Jeff Meets Mark

It's always a magical moment when the young naturalist gets to meet the seasoned veteran!  Too bad that Mark Musselman, the education Director at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, is both older and less-seasoned than Jeff Corwin, who "has been working for the conservation of endangered species and ecosystems around the world since he was a teenager."  He's also had some television shows, but who hasn't been on television before? As we noted in a previous entry, Jeff Corwin has never been to the internationally-recognized, largest-remaining, old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp in the world.

 Go ahead and pat yourself on the back if you already have that on your resume.  Well, while at the South Carolina Science Council's annual conference in Myrtle Beach, we put on the hard sell.  While Jeff Corwin was trapped in the exhibit hall for a book signing, we snuck away from our Francis Beidler Forest display booth and presented Jeff with a information-packed brochure, a business card with all the contact information, a Francis Beidler Forest patch and secured the valuable items together with a Francis Beidler Forest pin.  Not only did we present the material to Jeff Corwin in a manner that made it difficult to move directly to the nearest recycling bin, but we have photographic evidence of Jeff Corwin reading the material!

Budgets within school districts and within state agencies were already strained prior to the downturn on Wall Street.  However, the ensuing budgetary retractions have cut staff and travel funds making for disappointing attendance numbers.  The South Carolina Department of

 Natural Resources did not show and teacher attendance was down 500-700 below projections.  Of the 825 teachers in attendance, some were the sole representative of their district, their school, and/or their grade level.  At the Francis Beidler Forest booth, we made contact with approximately 150 individuals.  Besides talking about the unique ecosystem at Beidler Forest and the educational opportunities, we directed them to the educators section, the curriculum section, and the species images on our webpage.

Hopefully, between Jeff Corwin's conservation contacts, our contact with the teachers at the conference, and your word-of-mouth advertising, we will be able to spread the word about the planetary jewel located in South Carolina's Four Holes Swamp!

Booth image by Mark Musselman

Jeff Corwin image by A. B. Marshall

Feeding Wildlife

When you visit the new observation tower at Goodson Lake along the boardwalk at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest, you will likely see Yellow-bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) swimming right to the deck.  Although we have not seen anyone feeding the turtles, we suspect that human snacks are making their way into the swamp food web.  Never a good thing.

A photo we recently received via email shows

 that the problem is even worse in the nearby Francis Marion National Forest.  Black Bears have been spotted near Four Holes Swamp with one being hit by a vehicle on Interstate 26 near Jedburg.

No worries at the Francis Beidler Forest, our picnic tables are safe from bears, black and Yogi alike!

Maggot Mystery

We, the staff at the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center, have never claimed to know everything. However, it is a rare day that something is seen or found and nobody in the building can identify it or even point the curious in the right direction. It happened on Friday!

While preparing some vials of scent for the Girl Scouts' Saturday activity on smells, Mike Dawson decided that the Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), which had fallen into the rain-filled garbage can and expired, would make that perfect "foul odor." He had already removed the carcass and relocated to a spot in the forest away from the parking area. In the process of turning over the carcass in search of some "smelly 'possum juice," several creatures dropped out and began squirming on the ground. One of the specimens was brought into the office for identification by the staff. No such luck. The closest anyone came to a descriptive identification was "a sperm on tons of steroids." Spying the specimen this morning in its vial of alcohol reminded us to solve the mystery.

The Drone fly is well-documented in the rest of the world having arrived in North America prior to 1874. We've got to get out of the office more often! According to the North Carolina State University webpage, the rattailed maggots are the little darlings of drone flies, which resemble honey bees in behavior and appearance (though they have but one set of wings). The larvae are aquatic, so it's no surprise that they were in the semi-submerged, dumpster-diving Opossum. The species Eristalis tenax or Eristalinus aenus are difficult to identify in the larval stage. "The cylindrical, grub-like body may be up to 20 mm long with a tail-like breathing tube 30 to 40 mm long. This hard-bodied life stage is resistant to crushing." --NCSU

Copyright © 2005 Lynette Schimming

Until we get a good picture of the larvae, look here.


