Muscadine Grape

Just as the boardwalk begins to level off of its descent from the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest, one encounters the Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia) sign. There is a nail in the tree next to the sign which signifies how close the water crept to the nature center after the rains of Hurricane David in 1979. To put that into perspective, grapes floating away from this vine would have bumped into the midrail of the boardwalk out by Goodson Lake.

Muscadine Grape is a high-climbing vine (up to 100') if trees of that height are available. From Richard D. Porcher's and Douglas A. Rayner's A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina, "Two types of domestic grapes originated from this species. Plants with amber-green fruits are called scuppernongs, and those with purple fruits are called muscadines (as are the wild, black-fruited plants). Few fruits have been used for so long and for so many uses as V. rotundifolia. The fruits can be eaten plain or made into wine, jelly, juice, preserves, used in pies, or sun dried for future use. Muscadine leaves can be stuffed or rolled with a wide assortment of foods, then boiled. Muscadines are rich in vitamins B and C and iron. A wide variety of wildlife eat muscadines, and they are excellent plants to cultivate for wildlife."

For those of you that thinking of collecting fruits before the wildlife get to them, remember that Muscadine Grape fruits during hurricane season (Aug-Oct).

Beaver Beware!

We thought the recently-arrived Beaver (Castor canadensis) had until the spring before it needed to worry about the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) patrolling the waters of the Francis Beidler Forest. As yesterday's images show, the large gator is quite conscious as the daytime temperatures nearly reached 70F. However, the water is still a chilly 46F (8C), which is too cold for the alligator to eat.

Once the water temperature drops below 60F, alligators cease eating. Alligators require the heat of the sun to help activate their digestive enzymes, so having a full stomach in these temperatures would likely be fatal. If eaten, the beaver would rot in the alligator's stomach instead of digesting. The beaver should still be wary or have a keen sense of when the water temperature hits 60F.

The next time you see an alligator sunning itself on a log or bank, it is likely using the sun to digest its last meal. It is unlawful to feed or harass alligators and they can outrun a human for short distances. However, if the alligator is sunning, it is likey not hungry and certainly less of a threat than one submerged and nearly invisible at the water's edge.

Can You Spot the Differences?

While trying to learn Adobe Photoshop at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, we made some changes to the image on the left that show in the image on the right. Can you find six differences? You can click on the images for a better view.

Rating:

6 = Superior observation skills; click here for possible work

5 = Outstanding eye...your friends and family surely wonder how you "catch" everything!

4 = Nice job, but you might miss the Ivory-billed Woodpecker if it flies overhead.

3 = Okay, but stepping on 50% of the venomous snakes would still be a problem.

2 = We don't suggest you cross the street without looking both ways several times!

1 = May we interest you in a shell game for a nominal playing fee?

0 = Has anyone told you that the new year has already begun?

Feel free to email us if you need a hint.

Rusty Blackbird

Yesterday, Jeff Mollenhauer, Audubon South Carolina’s Director of Bird Conservation, attended a workshop about Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus). You aren’t alone if you are wondering what a Rusty Blackbird is and why are they important enough to draw researchers from more than five states. "Aren’t they just a blackbird? Good for baking in pies?" Actually, some researchers have dubbed them as the “un-blackbird” because of their behavior differs from that of their close relatives. Their cousins, Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), cowbirds, and grackles, can often be found feeding in farm fields, lawns, backyards, and other open areas, while the Rusty Blackbird prefers to feed in forested wetlands on large invertebrates such as dragonfly or damselfly larvae and even small fish. Their behavior is similar to a shorebird, in that they walk along the edge of ponds or puddles flipping over leaves in search of prey and occasionally even wading out into the water. Rusty Blackbirds are also much quieter and shier than their loud, raucous cousins making them difficult for scientists to study. (Rusty Blackbird. Credit Donna Dewhurst, USFWS)

Over the past 40 years Rusty Blackbird populations may have declined by as much as 98% based on results from the Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count. There are an estimated 1.4 million Rusty Blackbirds remaining in the world. This may seem like a big number, but it is pretty small compared to the 70 million that roamed the earth forty years ago. Scientists have not yet determined the source of this precipitous decline, but are investigating habitat loss on both the breeding grounds in the boreal forests of Canada and wintering grounds in the southeastern United States. South Carolina boasts some of the highest numbers of wintering Rusty Blackbirds on the Atlantic Coast. Among the best sites to see Rusty Blackbirds in South Carolina are Donnelley WMA, Santee NWR, Savannah NWR, Magnolia Plantation, and Lake Conestee Nature Park. Rusty Blackbirds can be found in South Carolina from November to April.

