Life Got You Upside Down?

For the new seasonal naturalists, today was another day around the 1.75-mile boardwalk at Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest...tough duty. With the water level low enough that all but the deepest creek channels have dried, today's trip provided ample opportunity to practice identifying tracks in the mud. Deer, raccoon, ibis, snake and turtle tracks were almost everywhere! One set of tracks was puzzling. The tracks appeared to be that of a turtle (rounded foot holes divided by smooth leveling of the plastron), but this set had what appeared to be a Grand Canyon-like trench down the middle. We decided that it was likely made by a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) moving through mud with the consistency of pudding.

As we were contemplating the odd track in the mud, we sensed that we were being watched. Behind us on the other side of the boardwalk, we spied the Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata fasciata) sunning itself on some exposed roots. Although snakes are always a high-interest reptile for visiting school groups, it was another reptile that quickly diverted our attention. A young Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) had flipped itself upside down. Unfortunately for the turtle, it had flipped in the small, loose material that had collected behind a fallen tree trunk when the water level was higher. In its effort to right itself, the turtle had simply worked itself into a deeper depression. The turtle was covered in green bottle flies, which is a term applied to a variety of blowfly species. The maggots of these flies prefer to eat dead tissue and will leave alone live tissue. Left alone, the turtle would not have survived. However, the flies were premature. In fact, the seemingly-aggravated turtle snapped at and caught a fly that ventured too close to the turtle's business end. The Monty Python quote, "I'm not dead yet!" came to mind. After we flipped the turtle back on its legs, it made tracks for safer ground!

Enough about near-death experiences...there is also plenty of life around the boardwalk. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) and its cousin Lavender Lobelia (Lobelia elongata) add color to the gray-brown mud cracking as the remaining moisture escapes.

After spooking a young group of four deer, we came upon migrating American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla). The males have the red/orange color, while the females and juveniles have the yellow color. These birds are seldom perched for more than a nanosecond, so capturing an image for our webpage had been tough. These are now the best images we have!

Images by Mark Musselman

Out-of-the-Office

We've been working at Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest, but we haven't been at the office computer!



On Saturday, we were back at Mepkin Abbey with the Master Naturalists from the Charleston area for a presentation by Father Guerric regarding the environmental mission of Mepkin Abbey and its influence on the management of the grounds. After Father Guerric's talk, the group met in the visitor's parking area for an introduction to basic Global Positioning Systems (GPS) navigation by Mark Musselman, education director at Beidler Forest.



The grounds at Mepkin Abbey are a combination of natural area, formal gardens, demonstration gardens, and habitats in the process of restoration. Simply strolling the grounds in the pleasant weather would have been restorative and enjoyable, but incorporating the GPS technology gave the tour the aura of a treasure hunt. Instead of being told that they would be walking over to the memorial to Charleston firefighters with an oak planted for each of the nine lives lost, the master naturalists were given a set of latitude/longitude coordinates. After brief demonstration of basic GPS operations, the group and their collection of owned and borrowed (from the SC Geographic Alliance) GPS units successfully navigated to the first stop.



In order to determine the coordinates for the next stop, participants needed to do a simple math problem using the number of lives honored (9) at the first stop. Once the calculations were done and the new coordinates entered, the participants navigated to stop #2 and found themselves in the labyrinth created from all native plants. Later stops brought the master naturalists to the plant identification path, the future site of a columbarium, sculptures from Hurricane Hugo-felled oaks, the Laurens family cemetery, and finally to the Luce Gardens for lunch. All participants made it to lunch while along the way dispensing with much of the mystery surrounding GPS navigation. A lunchtime bonus was a Bald Eagle perched high in a pine across the water.

After lunch, Father Guerric showed a demonstration vegetable garden grown in a minimal space as well as the native plant propogation facility. Native plants support native insects, which support native wildlife, including BIRDS. As when we last visited Mepkin Abbey, the Gulf Fritillary caterpillars were again dining on the potted passion flowers for sale. Unlike its brethren in the swamp, a very small Green Treefrog waited out the sunny day camouflaged on the green leaf of another plant. Green Treefrogs at Beidler Forest often appear on the gray bark of tupelos or other understory trees. However, the big suprise was another animal waiting out the sunny day on yet another native plant for sale.

