Evidence of the massive gizzard shad die-off in Presque Isle Bay is front and center after our recent ice-out.

Dead gizzard shad line the shoreline of Horseshoe Pond at Presque Isle State Park on Tuesday, March 12, 2013. MATT MARTIN/Contributed photo

A rind of dead shad 12-feet wide hugs the east shore of Horsehose Pond, with more dead fish washed up on shore.

Dead gizzard shad line the eastern shore of Horseshoe Pond. MATT MARTIN/Contributed photo

Dead gizzard shad line the eastern shore of Horseshoe Pond. MATT MARTIN/Contributed photo

Department of Environmental Protection officials said in early March that at least 1 million shad likely had perished in the die-off, with more to come. A kill of this magnitude might happen once in 10 or 15 years, officials said.

“They likely began dying under the ice several weeks ago,” Gary Clark, a DEP community relations coordinator based in Meadville, said in a March 1 Erie Times-News article. “Warmer temperatures melted the ice and exposed them.”

The DEP also said there would not be a cleanup effort.

“They will rot and recycle into the environment,” Jim Grazio, DEP’s Great Lakes biologist in Erie, told the Times-News. “It’s a nuisance in terms of people who go out there should expect a stinky spring.”

Adult trout stockings in Erie County will start in earnest March 28 on French Creek.

The majority of stockings will take place in the days before April 13, the statewide opening day. East Basin and West Basin ponds at Presque Isle State Park and Upper Gravel Pit in Fairview were stocked in early February and will be stocked again in the preseason and after the opener.

Crawford County stockings started this past week in Little Sugar and continue this week in North Deer Creek and East Oil Creek.

To check stocking dates and times for all northwestern Pennsylvania counties and streams, visit the Pennsyvania Fish and Boat Commission’s adult trout stockings page. Select a county, then select start and end dates and press “Go.”

The second in a series of occasional profiles of birdwatchers who are from or spend a lot of time in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Bonnie Ginader

Bonnie Ginader/Contributed photo

Family: daughter, Aimee Gevirtz, and son, Geoff Ginader. Four grandchildren, one great-granddaughter.

Lives in: Millcreek Township

College: B.S., mathematics, Grove City College

Profession: Realtor^R, Pennington Lines Real Estate.

Originally from: Erie

Favorite bird: Woodcock

Favorite places to bird in northwestern Pennsylvania: Presque Isle State Park, Erie Bluffs State Park, Siegel Marsh, Pymatuning State Park.

Rarest bird I’ve seen: Piping Plover

Read the rest of this entry »

State Game Lands 314 in Springfield Township will grow by 40 acres after the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners approved the purchase of an interior tract from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

The Game Commission said the purchase price is $41,912 — $23,000 from the Game Fund and the remainder through third-party commitments for compensation of habitat and recreational losses on game lands from previously approved projects.

The conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to acquire the property through funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Joint Venture Habitat Restoration Protection Grant.

The Game Commission said the property, which can be accessed from Lynch Road, is within an Important Bird Area; at least three species of special concern are on or near the property. A Conrail Railroad right-of-way and a minor stretch of a Turkey Creek tributary are on the property.

No use of the surface for oil and gas exploration, production, removal or sale will be allowed on the property, according to the Game Commission.

Bob Lewis, of West Springfield, shot a 10-point near his home. The deer was the largest in his 48 years of hunting; it had a 17 1/2-inch and 20-inch outside spread, and the rack was more than 15 inches high.

Jared Dikeman, of North East, shot a gorgeous 9-point while hunting in Wattsburg.

Dikeman’s deer was one of the finalists for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year. Voting ended Dec. 31; watch for the public vote winner and an editor’s choice winner Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News sports section and at NWPAOutdoors.com.

George King, of Girard, used his crossbow to shoot an 11-point trophy buck in East Springfield during archery season. The deer weighed 198 pounds field dressed and had a 21 1/4-inch outside spread.

Vote for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year at goerie.com/deeroftheyear. Voting ends Monday, and the Deer of the Year will be announced Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News and on www.GoErie.com, along with an Editor’s Choice pick.

You can still submit your deer photo to the GoErie Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Sid Otteni shot his 9-point Nov. 26 in Franklin Township, Erie County. The buck’s rack had a 25 1/8-inch spread.

Sid Otteni Buck

Bradford Watson, of Fairview, shot a 12-point buck Dec. 1 on State Game Land 314 in West Springfield.

Vote for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year at goerie.com/deeroftheyear. Voting ends Dec. 31, and the Deer of the Year will be announced Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News and on www.GoErie.com, along with an Editor’s Choice pick.

You can still submit your deer photo to the GoErie Hunting and Fishing gallery.

Jamie Gawlinski, of Union City, shot a 10-point in Oil City. The buck’s rack had a 21-inch spread.

Vote for the NWPA Outdoors Deer of the Year at goerie.com/deeroftheyear. Voting ends Dec. 31, and the Deer of the Year will be announced Jan. 6 in the Erie Times-News and on www.GoErie.com, along with an Editor’s Choice pick.

You can still submit your deer photo to the GoErie Hunting and Fishing gallery.