Westview Elementary

Over the last week, the entire fourth grade from Westview Elementary School visited the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest. While experiencing the wonders of the swamp, these eager learners saw a variety of wildlife, including Barred Owls, Eastern Cottonmouths, Red-bellied Water Snakes, Great Egrets, White Ibis, Banded Water Snakes, Yellow-bellied Sliders, Snapping Turtles (see images, notice the ornate leeches at the neck), Brown Water Snakes and White-tailed Deer. Additionally, the swamp was loud with the sounds of birds announcing their territory and availability!

Check out the education department calendar to see what days are still open for school visits.

SCE&G and Vance Elementary School

South Carolina Electric and Gas hosted Vance Elementary School at the unveiling of the SCE&G Outdoor Classroom at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest. Scana also sponsors the after-school program at Vance Elementary School.

Students created food chains and ultimately a complex food web by placing their individual magnets, which held images of various plants or animals, onto the magnetic white board in the outdoor classroom. Although the majority of the students indicated that they did not like snakes, they discovered that the food web would quickly move out of balance if all the snakes were removed. They learned that the same was true if a majority of the plants were removed or the habitat otherwise altered.

After the lesson in the classroom, the students moved out into the swamp to look for relationships between plants and animals and to indentify examples of animal needs (food, water, shelter and space). The highly-observant students spotted woodpecker holes, nests, capterpillar-chewed leaves, spider webs, deer tracks, a hunting cottonmouth, and two fighting Carolina Anoles (Anolis carolinensis) (see image).

Silver Bluff Coach & Carriage Drive

On March 23, seventeen coaches and carriages took part in the first annual Audubon Coach and Carriage Drive at Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary (near Jackson, SC). They traversed 7.3 miles of roads through the sanctuary, which showed the diversity of habitats and offered a glimpse of the beautiful Savannah River.

This special day was hosted by Jack Wetzel as a fundraising event for the sanctuary. Many spectators paid for the privilege of attending to observe the carriage driving, participate in bird and natural history walks, watch raptor demonstrations, and enjoy a delicious lunch – complete with chocolate riding boots for dessert!

CPR Training

The staff at the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest participated in their CPR recertification training. The training included basic CPR procedures and use of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which is located in the nature center. The staff also reviewed emergency procedures should anyone experience a medical situation on the boardwalk or the canoe trail.

The dragonfly in the other image is also working on its circulation. It has recently emerged from its life as an underwater macroinvertebrate and is preparing to begin its life as an adult. Its wings have not yet filled and stiffened to their flight-ready horizontally-extended position.

Silver Bluff Trail Ride

The 3rd annual Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary Trail Ride, held March 10, was enjoyed by 65 horseback riders and volunteers from around the state, with ages ranging from children to grandparents. The weather cooperated perfectly, and a bit of spring greening was evident as the riders explored nearly 14 miles of trails winding through the varied habitats at Silver Bluff. A mile of trail near the Savannah River was a new addition to the route this year and was a highlight for many. One participant rode that loop twice—though not meaning to!

Another highlight, as usual, was the chuck wagon run by members of the Midland Valley High School FFA Club. Their contribution to this event and others at Silver Bluff is appreciated by one and all.

If you missed the fun this year, put this date on your calendar for the 4th annual ride—March 8, 2008.

Charleston AFB Conservation Day

Audubon South Carolina participated in Earth Day celebrations at the Charleston Air Force Base. The staff from the Francis Beidler Forest brought macroinvertebrate samples for the participating 5th graders to explore and identify. The students learned that the quantities of various species indicate the general water quality in the swamp. By the way, the water in the swamp is outstanding!

"This is the best and most fun station of all!" said one student. Of course, we agree.

Red Hat Society

The Victorian Ladies Red Hat Society met on this lovely spring day to share in fellowship and the wonders of the Francis Beidler Forest. As you can see in the image, they came dressed to impress.

As they toured the boardwalk through the virgin, old-growth swamp, the ladies were serenaded by the returning songbirds. All were in agreement, "It was a delightful time!"

Summer Camp

As the weather continues to warm, thoughts of summer camp begin to stir. The Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest hosts three separate weeks of summer camp set in its unique swamp environment. Kids will become familiar with the virgin, old-growth cypress-tupelo swamp during their 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. day. They will see and learn about the variety of plants and animals in the swamp in addition to creating a plethora of swamp art!

The group in the image are getting a close look at the fawn in the other image.

This year's dates are:

June 18-22, 2007
June 25-29, 2007
July 9-13, 2007

Call 843.462.2150 to reserve a space.

