May 4, 2017
By Bettina Abe

NARA Pond Ecology

The nine-acre pond at NARA park has a maximum depth of 12 feet.

The park and the excavation for the pond were shaped by bulldozers and excavators. Gravel was excavated to the underlying granite bedrock.

NARA pond is a self-contained, groundwater-fed ecosystem. It does not have tributaries flowing into it. During springtime high water periods, the pond drains through an overflow pipe, flowing into Nashoba Brook, part of the “SuAsCo” (Sudbury, Assabet, Concord River) watershed. NARA pond’s water level changes seasonally depending on precipitation.

The plant community in and around the pond creates habitat for many animals. Stems and leaves create microhabitats between the grains of sand and mud and the undersides of rocks and stones.

Burrowing larvae, mussels, snails and worms live in the mud and feed on the decaying plant matter. Marginal irises, cattails, and rushes are shelter and food for other animals. The leaves and flowers of water lilies float on the surface and have their roots in the mud on the bottom of the pond. Other submerged plants like milfoil are rooted in the mud and provide shelter, food and sites for egg-laying. They also produce oxygen that dissolves in the water.

Algae, photosynthetic creatures, grow in fresh water and are neither plant nor animal. Insect larvae and tadpoles eat the algae. There are essential microscopic organisms in healthy ponds such as Phytoplankton that inhabit the upper, sunlit layer of fresh water. They photosynthesize, create oxygen and sustain the aquatic food web. Zooplankton (crustaceans) eat the phytoplankton, and are a keystone species.

Plant eaters like snails and mussels turn plant matter into energy. They live on the river bottom and are filter feeders, straining plant food from the water.

Ducks and geese eat these herbivores and benefit from the plant energy stored in their prey. Great great blue heron, green heron, spotted sandpiper, mallard, mute swan, gulls, kingfishers, and egrets feed in the shallow edge waters.

Some animals begin life in an egg mass, metamorphose and leave the pond. The dragonfly egg hatches into a nymph and molts up to 15 times during 2 years of growth to adulthood! It’s a fierce predator crawling along the bottom eating other insects or small fish. It climbs up the stem of a plant and molts into a dragonfly, usually at night. They are superb fliers and hunters, with huge compound eyes, speeding over the water and consuming insects. Dragonflies are an indicator species. Their presence and multitude tells us about the overall health of a local pond.

March 17, 2017

By Bettina Abe

The Phenomenon of Bird Migration

It’s hard to believe that spring is around the corner with a foot of snow in our yards. Stepping outside early on a winter morning as the warming sun rises, one hears birds calling like mourning doves, blue jays, cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, crows, and titmice. These species keep us company even on the coldest days. Many ducks migrate south in the late fall and spend a few weeks on the ponds in Acton, such as buffleheads, blacks, and goldeneyes. These same species can be seen on Nagog Pond during the months of March and April on their return trip north.

How can one attempt to write just a bit about bird migration, a topic which ornithologists devote their careers to? This article will pose more questions than answers. Nevertheless, hobby birders are fascinated by tidbits of information, adding to our petite knowledge bases. We await the Massachusetts Audubon Christmas Bird Count and the annual spring migration bird walks with relish, in hopes of adding someone new to our “life lists.” We stock our feeders and scan the skies for both the familiar and the unusual visitors to our fields, ponds, forests and backyards. Though ornithologists do know a great deal about the phenomenon of bird migration, they continue to learn more. In this time of climate change, bird behavior patterns alter and numbers dwindle. Those who have indulged in the birding hobby for a while will smile as they recall when first they became interested in feathered friends; perhaps as a child, but for many, as adults. It’s hard to say what tipped us off. An article? A birder friend? For me it was the day a flock of cedar waxwings landed in my crabapple tree one February. I grabbed the bird book and proudly identified them. I caught the birding fever about the time my kids were avid Pokemon and Beanie Baby collectors.