Almost plucked off the plant by a master naturalist thinking he was removing a dried leaf, the Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis) hung unfazed by the crowd of gawkers and flashes from cameras. The Red Bat is a solitary, medium-sized (7-16g) bat with narrow wings, which allow for rapid flight but poor maneuverability. Eating mainly moths and beetles, Red Bats will land on light poles or on the ground to grab their prey. They forage in a variety of habitats, mostly over land, and prefer forested habitats. Red Bats are one of the species document in Four Holes Swamp. Although the Red Bats in our area may remain here throughout the year, bats residing farther north do migrate to warmer climates. Their southward movement appears triggered by the passing of cold fronts.

The nights are getting cooler, so the cold fronts should be appearing soon. Not only will bats migrate through the swamp, but a variety of birds will pass by to join Beidler Forest birds already vacationing farther south.

Images by Mark Musselman

The Young and the Restless

Today, we were leading the new seasonal naturalists around the boardwalk as they continue to orient themselves to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Although the water is gone from all but the deepest creek channels and holes and the mud has begun to crack, there is still plenty of life moving in the swamp. The mud alone told a story in the tracks of deer, raccoons, snakes, turtles, egrets, and opossums.

As soon as we reached the edge of the swamp, we spied a young Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) beneath the boardwalk. Near the interpretive sign for the swamp's snake species, two young Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus) snakes were inspecting cypress knees in search of a meal (likely amphibian). Close by, a pair of Common Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) were in the process of creating young snapping turtles. Soon, the flash of a white tail caught our attention and a young White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Although the fawn's spots are fading, it wasn't aware enough to avoid us and walked beneath the boardwalk just to our front. Finally, we walked up on a pair of Marsh Rabbits (Sylvilagus palustris) grooming themselves in a patch of Dwarf Palmetto.

Well, those are plenty of references to the young, but what about the restless. The alligator at Goodson Lake normally spends the day motionless on a log or at the lake's edge. Today, the alligator patrolled restlessly back and forth across the lake. Maybe the alligator was hungry...young beware!

Images by Mark Musselman

New Sightings in the Swamp

There were some new sightings in the swamp today. Most importantly, the new seasonal naturalists were spotted at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest! We'll save the full introductions until later. However, while showing Allison and Rachelle the boardwalk through the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp, we spotted something unusual at Goodson Lake...Wood Storks (Mycteria americana)!


Many of you may be familiar with Storks & Corks, which is an event hosted annually at the Silver Bluff Audubon Center near Aiken, SC. This year's event was held last month. The staff and visitors to Silver Bluff are accustomed to seeing Wood Storks, but the dense canopy of Four Holes Swamp usually relegates Wood Storks to "fly-over" status at the Beidler Forest. However, the space above Goodson Lake was apparently open enough for a dozen Wood Storks to settle in the trees around the lake's observation tower. Lousy day to forget the camera!

Wood Storks, the largest wading birds that breed in the United States, have been expanding their territory north of Florida as habitat within that state is eliminated or degraded. These birds are primarily tactile feeders, which allows them to feed in dark or murky water. Large populations were supported in south Florida when evaporation during the dry season concentrated prey in shallow water. This type of water draw down is done intentionally in the ponds at Silver Bluff. However, canals, irrigation, and other water diversion practices have altered the seasonal occurence of shallow water in southern Florida.

Although Wood Storks are not regular visitors to the Beidler Forest, they recognize an awesome place when they see it!

Image by Jeff Mollenhauer

Sea of Plastic

Beach image by people.tribe.net



One of the things we noticed on our trip to Maine last week was the lack of trash along the trails as we hiked through Acadia National Park. It was jarring then to see one plastic bottle marooned in the mud near the boardwalk at Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest! Scant litter floats through the Four Holes Swamp, but if it floats the gaunlet of cypress knees and buttresses, it will enter the Edisto River and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean.







Albatross image by David Liittschwager & Susan Middleton



Such a journey sounds unlikely, but a casual stroll on the beach tells a different story. Go farther from the shore and vast quantities of trash, either dumped or washed into the ocean, float within the marine food chain. It floats because it is nearly 90% plastic. According to Greenpeace, humans produce 200 billion pounds of plastic each year with 10% of that reaching the ocean. Only 20% of that total is from ships and platforms, so 80% of the plastic litter in the ocean comes from land! The United Nations Environment Program estimated in 2006 that every square mile of ocean hosts 46,000 pieces of floating plastic! In some cases, there is more plastic then plankton with the plastic and its associated contaminents working their way up the food chain.



Lately, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has been in the news with its estimated size double that of Texas. This video by Charles Moore details that problem that plastics pose to the marine ecosystem and ultimately to our quality of life.



Help us be part of the solution at the source...reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Return From Maine

We're back in South Carolina and it appears we brought some of Maine's fall-like weather with us!

