Island Pond Wildlife Trail

A one-hour, easy loop walk - We invite you to hike the wildlife trail around Island Pond which winds around a cattail marsh in a 11/2 mile loop. Allow yourself an hour for a leisurely walk. Watch for the numbered sign posts along the trail. They designate stops to point out features of interest described in this pamphlet.

Where are the wildlife?

The best time to see wildlife is during early morning or evening hours when they are most active. Walk quietly for animals hide or fly from sudden noises. Take a minute to listen to sounds in the marsh for you may hear more animals than you see. Binoculars or a spotting scope enable you to better appreciate an animal's color or activity. A camera opens new worlds to explore.

Please consider other visitors. Abide by the following regulations so that others can enjoy this trail.

• Follow the trail and travel by foot only.
• Do not allow pets to roam free, use a leash.
• Help keep the trail clean. Put trash in barrels at the parking area.
• Fires are prohibited. Smoking on the trail is discouraged to prevent wildfires.
• Protect the resources along the trail by not picking plants or disturbing nests.

Stop 1

Why Conserve Wetlands?

Wetlands are valuable because they gather and store water to release it slowly into the water table. They also are nature's filtering system, trapping and holding material carried in by water flow. Wetlands are one of the richest environments because of abundant nutrients. You will find a wide variety of wildlife as you explore this marsh.

Stop 2

Ducks nest in trees?

Some species of ducks nest in tree cavities. Wood ducks, common goldeneyes and hooded mergansers nest in cavities on this refuge. Boxes like the one on the pole, supplement natural tree cavities. Often, bits of white stick to the outside of the box, indicating a duck is using it.

Stop 3

Cattails are home to many animals.

Cattails are the tall, dark green plants growing in dense stands on stalks, called "cattails". Many birds, including coots and blackbirds, and muskrats, use the thick vegetation for cover.

American coots nest over the water. Black feathers contrast sharply with the white bill. This bird is slightly smaller than most ducks and usually runs on top of the water before getting airborne.

Both the red-winged blackbirds and yellow-headed blackbirds live in this marsh. They weave intricate nests in the tops of cattails and feed on the abundant insect life.

Muskrats are aquatic rodents that use cattail for food as well as material to build their houses. Canada geese frequently nest on top of muskrat houses.

Stop 4

Geese nest in baskets?

Canada geese nest in different places including the ground, muskrat houses, cliffs and even in osprey nests on treetops. Goose nests on the ground are often destroyed by predators such as the raccoon. To increase goose production, nest baskets were placed on iron pipes which are resistant to climbing predators.

Stop 5

Where do these ducks nest?

They nest in the grass. Most ducks, including mallards, teal and wigeon, nest on the ground where the hen conceals herself under a canopy of grass. Notice how the tall, coarse stems and leaves of the reed canary grass provides cover for their nests.

Stop 6

Pond water teems with life!

Go to the shoreline and look at the aquatic plants growing under water. At times the small white flowers of the aquatic buttercup cover the surface. Snails and insects live among the plants. Waterfowl eat the stems and seeds of underwater plants and fish eat the insects. If you are lucky, you may see an osprey diving for a fish or a great blue heron spearing a fish with its sharp bill.

Stop 7

Water levels control life on the pond.

The water control structure is used to adjust water levels on Island Pond because plants and animals react to changing levels. The pond is held at the same level during nesting season to prevent nests from being flooded. The amount of open water and cattail is controlled by water levels with a good balance for wildlife being half open water and half cattails.

Every 4-6 years this pond should be dried up for a summer to allow oxygen to decompose the nutrients on the bottom. This makes them more available for plants which increase the pond's productivity.

Stop 8

Tree snags are perches for hawks and eagles.

This cottonwood tree was killed by a beaver. Notice the line around the base of the tree where it was girdled which prevented the passing of nutrients from the tree's roots to its branches.

Raptors like to perch on these snags because there are few branches which give the birds better visibility. In summer, ospreys frequently eat their catch of yellow perch in this snag. In fall and winter, bald eagles sometimes watch ducks from this vantage point, looking for a sick or injured one which they catch for food.

Stop 9

Mountain stream water is pond's life blood.

Water from the Selkirk Mountains above us is diverted from Myrtle Creek to Island Pond at this point. High quality water is important for the health of Island Pond because persistent pesticides or eroded soil would be harmful to aquatic life. Land management in the mountains affects life below them because water collects and transports these materials.

Stop 10

Island Pond provides recreation for all seasons!

Spring/Summer - Visitors enjoy watching and learning about the wildlife living there. Fall - Hunters use the pond as part of the refuge hunting area. Hunting is a sport enjoyed by millions, and a portion of the wildlife population can be harvested without jeopardizing their future existence. Winter - Cross-countr skiers use the dike and ice skaters use the frozen pond.

Stop 11

Stop and Listen!

Wildlife is nearly impossible to see in the dense cattails. Yet, the sounds often reveal many birds in this cover. The yellowthroat, a bright yellow warbler with a black face mask, is commonly heard. Long-billed marsh wrens can sometimes be seen clinging to cattails, chattering at their neighbor. Less frequent is the raspy call of the sora, a secretive member of the Rail family.

Stop 12

Why do wildlife like edges of cover?

Most wildlife prefer edges - edges of forests, meadows, or cattails. Edges provide quick access between protected areas and food or nesting sites. Land with more edges between different types of cover has more wildlife. This island in front of you was built to create an "edge" of grass and open water in the cattails.

Stop 13

Humans can help Nature provide tree cavities!

Like the box on the pole, these boxes were placed on the trees for more nesting sites. In addition to ducks, many other birds use cavities. Kestrels (small falcons), small owls, and woodpeckers may nest in them. Starlings also use them, often chasing out other birds.

Stop 14

Trees saved from beavers.

Willow trees provide another habitat along the pond's edge for songbirds. Notice that most of these willows show scars from beavers attempting to chew them down for food. The trees were saved by surrounding their bases with wire rather than removing the beavers.

Stop 15

Wildlife movements.

Many animals move from the mountain slopes to the valley and back each day. Ospreys may nest on the slopes but feed in the ponds or Kootenai River. White-tailed deer roam the lush fields or meadows at night but seek shelter in the forest or cattail during the day.

Stop 16

Wetlands provide us many benefits.

During your hike around the trail, you learned some of the values of a wetland such as Island Pond. Hopefully, you experienced seeing and hearing the great variety of life existing in this environment. Wetlands are being destroyed by drainage at an alarming rate. Please help preserve them in your area.

Please Come Again,
or pass this leaflet on to a friend!

This trail and leaflet were cooperatively produced by refuge personnel and the Boundary County 4-H organization.