The more one learns about the extreme athletic feat of migration, the more one can marvel at these remarkable animals. How do they possibly know the way? How fast do they fly? What routes do they take? How is it possible a ruby-throated hummingbird can fly across the Gulf of Mexico? What about storms and reduced visibility? Predators and planes? Drones and wind turbines? Skyscrapers? Pick up any field guide to North American birds such as Sibley, Peterson, National Geographic, National Audubon or Stokes. Next to each species will be a colored map indicating where each spends the seasons. An excellent resource is the Massachusetts Wildlife magazine, published quarterly by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. Taking up birding can lead one to venture into the great outdoors and onto Acton conservation land (www.actontrails.org), taking one’s mind off of politics or other stressful aspects of life. Acton Recreation offers a wonderful birding class each spring.

You may notice that the red wing blackbirds have already returned from their sojourns in the south. Song sparrows were trilling a week ago along Ft. Pond Brook before our recent March snows. Though some bluebirds do winter over here in Acton, many more will return from the south. The months of April and May are when songbirds come back in droves from Florida, Mexico, Central and South America; you can also see spectacular species like the indigo bunting or scarlet tanager arriving here to breed.

In an article about sea ducks by H W Heusmann (Mass.Wildlife No.3, 2015) titled “Longtails & Harlequins” he tells us that “…tens of thousands of Long-tails winter in Massachusetts’ Nantucket Sound. They roost there overnight, then fly out to the Nantucket Shoals at dawn. There they spend the day at sea feeding, then return to their roosting area at dusk.” And that “Long-tails are exceptional divers, and have been caught in gill nets in Lake Michigan at depths of 150 feet.” (Neither species is found in Acton; both are coastal species in Massachusetts.)

MassWildlife Magazine Issue No.4, 2015 contains an article by Norman Smith, who has studied snowy owls for 35 years, explains that they are sometimes cannibals, like to live at Logan Airport, feast on lemmings on the Canadian tundra, and can see prey 2 miles away! One owl tracked by satellite transmitter had traveled over 7,000 miles in just 9 months. A great place to see Snowy Owls during the winter months is Plum Island.

Once hooked on birding, you will share sightings with others and never run short of conversation topics, posing astute analogies for life about travel, endurance, faith, diversity and song.

April 13, 2017

By Paula Goodwin

A sure sign of spring is the sight of anglers at the edge of streams and ponds, or casting from boats on the water. Fishing is enjoyed by many people of all ages as a relaxing pastime. For residents new to the area, and for those just getting started, fishing conditions are best when the water level is high and temperature cool, as it is in April and May. There are many places to fish the local streams, rivers and ponds in Acton and Boxborough and the most sought after fish are trout. OARS collaborates with Concord Outfitters and the Greater Boston Chapter of Trout Unlimited to improve trout habitat and populations in the Assabet River.

According to the OARS website, “The aim of this project is to re-establish a self-sustaining population of brown trout in the river. Brown trout have historically been found in the mainstem Assabet and are a good choice for restoration because they can tolerate higher water temperatures – – typical of a larger river — than native brook trout can.” The Concord Outfitters website provides a River reports page with current USGS Water Level data and helpful notes about current flies of choice for fly fishing enthusiasts. This spring, Concord Outfitters has already stocked the Assabet River with trout. MassWildlife will be stocking Fort Pond Brook, Nashoba Brook and Guggins Brook with Rainbow and Brown trout within the next few weeks.

The history of state fisheries and hatcheries was shared by Dr. Ken Simmons of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) in a speech he gave on March 27, 2014. Due to water degradation during the industrial revolution, Simmons said, “By 1856 the public outcry by the citizens of Massachusetts was so great that the very first commission was created with fish experiments and in fish culture. This early experimentation and public need to both heal and repopulate our fish population in our state eventually led to the creation of the Massachusetts Fish Commission in 1866.” With the creation of this commission, the first state trout hatchery was opened in the year 1868 in Wareham. Currently, there are four hatcheries in Massachusetts: in Belchertown, Sandwich, Sunderland and Montague. Along with stocked trout, local waters are habitats for a variety of other freshwater fishes.