Another potential cause of their decline may be mercury contamination of streams and wetlands. Studies have shown that insectivore food webs biomagnify mercury more than fish food webs. Since the Rusty Blackbird is feeds primarily on aquatic insects they may be more susceptible to mercury contamination than fish-eating birds. As we have reported previously, we are particularly concerned about mercury pollution in the South Carolina, since many of the waterways in the coastal plain already have fish consumption advisories due to elevated levels of mercury. In fact, mercury contamination is known to be high right here in Four Holes Swamp. About 50% of the mercury in our streams is probably attributable to natural sources, but the rest is mercury pollution from man-made sources. Coal-fired power plants are known to be a major source of mercury pollution. A recent study in eastern Ohio conducted by the EPA and University of Michigan, determined that coal combustion plants caused 70% of mercury pollution within the Ohio River Valley. Their analysis also indicated that much of the contamination was from local or regional sources.

So if you see a Rusty Blackbird, count yourself lucky and wish them well as they prepare for their trip north.

Plants of Francis Beidler Forest

While walking to the end of the boardwalk at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest to gather the quarterly water and benthic macroinvertebrate samples, we realized that we pass without much notice the many wonderfully-painted signs identifying some of the plants, especially trees.

Once a week we will highlight one of the plant species identified by signs like the one shown in the image. Obviously, this week's plant is the Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), which can be found in the many of the yards around the Lowcountry due to its "flowers". What most people think of as the flowers (see image) are actually large, white, petal-like bracts surrounding the yellow flower heads. The Flowering Dogwood blooms between March and April. The resulting berries are an important source of food for wildlife. Your children do not count as wildlife, especially as the dogwood fruit is poisonous to humans. This understory tree can be found in a variety of forests throughout the state.

According to Richard D. Porcher in Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry and Lower Pee Dee, "The powdered bark of dogwood was one of the most important sources of a drug during the Civil War. The drug was used as a substitute for quinine that became unavailable due to the blockade by Union forces. The twigs of dogwood have been used as chewsticks to clean teeth."

Photography Contest Reception

Audubon South Carolina announced the winners of the 2007 Audubon South Carolina Nature Photography Contest, co-sponsored by the Carolinas' Nature Photographers Association, and unveiled the display of the winning photographs at a reception on January 17th at the Summerville Visitor Center.

The contest invited photographers to capture the beauty of the natural world at the Beidler Forest and Silver Bluff Audubon Centers. Nearly 100 entries were submitted, with participants from as far away as California and Pennsylvania, as well as numerous entrants from North and South Carolina. Norman Brunswig, executive Director of Audubon South Carolina, is shown here awarding Joe Kegley.

Overall First Place Winner:

Joe Kegley’s “Prothonotary Warbler and Chick.”

Second Place Awards:

Carla Klouda ~ “Where Time Stands Still” (Plant/Landscape category)

Joe Kegley for “Fawn,” (Wildlife)

Third place Awards:

Forrest Roberts ~ “Beautiful Landing” (Wildlife)

Mark Hoyle ~ “Cypress” (Plant/Landscape)

Honorable Mention Awards:

Carla Klouda ~ “Female Spangled Skimmer” (Wildlife)

Forrest Roberts ~ “This Side Up” (Wildlife)

Reggie Daves ~ “Passion Flower with Gulf Fritillary” (Plant/Landscape)

Nancy Baldwin ~ “Atamasco Lily” and “Hollow Tree with Maple Seedling" (Plant/Landscape)

State senators Heyward Hutson, Patsy Knight and Randy Scott and Summerville Town Council members Howard Bridgman, Mike Dawson and Bob Jackson joined other members of the community to honor the photographers. The winning photographs will remain on display at the Summerville Visitor Center through the end of January and will be posted on the ASC webpage shortly.