"Feeding Habits -- These flies are attracted by colorful flowers (especially yellow) as well as by odors of decay. They do not suck blood. Rattailed maggots feed on decaying organic matter in stagnant water or moist excrement." --NCSU. As the swamp is NOT stagnant water and we do not frequent sites of "moist excrement," it might explain why we haven't seen these guys before.

"Life History -- Drone flies have an unusual and little-studied life cycle. The female fly lays 4 or 5 eggs on or near contaminated water, sewage or other decaying organic matter. The larvae which hatch from these eggs are reported to reproduce paedogenetically, that is, each one gives rise to 7 to 30 daughter larvae. This method of reproduction may last for some time, but periodically female and male flies are also produced. Larvae can withstand many adverse conditions but are eaten by other fly larvae, particularly those of the genera Ophyra, Muscina, Phaonia, etc. Pupation usually occurs in a site drier than that in which the larvae developed. The number of annual generations produced is unknown." --NCSU. Are the flies from the other genera, which we think is scientific geek-talk for rival gangs, actually the dimwits of the fly world? Why else would they dine on the young of a species that actively sought out contaminated water, sewage, or moist excrement as choice birthing habitat?

Thinking back, we wonder how this would have worked for us..."Contractions? Honey, would you prefer giving birth at East Cooper Regional Medical Center or the wastewater treatment plant?"

South Carolina Science Council

Next week, the education department from the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center will be manning a booth at the South Carolina Science Council conference in Myrtle Beach. A copy of the program shows a variety of science-related workshops and lessons that can improve the quality of science instruction in South Carolina classrooms. We hope to draw attention to the unique educational opportunities in the natural classroom located in Four Holes Swamp!

Contrary to the office rumor mill, we did sign up because Jeff Corwin would be a guest speaker at the conference! Besides, Jeff Corwin has never been to the internationally-recognized, old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp that we get to call our office!

Visit us at the Francis Beidler Forest! Then you too can say that you've done something that Jeff Corwin has never done.

Images by Mark Musselman

Pictured are a small Red-bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster), two Yellow-bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) and a Southeastern Five-lined Skink (Eumeces inexpectatus).

Eew! That smell!

"Ooooh that smell! Can't you smell that smell? Ooooh that smell! The smell of death surrounds you..." (Lynyrd Skynyrd). Well, we couldn't smell it on Tuesday, but today the smell of a dead deer was quite apparent to the Goose Creek High School juniors and seniors as they walked on the boardwalk. However, there were those in the Francis Beidler Forest that had no problem picking up the scent of death on Tuesday.

With a mug that only a mother could love, we introduce the Turkey Vulture (Coragyps atratus).

Until recently, the New World vultures were thought to be related to raptors as are their Old World cousins. However, DNA analysis has shown that the New World vultures are actually related to storks and ibises. Differences in physical characteristics support the DNA findings. New World vultures have weaker, thinner beaks than Old World vultures and the feet of New World vultures are chicken-like when compared to the raptor-like feet of their Old World cousins.

Most people realize that Turkey Vultures (named for their nearly-featherless, turkey-like head) eat carrion, but the birds also supplement their diet with shallow-water-aquatic vegetation and vegetable crops. The Turkey Vulture's digestion system has the ability to kill any virus or bacteria in the food that they eat. The nearly-featherless head allows the species to stick its head into a carcass without accumulating excessive carrion and its associated bacteria. Any bacteria that does stick to the head can be baked off by perching in the sun, which is partially the purpose of spread-wing Horaltic Pose. Heat regulation is another purpose of this pose.

Turkey Vultures use their keen eyesight AND sense of smell to locate a meal. Turkey Vultures are one of the few birds that use a sense of smell. If the deer by the boardwalk is what they're smelling, we'll pass on a keener sense of smell! Unlike reports of Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus), Turkey Vultures are non-aggressive and will not dine on living prey. If threatened, Turkey Vultures may hiss (they can only hiss or grunt) and vomit their partially-digested carrion meal. The foul smell and possible burning if the vomit contacts sensitive tissue (eyes) will likely deter a predator. A heavy meal might also be jettisoned if a bird needs to quickly attain flight. The inability to get off the ground in a hurry is a danger when feeding on roadkill and dealing with automobile traffic.

