Species at Risk in Muskoka: A guided walk of Torrance Barrens

For our 2nd Nature Quest workshop of the summer we gathered at Torrance Barrens to learn about Species at Risk in Muskoka. Torrance Barrens is a Conservation and Dark Sky Reserve established in 1999. The 1905 hectares is a region as a protected pace free from intrusion by urban light pollution. Its' rugged barrens, wetlands, and forested areas also provide habitat to at least 5 of Ontario's Species at Risk.

Natural Heritage Biologist Jan McDonnell led the group on a hike around Highland Pond and spoke to us about the valuable habitat the area provides and the species who call Torrance Barrens home.

Above: Here's Jan telling the group about turtles that are known to live in Torrance Barrens. Spotted Turtles have been seen here before and Blanding's turtle habitat exists here.

Above: a Spotted turtle, a species at risk classified as endangered

Above: a Blanding's turtle, a species at risk classified as threatened

Above: Participants in the workshop cross the bridge over the wetland. Wetlands are one of Muskoka's most valuable habitats. They provide many services like filtering the water to maintain water quality, help prevent erosion, and help control floods. Many species also depend on wetlands for habitat and food.

Above: Jan passes around a turtle shell and a snake skin for participants to look at as she speaks about suitable habitat for snakes such as Massassauga rattlesnakes and Eastern Hog-nose Snakes.

Above: Massassauga rattlesnakes (threatened on the species at risk list) use large "table rocks" as gestation sites. It is here that they give birth to live young every 2 years. It is too energetically demanding to do every year. The table rocks are used to thermoregulate; hide in the shade under the rocks or between the rocks when it's hot and lay on top when they need to absorb heat.

Above: Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes eat toads and tend to roam over vast areas in search of toads, open sandy areas & dry woods. They lay eggs under a log or in leaf litter in midsummer. Their eggs hatch after about 2 months.

Above: In a dramatic fashion, the Eastern Hog-nosed snake will play dead (and even hand its' tongue out!) as a defence mechanism. They are also known to "puff adder" to intimidate potential prey, although they are not dangerous. They are categorized as threatened on the species at risk list.

Above: At our last stop, Jan talks about the poor fen wetland in Torrance Barrens. Poor fens have a high water table and some flow-through, but not much fresh water. They absorb massive amounts of water and are exceptional at preventing floods, supplying a constant flow of water and water filtration.

Above: The Whip-poor-will is a nocturnal bird whose habitat can be found in Torrance Barrens. They like a mixture of open (for feeding) and wooded (for nesting) areas. Whip-poor-wills call at dusk and just before dawn and their name take after the sound of their call. They are also a species at risk, categorized as threatened.

The Five-lined Skink is Ontario’s only lizard. Juveniles have a bright neon blue tail (grey in adults as above). Skinks are active during the day and like wooded locations with sandy soil and open rocky habitat with crevices and loose rocks. They lay 6-10 eggs under a log or rock which hatch in late summer. They are listed as a species of special concern on the species at risk list in Ontario.

Watch for turtles out on the roads this season!

Slow down in areas where you see this sign.

Find out more:

Muskoka Water Web: about fens

Species at Risk in Ontario

Species at Risk in Parry Sound

Torrance Barrens

Don't miss the last 2 Nature Quest workshops!

July 19: Batty about Bats

July 26: Woodlot Management and Tree Selection

GO HERE for registration information

Wood Duck Adventure

Who lives here?

Introducing the Wood Duck!

(Aix sponsa)

{A male wood duck on the left and a female on the right}

photo credit: Randolph Femmer

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the Pileated Woodpecker and the importance of cavities. Wood ducks are one of the species that uses cavities made by pileated woodpeckers. However, wood ducks can also be induced to nest in artificial boxes.

Armed with this knowledge, an invitation from a landowner here in Muskoka, a cordless drill, a sharpie, and some wood shavings, a group of us headed out to see for ourselves if any nesting had taken place last spring on this property.

The incredible volunteers who accompanied me are none other than 3 of the Master Stewards from the Muskoka Stewardship Program. We were invited to this spectacular 100 acre property located in Muskoka to see if there had been any wood duck activity during the past year and prepare the boxes for this coming spring.

