PREDATORS ON FROZEN LAKE ONALASKA

     Few creatures were seen by live camera and our computer screen after Lake Onalaska froze from "wall to wall".  But the creatures I did see in January and February of 2022 on our computer were larger predators, including permanent residents bald eagles and eastern coyotes, and wintering counterparts snowy owls and rough-legged hawks, and short-eared owls and northern harriers.  Each species of predator wintering on Lake Onalaska is there for a reason, making that lake interesting to experience in winter, even if on-line.    

     Lake Onalaska is a shallow backwater off the Mississippi River in northwest Wisconsin.  Tree-clothed islands, tall-grass marshes and mudflats dot much of the lake.  And the whole area is rimmed by wooded hills, making it more wild looking.

     Bald eagles and coyotes are adaptable predators, but they both scavenge as well.  Both these successful species have increased their numbers greatly over the years and are living many places where they had not only a couple of decades ago.  

     The eagles are often seen perching majestically on ice and in trees.  And some pairs of eagles nest along Lake Onalaska.  But all bald eagles are "tied" to large bodies of water where they catch and scavenge ducks and larger fish.

     The handsome coyotes are thrilling to see trotting jauntily over the ice from island to island where they watch and listen for mice and other small animals to eat.  These smaller relatives of wolves seem bold and non-chalant when seen on Lake Onalaska.  Sometimes they even play on the ice.

     A few each of beautiful short-eared owls and northern harriers sometimes cruise low and slowly over the grassy marshes in search of mice.  Both these kinds of predators are well camouflaged among the tall grasses.  The owls hunt mostly at night, but sometimes during the day.  Harriers hunt in daylight, when they can be direct competitors with short-ears for mice.                

     And this winter, 2021-2022, a couple of stately snowy owls have been wintering on the open ice of Lake Onalaska, where they apparently are catching mice.  They are down from the Arctic tundra, where they hatched, supposedly because the  lemming population there crashed, which happens about every four years.  

     One or more attractive rough-legged hawks were also among the marshes of Onalaska to catch mice.  They, too, nest on the tundra where they can be direct competitors of snowy owls for prey.  Both species harass each other, even on wintering grounds, probably to chase the other away from good food sources that each kind wants for itself. 

     The predatory creatures on Lake Onalaska have been a joy to experience, even on a computer screen.  Again, I saw a bit of the wild from the comfort and convenience of home. 

      

      

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