Turkey Vultures usually raise two chicks that appear white with dark heads. These birds do not build typical nests. Eggs are laid on the ground of caves, scratched out depressions in the soil, or in abandoned buildings. Chicks fledge after 70-80 days.

Turkey Vultures are tremendous soaring birds. They generally will not leave their roosting site until the air has warmed and begun to rise (as warm air is wont to do!). The vultures will flap their way into a thermal of rising warm air and then slowly soar their way to the top of the thermal with their 6-foot wingspan. Turkey Vultures can move laterally across the landscape by gliding towards another thermal. The birds will lose altitude as they move between thermals, but they can gain back the altitude by slowly soaring to the top of the new thermal. In this manner, Turkey Vutures can stay aloft for over six hours, travel up to 140 miles, and never flap their wings! This tactic is quite beneficial during long-distance migrations. Although we have Turkey Vultures here all year, the winter birds may not be the birds that are here in the warmer months. Turkey Vultures made up some of the birds spotted during the Rivers of Raptors trip to Mexico.

Turkey Vultures often defecate on their own legs, using the evaporation of the water in the feces to cool itself down. Really? Along with the vomitting, diet of decaying flesh, and the ugly mug, we suggest the Turkey Vulture gets a better PR rep!

Images by Mark Musselman

River of Raptors

Audubon South Carolina’s Director of Bird Conservation, Jeff Mollenhauer, and Development Director, Nancyjean Nettles, recently returned from a trip to Veracruz, Mexico where they observed the “River of Raptors.” Veracruz is well-known as one of the best spots in the world to observe migrating hawks and vultures in the entire world. In fact, more than 5 million raptors pass through Veracruz each fall! Single day totals at the hawk watch stations there often surpass 100,000 birds and can even go higher than 500,000 birds! Three species make up the majority of the birds counted at the hawk watch stations in Veracruz: Broad-winged Hawks (~1.8 million), Turkey Vultures (~1.5 million), and Swainson’s Hawks (~1 million).

In addition to seeing tens of thousands of migrating raptors during their trip, there were also several other spectacular sights. One morning at the La Mancha Biological Research Station, they saw a flight of perhaps 10,000 – 50,000 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers heading south to their wintering grounds! There were so many flying over in a constant stream that they looked like dragonflies. Without using binoculars, Jeff was counting approximately 60-75 per minute flying over the birdwatching group. The flight continued for several hours until small groups began to settle in trees. One tree was observed to contain more than 50 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers!

Another stop on the trip, a highlight for many of the participants, was watching an estimated 500,000 bats pour out of a cave at dusk. The cave was no more than a small hole in the ground in the middle of a field of corn. As the first bats flew out of the cave a pair of Aplomado Falcons and a Bat Falcon made several attempts to catch them, but were unsuccessful. Soon the tiny trickle of bats became so thick that they even created their own breeze! It was amazing to see how well they were able to navigate using echolocation. The bats had no problem flying between participants and even through people’s legs!

We hope to make another trip down to this amazing area in October 2009. If you are interested in joining us to see the River of Raptors in Veracruz, please contact Jeff Mollenhauer at jmollenhauer@audubon.org

Images by Jeff Mollenhauer

Timber Rattlesnake

It's getting cooler and the days are getting shorter at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Snakes of all species, including the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) are looking for mates and possible winter den sites.

According to Davidson Herpetology, “The timber rattler is one of the species of snakes typically used by religions that practice snake handling. Most timber rattlers are reluctant to rattle or bite, and instead, rely on their excellent camouflage for protection.” Notice how the dark patter on the snake matches the shadows on the forest floor, while the light colors match dead leaves and the orange stripe matches the fallen pine needles. Watch your step! Fortunately, although reaching large sizes, most individuals are docile when encountered in the wild and often will remain coiled or stretched out without moving. If threatened, they can deliver a venomous bite. However, the majority of documented bites have occurred when individuals were trying to pick up the reptiles.

