’s the spider season!
Spiders are larger in size at this point in their life cycle this time of year. Spiders are full of protein, so this is perfect timing to fuel migratory birds!
For more natural history information on spiders and birds: https://
centerofthewest.org/2020/10/06/spiders-webs-and-birds/
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, Fall 2022
Photo credit: Jacquelyn Hall

We’re two weeks away from the inaugural Headlands Birding Festival on September 20th-22nd where we’ll be celebrating birds, bird migration amd conservation.
The Headlands/Mentor Marsh region hosts some of the highest diversity and volume of migratory birds in the state, with 352 species documented in Lake County.
The festival kicks off with Jim McCormac, author of ‘Birds of Ohio’ and renowned nature photographer regaling us with natural history tales at the Springbrook Gardenhouse on Friday night.
On Saturday, the fest offers guided bird walks across the area, speakers, vendors, food trucks and a Big Sit.
Saturday night, Greg Miller, known for breaking the record for most bird species seen in North America in a single year, will give the keynote speech on Saturday night. Greg’s record-breaking year was adapted into the film “The Big Year” starring Jack Black and Owen Wilson.
On Sunday, more birding activities including our Sunday walk and others are offered.
This is such an exciting event bringing together folks interested in birds and bird conservation. There’s something for everyone this weekend and we’re so happy to be a part of this festival!
For registration and to find out more information about the Fest: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/headlands-birding-festival-registration-934957983497

Happy Friday! Hurrah! It’s spider season! Join us on Sunday for our weekly program for a spider hunt. We’ll start with an introduction to spider biology at the nature center, then go outside to see what kinds of spiders we can find. Bring your sense of adventure!
To register or for more information: https://www.cmnh.org/calendar/spider-hunt
Northeast Ohio, August 2024
Photo credit: Becky Donaldson

Oh, the joy of seeing Southern Wild Rice, Zizania aquatica, growing all across Mentor Marsh!
This is one of the rare plants that popped out of the seed bank with our restoration efforts at the Marsh. Wild Rice is listed as threatened in the state of Ohio. It was once common along the Lake Erie shoreline, but mostly extirpated due to invasive species taking over its habitat and anthropogenic changes like draining and developing wetlands.
“Southern wild rice is found along fresh to brackish river shores and shallow water of lakes and rivers. It may form huge monocultures, and is sometimes planted, as it is a significant source of food for waterfowl. It was an important element of the diets of many Native American tribes” (Native Plant Trust).
You can view Wild Rice in the marsh as it is now setting seed next Saturday, 9/14/24 at our monthly Second Saturday Science open house from 8 am to noon. This Second Saturday Science allows access into the wild, west end of Mentor Marsh only open on special occasions like this open house! Access is at the gate at Woodridge and Forest. Parking is on the streets or at the Wake Robin boardwalk parking lot. As we are a State Nature Preserve, foot traffic only and no pets are allowed on our property and trails.
For more natural history of Wild Rice:
https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/zizania/aquatica/
https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/zizania_aquatica.shtml
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 9/4/24
Photo credit: Mia Yeager

Sure do love our eagles! We’re happy to see our Marsh Bald Eagle pair perching together near their nest. They must have launched the kids on to the next step in their lives and now have the extra time and freedom to hang out together!
Our Mentor Marsh eagles have nested here since 2010 and what a conservation success story for this species! Our continuing conservation work is inspired by those who worked for habitat conservation and environmental laws like the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and more. We stand on the shoulders of giants!
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 9/3/24
Photo credits: Nan Patrick

Our Marsh restoration crew is out there every day this summer, tackling invasives, in all kinds of weather and in high mosquito season. Last Thursday, some partners joined us for one of many days of hand removal of European Frog Bit. Thankful for a bit of extra help from Enviroscience and the City of Mentor staff in joining us for a day of muddy work!
See last week’s post for more information on this new invader: https://www.facebook.com/100064381135826/posts/950008643821831/?
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/29/24
Photo credits: Mia Yeager