After several days in the basement of the Eastland Park Hotel in Portland, Maine for the Audubon Education and Centers Conference, it was exhilarating to head northeast on U.S. 1 for a day of hiking in Acadia National Park! The skies were clear, the humidity was low, and the views spectacular.

From the park's webpage: "Acadia National Park is a land of contrast and diversity. Comprised of a cluster of islands on the Maine coast, Acadia is positioned within the broad transition zone between eastern deciduous and northern coniferous forests, and hosts several species and plant communities at the edge of their geographic range. Steep slopes rise above the rocky shore, including Cadillac Mountain, which at 1,530 feet is the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic coast. While surrounded by the ocean, the entire fabric of Acadia is interwoven with a wide variety of freshwater, estuarine, forest, and intertidal resources, many of which contain plant and animal species of international, national and state significance." The park's blog also describes recent Hawk Watch data.

Our day in the park (click on "view map" here) began before sunrise on Sept. 3rd, but not early enough to make it to the top of Cadillac Mountain before the sun cleared the horizon. Breathtaking nonetheless! We drove the park road loop and stopped at all the appropriate sites (Thunder Hole, Sand Beach, Otter Cliffs). We grabbed "breakfast" at Jordan Pond and continued around the loop road, which circles the east end of the park on Mt. Desert Island, to Bar Harbor. We grabbed some lunch supplies and headed for hiking on the Precipice Trail, which is advertised as "iron rungs and ladders on exposed cliffs, very steep." Sunscreen would have been a good idea as we scrambled up the east face of Champlain Mountain! That was an exhilarating hike! Can you find the man in the blue shirt in the next-to-last image?

We hiked south from Champlain Mt. by the Beehive (plenty of crazy people swimming in icy water of The Bowl) over Gorham Mt. to the trailhead. The majority of this hike was along the exposed ridgeline with ocean views to the south and east! We turned north along the seaside trail and made another stop at Thunder Hole. More people were present in the afternoon than were in the early morning. The water level still was not quite high enough to generate any "thunder," but we would have hated being in the water that close to the rocks as tragically happened when Tropical Storm Bill moved by last month. By the time we got back to the Precipice Trailhead, we were ready to sit in the car for the three-hour ride back to Portland. We hiked five hours and had our fill. Silly Flatlanders.

On Tuesday, the new seasonal naturalists arrive at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. We'll be rested and ready!

Images by Mark Musselman

Maine-bound

We depart tomorrow morning for Portland, Maine and the annual National Audubon Society Center Director/Education Director conference. Therefore, news from the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest may be spotty or replaced with reports from Maine.

Although Danny has been downgraded to a tropical depression and will not affect South Carolina, it will be off the coast of Maine as we fly north. A quick check of the local forecast via a Twitter contact revealed that we'll be leaving hot, humid summer for damp, cool fall.

MaineBirder@TheSwampThing Beautiful week ahead. 60's-70's w/chance rain Tuesday. Nights 30's-40's. Dress fall-like.

This morning, as we enjoyed not having to wake to an alarm clock, we were jolted to full consciousness by a 3.2-earthquake centered 5 kilometers below Summerville. We hope that travel and the conference are not quite as bumpy!

Vulture Awareness Day

Although schools and businesses are usually closed on International Vulture Awareness Day due to the vital role these birds play in our planet's varied ecosystems, this year September 5th falls on a Saturday. Oh, September 5th is also Labor Day.

Just like the decomposers on the forest's floor, vultures prevent the accumulation of organic material by rapidly and efficiently consuming dead animals. In the case of the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) shown in the images, the genus name Cathartes means purifier. Their keen sense of smell allows them to locate carcasses under the forest canopy. More-aggressive Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) may follow Turkey Vultures down to the food, so Turkey Vultures tend to specialize one smaller items that can be consumed quickly. Not having feathers on their heads makes it easier for vultures to stay clean while reaching into a carcass. Urinating on their feet helps vultures cool themselves while simultaneously killing dangerous pathogens collected from their last meal. Due to strong stomach acids, vultures are capable of eating carrion in all stages of decay.


Threats to vultures include pesticides, powerline electrocution, aircraft strikes (Turkey Vultures are the main avian species causing damage and fatalities in military aircraft), automobile strikes (while feeding on roadkill), and ingestion of pharmaceuticals or contaminants in carcasses. In fact, the last threat listed was sufficiently devastating to the vulture population in India that the sale of the veterinary drug diclofenac, which was used in cattle, was banned in 2006. The vulture population will be slow to rebound in India as the birds do not reproduce until age five and lay only one egg per year. Although the sale of the drug was banned, stock remained on the shelves and subsequently in the carcasses of dead cattle. Fewer vultures eating dead cattle could also lead to an increase in cattle-borne diseases, including anthrax.