Note: The 2008 Contest will begin on March 15th, with the guidelines and application made available on the website by mid-February.

Otter Nap

Today warmed up nicely once the sun came out at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. After hours of working in front of the computer, we decided to take a spin around the boardwalk and enjoy the bounty of water. As we approached Goodsen Lake at the far end of the boardwalk, we saw a pair of visitors obviously observing some wildlife.

What we all had a chance to observe was a sleepy River Otter (Lutra canadensis). Although the behavior was odd so close to humans, the otter appeared to be healthy and even took a brief swim before returning to the nook in the tree's buttress.

In other news, some of Audubon South Carolina's wildlife images were used by the Palm Beach Zoo in Palm Beach, Florida.

Pine and Black Water

Boardwalk maintenance got us out of the office at the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest and into the swamp recently filled by rain. On the high ground between the nature center and the swamp edge, we caught the strong scent of pine sap that transported us back to the 1970s and Pop Warner football in Satellite Beach, FL. Back then "stickum" was allowed and, as the center, we used gobs of it. Although this weekend will see the big boys playing for the right to travel to the Super Bowl, there was no Audubon League football between the Warblers and the Hawks. The sap scent was the result of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius)versus the Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda).

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are woodpeckers that are winter residents to our area. They drill holes in a variety of tree species and then return to eat the oozing sap (basically, sugar) and the insects that are also attracted to that sap. The trees are generally unaffected by the woodpecker woundings, though some trees are drilled from the ground to crown. In a few short weeks, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) will return from their winter vacation in more southern latitudes and may drink from holes created by late-departing sapsuckers.

The remaining images show the swamp in winter with a fresh sheet of "black" water spread throughout reflecting the mossy buttresses of Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum). We'll let the images speak for themselves.

Great Backyard Bird Count

Mark your calendars now! It's time once again for the Great Backyard Bird Count (Feb. 15th -18th). Everyone can participate regardless of their birding skills. Not sure that you qualify? Take a quick test..."What bird is pictured to the right?"

Even though the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a common bird around the state, you can help ornithologists and other scientists by counting and recording your sightings. Bird populations are dynamic and it is impossible for any group of scientists to capture a 4-day snapshot for the location of all the birds on our continent. However, this can be accomplished with a citizen/scientist team working within the myriad of communities and habitats in North America. Click here to learn more about why your participation is important.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes during February 15–18, 2008. Count birds at as many places and on as many days as you like—just keep a separate list of counts for each day and/or location.

2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time, and write it down. (You can get regional bird checklists here.)

3. Enter your results through our web page.

That's it! We'll look forward to receiving your counts. (From the Great Backyard Bird Count webpage)

As you can see from the image of South Carolina's 2007 results, there are plenty of reporting gaps in our state. We encourage everyone to spend AT LEAST 15 minutes during the four-day count to help extend the count coverage across the state. This is a tremendous opportunity for families to enjoy a fun, free and easy activity together!

Mingo in the Black Mingo

We redeemed comp time and stayed home the last two days, since the kids did not have school but the teacher-parents did need to report. As the days remained sunny and pleasant, we decided to take our 3-month-old Lab to her namesake.

General Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion fought at numerous sites in South Carolina and used our state's swamps to his advantage. He quite possibly rode beneath the very bald cypress that stand today in Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest. As noted previously, South Carolina has no natural lakes and the dams that created Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie were over 150 years from existence. In one of the battles that we remembered from our history lessons, Francis Marion maneuvered his troops through Black Mingo Swamp and attacked the British (see historical marker). When it came time to name the jet-black puppy from a water-loving breed, Mingo seemed appropriate.