Happy first day of meteorological fall! And it looks like a beautiful day we start to the season. Enjoy these images and revel in this (not last!) hurrah of the growing season with these plants and animals as we creep toward the non-growing season!
Nan captured these fabulous images from the native landscaping at the Mentor Marsh Nature Center on Thursday.
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/29/24
Photo credits: Nan Patrick

Marsh Wrens, Cistothorus palustris, are plentiful through out Mentor Marsh as they forage and nest in Greater Burreed beds. We may not see them throughout the Marsh, but we sure can hear them!
Before the full scale restoration, Marsh Wrens were restricted to the area along the Wake Robin boardwalk that was mixed wetland vegetation and largely Phragmites free from 2003 on and now are across the marsh.
Sure do love watching the antics of these pugnacious little marsh birds. Have you had a chance to see or hear them?
“Marsh Wrens cling to stems of wetland vegetation, often with each foot on a different stalk shimmying up and down and belting out series of gurgling, buzzy trills. They tend to stay down in the reeds, but males sometimes pop up to sing on taller stems especially early in the breeding season…Marsh Wrens pick insects and spiders from stems and leaves of marsh vegetation. They tend to forage close to water, but occasionally fly up to catch a passing insect” (All About Birds).
For more natural history information and to hear their burbling songs: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Marsh_Wren/overview
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/27/24
Photo credits:Jacquelyn Hall

Happy Friday! Woohoo for chillier mornings and ground layer fog shrouded wetlands! On these foggy mornings and beyond, we enjoy wide open skies over the Marsh, these skies tethered to the tapestry of our earth, our local landscape a mosaic of marsh flora enveloped around the edges and held in place by the surrounding upland forest.
Our three trails are open every day of the year, from dawn to dusk. Explorations at Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve is on foot trail use. Off official trail explorations are prohibited unless attending a program in order to protect our resources. (Trailhead information in comments).
Each Second Saturday morning from 8 am to noon, we host an open house at a restricted use area, allowing opportunities to explore the wild western end of the Marsh from a utility access road.
You can also join a naturalist led hike at the Marsh every Sunday at 2 pm. This week’s hike is Marsh Marvels. For more information and to register: https://www.cmnh.org/calendar/marsh-marvels
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve,
8/26/24
Photo credit: Mia Yeager

Now here’s a loosestrife we can get behind! Swamp loosestrife, Decodon verticillatus, is now in bloom in Mentor Marsh and in high quality wetlands across the region. Not only does it sport beautiful flowers, its arching stems and bright fall foliage makes this native wetland wildflower even more attractive.
“The flowers are cross-pollinated by honeybees, bumblebees, Swallowtail butterflies, and probably other insects. These visitors obtain primarily nectar from the flowers. The caterpillars of Darapsa versicolor (Hydrangea Sphinx) and Eudryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph) feed on the foliage, while the caterpillars of Papaipema cataphracta (Burdock Borer Moth) and Papaipema sulphurata (Decodon Borer Moth) bore through the stems. The range of the rare Decodon Borer Moth is restricted to northeastern United States. The seed capsules of Swamp Loosestrife are eaten by several ducks: the Mallard, Black Duck, Blue-Winged Teal, Green-Winged Teal, and Wood Duck. Muskrats like to feed on the swollen and spongy underwater stems” (IL Wildflowers).
For more information about this native Swamp Loosestrife: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/wetland/plants/sw_loosestrife.html
And more natural history information on the invasive Purple Loosestrife: https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/w**ds/plants/pp_loosestrife.htm #:~:text=Range%20%26%20Habitat%3A%20Purple%20Loosestrife%20occurs,ponds%20and%20rivers%2C%20and%20ditches.
This marsh is marvelous!
Northeastern Ohio, 8/26/24
Photo credit: Becky Donaldson