The average size of Timber Rattlesnakes is four feet with males, up to six feet long, getting larger than females. All have solid black tails and black chevrons on the back and sides with the point of the (V) directed toward the head. Often a brown or orange stripe is present running down the middle of the back.

The Timber Rattlesnake populations require suitable winter denning sites in order to thrive. Therefore, habitat loss and habitat fragmentation are the main threats facing this species. Timber Rattlesnakes are known to den communally and will return to the same den year after year in order to hibernate through the winter. Not only is the loss of suitable den sites critical to the Timber Rattlesnake population, but the communal denning behavior makes the species vulnerable to persecution (killed or collected) by humans. Several of the tree stumps outside our office windows have been used over the years by Timber Rattlesnakes as well as other snake species.

Females reach maturity after at least 5 years and typically wait at least 2 or 4 years between litters. The live young (5–20 per litter) are born in late summer or early fall around the same time that courtship and mating occur. Timber Rattlesnakes may live 20 years or more eating mostly rodents, which include mice, rats, and squirrels. The snakes rely heavily on their sense of smell to detect their prey. They spend the majority of their time (day and night) remaining motionless in coiled, ambush positions along animal runways awaiting the approach of unwary prey.

Beyond humans and their activities, Eastern Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula getula) are the only predator with which adult Timber Rattlesnakes apparently need to concern themselves.

Images by Mark Musselman

Regional Growth Plans

At the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center, we are keenly interested in the regional growth plans. The Post and Courier has posted an interactive map on their website that provides

basic information regarding the various governmental plans, including links to more detailed information and how citizens can become involved in the planning process.

A look at the Francis Beidler Forest's boundaries on Google Earth shows Four Holes Swamp as a ribbon of green winding through parts of Orangeburg County, Dorchester County, and Berkeley County. A closer look also shows development encroaching on green spaces in all three counties. Protecting land as the National Audubon Society has done with the Francis Beidler Forest or through conservation easements as Norfolk Southern Railroad has done with the Brosnan Forest or as private landowners have done will keep critical portions of the region green. However, unplanned growth in the remaining portions of these counties, as well as Charleston County, could have negative effects on the protected green spaces. Therefore, public involvement in the ongoing comprehensive planning process is crucial in developing a balanced plan for future growth and the quality of life issues.

If, in 1969, individuals in our area had not seen the value in protecting the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp that is the core of the Francis Beidler Forest, such a place would absent for at least another 1000 years! In other words, such a place would likely be lost to humankind. Like those in 1969, we need to be vigilant as the region grows to ensure we don't lose what we love before we notice it's gone.

Image by Mark Musselman

Wildlife Watching in the United States

A new report recently released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows that "expenditures on wildlife watching are equivalent to the amount of revenue from all spectator sports (football, baseball, and other sports), all amusement parks and arcades, casinos (except casino hotels), bowling centers, and skiing facilities."

Using data from the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s new addendum report Wildlife Watching in the United States: The Economic Impacts on National and State Economies in 2006 states, "In addition to contributing significantly to people’s enjoyment of the outdoors, wildlife watching has a substantial impact on the nation’s and states’ economies. The $45.7 billion spent on wildlife equipment and trips in 2006 contributed substantially to federal and state tax revenues, jobs, earnings, and economic output."

In 2006, the direct expenditures of wildlife watchers generated $122.6 billion in total industrial output. This resulted in 1,063,482 jobs, a federal tax revenue of $9.3 billion, and a state and local tax revenue of $8.9 billion. The report details the economic impacts of wildlife watching expenditures by state with South Carolina's being found here. The top five states ranked by economic output include California, Florida, Texas, Georgia and New York. Direct expenditures by wildlife watchers were for items such as cameras, binoculars and bird food, as well as trip-related expenses such as lodging, transportation and food.