Although the images show Mingo's first steps into Black Mingo Creek to be tentative, she quickly became comfortable moving into deeper water. Notice that the water appears to be a different and not-so-black color in the shallow water. Tannic acid from the leaves and bark of trees stains the water just as tea leaves add color and flavor to the South's favorite drink. The water is a uniform color throughout the swamp, but with less water in the shallow areas, there is less stain through which to peer. Deeper water contains more stained water. Therefore, the deeper water appears to be black. However, if that "black" water were to be scooped out in a clear glass, it would appear only slightly colored and significantly lighter than iced tea.

Although not confirmed, Mingo dipped in the Black Mingo appears to have taken on an Achilles-like cloak of invincibility...at least in her mind.

Monofilament Fishing Line

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began a monofilament recycling program in 2006 in an effort to heighten awareness of the detrimental side effects of marine debris, especially fishing line.

Monofilament fishing line is a flexible plastic that is an entanglement danger to wildlife. The SCDNR recycling program is designed to provide an opportunity for recreational anglers to recycle, rather than mindlessly discard, used fishing line. The Ocean Conservancy’s image shows a Brown Pelican that died as a result fishing line entanglement. Some birds will also use the fishing line as nesting material, which can lead to the death of chicks due to entanglement (image, USFWS).

According to the SCDNR, “the urgency and importance of recycling monofilament has already been documented. Previous research in Florida has determined that between 1995 and 2000, about 35 dolphins in the Southeast have been fatally wounded from monofilament related injuries. The Florida Marine Research Institute documented over the course of four years 163 sea turtles entangled in monofilament. During the same study, more than 250 seabirds were rescued from hook and fishing line entanglements.”

The monofilament recycling bins are constructed of plastic culvert pipe and can be found on fishing piers, near public boat landings, and around popular destination areas for anglers. The images show the bin installed at Mallard Lake for the 30-member fishing club that was formed to accommodate the long-standing fishing presence that existed prior to the creation of the Francis Beidler Forest. Information on how you can participate in this recycling program can be found here.

Once collected, monofilament fishing line is melted into reusable plastic pellets, which are then fashioned into tackle boxes, spools for fishing line, artificial fish habitats, and other plastic products. Between 1990 and 2006, over seven million miles of monofilament was recycled.

Piping Plover

Audubon South Carolina continues to work for the protecion of shorebirds and their habitats. On our webpage, you can read about our efforts to protect shorebird nesting islands in the Charleston area.

Tuesday evening, we made a presentation to the Hilton Head Island Audubon Society regarding the education program at the Francis Beidler Forest and our new webpage. At the meeting, Howard Costa, the president, asked for a volunteer to help him in the ongoing Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) survey on the island. Our schedule for the next day was flexible, so we made plans for a morning of very specific birding.

Piping Plovers are threatened throughout their wintering range, which is mainly along the South Atlantic, Gulf and Caribbean coasts. The birds on Hilton Head Island are counted in the critical habitat at the northeast "elbow" of the island desginated South Carolina Unit #15 (map). This area is on the southwest side of the entrance to Port Royal Sound and is across from Bay Point Island, which is a tremendous habitat for shorebirds and currently privately-owned and undeveloped. The Piping Plovers on Hilton Head Island could be from the Northern Great Plains, Great Lakes, or Atlantic Coast populations. Banding on the legs (as seen in the image) helps scientists determine to which population the bird belongs.

"Breeding and wintering plovers feed on exposed wet sand in wash zones; intertidal ocean beach; wrack lines; washover passes; mud-, sand-, and algal flats; and shorelines of streams, ephemeral ponds, lagoons, and salt marshes by probing for invertebrates at or just below the surface. They use beaches adjacent to foraging areas for roosting and preening. Small sand dunes, debris, and sparse vegetation within adjacent beaches provides shelter from wind and extreme temperatures." --U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Beyond protecting the critical habitat like that on the northern end of Hilton Head Island, we work to educate the public regarding threats to all shorebirds not simply the threatened or endangered species. After habitat loss, humans and their pets getting too close is the next major threat to the survival of shorebirds.