Sure do love having the habitat to support animals with breeding habitat as well as resting habitat in migration. This grassland bird Jackie spotted along the Wake Robin boardwalk is a treasure! “The Bobolink is one of the world’s most impressive songbird migrants, traveling some 12,500 miles (20,000 kilometers) to and from southern South America every year. Throughout its lifetime, it may travel the equivalent of 4 or 5 times around the circumference of the earth” (All About Birds).
Bobolinks mainly nest in open grasslands and farm fields and frequently utilize marshes and wet meadows as a stopover habitat to molt and build up fat reserves for their long migration over the Gulf of Mexico. With a diversity of plants, we’ve got the food they require at this time of year!
“During the breeding season, Bobolinks eat w**d seeds, insect larvae, adult insects, spiders, and other arachnids. They feed their protein-dependent nestlings with invertebrates exclusively. They forage for seeds at the tops of nonwoody plants, often perching on the plant itself while extracting the seeds slowly and carefully. They glean insects and spiders closer to the base of the vegetation. During migration and winter, Bobolinks eat wild and domesticated rice, oats, other small grains, corn, tassels, w**d seeds, and occasional insects. Normally daytime foragers, they may feed after dark on bright nights during migration” (All About Birds).
This Marsh is marvelous!
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/26/24
Photo credits: Jacquelyn Hall

European Frogbit, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, has invaded the western basin of Mentor Marsh. This non-native aquatic floating plant has been invading the nearshore areas of the western Lake Erie basin for some time, and unfortunately has recently found its way to the Marsh. Prevailing wave action comes from the west, but likely this invasive was physically transported here on recreational boats and trailers that haven’t been cleaned, as well as on kayaks and canoes that recreational paddlers bring into the Marsh. Wading birds and waterfowl have also been indicated as possible sources, as is water released from aquaria and water gardens (MI.gov).

Our restoration crew has been hard at work collecting and removing Frogbit from the marsh this summer.
If left unmanaged, Frogbit would cover the open waters in the west basin, changing the habitat and food web, making fishing more difficult for birds, reducing shade for underwater plants, and crowding out native species such as American white waterlily.
Early detection and early action is key. Also important is the awareness of how you can transport--or NOT transport--invasive plants. Follow these simple steps:

REMOVE plants, animals, and mud from boots, gear, pets, and vehicles.
CLEAN your gear before entering and leaving a recreation site. (See https://playcleango.org for more information on how to recreate without carrying invasives with you.)

For more information on European Frogbit: https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/invasives/Documents/Response/Status/egle-ais-hcharis-morsus-ranae.pdf?rev=381f451d16764de48a3687dfa6e43a76
https://senr.osu.edu/sites/senr/files/imce/files/extension_outreach/ponds_fish_aq_mgmt/AISpage/May2019/06%20Hohman-2019-European%20Frogbit-New%20Aquatic%20Invasive%20to%20Ohio.pdf

Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, August 2024
Photo credits: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut; Bugwood.org; and Mia Yeager

Cheerio! Good Monday morning! Anyone spotting the lemon colored flowers of Common Evening Primrose fully open? This native wildflower has a funky bloom time, opening in the evening and remaining open in the early mornings and a little longer on cloudy mornings. They’re blooming now and if we’re out exploring in the daytime, you’ve likely observed the wilted old flowers. Have you ever had the chance to watch them opening? They unfurl in a quick minute. Stopping to watch this phenomena in the evening is on my list of neat nature things to observe!
Why bloom overnight? Evening Primrose blooms are adapted for pollination by night flying pollinators like moths, “particularly Sphinx moths. Other occasional visitors include the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, honeybees, bumblebees, and Anthedonia compta (Primrose Miner Bee), the latter being an oligolege. These insects seek nectar, although some of the bees collect pollen. The caterpillars of several moths feed on the foliage. This includes Endryas unio (Pearly Wood Nymph), Desmia funeralis (Grape Leaffolder Moth), Hyles lineata (White-Lined Sphinx), and Mompha eloisella (Momphid Moth; bores through stems). Various beetles feed on the foliage, including Popillia japonica (Japanese Beetle), Grahops pubescens (Leaf Beetle sp.), Altica fusconenea (Flea Beetle sp.), and several Curculio beetles. The seeds are eaten by goldfinches” (IL Wildflowers). Hurrah for this native powerhouse wildflower for pollinators!
It sure is neat to observe different flora and fauna with so many different natural history strategies that make our landscapes so diverse!
For more natural history information on Common Evening Primrose: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/cm_primrosex.htm
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve and Northeast Ohio, 8/20/24 and 8/26/24
Photo credit: Becky Donaldson and Nan Patrick

