Beak To Where We Began

As we come to the end of September, it’s time for me to say goodbye. Over the past twelve months I’ve survived tornadoes and blizzards, witnessed migrating warblers and waterfowl, and shared in the wonder of the refuge with countless visitors. It’s been an absolutely fantastic year at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. I’m now certain that there’s no place in the world quite like  this.

Thank you to everyone who made this year a success. Refuge staff, thank you for teaching me the skills I needed to succeed, and for trusting me to safely lead large groups of children through the swamp. Thank you to our volunteers, without whom our impact this year would have been infinitely smaller.

And thank you to our visitors. To the birders and the hunters, the experienced naturalists and the folks just looking to get outside: You are the reason we are here. By visiting your National Wildlife Refuges, taking a tour, and learning more about the world around you, you are helping to secure a legacy of conservation.

Farewell, Ottawa NWR! May you continue to protect our nation’s wildlife for many, many years to come.

All the best,
Caitlin Verdu

The Original Transformer: Life Cycle of the Monarch

As the warm summer days grow shorter and the leaves begin to turn, instinct prompts the Monarchs to look towards southern lands. Soon they will begin their perilous journey south, traveling all the way to Mexico one tiny wing beat at a time.

Over the past weeks Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge provided food and shelter to these insects as they transitioned from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis, and finally adult butterfly. So before these charismatic insects depart, let’s take a moment to reflect on how far they’ve already come.

(Photo by Ryan Hagerty, USFWS)

It all starts with a tiny egg. Only a few millimeters long and laid by itself on the underside of a leaf, this egg is well hidden from predatory eyes.

This caterpillar is as big as they come. Soon, it will curl into a J-shape and form its chrysalis. (Photo by C. Verdu)

After four days, a caterpillar much smaller than this one crawls out. Its goal is simple:  eat milkweed. It will devour the plant until it is too big for its skin.

Then it molts, like a Thanksgiving dinner guest exchanging formal attire for sweatpants so that she may eat some more.

Each Monarch caterpillar will transition through five different body sizes, called instars. Finally, when they are as large as the caterpillar above, they are ready to leave their wingless life behind.

Our Visitor Center housed a few Monarchs as they transitioned from  (Photo by C. Verdu)

At this point, the caterpillar hangs upside down and forms a chrysalis. Like the caterpillar and the adult butterfly, the Monarch’s chrysalis has a striking appearance. Jade green with a gold bar, it’s well camouflaged in a garden. Once the chrysalis forms, the adult butterfly will emerge in about ten days.

This Monarch spent its first moments as an adult drying its wings in the safety of our pollinator garden.  (Photo by C. Verdu)

Eventually, an adult butterfly will emerge. It spends its first moments carefully flapping its wings to dry them out.

(Photo by C. Verdu)

Finally the adult butterfly is ready to take flight. In its mature form it is not restricted to eating milkweed and will visit a wide variety of nectar-laden flowers. Soon, these butterflies will leave the Midwest in search of warmer winter climates.

 

Young Birders Give Tree Swallows A Home

The refuge recently welcomed the Central Ohio Chapter of the Ohio Young Birders Club. This group of ornithologically inclined youth traveled from Columbus to  install Tree Swallow houses throughout Stange Prairie.

After some finishing touches adding predator guards to the houses, the group headed out into the grasses. They positioned the boxes along a grid system, giving each an identifying number. Once the swallows move in next spring our monitors will move through the prairie systematically recording their population.

Interested in becoming a nest monitor, learning more about these incredible birds, and spending some quality time outdoors? Give Heidi Hughes, the Executive Director of the refuge’s Friends Group, a call at 419-898-0014.

The parking lot served as our makeshift construction site. Power tools in hand, the kids quickly attached the predator guards to the boxes. (Photo by the author)

Tree Swallows thrive in open grassy areas like Stange Prairie. This field is connected to the rest of Ottawa NWR, but is most easily accessible from Stange Road a few miles west of the main entrance. (Photo by the author)

The Central Ohio Chapter of the Ohio Young Birders Club proudly displays their bird houses. (Photo by the author)

Tree Swallows like this one will move into their new homes in the spring. These cheerful birds are extremely agile flyers and feed off insects they catch mid-flight. (Photo by Heidi Hughes)

Stop And Smell the…Rattlesnake Master? (Among Others)

July is the perfect time to stroll behind the Visitor Center and explore the pollinator garden. Watch as brilliant yellows, blues, and pinks sway in the breeze. Listen to the gentle persistent buzzing of the bees. Peer into the pond to find dozens of tiny snails clinging to rocks. And above all, take a moment to enjoy the flowers!

Here is a quick introduction to a few of the wildflowers you’re likely to find.  But remember, the best way to enjoy the scenery is to come out and see it for yourself!

Pickerel Weed is an aquatic plant, found alongside the Water Lilies in our pollinator garden pond.

Showy Tick Trefoil serves as a host plant for the Eastern Tailed-Blue and Silver-Spotted Skipper butterflies.

Virginia Mountain Mint’s small fragrant flowers are very popular among pollinators.

