Fall 2015 - Mingo Swamp Friends

Fall 2015 Edition
Mingo Swamp News
A publication exclusively for the Mingo Swamp Friends Members….Its a Swamp Thang!
Manager’s Corner
Another summer is coming to an end on Mingo National Wildlife
Refuge. Personally, I love summer and hate to see it come to an
end. However, the beginning of fall brings increased activity, of people and wildlife, on the Refuge. Hunters, birdwatchers, photographers, and other visitors show up on the Refuge just as the ducks,
shorebirds, and eagles appear. Fall is also a good time to reflect
back on the year and see how much we accomplished. A couple of
great things come to mind. First, we re-opened the Ozark Highlands
Auto Tour Route and now give visitors the opportunity to see more
of the Refuge for a longer period of time. Instead of being open for
4 months the road is now open for 9 months. Second, we also saw
our first full year of the Visitor Center being open to the public. The
building has been everything we hoped for. It allows us to better
serve our visitors and provides a great opportunity for folks to learn
about the history of Mingo and the area. Third, the Mingo Swamp
Friends provided assistance for numerous projects such as: eagle
days, wounded warrior hunt, youth fishing derby, youth deer hunt,
and the 1st annual Swampfest. All of these things are important and
we couldn’t do them without your support. I want to take this time
to thank each and every one of you for your support and dedication
and say how much I appreciate your efforts. With that said, I am
confident that this group can get even better. This is a good time to
also talk about priorities for the next year. From the Refuge Manager chair, my priorities for the group are below:
Table of Contents
New Employee……………………….2
Feral Hogs on Mingo……………….3
Breeding Waterfowl Surveys...…….4
Dates to Remember.………………..6
Swamp Thang Column……………...7
Swamp Puzzles……………………...8
2015 Photo Contest Winners……….9
1) Increase membership of group
2) Increase presence at front desk for book store sales
3) Continue working on getting grant dollars to assist with priority
projects
I look forward to working with each of you to meet these goals in
the upcoming year. Thanks again for all of your hard work.
Ben J. Mense
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Staff Update:
Mingo Swamp Friends
Board of Directors
President:
Sharon Tuschhoff
Vice President:
Amanda Mossman
Secretary:
Bruce Beck
Treasurer:
Open
Refuge Manager:
Ben Mense
Friends’ Liaisons:
Peter Rea
Mingo National Wildlife Refuge
24279 State Hwy 51
Puxico, MO 63960
Phone: (573) 222-3589
Fax: (573) 222-6343
Websites:
http://www.fws.gov/refuge/mingo/
https://www.facebook.com/MingoNWR
http://www.mingoswampfriends.org/
Email: mingo@fws.gov
Assistant Refuge Manager Selected
We are excited to announce that Corey Kudrna has been
selected for the Assistant Refuge Manager Position for Mingo.
He is moving to Mingo from Squaw Creek National Wildlife
Refuge in northwest Missouri where he was the Assistant
Refuge Manager. Corey will start work here in mid-November.
Part-time Park Ranger
The most recent addition to the staff at Mingo NWR is Diana
Douglass, the new part-time park ranger. This is Diana’s first
paying job at a national wildlife refuge, but last winter she
worked as a volunteer interpretive ranger at Laguna Atascosa
NWR in Texas. Diana has also worked seasonal positions as a
fee ranger at Lassen National Volcanic Park in California and
as an interpretive ranger at Acadia National Park in Maine, and
volunteered as an interpretive ranger at Everglades National
Park in Florida.
As a former science teacher, avid birder and photographer,
Diana has been exploring the refuge and its wildlife. She has
been enjoying the hummingbirds and yellow-billed cuckoos and
butterflies, and is looking forward to the snake migration from
the lowlands to the hibernacula in the bluffs, and to the
waterfowl and bald eagles coming to spend the winter.
Maintenance Worker
We welcome Ramsay Houze to the Mingo Staff. Ramsay is the
new maintenance worker taking over the position previously
held by Chuck Shier. Ramsay is from southern Indiana and
previously worked at Big Oaks and Muscatatuck National
Wildlife Refuges in Indiana.
Please join us in welcoming the new staff
members to the refuge!
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Feral Hogs on Mingo Refuge
Feral hogs are a relatively recent problem at Mingo
Refuge. However the problem has grown quickly.
Within the past three years the feral hogs on the refuge
have exploded. This is a result of their rapid
reproduction rate in which feral hogs can breed any time
of year. Females can be mature at 6 months and produce
two litters of one to seven piglets every 12–15 months.
As a result, feral hog populations can double in four
months! Just to maintain a stable population it is
estimated that 70% of the population needs to be killed
each year.
So why are feral hogs a problem in Missouri? First off,
feral hogs are not native to Missouri. According to the
Missouri Department of Conservation, most of the feral
hogs in Missouri are mutts with genetic combinations that
include Russian or Eurasian wild boar (razorbacks) and
