Trillium

Some may already know that the only place in South Carolina to find a significant population of Dwarf or Carolina Least Trillium (Trillium pusillum) is at the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest. Along with migratory songbirds, the flowers of the Dwarf Trillium (T. pusillum)will return between March and May. The small flowers will bloom white and change to pink or purple. Don't blink or you may miss them!

Today's phone call from New Jersey was not about Dwarf Trillium (T. pusillum), but about Mottled Trillium (T. maculatum). A gentleman studying the trillium genus was calling to locate sites in the Charleston area that contained Mottled Trillium (T. maculatum). We did not know of specific sites, but we did know a source that would. Richard Porcher, along with Douglas Rayner, authored the book A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina. Before calling Richard Porcher, we checked the trillium references in his book and discovered that we have Mottled Trillium (T. maculatum) within the sanctuary atop the limestone-bedrock bluffs. The book notes: "In Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry and Lower Pee Dee, this species was erroneously identified as Trillium cuneatum, which is actually a piedmont and mountain species. The difference between the two is slight...(omitted reference to image and appendix). Separation is necessary because their ranges overlap in the piedmont, although the two are never found together."

Based on the references available at the time, we had identified our plants as Little Sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum) when in fact they are Mottled Trillium (T. maculatum). However, due to the phone call soliciting information, we experienced a reversal of roles being the learner instead of the teacher. Actually, in the complex natural world, that occurs more often than we like to advertise!

Next month, the trillium that we will see blooming on the limestone-bedrock bluffs above the swamp will be Mottled Trillium (T. maculatum). We stand corrected!

Images by Mark Musselman

Dwarf Trillium

Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) has begun to bloom at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.  No flowers can be seen from the boardwalk, but plants have emerged from the leaf litter near the boardwalk and will be blooming soon.  Here are entries from years past.

Dwarf Trillium - Mark Musselman

Dr. Richard Porcher began studying the Dwarf Trillium after Hurricane Hugo opened the forest canopy above the plants, which precipitated a spike in the trillium population.  Currently, Dr. Danny Gustafson of The Citadel is studying the Dwarf Trillium and annually brings his ecology class to Beidler Forest to collect data.

Camouflaged Data Collectors - Mark Musselman

A downward trend in the species' population has been detected as the canopy has begun to fill.  In order to help this rare plant maintain or increase its population, we will be conducting some selective pruning in and around the study plots.  We will trod lightly as not to trample any plants or any ants that serve as seed dispersers.  The trillium seeds have nutrient rich appendages, called elaiosomes, which the ants eat once they have carried the seed back to their nest.  Housecleaning throws the unharmed seed out with the trash and new Dwarf Trillium colonies can begin some distance from their parent plants.

Mutualism, ask your kids or a friend's kids, is at work.  The ants benefit, the trillium benefits, and we benefit by being able to see a rare plant right in our figurative backyard.

Geolocators 2.0 - Time to Meet the Birds!

In our last post, we described the process for attaching geolocators to a bird as part of our ongoing project with Prothonotary Warblers (read it here). In this second installment, we'll introduce you to the eight birds that we chose to fit with geolocators at Beidler this spring. We gave each bird a nickname based on the colors of their bands in hopes that it will be easier to remember (and find) them next year. Because each bird is assigned an alphanumeric combination based on their band colors, we thought nicknames might be easier to remember instead of codes like A1501 or A1674! As a reminder, both the bands and the geolocator are attached in as quick and safe of way as possible, causing minimal stress to the birds.  

Here's a reminder of the band colors that we've used over the last three years. Note: the three far right bands with split colors are referred to as "year" bands; each was used on every bird banded in a given year, but not used in any other year.

In order to learn anything from these devices, we have to relocate each bird in 2017 and take the geolocator off. With that in mind, we hope that you'll read on, get to know these birds, and come join us in 2017 as we look for these birds on their return trip to the swamp.

Without further ado, it's time to meet the birds!



Aster
Aster was one of the first birds banded when Project PROTHO started back up in 2014. He has returned to Beidler Forest at least three times, and he is the first bird that we’ve ever confirmed nesting in the same exact cavity two years in a row! His territory for the last three years has been right near the #7 rest shelter.  His nickname comes from the green and yellow bands on his right leg, colors shared by sunflowers and other members of the Aster family.

Aster - pictured when he was first banded on April 4th, 2014.

Blueberry 
One of only two females to receive a geolocator, Blueberry nested in a nest box near where the boardwalk splits to go to the lake. She got her nickname from the blue and black bands on her right leg. Her mate was Lichen, another bird that received a geolocator (meet him below).

