|
|
|
|
 |
|
Protected Landscape
|
Who Lives in the Bog?Residents near Shadow Lake often observe bald eagles hunting and roosting within the wetland areas. Open pastures close to the wetlands provide superb hunting grounds for Cooper's hawks, red-tailed hawks, peregrine falcons, barred owls, barn owls, great horned owls, and other raptors. Shadow Lake offers nesting and feeding habitat for many waterfowl year round. Along with the common mallards that nest here, on any given day visiting lesser scaups, ring-necked ducks, hooded mergansers, American coots, ruddy ducks, buffleheads, wood ducks, common mergansers, and common loons feed on the bounty of food available for them. In the spring double-crested cormorants can be seen diving beneath the waters, to arise seconds later with good-sized fish, which they swallow whole, tipping their heads back. In the evenings, these strange water birds roost in the lakeside trees to dry their wings. On occasion, a careful observer will spot the slow, low graceful flight of a blue heron in over the waters of Shadow Lake. The surrounding woodlands are home to many more birds. Pileated leave their characteristic holes in the standing snags, and summer days echo with their telltale tapping. Northern flickers also tap in the trees around Shadow Lake. Many other birds live at Shadow Lake; for a complete list, click here. Residents at Shadow Lake often see deer, coyotes, and rabbits wandering through the area, and elk, bears, native Douglas squirrels, weasels, muskrats, mountain beaver, and porcupine also make their home in the bog. In their forest home grow some plants that are not found in most forests in Washington. When visiting the bog, a person who is familiar with most of the native plants may find themselves baffled by the appearance of bog laurel, Labrador tea, and bog cranberry. But the most intriguing plant of all is the endangered sundew, a carnivorous plant that grows in sphagnum-dominated bogs and fens and gets its nutrition from insects. In addition, numerous amphibians make their home in the wetlands around Shadow Lake. Beginning in mid-February and continuing through the spring, the onset of evening evinces a loud frog chorus. Preserving these forest and wetland areas will help ensure that the water remains clean and cool as needed by the wildlife that lives around and visits the lake. Such wildlife corridors are increasingly important as encroaching development continues to drive the birds and animals to search for adequate habitat. |
|
|
|
|