Some information from:
Kirk, David A. and Michael J. Mossman. 1998. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/339
doi:10.2173/bna.339


Images by Mark Musselman

iTouch/iPhone apps

The education department at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest has received two iPod Touch devices; portable speakers, microphones, and carrying cases for both iPods; as well as a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. The equipment was purchased via a grant from the South Carolina Geographic Alliance's teacher counsultant program.

In the short-term, visiting students will be able to use the equipment, in addition to Flip video cameras and personal digital cameras, to record their experience in the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp. One of the iPod Touch's features is "audio memos," which will allow students to digitally record their questions and impressions of the swamp ecosystem. Using the data and images that students collect while at Beidler Forest along with the various audio, video and digital resources available on the Beidler Forest webpage or through the education department, students will be able to create and share materials and presentations describing their experience in the swamp.

In order to package Beidler Forest-related data onto the iPods for use by visiting students as well as making the data available to other interested parties using iPod Touch or iPhone devices, we will be creating an application (app). We welcome anyone who can volunteer their knowledge or experience in creating apps using the Obective-C programming language.

Image by Mark Musselman

Lifestyles of Not-so-rich & Famous

There are robins and there are leeches at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, but that is where any similarities end with the television show Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous.

The old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp is rich in biodiversity, including the largest leech we have ever seen on a turtle! The first two images show leeches (likely Placobdella parasitica) on a Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). Almost any turtle we handle in the swamp has at least one leech on its carapace. The leeches are able to access their meal between the scutes (sections) of the carapace or via the fleshy parts of the legs and neck. The turtle has a chance of scraping the leech off of its legs and neck. However, the turtle has little chance of getting a leech off of its carapace.

Quiz time...What does a reptile, like a turtle, seek that a leech would find uncomfortable? Heat from sunlight. In the last image, you can see that the leech has curled up and only the front and back end of the leech are actually touching the Yellow-bellied Slider's (Trachemys scripta scripta) carapace. The sun has dried the carapace and the shell is likely hot and getting hotter. Eventually, the leech will be in danger of desiccation (drying) and will be forced to detach and drop back into the water. Although all turtles will play host to leeches, turtles that bask in the sunlight tend to carry a significantly smaller parasitic load.

Images by Mark Musselman

Mystery Fungus

After a morning of entering Project PROTHO data into the Geographic Information System (GIS) database, we went out searching for any banded Prothontoary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) remaining at Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest. With a recorded call of a male Prothonotary Warbler, we attracted one unbanded male and A058 (shown in the image). We also came across a family of Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), including several fledglings whose plumage was only red in blotches.

Near the maintenance trail to the equipment barn, we came across a large fungus at the base of a long-dead tree. The fungus, which is over a foot in diameter, is currently a mystery. Whether we know the name or not, we're glad to have the decomposing abilities of fungus in the forest. Between the annual crop of falling leaves and trees dying from age, disease, insects, or lightning, we would rapidly be buried in organic debris if not for fungus!

Images by Mark Musselman

Deer, deer, deer...gator!

A quick maintenance-related spin around the 1.75-mile boardwalk that winds through the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp at Audubon's Francis Beidler Forest did not reveal the presence of many bird species. We did spy a group of four juvenile White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) wading up a channel just behind a River Otter (Lutra canadensis).

It's hot and humid, even in the swamp, and most of the animals wisely rest during the warmest periods of the day. We came across several White-tailed Deer. Some does had fawns in tow, including a set of twins, while some were alone, possibly with their fawns hidden nearby. While still small, fawns cannot escape danger as easily as their mothers, so does tend not to bed down next to their fawns. If the doe is detected, as in our images, she can move away from the danger and likely prevent her offspring from being discovered. Young deer may stay with their mothers for up to a year.

Although the large canine and feline predators have been eliminated from the ecosystem, young deer can still fall prey to bobcats, foxes, and coyotes. Additionally, it is deer hunting season again and hunting dogs have yet to master the reading of property boundary signs. Fawns can be separated from their mothers or become exhausted from the chase.

Whether young or old, deer always need to be wary about crossing deeper water in the swamp. Some of the "logs" in the water are watching and they've got a mouthful of teeth!

Images by Mark Musselman