Blueberry - named for her blue and black color bands.

Blueberry with geolocator.

Buckeye
The first bird we banded in 2015, Buckeye has spent the last two springs breeding near the rain shelter at #9 along the boardwalk. He's named for the double red bands on his right leg, the same color as the flowers of the Red Buckeye which blooms in the swamp in early spring. He was the last individual to receive a geolocator, which we attached on July 4th weekend. 

Buckeye with his geolocator.

  

Buckeye's double red bands on his right leg (Photo by Mac Stone).

Holly
Like Buckeye, Holly was banded in 2015; in fact, for the last two years these two males have battled over territory near #9. Holly also has a red band on his right leg, but it is accompanied by a green band, just like the red and green coloration of Holly trees that grow in the swamp's drier areas. 

Holly, aka A1501, being released (photo by Mac Stone).

Indigo
Indigo was first banded on June 11th of this year, and then captured again in early July to carry a geolocator. He nested with a female on top of the nest box that's attached to the back of the sign next to the observation tower at the lake. He sports a blue and green band on his right leg, hence his nickname reminiscent of the flowers of Wild Indigo growing in the fields adjacent to the swamp.

 

Meet Indigo! (Sorry, don't have a photo of this bands.)

 Iris
Iris is the second female we tagged this spring. Named for her pretty blue and orange bands like the flowers of the Dwarf Crested Iris, she nested in the cypress knee at the Meeting Tree made famous by Don Wuori's award-winning photograph (scroll down the list of Audubon's 2015 photography award winners at this link). Though not banded until late in the season, we think that she may have attempted to nest three times (or maybe even four!) in the area around the Meeting Tree, something we've never documented in the swamp! Hopefully she'll be back to do it again in 2017.

Look for her near the boardwalk fork and Meeting Tree.

Iris's orange and blue bands.

 Lichen
 Like Aster, Lichen was one of the first birds banded back in 2014. He has come back to Beidler the last two years and always seems to hang out in the area where the boardwalk turns left to go to the lake. This year, he nested with Blueberry in a nest box in that area. He sports a green and gray band on his right leg - which reminded us of the beautiful, subtle colors of the lichens growing on the trees in the swamp. 

Look for Lichen (and his gray and green bands) at the turn to the lake.

Trillium
Last but not least, our final Prothonotary Warbler with a geolocator is nicknamed "Trillium;" we think the white and yellow bands on his right leg resemble the flowers of the endangered Dwarf Trillium that grows in the dryer areas of the swamp. Trillium nested with a female in a cypress knee at #8 (this is at the snake interpretive sign for those that know their way around the boardwalk). 

Trillium's yellow and white bands.

Trillium

In just a few short months, we hope all eight of these beautiful birds will be back nesting in the swamp. Once we get into 2017, we'll have another post with a call for volunteers, and some tips for finding Prothonotary Warblers when you visit Beidler Forest.
 

Bloomin' Swamp

Although it's not officially spring, it's beginning to look like it in the swamp at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Many of the trees buffering the swamp have already begun leafing out and some of the young Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) and the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) have begun leafing out in the swamp itself.

Along the edges of the swamp and on the bluff overlooking Mallard Lake, some of the first wildflowers are showing themselves. Near #2 along the boardwalk Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) is blooming above a carpet of pinestraw and poison ivy. Beidler Forest is the only site in South Carolina known to have Dwarf Trillium.

The bright, white blossom of Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) stands in contrast to the dried, brown leaf litter on the forest floor of the bluff overlooking Mallard Lake. "Indians used the red juice from the roots to dye baskets and clothingand to make war paint. Appalachian crafters today still use the red juice to dye baskets and cloth. Indians also used the sap as an insect repellent and used the dried root to cure rattlesnake bites. When it became known that the Indians used the root as a somewhat successful treatment for tumors, interest in the plant increased. Drugs developed from bloodroot effectively treat ringworm and eczema." (Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry and Lower Pee Dee, Richard D. Porcher)

Nearby the bluff, Little Sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum) is also blooming. Royal Fern is (Osmunda regalis) is returning along the boardwalk near #5. Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) has been blooming in the forest and along roadsides since last week. "This is the state flower of South Carolina and is often cultivated. All parts are poisonous when taken internally, but not to the touch. Children have been poisoned by sucking the nectar from the flowers, probably mistaking them for honeysuckle." (Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry and Lower Pee Dee, Richard D. Porcher)

Images by Brad Dalton

Yellow-crowned Night Herons Are Back

Visitors to the boardwalk at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest spotted the first Yellow-crowned Night Heron of the season.  They snapped a picture of the bird wading in the creek channel near #15, which looked just like the one we took years ago.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron - Mark Musselman

Yellow-throated Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers continue to fill the swamp with their vocalizations.  There are other signs in the swamp that spring is rapidly approaching!  Dwarf (Least) Trillium (Trillium pusillum) is above ground, but not yet blooming.