The report addresses participation nationwide in wildlife watching, associated expenditures and estimates of the total economic activity generated by these expenditures. In addition, it addresses the total employment and income associated with wildlife watching expenditures and estimates of the generated state and federal tax revenue. In 2006, nearly 71 million Americans (16 years of age and older) spent more than $45 billion observing, feeding, and photographing wildlife.

Come watch the wildlife at either the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center or the Silver Bluff Audubon Center.

Images by Mark Musselman

TogetherGreen and Rain

We have been in West Virginia for the last week at the National Conservation Training Center for TogetherGreen training.  Our days were full from sunrise to well beyond sunset with professional development and training regarding the implementation of our TogetherGreen Prothonotary Warbler banding project.  Blissfully, cell phone reception and Internet access was not readily-accessible.  Therefore, the blog took off a week.

Image by Brian Jonkers, NCTC

We did not arrive home until 0130 this morning due to flight delays caused by severe

 thunderstorms and fog in and around Atlanta, GA.  Today, the 8th graders from St. George Middle School were scheduled to visit the old-growth swamp at the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center, walk the 1.75-mile boardwalk, and discover the meaning of watersheds via the Hydrophobic Horse map activity.  Unfortunately, another severe thunderstorm system formed in the early morning hours and began streaming north straight at Four Holes Swamp and the Francis Beidler Forest.  In the interest of safety (and not our bleary eyes), we canceled the field trip, since the thunderstorms would arrive at the swamp while the students were out on the boardwalk beneath all those tall, lightning-attracting cypress trees!  To our chagrin, the storms streamed north all morning and repeatedly disappeared at the Georgia-South Carolina border.  If we had known that, we would have proceeded with the visit as schedule, but then the storms would have held together instead.

"Blessed are the flexible...for they shall not be broken." --Emilio Williams of The Koi Group 

Head of the Cloud

Fourth graders from Vance-Providence Elementary School visited the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. In addition to walking the 1.75-mile boardwalk through the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp, students learned about the water cycle using an adaptation of Project Learning Tree's Head of the Cloud.

In order to understand the swamp ecosystem and the dangers it faces, citizens must understand the water cycle. The Head of the Cloud activity had students moving between eight stations (cloud, bluff, groundwater, animals, plants, Singletary Stream, Atlantic Ocean, and the swamp). At each station, students read a strip describing what happened to their water molecule at that stop. For example, they may have evaporated and condensed into a cloud or they may have been consumed by an otter. After ten stops, the students have enough information to write descriptive accounts of their journey through the water cycle. Using their experiences and their unique stories, students can help educate the community regarding the journey South Carolina's water makes, in part through the swamp, from the mountains to the sea!

Image by Mark Musselman

Francis Beidler Forest Ramsar video

In a previous entry, we highlighted the inclusion of the Francis Beidler Forest in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance, which lists wetland's based upon their international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology, or hydrology.

A video describing the designation has been posted to YouTube and can be seen here.

Image by Mark Musselman

Pennies for the Planet

TogetherGreen the environmental initiative created through an alliance between the National Audubon Society and Toyota, has selected Francis Beidler Forest as one of three entities nationwide to receive funds from its “Pennies for the Planet” program.



The program kicks off in the Fall of 2008 and continues through June of 2009. Thousands of classrooms will receive information about the program through Weekly Reader and Audubon Adventures (Audubon’s in school environmental education program in 5,000 classrooms). Additional promotion will be provided through educational networks including museums, zoos and aquariums; Toyota dealerships; and “Pennies for the Planet” online, part of the http://www.togethergreen.org/ website.

Educational materials will include educators’ guides with activity ideas and information about conservation, posters highlighting the importance of conservation, and online information and activities. Every penny raised through “Pennies for the Planet” will be equally divided among the three conservation projects selected by TogetherGreen:


1) Francis Beidler Forest as the “Habitat Conservation” selection;

2) Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative as the research entity;

3) Project Puffin (Maine) for the bird focus.

The funds that will be given to Beidler Forest will ONLY be used toward the purchase of habitat for protection. By taking part, kids get a chance to tackle local challenges while raising funds to support national biodiversity conservation. And every participant will receive special recognition on the “Pennies for the Planet” website.