Shorebirds generally nest in the open with the eggs being extremely well-camouflaged on the ground. Walking through or letting a dog run through a nesting area can be devastating! Distrubing a nesting area can cause the adults to leave the nest, which exposes the eggs or young to predators and the brutal heat of the direct sunlight. On the wintering grounds, large numbers of shorebirds will congregate on the beach at high tide to rest before feeding when the tide goes out. Distrubing the birds (walking too close, allowing dogs to run on the beach, allowing children to chase the birds) causes the birds to expend energy unnecessarily for flight or movement and exposes them to the elements when they leave their sheltered positions. Imagine being snug within a cocoon of blankets on the couch with the winter wind howling outside. Now, image that every five minutes the doorbell rang and you had to get out from under your warm blankets and open the front door to a blast of Arctic air. It would be difficult to stay warm and you would certainly not be well-rested.

Shorebirds on barrier islands previously enjoyed a life isolated from human disturbance. Today, that isolation is difficult to find. However, humans can recognized the needs of shorebirds and give them the space and peace they need to enjoy a good nap between meals!

Image by Jeff Mollenhauer

Who Pulled the Plug on Lake Moultrie?

If you've been paying attention to the news, you may have heard that the Southeast is experiencing a drought. There have been plenty of images showing low water levels in the Upstate and around Atlanta, Georgia. We had heard that Lake Moultrie's water was low, but there have been no water restrictions, voluntary or otherwise, in Summerville, which draws its water from Lake Moultrie. As we had the day off yesterday, we decided to take a look for ourselves.

Wow! With the fog still lifting over a field of stumps, the first image shows the lake in the Hatchery Wildlife Management Area (WMA). Panning west, the second image appears more like an ocean shoreline than a tremendous reservoir. The trees in the distance are almost a mile from the normal shoreline. The ATV tracks demonstrate that the drivers are illiterate or have chosen to ignore the numerous signs regarding the ban on motor vehicles and hunting for archeological items below the high-water mark.

Moving west towards Cross, the third image shows an osprey nest in a bald cypress tree with Santee Cooper's Cross power plant in the background. We're not sure why the cypress trees in the lake appear stunted when compared to the trees here at the Francis Beidler Forest. The few trees that grow where they would normally be in water will soon have new neighbors. As noted in a the December 18th entry, drought conditions help cypress trees get a start and the lake's shoreline is several feet thick with 3-foot youngsters.

In many areas, the lake smelled like wet dog...not overpowering, but distracting nonetheless. A portion of the odor likely came from the acres of mollusks frying in the sun. Almost all had been opened, mechanically or by the sun, and cleaned out by the appreciative predators. There were raccoon tracks, but it appeared that birds were the main beneficiaries of the largest-ever mollusk roast. Although not interested in the mollusk morsels, there were numerous fresh tracks showing that alligators had taken advantage of the warming weather to move across the divide between their den sites and the water.

The final oddity of the Lake Moultrie trip appears in the last image. Spider webbing appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, on binoculars and the brims of hats. Webbing covered the entire lake bed and collected on the exposed stumps. Looking at birds through binoculars (because that's what we do), the thin, threads of silk could be seen streaming through the bright sky like an unlimited supply of Silly String launched during a birthday party battle. Spiderlings will ride a thread of silk when they strike out for new territory, but no spiders were seen riding these threads. We had ample opportunity to observe the threads collecting on our sunglasses, hats, and binoculars.

As naturalists, it's always interesting to see something new. However, whoever pulled the plug on Lake Moultrie can now put it back.

Charleston Christmas Bird Count

This was definitely a memorable Charleston Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for Jeff Mollenhauer and his crew, who were assigned to cover the Dewees Island portion of the count circle this year. Their trip started at 8:00am on December 31st in thick fog aboard the Dewees Island Ferry with an ominous forecast of 90% chance of showers. Although they could barely make out the shoreline of the creek through the thick fog, the temperature was a balmy 65 degrees. Many of the participants found it strange to be conducting a CBC in t-shirts.