Coach & Carriage Ride at Silver Bluff

Enjoy Unique Activities on March 23rd!

The 2007 Audubon Coach & Carriage Drive at Silver Bluff Sanctuary near Aiken features a day in Nature offering a variety of activities. Observe the Coach & Carriage drivers prepare their rigs and then view the array as they make their way along the 6+ mile forested trail. Guided birdwalks and live Raptor demonstrations will be ongoing. Attendees will also enjoy a sumptuous lunch at 1:00 pm, catered by the Green Boundary Club.

Be sure to make your reservations ($25 per person) by March 19th, by calling Audubon South Carolina at 843.462-2150

A.W.O.L.

Checkers, the corn snake (Elaphe guttata), is currently listed as A. W. O. L. (absent without leave)! After removing the skin that was shed, the lid to the cage was not secured. Sometime in the night, Checkers made a break for the freedom of the nature center. Unfortunately, Checkers picked the night before feeding day to escape and there is nothing of nutritional value for a snake in the center at Beidler Forest.

Authorities advise caution, so that Checkers (see image) is not stepped upon. However, Checkers is considered unarmed and not at all dangerous.

Update: 3/16/07 - Checkers surrendered at 10:00 a.m. without a struggle after being located in the back office.

Maintenance

Not all the work at the Francis Beidler Forest is glamorous! There is a considerable amount of maintenance work that must be accomplished to keep the facility open and informational. Lumber on the boardwalk periodically needs replacing; trees fall through the boardwalk; vegetation reaches into the driveway, boardwalk and canoe trail; buildings need painting, potholes in the driveway need filling; boundary lines need marking...you get the idea.

Today, it was time to freshen the paint on the signs identifying various trees and shrubs along the boardwalk. Brad and Pete, the seasonal naturalists, braved the fumes and are now experts in the black art of lettering.

Great Backyard Bird Count Results

Here are the results from South Carolina. A total of 188 species were reported with a 60% increase in the number of reports submitted (total of 1,409). South Carolina missed the top ten list by one species to Louisiana's 189. Thank you for supporting citizen science. Mark your calendars for next February!

Within the last two weeks, the Yellow-throated Warblers (shown in image) have returned to the Francis Beidler Forest. Neotropical songbirds will continue arriving daily from their wintering grounds in Central and South America. The question that many people ask is, "Are the Prothonotary Warblers back yet?" Not yet, but any day now!

Spotted Turtles

Looking over the images of a Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) captured on Monday, March 5th, a distinctive arrangement of spots was noticed. As you can see in the image, below the white star is a pattern of spots that form a "L" on the left side of the carapace. The image on the left is from 2006 and the one on the right is from 2007. This male certainly knows his left from his right. Below is the data from the last year's capture and last Monday's capture.

4/20/06 2:40pm 171g carapace 10.65cm plastron 8.60cm

3/5/07 2:45pm 175g carapace 10.91cm plastron 8.90cm

This male has bulked up some in the last year and just in time for mating season.

When you visit the Francis Beidler Forest, you can learn more about the Spotted Turtle by interacting with the touch-screen display in the nature center. The display and previous Spotted Turtle research at the Francis Beidler Forest were sponsored by Santee Cooper, which owns the powerline that cuts across Four Holes Swamp and provides critical basking sites for the turtles.

Jackie Litzgus studied Spotted Turtles for four years here at Beidler Forest. She grew up in southern Ontario, Canada and has been studying Spotted Turtles since a chance encounter in 1991 while working as a biology instructor at a canoe trip camp. In the Bug House, the name given to the shed that housed the camp’s equipment, Jackie discovered a moldy binder of forgotten research data for Spotted Turtles dating back to 1977. Jackie was fascinated and immediately set out to see if she could find any of the individual turtles in the nearby pond. She did and she was hooked!

As an undergraduate from University of Guelph, Jackie began studying the Spotted Turtles in the Ontario area (45N 06’, 80W 04’), which led to her Master’s degree on the subject from the same university. In Canada, the Spotted Turtle is listed as an endangered species. Jackie’s 29 years of data constitute the longest running data set for the species on the planet.

Having studied the Spotted Turtles at the northern extent of their range, Jackie began looking for suitable sites to study at the southern extent of their range. Florida was eliminated as a possibility, since there no longer exists a large or healthy population of Spotted Turtles. Jackie’s four-year study at the Francis Beidler Forest site, which led to her Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina, began at the suggestion of herpetologists in our state. Jackie is now back in Ontario as a professor studying turtles.

"It was an amazing experience. Beidler Forest is a herpetologists dream…all the reptiles. It’s spiritual among the trees."
--Jackie Litzgus

We couldn't agree more!