Dwarf Trillium - Mark Musselman

Reptiles are basking in the sun.

Eastern Mud Turtle - Mark Musselman

Pileated Woodpeckers and other woodpecker species maintain a high volume of chatter and activity in search of insects.

Pileated Woodpecker - Mark Musselman

At least one bird was already setting up housekeeping by excavating a nest cavity.  We heard what appeared to be the gentle tapping of a Downy Woodpecker, but could not locate the bird. We finally zeroed in on the sound and identified the small tree from which the sound emanated.  However, we still could not see the bird and the trunk did not seem sufficiently wide to conceal a bird hiding on the other side.  Finally, we realized that the woodpecker was working inside the cavity.  Therefore, we were surprised when a Carolina Chickadee appeared at the entrance to eject the excavated material.

Carolina Chickadee - Mark Musselman

We do not know if the chickadee created the cavity or merely enlarged an existing cavity, but we were impressed nonetheless.

If spring cleaning has begun, can spring be far behind?

Mardi Gras in the Swamp

The sun continues to shine at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.  Although the temperatures remained in the 60Fs, spring is in the air for the resident plants and animals.  Trees like Redbud (Cercis canadensis) are blooming and Red Maples (Acer rubrum) have gone to seed.  Bald Cypress, which are usually some of the last trees produce leaves, are greening along with the rest of the forest with Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) and Butterweed (Senecio glabellus) set to bloom.  Today's song of the Northern Parula (Parula americana) begins the countdown for the return of the Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) at the end of the month.

Over the last few days there have been numerous reports of Common Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) moving about in search of a mate, Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata) on logs near #1, and numerous Yellow-bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) in and around Goodson Lake.

With chicks to feed, Barred Owls (Strix varia) are increasingly visible as they perch low above the water hunting crayfish.  The images below show one individual with a crayfish in its talons and then in its beak.  It did not immediately eat the crayfish as it had consumed another only moments before catching the latest crayfish.  However, before we departed the crayfish disappeared into the owl and the owl flew to a near perch over the shallow creek channel.

Being accustomed to people on the boardwalk or unwilling to depart their sunny spot, animals around the boardwalk are photogenic this time of year.

Images by Mark Musselman

New Moth Species

While many wait for word that the Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) have returned to the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest or that the Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) has finally bloomed, we have news of a new species of moth identified as part of the old-growth, cypress-tupelo swamp.

Sarah Todd, the new seasonal naturalist for this spring, caught sight of an Eight-spotted Forester (Alypia octomaculata) in the parking area as we walked toward the power line that crosses the swamp.  Ironically, we were going to the power line to show Sarah where we envision a native plant plot to attract butterflies, dragonflies, and birds for observation and identification by visiting students.  As the trip was to be quick and simple, we left the camera in the office.  Stepping outside without the camera never ceases to be a mistake.  The moth settled on the light-colored driveway, which contrasted nicely with its nearly-black wings.  On the dorsal side, two large yellow spots on the forewing were opposite two large white spots on the hindwing.  Bee-pollen-like orange on the front and middle legs and yellow tegula, or small appendages at the base of the wings, gave this moth a distinctive appearance.  There was no doubt as to whether or not we had seen this moth before.

Although we missed the opportunity to capture an image of the moth, we have added it to our growing list of insects at the sanctuary.  Images and additional information on the Eight-spotted Forester can be found here.

Other notable firsts today, Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) and Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) were both heard outside the outdoor classroom.

P.S. Brad Dalton was able to supply an image that he took at Beidler Forest in April 2007.

Spring Hints

Although today's weather at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest has turned gray and cool with rain on the way, the last few days have hinted that spring is on the way!  Hang in there!

SPOILER ALERT - this is a reptile-heavy blog entry!

One of the first animals spotted by a student from the Trinity Montessori School was a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura).  Remember that dead deer?  Well, the falling water level has finally allowed the deer to soften sufficiently for vulture access.  Depending on the direction of the wind, there is also now a hint of deer on the warm air.