During the June, 2016 Acton WildAware Bioblitz, resident Matthew Ashby contributed his findings:

•Assabet River in South Acton, upstream of the bridge by the Canoe Launch on Powdermill Road his list included Black Crappie, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Fallfish, Redbreast Sunfish, and Pumpkinseeds; Brown trout (stocked). He also noted Brown caddisflies laying eggs on the water.

• Ice House Pond, likely 3 Pumpkinseeds guarding their nests and one Smallmouth bass about 7″ long.

•At the pond at Great Hill: an abundance of Pumpkinseeds, one big Smallmouth bass nearly a foot long.

•At NARA Park: Hundreds of Pumpkinseeds and dozens of Smallmouth bass.

• To fish Grassy Pond, Matthew recommends that you’d want to portage a canoe in unless your preference is to fish from the pier. He advises that for the most part Guggins Brook’s water level drops too low to hold fish after June.

Free, public access and parking are available! For Ft. Pond Brook:

* Jones Field, South Acton, behind the playground. After the Assabet River Rail Trail is finished, there will be parking at the trailhead opposite the South Acton Trail Station on Maple Street.

* Weekends only, on the bridge between Gates and Douglas Schools in West Acton. Do not go during school hours.

* Park on Carriage Drive and fish along Ft. Pond Brook along River Street. Put a sign “fishing along River Street” on the windshield so the Police know.

* Jenks Conservation Land, from the parking lot- walk down the trail and fish in Ft. Pond Brook down the trail.

* Fort Pond Brook-Mill Pond (impoundment) Park at 110 Main Street in a general municipal lot. For Nashoba Brook:

* Park at the end of Wheeler Lane and get a map of Nashoba Brook conservation land. There are places to fish. Ice House Pond – On Concord Road Assabet River:

* Acton Canoe Launch 65 Powder Mill Road NARA Pond in NARA Park Grassy Pond, in conservation land 236 Nagog Hill Road Guggins Brook Conservation Land, Boxborough

Resources:

A Guide to Eating Fish Safely in Massachusetts http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/environmental/exposure/fish-eating-guide.pdf

Massachusetts Fish and Wildife Guide to Hunting, Fresh Water Fishing and Trapping: http://www.eregulations.com/massachusetts/huntingandfishing/

Massachusetts State Fish Hatcheries http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/06/cold_water_state_fish_hatchery.html

Fish and Aquatic Conservation https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/nfhs/fish_production.html

Fishing in Acton and Boxborough http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/hunting-fishing-wildlife- watching/fishing/northeast-district-waters.html

OARS Fish Stocking http://www.oars3rivers.org/our-work/initiatives/fish-stocking

Massachusetts Fishing License: https://www.ma.wildlifelicense.com/IS/Customer/InternetCustomerSearch

Trout Unlimited in Massachusetts: http://ma-ri-tu-council.org/

Visit Massachusetts State Fish Hatcheries-information http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/about-masswildlife/state-fish-hatcheries.html

Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists: http://moses-ma.org/story/fish-tale-moses-scientists-key-masswildlife-fish-hatchery-stocking-program

July 13, 2017

By Paula Goodwin

Phenology: Climate and the Timing of Seasonal Biological Events

In early spring it is cheering to see the appearance of Snowdrops, crocuses and spring ephemerals that bloom before the trees have leafed out. After the growing season, in the fall, we notice the leaves change color to orange, yellow, red and gold as the leaves’ green chlorophyll fades away.

Phenology is the word used to define the study of how the biological world times natural events. Plants and animals take their cues from their local climate. Climate (long-term weather patterns) is impacted by three non- biological factors that work together: temperature, precipitation and available sunlight. Species use the predictable yearly changes in the climate to determine when they start natural events such as breeding or flowering. These changes in nature inspire many people to keep nature journals.

