BMWS Station 5

The path leaving the freshwater pond intersects the outer trail loop along the northern edge of Island Pond. This site provides an opportunity to see shorebirds and raptors that frequent the pond and feed on marine fauna. Depending on the time of year, possible bird sightings include Osprey, Bald Eagle, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Belted Kingfisher, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Black-crowned Night Heron, Green Heron, and Great Blue Heron. The Green Heron nests within the sanctuary, while egrets and other herons nest in colonies in trees on nearby offshore islands. All feed primarily upon fish, frogs, and aquatic vertebrates.

Notice the red maples arching over the pond. A particularly large tree at this site is over 100 years old and has survived severe winter storms and hurricanes. Fallen limbs create nest sites for birds, bats, and other wildlife. The tree may be home to such cavity nesters as Black-capped Chickadee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, or Barred Owl. Belted Kingfisher perch on low branches to watch for small fish. Red maples are typical of freshwater pond edges, swamps, and floodplains, and provide valuable flood and erosion control.

You may notice piles of clam shells along the pond’s edge. These are the shells of softshell clams, also called “steamers” because they are steamed open by human consumers. The consumer in this case is the muskrat, which excavates the clams from the sediment beneath the water and brings them to shore to eat.