Wow! Caught this Monarch nectaring on Pilewort, Erechtites hieracifolia, a native, annual wildflower along the Wake Robin boardwalk in Mentor Marsh. This “hidden” wildflower is in full bloom without any of the showy characteristics we expect from flowers in the aster family. In addition to butterflies, insects like “wasps visit the flowers for nectar, including paper wasps, hornets, Eumenine wasps, and spider wasps. Other insect visitors include long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, and Tachinid flies” (IL Wildflowers).
What a great illustration of native plants providing so much more than beauty! This marsh is marvelous!
What are you finding in your outdoor explorations?
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/31/20
Photo credit: Becky Donaldson

Check out these stunning Double-crested Cormorants, Nannopterum auritum-such beauties! I know, I know, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but they really are marvels. “From a distance, Double-crested Cormorants are dark birds with snaky necks, but up-close they’re quite colorful—with orange-yellow skin on their face and throat, striking aquamarine eyes that sparkle like jewels, and a mouth that is bright blue on the inside” (All About Birds).
Have you taken the time to really watch them? Read more about some of their antics and behaviors- swimming, resting/drying their feathers, etc. here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant/lifehistory
Similar to other fish eating birds like Eagles and Osprey, Double-crested Cormorant populations dropped precipitously from unregulated use of DDT and other persistent organic pollutants from the 1950s through the 1970s. Cormorants’ rebound is ongoing and we’re happy to have the habitat to support them!
Jim McCormac says, “Not everyone accepts the presence of all of these fish- eating birds. Fishermen, especially, get their dander up over cormorants. The rod and reel crowd, perhaps understandably, tends to think that the cormorants compete for prized yellow perch and walleye. But the scientific evidence suggests that they don't. A 1997 study (link below) analyzed the stomach contents of 302 cormorants and found that the primary prey were gizzard shad, freshwater drum, and emerald shiners - fish species of little interest to Lake Erie fishermen.” Link to Cormorant food study: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=nwrccormorants
Jim McCormac’s blog post on Cormorant: http://jimmccormac.blogspot.com/2011/10/double-crested-cormorants-writ-large.html?m=1
Ohio Ornithological Society:http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/pdfs/species/Double-crestedCormorant.pdf
For more natural history information on Double-crested Cormorants: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Double-crested_Cormorant/overview
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, mid August 2024
Photo credits: Jacquelyn Hall and Nan Patrick