Did you know? Native Americans and early settlers brewed the Rattlesnake Master into a bitter tea to treat snake bites.

Dense Blazing Star can grow up to four feet tall. It’s especially prominent along the edge of our pond.

On the boardwalk beyond the garden you can find the vibrant Cardinal Flower. Traditionally, early settlers and Native Americans used this plant to treat cramps and indigestion.

Thanks to the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Association for information on these beautiful plants.

Campers Get Creative

In between fishing, dip-netting, hiking, and all the other chaos of Marsh Madness Summer Camp, we asked the kids to get creative. Their task was to draw a real or imaginary bird. I’m so impressed by their colorful creations that I wanted to share them here.

We submitted these pictures to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Nature Investigator Contest. Know a young person who wants to enter? You can find the contest info here: Nature Investigator Contest.

Without further adieu, here are their creations!

Ava G.’s Ruby-throated Hummingbird investigates a slice of watermelon.

Ethan B.’s Ruby-throated Hummingbird likes to stretch its wings. This drawing continues, covering four full pages!

Evan H.’s untitled bird might have been inspired by the Goldfinch.

Kaylee F’s’ Barn Swallow even included sound effects!

Macey C. drew the state bird of Ohio (and Virginia): the Cardinal.

Sam H. created a new species named “the Refuger.” He explained that this colorful bird is only found at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge!

Sydney Y. invented the lovely pastel Rainbow Songbird.

Props to Sophie G. for detailing the natural history of the Twizzled Blue Jay! She writes: “It will go to branches and eat buttercups. It flys all day to find a good tree to rest in and at night if it does not find a tree it will rest in a old foxhole.”

Madison H. drew a family of “Citrus Birds” which nest exclusively in “Magnamolia” trees.

Perhaps taking inspiration from our pollinator garden, Rowan S. drew the male Red-winged Blackbird resting in a tree.

Logan S. included a multitude of species in his piece. How many can you identify?

Feeling inspired? Take a break from your busy summer to draw something from nature!

Gotta See ‘Em All

Following the National Park Service’s “Find Your Park” campaign, the National Wildlife Refuge Association challenges YOU to visit 40 refuges this year.

With at least one property in each state, there’s a National Wildlife Refuge near you just waiting to host your next adventure. You can find a complete map of the National Wildlife Refuge System by clicking here: Refuge Locator

Those ambitious enough to see and take pictures at 40 refuges this year may qualify for prizes  (Contest details are available at 40 Refuge Challenge). But really, what prize could be better than the satisfaction of getting outside and exploring our national land?

So what will it be? Will you scout for eagles and bears in the frozen north? Or paddle through Georgia’s swamps in search of alligators? Or maybe you’ll gaze out at the herons and egrets along Ottawa NWR’s hiking trails? Wherever you go, I hope you have a most excellent adventure.

You won’t find this playful bear at Ottawa NWR! This photo is from Alaska’s Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.
(Photo by Steve Hillebrand, USFWS)

Headed South? Florida is home to a multitude of bird species, including pelicans like this one. (Photo by John & Karen Hollingsworth, USFWS)

Marsh Madness

“I think I see another mystic snake!” shrieks a delighted camper. “I think you mean melanistic” reminds Brandon.

One talented snake wrangling camper emerges from the vegetation looking triumphant. He’s holding a very docile Eastern Fox Snake. Brandon Gabler, the other Visitor Services intern, gently takes the animal as the campers circle up. “Now, who wants to hold a snake?”

Master snake wrangler Zane W. caught snakes with ease from the boardwalk. Photo by B. Gabler.

It’s the first ever week-long Marsh Madness Day Camp. Like all the other refuge programs, this camp is completely free. But that doesn’t mean we’re having any less fun!

While Brandon shows off the snake, a few children are knee deep in the marsh searching for other creatures. Others peer into their dip nets searching for fish and crawdads.  Soon after the kids emerge from the water  we’re sprinting across the fields as the “deer” try to avoid getting eaten by the “coyotes” (our Ohio-modified version of the classic game of Sharks and Minnows). One blindfolded camper mimics a bat as he tries to tag his fellow campers who play moths using his sense of hearing. We plant milkweed seeds in our homemade bottle planters, film nature documentaries, fish at Cedar Point NWR, and reflect on the week in our nature journals.

By the last day of Marsh Madness Day Camp, the kids are worn out, soaked, muddy, and grinning wildly.

It was a pleasure and an honor for Brandon and I to have the opportunity to make this week of outdoor adventures a reality.

Now, who’s ready for Week 2?

Will B. holds a turtle at Maumee Bay State Park’s Nature Center. Photo by B. Gabler.

Owen A. gets a hug from an Eastern Fox Snake. Photo by the author.

Bella P. and Maria R. search their dip-net for crawdads and tadpoles. Photo by the author.

Maria R. hold a very tiny turtle! Photo by the author.

Connor C. and Zane W. know there’s no need to be afraid of these friendly and photogenic Garter Snakes. Photo by B. Gabler.

