Redeeming Wetland for Rails and More
By Aidan Rominger
Naturalist at Eagle Creek Park Ornithology Center
ABAS donated $13,650 to Eagle Creek Park to restore the wetlands at the Skating Pond.
Since 1972, Eagle Creek Park has been a premier destination for birds in Central Indiana with over 290 species seen within the park over the years! This park has a plethora of habitat types from vast swaths of temperate hardwoods, clearcuts, riparian thickets, swamps, grasslands, mudflats and lastly, wetland habitat. However, one of these habitat types is severely underrepresented not only within Eagle Creek, but throughout Central Indiana: freshwater marsh/wetland habitats. Having birded the park for over 13 years, I have witnessed habitats transform from lush areas of native biodiversity into areas inundated with invasive plants. A perfect example of such a habitat is the area that has been formally referred to as the ‘Ice Skating Pond’ by park goers since the 1980’s.
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Historically, the area referred to as the Skating Pond within Eagle Creek was a 25-acre plot with four ponds- a large (main) pond, and three smaller ponds. One of the ponds that was located southwest of the current parking area is no longer present, and is now engulfed by forest.
In 1972, prior to the acquisition of the ponds within the park boundaries, these ponds were used as fish hatcheries. This meant the ponds were stocked with farmed fish and were moderately shallow. However, once the park gained access to the land, the ponds were no longer used as fish hatcheries. The fish were promptly removed from the ponds via spray and replaced with common local fish. This left habitat management for the ponds up to the park’s discretion.
At this time, the three main ponds were barren with no cover. Much of the brush and tree cover that currently surrounds these ponds would not start growing until the mid-1970’s. In the winter, the main pond would freeze over enough to form a very solid sheet of ice, allowing park goers to enjoy ice skating, hence the name! The shelter on the south end of the main parking lot was the original ice-skating shack where skaters could hang their skates. This structure is still intact today!
Throughout much of the late 1980’s, the main pond was home to large swaths of cattails which created ideal nesting/stopover habitat for a plethora of wetland bird species. According to veteran Eagle Creek birder Larry Peavler, King Rails used to nest within the main pond at this time! In addition to the Kings, species such as Least Bittern, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Gallinule, and even the occasional Blue-winged Teal would attempt nesting within this habitat. In migration, species such as Sora, Virginia Rail, Marsh Wren, American Bittern, and Little Blue Heron historically occurred annually within the main pond. The Skating Ponds even yielded local rarities such as single records of Yellow Rail and LeConte’s Sparrow! However, it is no coincidence that all of these records coincided with the presence of stable wetland habitat within the main pond. King Rails have not been recorded in the park since the presence of this habitat, decades ago.
For the years following the 1980’s, the cattail habitat within the main pond remained steadily intact. The cattails would fluctuate from being prominent to less prominent around the main pond, but were always present.
However, in 2022 the cattails were completely removed around the main pond likely due to a misstep by habitat managers. In addition to the removal of the cattails, water lilies had aggressively taken over the main pond, likely carried by migrating waterfowl. In 2024 the main pond became so overtaken by water lilies that there was virtually no open water for waterfowl to land. In addition to this, there were no cattails or wetland grasses for any migrating wetland birds to utilize. As a result, in 2024 we had our lowest numbers of Sora and Virginia Rail ever within Eagle Creek Park’s history, with a single Sora being found at the Skating Pond in the spring, and no Virginia Rails found within the entire park this year! This contrasts with the dozens of records reported annually of both species within the park from years where suitable habitat was present. Having birded the area extensively in recent years and witnessing barely any waterfowl, rails, or other wetland species within the ponds, I knew something needed to be done and I knew it had to be done soon.
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Back in 2011, I remember one of my earliest birding memories was when my dad drove me to the Skating Pond to meet Kevin Carlsen, the manager of the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center at the time. He met me there to show me my lifers, Sora and Common Gallinule. Having just gotten a camera of my own, I was eager to see and photograph both species that had been previously reported at the Skating Pond.
Upon arrival, I walked over the hill from the parking area and gazed out over the pond. The main pond was filled with large swaths of medium height cattail thickets. Kevin took my dad and me down to the old skating shack steps to view the birds at eye level. Within minutes we were greeted by a Sora walking point blank out in the open; I was awestruck by its complex markings and unique beauty. Minutes later we found a Common Gallinule that popped out for a quick glimpse within the cattail thickets. It was from that moment on that my passion for birds, birding and bird conservation had been truly kickstarted.
Since starting my job as a naturalist at the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center in 2022, I have been putting together a plan to fully restore the Skating Pond back to its rich historic status. With years of preparation in the books, I received a grant from Amos Butler Audubon Society in the fall of 2024 to fully restore the habitat within the Skating Pond! The management will mostly take place within the large pond, being that is what needs the habitat restoration the most, with the addition of a few added features if the time and budget allows!
Over the next two years, my goal is to reintroduce cattails back into the main pond. This will mainly be to create suitable nesting and stopover habitat for wetland species such bitterns, rails, and others. In addition to cattails, I will try to introduce other native wetland plant species to the edges to create and promote wet sedge habitat that should attract species that are rarely found within the park. These species may include Sedge Wren, LeConte’s Sparrow, Nelson’s Sparrow, Yellow Rail, and others.
I also plan to create new interpretive signage aimed at educating the public on the importance of wetlands, and what species to expect within the Skating Ponds after the habitat has been managed. Additionally, I will add new viewing windows around the larger main pond, so that birders and hikers will be able to view the marsh from new angles! This means small sections of honeysuckle and autumn olive will be removed to make way to the new viewing windows. In replacement of these invasive bushes, I will also be planting native understory plants to provide cover for the birds. Lastly, I will be maintaining and widening the trails that immediately surround the three ponds to increase overall accessibility of the Skating Pond.
This project is ongoing and likely will take years to fully develop back into the ideal wetland marsh habitat. However, I will do everything in my ability with the constraints of my resources to restore the Skating Pond back to its fullest potential! I wanted to personally thank Amos Butler Audubon Society for believing in not only this project, but the importance of wetland habitats and the species that rely on the presence of such habitat year after year.