Hurrah! Goldenrod is blazing its way across our landscapes and supporting so many insects! Sure do love the cheery golden palette of these blooms in addition to goldenrod’s status as a heavyweight ecological powerhouse!
There are over 20 species of goldenrods in Ohio and the first one to start blooming in our area is Early Goldenrod in June and July, but the time is now for the heyday of these golden blooms. In addition, goldenrods boast a variety of flower forms and grow in diverse habitats from fields, roadsides, pastures, woodlands and wetlands.
***Also, this a timely reminder that allergies this time of year are not caused by goldenrods, but other highly allergenic and more hidden blooms of ragw**d and mugwort which are also blooming at the same time. Goldenrods have pollen which is carried by insects and its too heavy to be airborne like the hay fever/allergy causing pollen of ragw**d and mugwort.
So, what’s so good about Goldenrods? This late season swath of goldenrod blooms is timed perfectly to fuel Monarch migration, plus there are eight species of native bees that specialize on goldenrod pollen to provision their nests (and some overlap to asters as well). “A wide variety of insects visit the flowers for pollen or nectar, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, beetles, and a few butterflies and moths. Cross-pollination by these insects is required in order to set fertile seeds. The caterpillars of many moths feed on the foliage and other parts of this goldenrod and others (see Moth Table, linked below). A common insect that forms spherical galls on the stems is Eurosta solidaginis (Goldenrod Gall Fly). Other insects that feed on this goldenrod include Epicauta pensylvanica (Black Blister Beetle), Lopidea media (Goldenrod Scarlet Plant Bug), Lygus lineolaris (Tarnished Plant Bug), and various leaf beetles and leafhoppers. Among mammals and birds, the Prairie Chicken, Eastern Goldfinch, and Swamp Sparrow eat the seeds, while the White-Tailed Deer and Eastern Cottontail Rabbit occasionally eat the foliage (although it is not a preferred food source). In overgrazed pastures, there have been reports of a rust fungus on the leaves of goldenrod poisoning livestock during the fall. Sometimes beavers and muskrats use the stems in their dams or dens…Insectivorous birds benefit indirectly from goldenrods because of the numerous insects that they attract. Other birds feed directly on goldenrods to a minor extent, including the Indigo Bunting (seeds), Eastern Goldfinch (seeds), Swamp Sparrow (seeds)
Moths— http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/tablex/table4.html). Insects using goldenrod—- http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/savanna/tables/table38.html). (IL Wildflowers).
What’s your favorite goldenrod and why do you love it?
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/20/24 and 8/22/24
Photo credits: Nan Patrick and Becky Donaldson

Hey, baby Beaver, whatcha snacking on? Marsh friend Erik spotted this youngster at Mentor Marsh’s Shipman Pond yesterday morning. With a quick glimpse of it swimming, Erik first mistook it for a muskrat since it was so small until the critter made it to land and he could see that fabulous beaver tail! Woo-hoo! What a neat sighting!
“Young beavers (kits) are born in May or June, with an average litter of 3 to 4. Beaver babies weigh less than a pound, but will follow their mother underwater before they're a day old. Beavers live on their own at age two, and have an average life span of 12 years. (MN DNR).
For more natural history information on Beavers: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/beaver.html #:~:text=Young%20beavers%20(kits)%20are%20born,life%20span%20of%2012%20years.
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/22/24
Photo credit: Erik Springer

Soooo…if you haven’t been out to see this for yourself, here are some of the awesome and striking pictures of big water in Shipman Pond at the Northeast end of Mentor Marsh. Overflow water from the marsh drains out to the Grand River via a channelized ditch that was connected in the 1950s to stop overflow from heading north out via the beach. A culvert east of the railroad tracks seems to be compromised and is keeping all of that extra water from this weekend’s big rains in the Marsh. Betting that the beavers and muskrats are loving all of the extra water!
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/19 and 8/20/24
Photo credits: Nan Patrick

Shipman Pond is FULL of water and wetlands do what wetlands do! Allow all of this extra rainwater to settle and absorb into the ground. Happy to see a dense patch of Swamp Milkw**d growing on a higher spot (likely a little more flooded presently!) just off of the Headlands Rd bridge across Shipman Pond. AND happy to spot Monarchs there, too!
Hosting a diverse mix of plants offers food and shelter to such a wide variety of animals! This marsh is marvelous!
AND we’ll be learning more about Monarchs and their migration on our Sunday program this coming weekend, too, so you can come along! To register and for more information: https://www.cmnh.org/monarch-mania-august-2024
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/18/24 and 8/16/24
Photo credits: Nan Patrick

We’re all drying out from yesterday’s deluges! These young eagles and the adult were all spotted around Mentor Marsh’s Shipman Pond yesterday morning.
This marsh sure is marvelous!
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve, 8/18/24
Photo credits: Nan Patrick