Clare Walker Leslie, author of the book, Keeping a Nature Journal explains, “whereas a diary or personal journal records your feelings toward yourself and others, a nature journal primarily records your responses to and reflections about the world of nature around you.” This past April, observations of a tree inspired an Acton resident to record: “April 19, 2017 – I don’t remember identifying this tree before. It’s in flower, on the neighborhood side of my house, at the edge of the little woods. Sweet cherry (Prunus avium). I learned that the sweet cherry is an introduced species, but not invasive. It flowers quite early, before the leaves are fully out. If we get fruit, it’s edible (and good in pies) when fully ripe. I don’t remember if this one gives fruit. I also learned that although it’s very similar to sour cherry, the way to distinguish it is that sour cherry has less than 8 parallel veins on it’s leaves, and sweet cherry has more than 8.”

From 1837 to 1861 Henry Thoreau recorded the dates of plant changes he observed after walking in Concord for several hours every day. He took notes on the phenology of different species of grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees he encountered. The charts he created are significant phenology resources.

UMass Extension’s Landscape Message is an educational newsletter intended to inform and guide Massachusetts Green Industry professionals. It also is of interest to the home gardener for its phenology reporting of bloom times and garden pest updates.

Metro West data is collected in Acton. See the resource list below for the website address. You can subscribe to receive the Landscape Message by email.

The USA National Phenology Network encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to observe and record phenology as a way to “discover and explore the nature and pace of our dynamic world.” The Network makes phenology data, models, and related information freely available to empower scientists, resource managers, and the public in decision-making and adapting to variable and changing climates and environments. Their Nature’s Notebook program is a citizen science opportunity! You can participate by going outside to observe nature in your backyard or nearby area weekly and enter the information online.

Resources

Concord Museum-Henry Thoreau and Phenology: http://www.concordmuseum.org/early-spring- exhibition.php?page=3

National Wildlife Federation: https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Phenology.aspx

USA National Phenology Network: https://www.usanpn.org/

Nature’s Notebook: https://www.usanpn.org/nn/become-observer

Umass Extension Landscape Message: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/landscape-message

Acton WildAware Beacon article

November 24, 2016
Paula Goodwin
Drought 2016

The National Weather Service provides an informative definition of drought. “Drought is a deficiency in precipitation over an extended period, usually a season or more, resulting in a water shortage causing adverse impacts on vegetation, animals, and/or people. It is a
normal, recurrent feature of climate that occurs in virtually all climate zones, from very wet to very dry.” OARS indicates that “dry conditions have persisted in New England for 6 months straight, and that rainfall through November is predicted to be inadequate to
end the drought.”