Pennies for the Planet is an excellent environmental project for classrooms, after-school clubs, Scout Troops and others to talk about the importance of our natural world and the need to protect it locally and globally. Pennies for the Planet educations kits will be available nationwide starting in the fall or picked up from any Audubon Center - including Beidler Forest! Teachers, home-schooling parents and anyone interested in helping young people learn more about species and wildlife, conservation action projects in their communities, and the protection of wild places and the creatures who live there, are invited to participate.

Additional information can be found at http://www.togethergreen.org/.


Images by Mark Musselman

Death From Above

At the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center, the Barred Owl (Strix varia) is widely known as the silent killer on the wing. However, there is another bird that brings death from a perch and a near-silent glide.

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America states that the Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) is “uncommon.” It also states that the bird is, “Found in mature lowland forests with clearings and water.” As habitat loss is the bird’s main threat, maybe that is why they are not uncommon here in the swamp at the Francis Beidler Forest. While watching a male Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) hawking for insects on and around a Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor) near the boardwalk, we felt as if we were being watched.

We’ve learned that in the swamp, it is wise to pay attention to our Spiderman-like swampy sense. A 360-degree look around brought our eyes to the Red-shouldered Hawk adhering to the Sibley guide…“Solitary. Hunts mainly from perch within forests.” What, you may ask, is on the menu? Sibley states, “Feeds mainly on reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and birds.” We have plenty of those prey items here in the swamp. Before spotting the hawk, we had seen an Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) with nasty looking Tree Squirrel Bot Fly (Cuterebra emasculator) wounds. Apparently, our boardwalk-hugging hawk has a discerning palette.

From numerous spots on the boardwalk, the hawk’s head was blocked by a collection of small branches and leaves. Getting off the boardwalk, we were able to move closer and get an unobstructed view. Finally, we crossed the invisible line of “too close.” With a gentle admonishment, the Red-shouldered Hawk dropped from its perch and soared effortlessly to a new perch on a neighboring tree. Happy hunting!

The talon images are from a hawk killed by a car last year.

Images by Mark Musselman

The Glamorous Side of EE

Environmental education is not only about learning the life cycle of a butterfly, identifying aquatic invertebrates, or discussing solutions to conservation issues.

“Behind the scenes environmental education” is seen here as Mike Andrews, land management specialist at Silver Bluff Audubon Center & Sanctuary and Dan Connelly, Silver Bluff sanctuary manager (at right), protect the roof of the classroom trailer with an “elastomeric coating.” Many such activities are required throughout the year in order to provide quality programming at the Silver Bluff and Francis Beidler Forest Audubon centers.

Images by Paul Koehler

Take a Child Outside

Take a Child Outside Week begins today. No, this week is not in support of corporal punishment. No, this week is not in support of a quieter church service or an enjoyable operatic experience. The goal of this week is "to help break down obstacles that keep children from discovering the natural world. By arming parents, teachers and other caregivers with resources on outdoor activities, our goal is to help children across the country develop a better understanding and appreciation of the environment in which they live, and a burgeoning enthusiasm for its exploration."

Wow! That sounds like what we strive to do every week of every year here at the Francis Beidler Forest Audubon Center in Four Holes Swamp. We encourage you to take your child outside to a place like no other on the planet! You can find a variety of lesson plans on our education curriculum page as well as wildlife and plant information on our species lists and images pages. For the long-range planners, next summer's bird-themed camp will provide your child with a full week of outdoor exposure!

If you don't have a child handy, don't let that stop you from going outside! Check out what we have available for any and all visitors to the Francis Beidler Forest.

Images by Mark Musselman

Beach-nesting Bird Management Workshop

As part of its initiative to protect seabirds and restore South Carolina's nesting populations to their former size, Audubon south Carolina has agreed to help fund an educational and monitoring position with the Department of Natural Resources to educate the public about the new regulations and monitor seabird and human activity on the islands. Workshops (see details below) help support this initiative.