an assortment of domestic varieties. Secondly, feral hogs
have a huge negative impact to the native habitat and
wildlife of Missouri. They directly compete with deer
and turkey for important fall food sources such as acorns.
They will also eat the eggs of ground nesting birds and
will even eat reptiles, amphibians and small mammals.
On top of that, they can uproot fields and forest
understory overnight.
In order to control feral hogs on Mingo, refuge staff have
begun an extensive trapping effort. Last year, Bio Tech
Jacob Plunkett was hired to run the hog traps daily.
Trapping efforts work the best because they allow refuge
Feral Hog damage along Sandblow Ridge.
Jagger Pro trap with a sounder of Feral Hogs.
staff to trap a whole group, or sounder, of hogs at once.
To further help achieve this goal, the refuge has a
number of Jager Pro Hog Traps. These Jager Pro Traps
will send picture messages to cell phones notifying us
what is in the trap. If the whole group of hogs is in the
trap, than a code can be texted to the receiver to tell it to
drop the gate. Having this ability to control when the
gate is dropped allows us to better eradicate a whole
sounder of hogs at once. Hogs are extremely smart and
often are leery about entering a trap especially if they
have seen a hog trapped before. Another huge benefit
of the Jagger Pro trap is that it wont go off for nontarget critters (that’s right, we are talking about you
raccoons!). So far since the end of bow season January
15, a total of 170 hogs have been killed on Mingo. 139
by trapping, 32 by shooting and 5 by snares. Since
2012, a total of 489 hogs have been killed on Mingo.
A raccoon party caught on camera in a Jagger Pro Trap.
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Mingo Biologist Brad Pendley Flies Waterfowl Surveys in
Canada
This spring marked the second year that Mingo
Refuge Biologist Brad Pendley took part in the
Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat
Survey conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife
Service. This survey was initiated
experimentally in 1947 and became operational
in 1955. It has been conducted every year
since. The primary purpose of the survey is to
provide information on spring population size
and trajectory for certain North American duck
species. These data are used extensively in the
annual establishment of hunting regulations in
the United States and Canada and provide longterm research on bird-environment
relationships critical to effective conservation
planning for waterfowl.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the
Canadian Wildlife Service in cooperation with
others conduct annual surveys of breeding
waterfowl throughout central and eastern Canada,
the north-central United States, and Alaska . The
area consists of over 50 stratas that are determined
Mingo Biologist Brad Pendley standing in front of the plane.
according to habitat differences and political boundaries.
Within each strata, ducks are counted by two-person aerial
crews while flying an aircraft along established transect lines
approximately 50 m (164 feet) above ground level. Transects
are 400m (438 yds) wide and divided into segments, each
roughly 29 km (18 miles) in length. While in flight, the crew
is only counting paired duck species. Lone hen
ducks are not counted during the survey.
Brad and his pilot flew strata 50, 69 and 70 in
Ontario, Quebec and Labrador/Newfoundland.
Their plane was an amphibious Kodiak fixed
wing airplane with the capability of landing on
both land and water. A typical day consisted of
pre-flight checks; flying to that days transect;
running the transect which typically lasted 5
hours; flying back to their base; and conducting
a post-flight check. The only break to this
routine was if it rained or snowed, which kept
them grounded since they could not conduct the
survey in inclement weather.
A view from the plane during one of the survey transects.
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Throughout Brad’s transects, the most common
duck observed was the mallard. As the transects
moved eastward he noted that the American black
duck became more prevalent over the mallard. Lots
of diving ducks were also seen with buffleheads,
common goldeneyes and mergansers being the most
numerous. While ducks were the main focus of the
flight, other wildlife could be seen from the plane as
well. Brad said that moose, caribou and bears were
seen almost daily along their transects. Many
swans, geese and sandhill cranes were also
observed. Overall, Brad said he has enjoyed being a
part of these Breeding Waterfowl Surveys and hopes
to continue to take part in them each spring. He says
the one thing that would be helpful for future
surveys is to learn how to speak French! Do we
have any willing members of the Swamp Friends to
teach him?
Moose were seen almost daily along the transects.
American black ducks became more prevalent on the eastern transects.
Figure showing the survey strata. Brad flew strata 50, 69 and 70.
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Dates to Remember
October 24, 2015 - Swampfest (8 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