The Acton Land Stewards have cited dried up bogs, streams and vernal pools and low water in ponds on conservation lands. A longtime Central Street resident reported that Fort Pond Brook behind his back yard dried up completely, for the first time since he
moved to Acton in the 1950s. Beaver seemed to disappear, although at Heath Hen Meadow where the water level was very low, the beavers reacted by continuing to fortify the dam with mud even though there was no sound of gurgling running water that usually
triggers their instincts to repair and seal gaps.
Brian Butler, President of Oxbow Associates, Inc., a wetlands and wildlife consulting company, contributed anecdotal information from field work to this article. Mr. Butler has studied the ecology of reptiles and amphibians for over 30 years. He related the plight
of several Box turtle nests in Norfolk, Massachusetts. Grass growing adjacent to the nests sent down roots into the eggs in search for moisture in the parched, open canopy soils.
“The Box Turtle eggs were excavated on August 4, 2016, a couple of weeks before they would normally hatch. Due to the drought, they didn’t have a chance. The adjacent grasses wanted the water in the eggs.” Brian went on to say, “Spotted turtles construct egg nests in sandy soils where the top-most egg is about 1 cm from the soil surface.
Because of this, in years like this one, those clutches are often lost to desiccation. Fortunately, some Spotted turtles nest on Sphagnum hummocks within their wetland habitat; that behavior probably pays a dividend in years of extended drought and high
heat.”
Brian related that Fish and Wildlife biologists working at Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge in Harvard to protect nests and recruit hatchlings for head-starting of Blanding’s turtles, began early to support optimum survival of this years’ hatchlings. Even so, due to
the drought there was a low 60% success rate among protected nests. In normal years of adequate rainfall there is an 85 to 90% chance of success for nests protected from predators. Additionally, insects often respond to lack of water by invading turtle nests.
Brian described that “during times of drought, Sarcophagus fly larvae and ants invade turtle nests around the time of pipping (when turtles hatch out of eggs but have not yet emerged from the nest). They (maggots or ants) go into the nests, enter the pipped eggs
and feed on the embryos and their yolk sacs. They sometimes refill the eggs with sand that they have brought in during tunneling through the nest.” Regarding the impact of the drought on birds, according to Brian, “one example is that there were not as many earthworms available due to dry soil conditions that kept them
from emerging near the surface-too far underground for Robins to reach. And there were fewer flowers, therefore less pollen to feed bees, butterflies and other pollinators.”

As for the drought challenges to amphibians, Brian shared that “amphibians require moist conditions to move about and feed, either diurnally or nocturnally. Local amphibians in particular had many fewer opportunities to feed through the parched summer months when they should be accumulating fat to support next season’s breeding. Similarly, the predators that feed on amphibians as they move about also went without to a greater extent than a “normal” season. Amphibians like Wood Frogs and Spotted Salamanders must be able to keep their skin moist because that is, at least in part, how they respire.

Their moist skin allows oxygen in and particularly allows carbon dioxide to escape. When their skin dries out, carbon dioxide accumulates in their blood.” On a positive note for amphibians, Brian reported that one year of drought is not a total disaster. For
example, if due to lack of rain at breeding time, Spotted Salamanders reabsorb their eggs because conditions are not good for egg and offspring survival, their 25 to 30 year lifespan means that skipping a year of egg laying due to stress is okay. Similarly, Brian indicated that if the summer of 2016 reduced the food obtained by members of this species, some females may not have accumulated enough fat reserves to produced a clutch of eggs this fall to be deposited next spring. In sum, “One bad year is not a significant impact on these long-lived animals, but repeated climate hardships could be.”
Drought related Resources:

• Acton Water District-Rebates on high water use appliances https://library.cee1.org/content/qualifying-product-lists-residential-clothes-washers
• National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/brochures/climate/DroughtPublic2.pdf
• http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/brochures/climate/DroughtPublic2.pdf
• OARS: http://www.oars3rivers.org/severe-drought and on Facebook:
  https://www.facebook.com/OARS3Rivers/?fref=ts
• United States Drought Monitor: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
• MASSACHUSETTS WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION-Hydrologic Conditions in Massachusetts-October 2016 Summary:
  http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dcr/watersupply/rainfall/reports/2016/october-2016-hydrologic-conditions.pdf
• Cold Water Fisheries Setback by Drought: http://www.telegram.com/news/20161029/coldwater-fisheries-setback-by-drought
• Monitoring of Water Resources to Continue, Water Conservation by Public Necessary: http://www.mass.gov/eea/pr-2016/historic-drought-conditions-continue-for-commonwealth.html

Paula Goodwin is a member of the Acton Conservation Commission who introduced WildAware with Acton Natural Resource Assistant Bettina Abe. WildAware is a program sponsored by the Town of Acton Natural Resources Department that began in September and will continue through the summer of 2016. The purpose of WildAware is to educate the community about the existence and habits of wild creatures, and the goal is increased community awareness of shared habitats. For information, call 978-929-6634 or send email to nr@acton-ma.gov.