Despite South Carolina’s multitude of barrier islands (an estimated 3,000 on the lower coast alone) only five are known to support seabird nesting. Among them are Bird Key, Crab Bank and Deveaux Bank, properties under the protection and ownership of the Heritage Preserve System and Audubon Important Bird Areas.


These properties were brought into the ownership of the Heritage Preserve System due to their critical nature to seabirds. Past regulations closed nesting areas on these properties during the nesting season. Each year DNR staff post warnings and set up rope barriers to protect the nesting sites. However, those attempts at controlling intrusions into the nesting areas failed. Footprints and dog tracks literally criss-cross the nesting sites.

Evidence is showing that disturbance is having an impact on nesting seabirds – birds that nest in large groups and are extremely vulnerable when even one of these sites are impacted. They have literally put all of their eggs in one basket. In the early 1990’s Bird Key was the largest Brown Pelican rookery in the entire United States, boasting over 4,000 nests each year. There were no nesting Brown Pelicans on Bird Key in 2005 and signs point to disturbance as a major factor. Our state’s total population of Brown Pelicans is reaching a low level not seen since the days before the ban on DDT.

Under new regulations, Bird Key Stono and Crab Bank are both closed to humans and pets from March 15th of each year to October 15th of each year. Deveaux Bank, because of its large size, continues to have some recreational uses below the mean high tide line, such as sportfishing.

The Beach-nesting Bird Management Workshop will help managers and volunteers identify and protect critical shorebird nesting habitat.



Purpose: To teach managers to identify birds that nest on SC beaches and to recognize preferred habitat; to review the status of these avian species; to demonstrate simple techniques that can protect beach-nesting birds.

When: October 30th, 2008, 8:00am – 4:00pm

Where: Charleston, SC at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources facilities at the Marine Resource Center Auditorium (in the MRRI building) http://www.dnr.sc.gov/marine/mrri/mrc.html

This workshop is intended for:
Federal, state, county, and private land managers in coastal South Carolina.
County and city officials involved in land-use planning
People interested in volunteering to protect beach-nesting or rooftop nesting birds

Registration Information:
The registration fee is $5 to cover costs of snacks and refreshments during meeting. We will take orders for lunch (sandwiches) from 7:30-8:00 at the registration table. You may also bring your own lunch. Please bring cash to the meeting to pay for registration and lunch (if you wish to purchase). If you want to go on the field trip, please contact Jeff Mollenhauer at jmollenhauer@audubon.org or 843-462-2150. We need to arrange boat space prior to the meeting.

Program Overview:
7:30-8:00 Coffee and Breakfast (outside auditorium, no drinks or food allowed in auditorium); Registration and lunch orders taken

8:00 Introduction and Overview of South Carolina Shorebird Project – Jeff Mollenhauer, Audubon South Carolina

8:20 Statewide Perspective of Seabird/Shorebird Populations and Information
About Posting Nesting Areas – Felicia Sanders, SCNDR

8:50 Shorebird Conservation & Managing for Human/Dog Disturbance – Sid
Maddock, Audubon North Carolina

9:20 Importance of Intertidal Zone and Effects of Human Disturbance – Lisa
Eggert, Clemson University

9:50 – BREAK

10:10 How to Create Least Tern/Wilson’s Plover Habitat – Mike Walker, SCPRT

10:40 Developing a Statewide Wilson’s Plover Survey – Kerri Dikun, Coastal
Carolina University and Jeff Mollenhauer, Audubon South Carolina

11:10 How to Manage Rooftop Nesting Least Tern Colonies – Monique Borboen,
Audubon of Florida

11:40 Conducting Research on Rooftop Nesting Least Terns – Chris Hill, Coastal
Carolina University

12:00 – LUNCH picnic tables at the outdoor classroom behind the Marshland House

1:30 – 4:00 Field Trip (by boat) to Morris Island and/or Crab Bank to learn about key beach-nesting bird habitats, how to identify shorebirds/seabirds, and see a demonstration of sign posting.

