Summer Residents on the Cullen Chain of Lakes
Wildlife sightings on Lower Cullen
Lake
for Spring, Summer and Fall of 2010
A mallard couple stopped by for an hour or so to check out conditions in the open water off our shoreline.
April 9 from Ann Beaver
At least one loon has returned to Lower Cullen Lake. Thursday, April 8, a single loon was feeding in the waters in front of the Beaver property.
April 19 from Ann Beaver
For the first time since the April 1 ice out, I saw two loons swimming together off shore. Until now, my loon sightings on Lower Cullen have been of a lone loon. I think the season has now begun!
Unfortunately, I also saw two geese swim by -- not a good sign to my way of thinking. I know they won't come up on our shoreline , because we have a 25 foot deep buffer of native grasses, which they don't like. I can only hope they continue on to another lake where people are providing their preferred habitat of turf grass. Goose poop is not something I want to have to deal with. I saw enough of that around the lakes in Minneapolis when I lived there.
April 28 from Ann Beaver
Earlier in the week I was enjoying watching two osprey build a nest atop the utility pole at the junction of Wilderness Road and Highway 371. Coming back from Brainerd today the nest was gone, replaced by two yellow upright bars to deter them from trying to rebuild. Apparently the power or phone company wasn't as excited by the osprey nest as I was.
April 30 -- As of this morning, the west Lower Cullen loon pair has not begun to nest on the loon nesting platform in the rushes along the Paul Bunyan Trail. I'll have to check this weekend for possible nests on the muskrat houses.
May 4 from Ann Beaver
This morning a dozen white pelicans passed a two hour layover on the waters of west Lower Cullen sleeping and just lolling around. Sad to say, I missed their departure. The sight of twelve large white birds taking flight must have been beautiful.
June 25 from Ann Beaver
We saw a mama hooded merganser and her brood of five in the bulrushes off our shoreline this afternoon. Mama kept watch while the young ones napped.
The Lower Cullen west end loons were successful with their second nest (this time on the loon nesting platform) and we now have two loon chicks being carefully guarded by their parents. The family left the nesting platform yesterday (Thursday) morning.
July 10 from Jim Kostreba
The Lower Cullen west end loon family is down to one chick. Hopefully this remaining chick will survive all the perils it faces this summer and mature enough before the lake freezes late next fall to be able to fly south for a couple years.
Wildlife sightings on Middle
Cullen
Lake for Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2010
The first chipmunk of the spring.
March 21 From Marie Boudrye
Pretty
early Saturday morning, March 20, 2010 I was gazing out on the
lake and my eyes were diverted to a dark movement very close to
shore. It was the first otter of the season ... a pretty nice
size, too, not a pup! Hurray for the otters. More news at
10:00 p.m.!!
The ice was "booming" this morning, ice-out may be in early April this year.
The ice was "booming" this morning, ice-out may be in early April this year.
March 28 From Marie Boudrye
We saw a pair of wood ducks swimming in the shallows in front of our home. What a beautiful sight!! This is the beginning of something wonderful.
April 5 From Marie Boudrye
The loons have arrived ... yesterday on Middle Cullen! We have at least 2, maybe 3. We also have a pair of hooded mergansers plus more than the couple of woodies I mentioned earlier and a pair of mallards. The waters are alive!
April 6 From Marie Boudrye
The first Great Blue Heron of the season flew into the shallow waters on April 5. We have a wide selection of spring birds feeding voraciously at the feeders, purple finches, pine siskins, goldfinches, fox sparrows (ground feeders who kick up the leaves like can-can dancers), of course, the juncos (do the same thing) and all of the usual suspects like woodpeckers (red-bellied, pileated, downy and hairy) and not to forget red-wings, grackles and crows, probably in that order of preference. Now to find where the eagle will land (nest).
Heard a loon on Wednesday and have one in front of the house today. Not sure if that’s the first or not
April 14 From Paul & Mickey Reichenbach
About 100 pelicans swam by the south shore going from east to west. When they got to Boudrye's they headed toward Wilderness, went airborne (hugging the water), and flew east down the length of the lake.
May 24 from Marie Boudrye
On Sunday, May 16, while gardening, I heard this terrible screaming, between two animals, coming from the marsh area across from the carport. It continued for at least 15 minutes; I ran in to get my binoculars. I could see movement (all the while this screaming goes on) and then I saw a full reddish tail and knew it was a fox. It scrambled "UP" a spruce tree to the lowest branch (but away from what I now assumed was another fox on the ground) and draped himself over the branch so the one below couldn't get it. I did see the other fox take a couple of swipes at it from below but could not reach it. Then all was quiet. I watched until I saw the treed fox move around and stand up on the branch and then went back to what I was doing. I assume the treed fox was an "interloper" and the "resident" fox had kits nearby. I do hope both foxes lived to see another day, except for one fox finding more suitable housing!!
May 30 from Mickey Reichenbach
We saw our first baby loon this evening, swimming out front.
July 4 from Jane Sutton
The 4th of July weekend the children found a large snake. It was not a Garter snake, it was identified as a Bull snake.
It was about 4 feet long and probably 2-3 inches in diameter. It frightened a few of us, but the children were unafraid and very curious. These snake are not poisonous, but they sure look BIG!
July 29 from Marie Boudrye
We surprised a large (300-400 pound) black bear destroying two pole bird feeders this morning.
The dog barked, the bear scrambled up a tree about 50 feet away and looked at us. Charlie clapped his hands a few times and the bear slid down the tree and ambled off to the west.
August 13 from Marie Boudrye
He's back! The bear came back this morning and demolished two pole feeders. We did not see it this time. The bird feeders are now being taken in until the bear hibernates!
Wildlife sightings on Upper Cullen Lake for Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2010
August 1 - Karen FortmanWhen I hear the call of the loon, like so many other folks I feel a primordial quivering in my soul...when I watch the pileated woodpeckers fly in for lunch or dinner, I have that same feeling. All year we have had a pair visiting us...BUT in mid-July, we saw their offspring. Three young ones...and the parents are training them in front of our eyes. Whereas the parents are skittish of movement, the young ones are not yet. They sit for long minutes in one place or another (usually a feeder top or suet swing/feeder). We can sit outside within 25 feet of them and they are not startled. Often they are "calling" (a beautiful sound) - we wonder if it is for instructions on what to do next. They are not as adept at hanging on to suet containers upside down and often have to make several attempts before being able to nibble a piece off. Truly entertaining and another first experience for us!
