Lake Mitchell Wildlife

The Lake Mitchell area is frequented by quite an array of wildlife.

In recent years cormorants have been seen in the area, these large fish-eating birds often can be seen sitting on pilings near the old Naval Reserve Building on Lake Cadillac or swimming in the lakes. Frequently they will stand spread-eagled and swim low in the water, but are distinguished from loons because of the upward angle of the head and bill.

Fish make up a major portion of their diet and an adult bird weighing four pounds will consume about a pound of fish a day. During their time in Michigan, roughly from mid-April until late September, an adult bird may consume 150 pounds of fish.

Among the Les Cheneaux Islands in Lake Huron and near Beaver Island in Lake Michigan thousands of cormorants roost. Recreational and commercial fishermen have noticed a significant reduction of perch and bass and attribute that to fish-eating nature of cormorants.

Although the few birds residing here probably do not effect the lakes’ fish populations, should the birds become numerous, we may have a problem.

Cormorants

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In the spring and fall flocks of snow geese, black ducks, pintails, wood ducks, buffleheads, scaups, golden-eyes, canvasbacks, mergansers, and coots all find refuge in the lake during their migration. Often in the evenings one can hear the cries of loons. These majestic birds cruise about Lakes Mitchell and Cadillac until the boating season drives them out. In the fall gunshots echo at dawn and dusk as hunters crouched in blinds along the west side of the lake blast away at ducks and geese.

Blue herons have become common. These elegant birds, often stand like statues, in the shallows, until a fish or frog appears and is swiftly skewered and swallowed. At dark they fly, often emitting raucous squawks, heading for their roosting trees.

Eagles are seen by many residents. Look for them at dawn and dusk soaring high overhead, or diving to catch fish. If you follow their flight, you may see them land in trees along the lakeshore. Ospreys and a few cormorants also live in our area.

Mallards and Canada geese are residents throughout the open water season. A flock of about thirty Canada geese cruise the Lake Mitchell shoreline in the summer apparently looking for docks and yards where they can roost and defecate. Seagulls seem to have a similar mission as they, when not looking for dead fish on the lake’s surface, enjoy sitting atop boat hoists and docks emptying their bladders and bowels. Property owners have varying degrees of success in spooking these birds with owl statues and trimming their hoists and docks with streamers.

After residing in Little Cove for several years, the pair of mute swans who raised babies each year, did not return in 2004. Early in the season a single swan appeared, stayed a couple weeks and then left.

Turkeys often scuttle along the roadside feeding on vegetation and picking at gravel.

Bear sightings are quite frequent along West Lake Mitchell Road going west beyond the Camp Torenta turn off and then on Pole Road from Hemlock Park west to West Lake Mitchell Road. The bears invariably bolt away when spotted. A mother and two cubs were often seen last summer, although one cub was hit by a car and killed in September.

Mink, which look like lanky black or dark brown squirrels, live along the shoreline especially where there are sections of rock riprap. Muskrats are commonly seen swimming in the shallows; often they are carrying weeds. Beavers live in Big Cove and have lodges and dams up Wheeler (Mitchell) Creek. The creek is navigable for canoes or kayaks up to West Lake Mitchell Road. A few otters live near Big Cove but are rarely seen.

Possums are common although most seem to end up as road kill. Skunks make evening visits to lawns where they dig small divots in the grass in their search for grubs.

If you leave food uncovered or in a compost pile, you will likely draw raccoons, whose antics may be cute until you have to deal with having your garbage strewn all over your property. Do not leave your trash out overnight unless it is a secure container as dogs or raccoons will ravage it.

Frogs are becoming rare in some parts of the lake; the fact that they are favored food for mink and blue herons, whose populations have increased in recent years, may account for the scarcity of these amphibians.