Big Fish – Found Not Caught

Okay. Here’s my disclaimer: the following post may NOT be too pleasing or pretty to all readers! Photos include a skeleton and dead fish up close and personal! … these fish were found by two of my daughters on Manchaug Pond – cause of death unknown. A pickerel I believe – big but not a champion! This skeleton found by my youngest while she explored the old causeway in the spring. Definitely an exciting find for a young scientist! Another daughter brought this bass home in early August. She could not believe the size of it! The gash on the side… do you think a prop got it once it was dead and floating belly up?

MassWildlife Goose Control – Hunting Sept 8th

From MassWildlife:2009 Early Goose Season Dates and Bag Limits Set The early Canada goose hunting season dates are September 8 – September 25, 2009, with hunters allowed a bag limit of 7 birds per day. “Data collected from agency goose banding activities this summer indicate the early goose hunting seasons have kept populations stable in the central and western parts of the state and full bag limits are rarely reached,” commented MassWildlife’s Waterfowl Project Leader H Heusmann. “However, in northeastern and southeastern Massachusetts, where we find our densest goose populations, hunters frequently filled their 5-bird limit. This indicates that the potential to reduce what are often nuisance population levels of resident Canada geese can be increased with a higher bag limit. The early season provides goose hunters with ample hunting and gives more time to landowners to allow hunters to reduce the size of nuisance flocks of resident geese.” Waterfowlers are reminded that state and federal waterfowl stamps are required for hunting waterfowl and that hunting hours begin one half hour before sunrise and end at sunset. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/hunting/hunting_opportunities.htmhttp://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/hunting/hunting_opportunities.htm

The Unexpected Guest!

Three boats tied together visiting in the middle of the lake on the calm waters of Thursday evening… with an unexpected guest joining them for pretzels, chips and a little drink!

Labor Day Eve – Lighting of the Shoreline!

On Manchaug Pond we have a tradition begun over 35 years ago where we light the shoreline with flares on the eve of July 4th and Labor Day. The practice was suggested at the 1974 MPA Annual Meeting by member Professor Robert Nunnemacher and has been done ever since. This year be sure to join in! Show your solidarity as the MPA continues to promote the welfare and correct use of Manchaug Pond and the watershed! It has been quite a year and united, our members make a difference! Flares should be lit Sunday, Sept. 6th at 8:00 p.m. It is a beautiful sight to see the shoreline a glow. To purchase flares: visit the campground store at Holbrook or call your Area Representative. Flares are sold for cost by the MPA at 2 for $5 or 1 for $3.

MPA Annual Meeting 2009: You! The Membership

This year’s MPA Annual Meeting took place at a location we know well and has been home to many meetings over many decades – the YMCA’s Camp Blanchard. The Dining Hall held the close to 80 attendees (if you count the kitchen crew!) – who came together on a perfect hot summer day to hear the reports and updates outlining the many hours of effort on behalf of the lake and to the benefit of the many who enjoy this resource. After the business meeting, our speaker gave a humorous look at boat safety, passed out the latest copy of the Massachusetts Boater’s Guide, and offered safe vessel checks for all boats on Manchaug during Boat Safety Week 2010. The day ended with a social and luncheon with plenty of delicious food! New MPA logo embroidered t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, visors were available at cost to members and updated maps of lakeshore residents were for the taking. The educational 319 stormwater grant display and brochures were also available for more info. So…Favorites of the day? Definitely #1 would be Paul’s homemade seafood chowder – rave reviews! The price tag for annual herbicide applications for aquatic weed control got a few laughs …

A Peek at the MPA Annual Mtg 2009

Let’s spend the rest of the week taking a look at the topics and favorites of this year’s MPA Annual Mtg …. … I’m writing… tune in later! BETTER YET! What would YOU like me to report on first?

Another Big Bird of Manchaug Pond – Does Flyover the Dam!

These photos were taken on Sunday – the heron heading down the channel toward Stevens Pond downstream. Can you tell the difference between Manchaug’s big birds when they are in flight? Note the heron has the long legs and beak…

More Big Birds on Manchaug Pond: Non-migratory Canada Geese

Three breeding pairs of Canadian Geese arrived on Manchaug Pond in the spring…egg laying, hatching and rearing of young… now the flock numbers 17. Taken a couple weeks ago on another overcast day, the photo shows the flock going from one shore to another looking for a lawn on which to graze. Why is that a problem? If you live on the lake you know first hand – one Canada geese produces from half pound to a pound and half of droppings per day! Talk about water quality being fowled – I mean fouled! With Manchaug Pond having a higher population of summer residents than year round and with many working during the day… weekday meals can be had undisturbed. Check out this link for control methods you can employ. In days of old we used to have a resident hunter or two on Manchaug Pond who would set up a blind on Blueberry Island but now residents must employ coyote decoys, scare tactics and barriers to keep them on the lake and off the beaches and lawns. Also do not feed the geese! http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/living_with_geese.htm On this rainy day, neighbors used air horns to scare the geese off their property. …

A Rainy Weekend

A rainy, cool weekend! Sure smells like the end of summer… Here tropical storm Danny is nothing to worry about. It has brought a couple inches of rain to the rain gauge with little to no wind. Nothing to open the dam about.

Purple Loosestrife In Manchaug Pond Watershed and Shoreline

PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE (Lythrum salicaria)For two years now I have pulled a single plant from the Manchaug Road roadside only to find this year loosestrife is scattered throughout the watershed! This month 2 plants have been spotted in bloom on the Manchaug Pond shoreline in Area 2 – one by the big rock on Manchaug Road and the other at the Camp Blanchard shore. It is also growing along roadsides of the watershed: Lackey Road, Douglas Road, Central Turnpike. Purple Loosestrife, is one of the state’s “MOST UN-WANTED AQUATIC EXOTIC SPECIES” as it can totally take over a lake – going from a sea of blue water to a field of purple and green plants. Ugh! Up close it is an attractive, purple, herbaceous perennial introduced from Asia and Europe. In the US, it is aggressive and fast growing with no native “predator” species to control it. If left alone, it will spread rapidly filling our coves, wetlands and moist roadside areas taking over habitat and out competing native plants – “causing significant impairments, including reduced native plant coverage, lower plant diversity, and degraded wildlife habitat.” CONTROL: for the MPA of this new infestation – HAND HARVEST. This recommendation comes as …

Seeing Purple!

Sorry I’ve missed a couple days of posting… busy caring for little ones as a new life entered our world… another child who will learn to swim and sail and ski on Manchaug Pond! And with a visit to the hospital …. what should we find adorning the hospital room wall? Blown up, framed, and put in the center for all to enjoy as a thing of beauty!?! A photo of one of Massachusetts Most Un-Wanted Aquatic Exotic Species as named in the Massachusetts Lake and Pond Guide put out by the Mass Dept. of Conservation and Recreation Lakes and Ponds Program… Purple Loosestrife! Purple Loosestrife, Lythrum salicaria, will be the topic of tomorrow’s blog entry as it relates to Manchaug Pond and our recent weed survey. Stay tuned! The MPA has a new task force that needs you!