You see, wood ducks like to nest in cavities in wetlands because it makes it very difficult for predators to access their nests. These boxes are located in a 30 acre wetland. It's actually quite an amazing beaver pond. Normally inaccessible, the wood duck boxes had to be put up in winter and we needed the ice to be solid to change the material in the boxes for the coming spring.

Above: Paula unscrews the front of the box...you can see our shadows as we eagerly anticipate the contents of the first box!!

Female wood ducks often return to nest in the place where they were born. There is an increased chance they will use the boxes if they are not dirty from the previous year and also if the material inside is dry.

Our mission for the afternoon: clean out boxes, make observations on each one (amount of eggs inside, other animals that may have used it), and refill the boxes with new material. We also re-labelled the numbers on the 8 boxes from last year and assigned numbers to the 5 new boxes that were put up.

Inside each box the material is compacted down. There are often layers of broken shells and downy feathers. Notice the inside of the front piece that is sitting on the ground. The horizontal lines are carved in so the hatchlings can grab on to climb out before they fledge.

This box has quite a few shells and some feathers. In some of the boxes we could tell it was a wood duck because of the iridescent colour of the feathers.

A close up of the egg shell and some downy feathers.

Here is the crew, with our tools, in front of Box #5. Notice the oblong shape of the entry hole for the wood ducks. This shape is suited for them and is also big enough, but not too big. If you decide to put up boxes of your own, this is an important component. Also important is the forward slanted way they are affixed to the tree.

A beautiful day to get ready for spring and help the wood ducks have suitable nesting spots for when they return this spring. Perhaps we'll return next year to see how they did!

photo: Mike Sweet

Interested in building your own wood duck box?
Follow the same directions as the landowner whose property we visited!


Want to know more about wood ducks?
There are lots of websites:
Hinterland's Who's Who
House Construction Tips
Ducks Unlimited
The Wood Duck Society

The Good and Bad of Beavers

Uh-Oh!

Does this look familiar?

Beavers can sometimes be a nuissance by initiating flooding in fields and forests, washing out roads and killing trees. However, they also play an important role in our ecosystem by creating wetland habitat for many animals, birds and insects.



The photos in this post illustrate damage from a beaver and one solution the landowner is trying out to keep the beaver from taking any more trees in this marshy area. At the end of the post I will write more about other solutions and sources for more information.

{The landowners noticed the grasses and reeds had been stomped down where the beaver made a path to some juicy birch trees. He took 3 small birch before the landowners decided to take action}

{There are several trees in the area of the first 3 birches. Some of them are conifers which the bever is unlikely to take. There are 2 basswoods and 1 birch which the landowners decided to protect the trees with cages. The bottom is held doen with rocks and the wire extends 2 feet up the tree to deter the beaver from starting to chew.}

{Here is one of the basswoods, also held down with rocks. If the ground is soft, it is recommended to burry the first couple inches of cage to keep the beaver from removing it.}

{Another basswood with a cage. The wire is held together around the tree with light gauge wire)

Since this landowner only has a couple of trees to protect in the immediate area where the beaver seems to be, protecting the trees with wire is a feasible solution- and seems to be working for now! Tree protection on a large scale might not be as practical. Here are some other ways to deter beavers on private land:

Wait and Enjoy!

This can be the best way to manage a beaver- there is little work and you are able to enjoy watching the natural cycle of a beaver pond and the wildlife that are dependant on the wetland environment they create. Wetlands created by beavers can provided habitat for spawning fish and a sanctuary for birds like herons and red-winged blackbirds.

The Beaver Baffler

Drain pipes imstalled through the dam with one end in the dep part of the pond and the other downstream, far away from the dam. The beaver will be unable to control the water level in the pond, become discouraged and move on.

Trapping

Live trapping can be a (temporary) solution. If attractive habitat remains- another beaver will find it! Trapping must be done by a licensed trapper (unless you are a farmer). Contact your local Ministry of Natural Resources for the names of licensed trappers in your area.

RESOURCES:

• Extension Note: "Options for Controlling Beaver on Private Land"
• On the Living Edge: Your handbook for Waterfront Living (an amazing resource book available at the Muskoka Heritage Foundation for $20)
• Peterson Field Guides: Mammals
• Muskoka Water Web: The importance of wetlands
• Solutions to Beaver/Human Confilcts (including a photo of the beaver baffler)
• Toronto Zoo: Beaver Fact Sheet (with additional links and photos)

What are your tactics for dealing with beaver on your land?