The warm air (only in the low 60Fs, but warmer than the water) also lured some of the reptiles from there winter hideouts.  The alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) made its first appearance over the weekend, but gave the students a show yesterday by swimming to the middle of Goodson Lake and hauling its great bulk up and over a log.  Plenty of "Ooooooohs" from the crowd!

Around the corner by the other platform, an Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus) was sunning outside of its cypress tree den, a Brown Water Snake (Nerodia taxispilota) was sunning on a cypress knee, and a Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata fasciata) was sunning on a fallen cypress limb.  Along the edge of the swamp near #14, a trio of Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata) were basking on logs, including one showing the identification notch from Dr. Jackie Litzgus' research.

After the school group's departure, we headed back onto the boardwalk to collect several bottles that had recently floated in on the high water.  Although the sun had disappeared behind the low clouds, several more snakes had ventured from their winter shelter.  An Eastern Cottonmouth was coiled under the piece of boardwalk left at #4 to show damage caused by Hurricane Hugo, while a Banded Water Snake was on a log on the opposite side of the boardwalk.  Near #5, the Greenish Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta x quadrivittata) showed itself in its cypress tree den.  Just beyond #6, another Banded Water Snake was out on a log.

The Yellow-throated Warblers (Dendroica dominica) are singing, the Red Maples (Acer rubrum) are pushing out red, the Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) have pushed through the pine straw, and the reptiles are showing themselves!  Spring is coming!

Images by Mark Musselman

We're a Wetlands of International Importance!

The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an inter-governmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 158 Contracting Parties (countries) to the Convention, with 1,722 wetland sites, totaling 160 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. That is larger than the combined surface area of France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland! Wetlands are selected for inclusion on the Ramsar list, based upon their international significance in terms of ecology, botany, zoology, limnology, or hydrology.

The National Audubon Society’s Francis Beidler Forest, located in Four Holes Swamp, South Carolina will be the 23rd designated Ramsar site in the United States and the first ever in South Carolina! It is also the first National Audubon Society property in the United States to receive this designation. Beidler Forest will join other elite American Ramsar “listers” as the Everglades National Park, Okefenokee Swamp and Chesapeake Bay.

Beidler Forest qualified for listing on the following criteria:
1. Importance to Biogeographical Region’s Representative, Rare or Unique Wetlands (the 1,800 acres of virgin swamp);
2. Importance to Endangered, Threatened or Otherwise Sensitive Species (16 species of fauna, 3 species of flora); [see image of Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum)]
3. Importance in Maintaining Regional Biological Diversity (over 300 vertebrate species and over 300 plant species);
4. Importance as Habitat for Critical Stage in the Biological Cycles of Plants and Animals (eg. Designated as an Audubon Important Bird Area);
5. Importance to fish for food, spawning ground, nursery and/or migration paths for fish stocks, either within the wetland or elsewhere.

The official name of the treaty, The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as waterfowl habitat, reflects the original emphasis upon the conservation and wise use of wetlands primarily as habitat for water birds. Over the years, however, the Convention has broadened its scope of implementation to cover all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use, recognizing wetlands as ecosystems that are extremely important for biodiversity conservation and for the well being of human communities.

How much press do you think South Carolina will receive when being #1 on a list is unique and of international significance? Nonetheless, thank you to all whose support allows us to preserve the Francis Beidler Forest!

Images by Mark Musselman

Blooming Spring

With the recent warm weather, the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest is experiencing a plethora of flowering plants.  We noted the Dwarf Trillium (Trillium pusillum) yesterday.  Nearby, the Common Blue Violet is flowering.  The color of this plant is highly variable ranging from deep purple to almost white with a wash of purple.

During Saturday's field trip to the marl bluff overlooking Mallard Lake, we found Spring Coral-root (Corallorrhiza wisteriana).  This plant is part of a group called saprophytes.  Saprophytes have no chlorophyll and therefore do not photosynthesize.  Saprophytes are either parasitic or, as is the case with Spring Coral-root, obtain their food from decaying organic material.  In order to maximize the amount of water and nutrients absorbed from the forest soil and overlaying decaying organic material, Spring Coral-root and other saprophytic flowering plants have developed a mycorrhizal association with fungus.  The fungus at the plant's roots increases the total surface area for absorption and passes the water and food to the plant.  The relationship is obligate and the saprophyte will not survive without the fungus.  Therefore, transplanting saprophytic flowering plants is nearly impossible as the relationship between the plant, the fungus, and the specific soil are difficult to replicate at another site.

Images by Mark Musselman