Behold: the first group of Marsh Madness Day Campers! From top left to bottom right: The author, Maria R., Kierra D., Jacob S., Zane W., Connor C., Kevin L., CJ F., Gavin M., Owen A., Will B., and Brandon G. Photo by J. Woldt.

Kevin L. is ready to catch a crawdad! Photo by the author.

CJ F. won the Master Fisherman award for landing this Largemouth Bass, among many other smaller specimens. Photo by the author.

Special thanks to Maumee Bay State Park’s Nature Center for showing us their animal exhibits, to  Logan Cannon for assisting with the fishing clinic, to the parents for sending their kids on the test run of this camp, and for the campers for bringing their positivity and enthusiasm to the week’s events.

An Eaglet Finds A New Home At Ottawa NWR

Ottawa NWR’s Refuge Manager Jason Lewis holds the eaglet tight before they head up to the nest. (Photo by the author)

With a camera strapped to his helmet, Ottawa NWR’s Refuge Manager Jason Lewis carefully grabbed the eaglet, hopped in the bucket truck, and tried to suppress his fear of heights. Moments later, high above the expectant crowd, he gently thrust the bird next to its new siblings. The Lake Erie Tree Service crew brought him back to solid ground and a roaring applause.

Back to the Wild took this eaglet into their care after a vicious storm knocked down the original nest. Instead of remaining under human supervision, the rehabilitation clinic acted true to its name and wanted the bird to return to its native habitat. And what better place is there to raise an eaglet than Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge?

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Back to the Wild, and Lake Erie Tree Service (who generously donated their time and bucket truck) worked together to make this bird the talk of the town. Soon after the eaglet cuddled up with its newfound siblings, the story exploded across local media. Representing the refuge, Jason Lewis summed up the event perfectly. He explained, “We were able to work together as a community to figure out how to save this bird. To me, that’s what a refuge is for. We’re here to protect and serve fish, birds and other wildlife.”

I can’t think of too many jobs where interns can tag along to an eaglet reintroduction—and that right there is why I work for conservation!

Curious to learn more? Sign up for a free Eagle Tour with resident eagle expert and volunteer Tom Furry to get the latest news!

Click here to see ABC 13’s Go Pro footage of the event: Go Pro Footage

What’s the Buzz at Head Start? Insect Investigations!

As I step inside the brightly colored classroom a dozen eager preschool students look my way. “Do you remember me?”
“You work for the animals!”

During the midst of the chaotic spring migration I carved out an afternoon to re-visit a Toledo Head Start chapter. I had previously taught these students about Lola, the refuge’s stuffed Great Horned Owl. This time we talked about insects.

As if teaching about bugs and crafting a giant caterpillar wasn’t enough fun, I find I learn new things along with the kids.  Hopefully some of these awesome insect facts are new to you too!

Butterfly wings are covered in tiny dust-like scales. Incredibly delicate, these scales are easily rubbed off. So if you must handle butterflies, please do so with care. . Photo: Dr. Thomas G. Barnes, USFWS

And you thought you had a big nose! Many species of beetle, including this longhorn, use their antennae to smell. Photo: Jon Katz & Joe Silveira, USFWS

Dragonflies, like hummingbirds, are extremely agile. They can even fly backwards! Photo: USFWS

We think of bees as hardworking, highly social honey-makers who sting. Right? In fact, less than one percent of bee species fit that criteria (Laurence Packer, Keeping the Bees). Photo: Steve Hillebrand USFWS

 

And lastly, unlike most caterpillars, this fellow probably won’t turn into a butterfly. But he is adorable! Photo: Caitlin Verdu

 

Just As Fun As The Amusement Park: The Other Cedar Point

Donated in 1964 by the Cedar Point Shooting Club, Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge  lies twenty minutes west of Ottawa NWR. The refuge’s 2445 acres are typically closed to the public, with the exception of a few weeks of limited fishing access. While this restriction limits visitor access, it also guarantees that the area’s wildlife can live undisturbed.

That said, Ottawa’s staff occasionally lead bus tours to Cedar Point.  During the chaos of spring migration, I led my first tour to the Refuge. Joined by Ottawa NWR’s Project Leader Jason Lewis, my group spent a relaxed three hours searching for birds and admiring the views. If you didn’t have a chance to see this beautiful land, don’t despair: there’s always next May!

Although many folks may never have the chance to see Cedar Point NWR firsthand, it’s nice to know that our wildlife can thrive undisturbed in these beautiful wetlands.

Gray skies muddle birds’ coloration, making photography and species identification all the more challenging.

It’s all fun and games until the sun disappears and the wind picks up. Then we kick up the heater and try birding-by-bus for a while!

“Look for the small dull colored bird on the vine!” Many birds, including warblers and vireos, adore this dense vegetation. I find the hardest part of birding is often explaining exactly which part of the tangle you’re looking at.

All aboard the Blue Goose Express! This 14 passenger van, donated by our Friend’s Association, allows the refuge to lead off-site tours. Check our website or call our front desk (419-898-0014) to learn more about our upcoming trips.

Finally the sun returns! Despite the fickle weather, the group had a lovely time.