Image by Jeff Mollenhauer

Clearing

Due to the approach of Tropical Storm Hanna on Friday, we cleared the office early at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Thankfully, there was little wind associated with the storm and therefore no boardwalk repairs waiting for us on Saturday. Unfortunately, there was also precious little rain associated with the storm. Our rain gauge at the nature center showed only 1" fell on site. The swamp remains rather dry and the skies continue to be clear.


Today, clearing began on three 2-acre parcels in the grassland restoration site near the US Hwy 15 and I-26 intersection. As we've previously written (entry 1 and 2), this restoration project will create perennial, warm-season grassland on 38 acres of previously-logged land. This grassland will be for the benefit of grassland bird species, specifically sparrows, buntings, bobwhite quail and other ground-nesting birds. Grassland habitat is diminished through conversion to agriculture, conversion to managed forest, and development.

Although it doesn't look pretty today, the rich smell of dark, turned earth indicated to us that the grassland ecosystem will thrive on this site.

Images by Mark Musselman

Hurricane Train!

Well, as of the 1400 EDT report, it looks like the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest will dodge the effects of Tropical Storm (could-be Hurricane) Hanna. We came dressed to crawl in the fine powder under the building, haul out the hurricane shutters, and wear out our finger tips screwing on the end caps. The really fun jobs always seem to get cancelled! Oh, wait! Looking to the east there is Hurricane Ike and Tropical Storm (can't wait to be Hurricane) Josephine! We may yet get a chance to run shutter drills.

As the morning was not to be filled with shuttering as planned, we set about updating and enhancing the education department curriculum page. We know...you're jealous, right? Each grade-level page can be reached from the curriculum page. The grade-level pages have been modified to show our emphasis on the two curriculum units, birds and wetlands/watersheds. The lessons that are currently written for these units can be found under the headings "Pre-trip," "At Beidler Forest," and "Post-trip." For second grade, clicking on the "Decoupage Habitat" lesson in the "Pre-trip" brings up the full lesson as a PDF. Lessons continue to be added as week-long units are being developed for each grade. Those units will be posted soon.

Regardless of what appears on satellite images FAR to the east, this is a wonderful time of the year to take a field trip to the swamp! If you are a teacher, know a teacher, or simply play a teacher on tv, see what we have to offer by visiting our evolving curriculum page and letting others know of its existence!

Hello, Hanna

Well, we did ask for rain to put water back into the swamp. Maybe we should be careful when we ask for such things at this time of the year. Today, the first order of business at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest was a discussion on Hurricane Hanna. The latest projected track shows the eye going right over Four Holes Swamp.

There is not too much that can be done at Beidler Forest beyond putting shutters on the windows and backing up important files to portable drives. The boardwalk will need to fend for itself...it's likely to lose all one-on-one battles with falling trees or branches dropping from 100 feet. Whether the winds howl at hurricane strength or not, this Friday's Audubon South Carolina board meeting may need to be postponed. The eye of Hanna is scheduled to arrive sometime in the early morning on Friday after the advance guard of wind and rain.

Hurricanes are not always a destructive force in the swamp. Obviously, in 1989, Hurricane Hugo rearranged the landscape, especially in the higher, drier areas that border the swamp. Over 80% of the pines and hardwoods were knocked down between the nature center and the swamp. Only 10% of the canopy was removed in the cypress-tupelo swamp itself, but much of the boardwalk was damaged by falling debris. However, ten years prior to Hugo, Hurricane David slowly worked its way up the coast with strikingly different results.

Hurricanes are fueled by warm water evaporating and condensing as it cools at higher altitudes. That condensed water falls as rain. Hurricane David hugged the coast, giving it a supply of warm water, and was slow-moving, so it had ample time to dump copious amounts of water across the landscape. Four Holes Swamp worked admirably as a wetland, filling with the tremendous volume of water and slowly releasing that water downstream into the Edisto River. Flooding occured where it should have occured (in the floodplain of the swamp) and was not considered disasterous because no human structures have been built in normally-wet areas of the swamp. What a novel idea!

Hurricanes help to move heat and water around the globe, which is beneficial overall. Tell that to the 10-year-old whose sleepover birthday party is Friday.