Critters on the ice.
There are several animals that we see on the ice from time to time.
We find a common loon or two most winters. Usually they are in a bird hole that they keep open swiming around and diving for fish. The hole gets bigger and smaller as the temperature changes. They use their feet to get up to take off speed and can only take off on water. Crows and other preditors probably take them if they are on an ice sheet.
Ducks can sometimes be found in bird holes. When Lake Champlain closed in 2014 there were thousands of birds in the open water of the two ferry lanes. Most of them were diving ducks: Buffleheads, Golden Eyes, Ring Necks, Common Mergansers, and a few other species that were less common. The lake closed in 2015 but most of the ducks were able to go south.
Occasionally a Great Blue Heron can be seen getting a few more fish before migratingon. They make use of open water in swamps. Bald Eagle's are pretty common, usually flying overhead or sometimes on the ice near the edge.
Deer are common on ponds that have woods around them. Coyotes often drve them onto the ice where the deer's hard slippery feet splay making impossible to run. The coyotes kill them and often leave only a little blood and hair on the ice. The coyotes will only occasionally be seen crossing the ice in daylight. Red foxes are occasionally seen.
Otters are pretty common on some ponds and streams. They usually leave a bunch of mussel shells near their nest. Actually seeing an otter is unlikely. Beavers are common in good habitat but they are seen much in the winter.
Rescuing wildlife: In Vermont you are required to get in touch with a rehabilitator for the animal in question before you do anything. Deer and Coyotes are do not have rehabilitation programs. If you find an animal you think should be rescued you should find a rehabilitator for that animal and contact them.
In my limited experience with loons is that they are pretty well protected if they are in a bird hole. If they are on the ice they are are more vulnerable to predation. They are big birds and have a long pointy beak that they use for catching fish and for poking the eyes of predators. Seeing a deer trying to walk with four splayed legs is a sad site. In the two deer rescues I was present for we may have been bringing dinner to the coyotes that chased the deer onto the ice.
Dogs (pets): a few people die every year trying to rescue their dogs. The best advice is to call 911 and focus on guiding rescue personel to the best access. Keeping your dog on a leash and staying away from areas with potential weak ice will eliminate most of the risk.
