Hobbitstee Wildlife Refuge Wetland Restoration and Habitat Enhancement Project

It was after we acquired this property that I was finally able to walk the woods and wetlands we had purchased. With limited time slots during viewings prior to purchasing it was just not doable. Never mind the fact that it took me a while to figure out the boundaries and the way around the woods without getting lost. One of the things I fell in love with on first sight was the amazingly giant mature Eastern Hemlock Trees on the property. Hemlock trees like wet feet and as such the areas they grow hadn’t been touched (can’t grow crops in wet). Leaving these trees to flourished and grow massive. I soon learned there is a correlation between the salamanders on the property and the hemlock. Both like moisture, so they happily coexist. I also learned that Hemlock are extremely slow growing trees. I spend a great deal of time imagining what things the mature oak and hemlock on the property have seen change over the many years they adorned this magnificent landscape. Hemlock trees

With the start of the New Year we finished the bird surveys for 2023. We unfortunately don’t have a lot of data for the spring migration, but we have a full breeding bird survey and fall migration data. We had various skilled people assist us with the surveying under the skillful eye of Hugh McArthur. It was wonderful to have someone as experienced as Hugh to teach some of our students about birds. The breeding bird survey revealed 59 species of birds on our property. Out of the 59 20 species have been confirmed to nest on the Hobbitstee grounds and another 18 highly probably to nest here. During the fall migration survey 75 species where observed with the most notable one being a flyover of a Golden Eagle. Some of the highlights for me where learning we have a breeding colony of Purple Martins as well as breeding Indigo Buntings. I spotted a Scarlet Tanager in the woods and our fairly newly created tall prairie grassland had a visit from a very large flock of Eastern Blu