There was a gathering of birds and ice this morning off the Marblehead lighthouse.

U S Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 16-12 will be conducting the About Boating Safely Class at the US Coast Guard Station Marblehead, 606 Prairie Street, Marblehead, on Saturday, Feb. 16.

Black Swamp Conservancy has acquired an 80-acre tract of land and donated it to Danbury Township in Ottawa County. The property, located on the Marblehead Peninsula, is adjacent to the township’s existing 111-acre Meadowbrook Marsh Preserve and will expand the size of the preserve to more than 190 acres.

Though the lake is not yet ready for ice fishing and though prospects do not look good with the warming trend this week, on Saturday there were ice fishermen at East Harbor State Park.  Several had portable ice shanties and some braved the cold and sat on buckets.  Some of the fishermen brought families and dogs, making the best of this window of opportunity for ice-fishing. See Photostream for more photos.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is requesting the state’s waterfowl hunters provide input on the timing of the 2013-2014 fall waterfowl hunting seasons and the locations where they prefer to hunt.

ODNR Division of Wildlife biologists are seeking input from Ohio waterfowl hunters through an online survey so season dates and opportunities can be matched to the preferences of as many hunters as possible within federal guidelines.