8 a.m. to Noon - Mingo River Paddle Ride: pre-registration is required (call refuge office
at 573-222-3589)

9 a.m. to 10 a.m - An Original DUCKumentary: Watch the PBS film An Original
DUCKumentary in the Mingo Visitor Center Multipurpose Room.

9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. - Guided Boardwalk Hikes: Join a refuge volunteer for a guided
hike at the Mingo Swampwalk Nature Trail (Boardwalk). Participants will meet at the
Swampwalk Parking Lot.

10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. - Owl Program: Learn about the owls of Mingo with a refuge ranger
at the Visitor Center. Participants will even get the opportunity to dissect an owl pellet.

11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. - The Monarch: A Butterfly Beyond Borders: Watch the Bullfrog
Films: The Monarch: A Butterfly Beyond Borders in the Mingo Visitor Center Multipurpose
Room

1 p.m. to 2 p.m. - Watkins Wildlife Rehab Program: Learn about what goes into
rehabilitating injured wild animals. Participants will even meet a resident animal from
Watkins Wildlife Rehab. The program will be held in the Visitor center Multipurpose
Room.
Nov. 7-8, 2015 - Youth Deer Hunt
During the Youth Deer Hunt Weekend the refuge will be closed west of the Swampwalk Nature Trail
Parking lot. The Swampwalk, Red Mill Drive, and the Public Hunt Area will remain open to visitors.
Nov. 9-10, 2015 - Healing Outside of a Hospital (HOOAH) Hunt
The HOOAH hunt is the annual deer hunt geared for wounded servicemen from Fort Campbell.
During this hunt the refuge will be closed west of the Rockhouse Overlook on Bluff Road. The
Swampwalk, Red Mill Drive and the Public Hunt Area will remain open to visitors.
Nov. 21, 2015 - Wonderful Waterfowl (8 a.m.- 10 a.m.)
Discover the tremendous diversity of waterfowl at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Following the
presentation, participants can join a refuge ranger in observing waterfowl out on the refuge. Spotting
scopes and binoculars will be available for use. Participants will meet at the Mingo Visitor Center.
DEC. 5-6, 2015 - Muzzleloader Managed Deer Hunt
During this hunt the refuge will be closed west of the Swampwalk Nature Trail Parking Lot. The
Swampwalk, Red Mill Drive and the Public Hunt Area will remain open to visitors.
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Swamp Thang Column
Dear Swamp Thang, I love hiking the boardwalk
and one day in September I came across this
interesting looking plant. What is it?
Dear Swamp Thang, where do the ruby-throated
hummingbirds go in the winter time?
From, Befuddled Botanist
From, Nectar Nancy
The ruby-throated hummingbird is a migratory bird.
This means that they migrate south in the fall to
escape the cold winter months. In fact, most rubythroated hummingbirds migrate all the way to
Central America, some flying over 2,000 miles! One
of the biggest hurdles to this migration is the Gulf of
Mexico. Instead of flying around it, many of these
tiny birds will fly right over the big expanse of water,
which is 500 miles wide! Once on the other side the
hummingbird looks for a source of nectar to regain
the fat reserves that were depleted during the
migration. One common myth to hummingbird
migration is that they will hitch a ride on the back of
a migrating goose. While this would be convenient,
it is not true since hummingbirds and geese don’t
migrate at the same time or to the same area.
Great find! While it looks like a mushroom, you were
correct in calling it a plant. This white wildflower is
commonly referred to as Indian Pipe or Ghost Plant.
It is all white in color because, unlike most plants, it
lacks chlorophyll, which is the stuff that makes plants
green. Instead of relying on sunlight for energy,
these plants receives nutrients through its root
system by forming a relationship with underground
fungi and photosynthetic trees. Very cool!
Dear Swamp Thang, I saw what I thought was a
monarch butterfly. Later my friend told me that it
was a viceroy butterfly. How can you tell them
apart?
Viceroys "mimic" monarchs in appearance to avoid
predation. Monarchs are poisonous to predators
because they eat milkweed, which is toxic to many
animals. The viceroy benefits from this because
they look so similar that animals will avoid them too.
However, on closer inspection you can see the
difference in the wing vein pattern. Plus viceroys are
smaller than monarchs.
Map showing the summer and wintering grounds of the rubythroated hummingbird.
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Just for Fun: Bizarre Names for Groups of Animals
Animals often group together at some point in their life. To distinguish a group of animals from a solitary one, we
associate words or phrases for that group. For example, we have all heard the expression “a herd of deer” or “a pack
of wolves”. But what about “a murder of crows”? Or “a romp of otters”? Below are some other bizarre names for
groups of animals:

Armadillos: a roll

Herons: a sedge or siege

Badgers: a cete

Humingbirds: a charm

Bats: a cauldron

Jays: a party or scold

Bears: a sloth or sleuth

Mallards: a sord (in flight) or brace

Elk: a gang

Owls: a parliament

Ferrets: a business

Quail: a bevy or covey

Fox: a leash, skulk or earth

Pelicans: a pod

Giraffes: a tower

Ravens: an unkindness or storytelling

Goats: a tribe or trip

Snipe: a wisp

Moles: a labor

Starlings: a murmuration

Opossums: a grin

Teal: a spring

Otters: a romp

Widgeon: a company

Raccoons: a gaze

Woodpeckers: a descent

Pigs: a drift, drove, sounder, team or passel

Frogs: an army

Skunks: a surfeit

Toads: a knot

Squirrels: a dray or scurry

Turtles: a bale or nest

Bitterns: a sedge

Salamanders: a maelstrom

Buzzards: a wake


Coots: a cover
Fish in general: a draft, nest, run, school or
shoal

Cormorants: a gulp

Butterflies: a flight or flutter

Crows: a murder or horde

Ducks: a brace, team, flock (in flight), raft (on
water), paddling or badling

Eagles: a convocation

Finches: a charm

Geese: a flock, gaggle (on the ground) or skein
(in flight)

Hawks: a cast, kettle (in flight) or boil (two or
more spiraling in air)
Next time you see a group of otters, impress your friends and say
“Look at that romp of otters!”
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2015 Mingo
Swamp Flora and
Fauna Photo
Contest Winners
Best of Show: “The Bluffs in Winter
Snow” by Brenda Crawford
1st Place Mingo Landscape: “Ozark Highland Road in Springtime” by Brenda Crawford
1st Place Native Plant: “Phlox Blooming” by Brenda Crawford
Alternate Best of Show: “American
Bittern” by Barb Hupp
1st Place Artistically Enhanced: “Come into my
Web” by Christine Anthony
1st Place Native Wildlife: “Big Buck” by Brenda
Crawford
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1st Place People in Nature: “Crusin’ Down the
River” by Katelyn Clark
1st Place Youth: “Ice Flows” by Zack Borowiak
2nd Place Native Plant: “Dutchman’s Breeches”
by Barb Hupp
1st Place Professional: “The Sky is the Daily Bread of
the Eyes” by Larry Braun
2nd Place Artistically Enhanced: “Winter Marsh” by Sharon
Tuschhoff
2nd Place Mingo Landscape: “Winter Woods” by Christine
Anthony
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2nd Place Native Wildlife: “Lunchtime” by
Delbert Curry
2nd Place Professional: “Flight
Pattern” by Tom Neumeyer
3rd Place Artistically Enhanced: “October
Reflections” by Sharon Tuschhoff
2nd Place People in Nature: “Autumn River” by
Sharon Tuschhoff
2nd Place Youth: “Dark Yellow
Lotus” by Mikayla Scott
3rd Place Mingo Landscape:
“Autumn Road” by Barb Hupp
3rd Place Native Plant/Fungi: “Chanterelle Mushrooms” by
Donald Lloyd
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3rd Place Native Wildlife: “The Great Egret
Eating a Frog” by Brenda Crawford
3rd Place People in Nature: “Kayaking &
Fishing at May Pond” by Brenda Crawford
3rd Place Youth: “Overlook of
Rockhouse Marsh” by Mikayla Scott
2015 Mingo Swamp Photo Contest
Exhibit Schedule:
September, 2015 – Mingo National Wildlife
Refuge, Puxico, MO
October, 2015 – Cape Girardeau MDC Nature
Center, Cape Girardeau, MO
3rd Place Professional: “Natural
Stream” by Larry Braun
Thanks to all who
participated!
November, 2015 – Sikeston Depot Museum,
Sikeston, MO
December, 2015 – Poplar Bluff Public Library,
Poplar Bluff, MO
January, 2016 – New Madrid Riverwalk Gallery,
New Madrid, MO
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Evening sun on Stanley Creek. Peter Rea/USFWS
Crossword Puzzle Answers:
Across:
1.
Rabbit Ridge
3.
Moist Soil Units
4.
Mingo
7.
Pelican Island
8.
Wood ducks
9.
Cypress
13. Pilot Knob
Down:
2. Bottomland Hardwood Forest
5.
Turkey
6.
Waterfowl
10. Cottonmouth
11. Alligator Gar
12. Barred Owl
Swamp Thang Column:
If you have a question for “The Swamp
Thang” in regards to the habitat, plants and
wildlife of Mingo Refuge, than email it to
mingo@fws.gov with the subject line: “Swamp
Thang Question”. Your question may be
answered in the next edition of Mingo Swamp
News.
16. Morels
14. Monopoly
15. Feral Hogs
17. Prothonotary Warbler
18. Sweets Cabin
Thanks for being part of the Mingo
Swamp Friends!
This quarterly publication is brought to you by Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.
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