The thick fog made it difficult to count birds at a distance in the salt marsh or ocean, so we focused much of our effort in the morning on counting woodland birds. Our best bird of the trip came at about 9:30am, a beautiful adult female Prairie Warbler! While we were counting a large flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers in a juniper out popped the Prairie Warbler. There was no mistaking the identification of this rare winter visitor to South Carolina, as we all got great looks its olive-green back and bright yellow under parts with distinct black streaks along the flanks. Prairie Warblers have only been seen on four of the last ten Charleston CBCs.

Another unusual bird for the Charleston CBC that was seen shortly thereafter was a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches. Red-breasted Nuthatches are an irruptive winter visitor in the coastal plain of South Carolina. During years of low food abundance in the north, these small nuthatches “irrupt” into the southern end of their wintering range. During the past 20 years, Red-breasted Nuthatches have only been seen on one Charleston CBC. This year is an irruption year for the Red-breasted Nuthatch and they have been reported throughout much of the coastal plain.

Some other highlights for the day were counting a roost of forty Black-crowned Night-Herons on a small pond; sorting through hundreds of resting Black Skimmers, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, and Western Sandpipers on the beach; watching more than seventy five North Gannets as they made spectacular dives for fish along the front beach of the island; and finding two Piping Plovers, one of South Carolina’s most imperiled species. As for the 90% chance of rain, thankfully we never saw a drop of it! We ended the day with much better visibility on the returning ferry and were able to spot a half dozen Common Loons in the creek and an adult Bald Eagle perched in a dead snag overlooking the salt marsh.

Special thanks to the rest of the team: Mark Musselman, Erin & John Sabine, Joe Fontaine, Linda Zinnikas, and especially Jonathan Lutz for guiding us and providing transportation on the island.

The totals for the count will be posted shortly at our new webpage http://www.sc.audubon.org/. Images by Joseph McAlhany, Jr.

Here is information from Bill Hilton, Jr. for a Piedmont CBC in York County.

Seabird Intern Position Available

SEABIRD INTERN: 1 temporary full-time position. Pay: $2500.00 + housing and utilities.

Dates: April 1-June 31, 2008

Location: Santee Coastal Reserve near McClellanville, SC

Qual: B.S. in a biological science or coursework toward same; seabird and shorebird ID skills helpful

Duties: Assist ongoing efforts of Audubon South Carolina and SC Dept. of Nat. Resources to monitor, post and protect three critical Important Bird Areas' (IBA) seabird nesting colonies and critical seabird species. Participate in census of nesting seabirds, shorebird monitoring and research. Conduct educational presentations and outreach in communities near seabird nesting colonies. Assist IBA Coordinator in identifying and involving volunteers in seabird protection efforts. Assist Cape Romain NWR biologist in sea turtle nest protection and monitoring. Must be able to lift 50 + pounds.

Appl. Send resume, letter of interest and 3 references to:

Ann Shahid, IBA Coordinator
Audubon South Carolina
336 Sanctuary Rd.
Harleyville, SC 29448

Ph: 843-462-2150

Fax: 843-462-2173

Email: ashahid@audubon.org

Please direct any questions regarding the position to:

Felicia Sanders, SCDNR, PO Box 37, McClellanville, SC 29458, Email:SandersF@dnr.sc.gov

Filing date: 02/20/08

Image by Jeff Mollenhauer

New Webpage is Up!

The new Audubon South Carolina webpage is up! Please take a look and let us know what you think, especially if you see a way for improvement.

You may need to change your brower's bookmark to point to the new webpage at:

http://sc.audubon.org/

We're Back!

After a tremendously restful Christmas vacation, we're all back in the office today. The Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest was open every day except Christmas and New Year's Day, but the other days were minimally staffed.

In case the frost on the windshield or the ice in the swamp were not sufficient to announce that winter had finally arrived, the near-freezing temperatures at foot level throughout the nature center are a constant reminder. Wool sweaters, wool socks, and jackets are not the standard office attire, but required in our swamp outpost on days like this.

Technical difficulties continue to postpone yesterday's planned launching of our new web site. However, the new, user-friendly site should be up and running shortly. The new site will be easier for visitors to navigate and for us to maintain. It will contain a larger collection of images and more resources for educators along with up-to-date information on what Audubon South Carolina and its chapters are doing. Keep watching that space!