Snapping Turtle

While out on the boardwalk looking for Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata), several Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) were sighted. The female in the image has in her mouth the head of a Bowfin (Amia calva), which she was consuming.

Snapping Turtles have the reputation for being aggressive. On land when they are out of their element, they readily snap in self-defense. However, in the water they are shy and opt for swimming away when confronted. When the turtle in the image caught sight of me, she dropped her meal and began to move away. I retreated to the boardwalk and the turtle returned for her fish head. In fact, that is how Snapping Turtles obtain most of their food. They scavenge for dead or dying fish or other animals.

In late spring and early summer, female turtles will move out of the swamp to find suitable nesting sites on higher ground. These nest sites are often far from water. Though many eggs may fall prey to raccoons or other predators, in 2 to 3 months, some young snappers will be heading towards the water.

Noisette Creek Monitoring

Yesterday and today, the staff at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest made Noisette Creek presentations to the junior and senior classes at the Charleston Academic Magnet High School. In preparation of the Noisette Creek restoration project, Audubon South Carolina is teaming with students from Charleston Academic Magnet High to collect water quality and bird population data. The data collected will be used in future years to judge the progress of the Noisette Creek restoration.

Obviously, a healthy environment is one in which the water quality supports a rich and varied community of organisms and protects public health. Birds can be excellent “indicator species” telling us much about the general health of an ecosystem. They are large enough to be easily observed, and yet they are dependent upon organisms and factors that are less easily observed. If the overall system is severely degraded, it will be indicated in the birds (or lack of!).

In the image, Noisette Creeks runs generally from west to east and empties into the Cooper River. A portion of Park Circle can be seen in the upper left corner. The northern portion of the former Naval Base straddles Noisette Creek and portions of the old golf course form the boundaries of the creek at its Cooper River end. The portion of the old golf course south of the creek will be returned to its former state as a marsh.

Seasonal Naturalists

This week, the staff at the Francis Beidler Forest welcomed the seasonal naturalists for the spring. Peter Schwantes (left in the image) and Brad Dalton will guide school groups around the boardwalk, lead canoe trips, help with Spring Break Camp, make nature presentations to school and community groups, assist in the maintenance of Beidler Forest, and contribute to the improvement of all of Beidler Forest's programs.

Peter hails from Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin and is earning a degree in Wildlife Management and Biology from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Peter enjoys being outdoors, most recently in Alaska, and will try any extreme sport imaginable.

Brad is from Williamston, SC and earned a degree in Biology from Anderson University. Brad has worked as a camp staff member for five years and had studied wildlife and ecology in a variety of places including Panama and the Galapagos Islands.

We welcome Peter and Brad and look forward to their contributions to the educational programming here at the Francis Beidler Forest.

Who is that in the chimney?

Spring is certainly on the way when the Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) return with a chorus of song in our chimney. A chimney provides a vertical surface sheltered from the weather just as a hollow tree, which is the bird's natural nesting site. However, as forests are cleared or intensively managed, hollow trees are eliminated or never occur. Therefore, chimneys became an attractive alternative. Today, many chimneys are being capped to prevent animals, such as chimney swifts which can arrive by the hundreds, from entering. As a result, artificial hollow tree-like structures are being constructed and placed outdoors to provide the swifts with suitable nesting sites.

This morning, however, it was not the sound of a swift that echoed from the chimney. The unmistakable "Who, who, who cooks for y'all?" was the call of a trapped Barred Owl (Strix varia). The owl was in the chimney at least two days. Earlier rustling sounds had been dismissed as early-arriving Chimney Swifts. Upon opening the flue, the Barred Owl identification was confirmed. The flue was left open along with the front door. After several minutes, the owl dropped through the flue in a cloud of soot like a tardy Santa Claus. The bird perched on the fire screen and surveyed the possibilities for returning to the natural world. After a few changes in location (lamp, bookshelf, couch, mantle) and a slow-speed collision with a window, the owl made its escape through an open window.

After a humiliating two days in a dark, sooty chimney and a collision with what must have seemed like "hard air", the owl was immediately and loudly set upon by Blue Jays, Tufted Titmice and other anxious backyard birds.

Mark Musselman, education director

Hilton Head Island

On February 22 , the Hilton Head Island Audubon Society met at Fish Haul Creek Park to present HHI Mayor Tom Peeples with a check for Audubon's contribution to the cost of the beautifully-done and sturdy interpretive signage by Todd Ballantine. Some 30-40 members and guests watched the ceremonies on a beautiful winter morning with appropriate comments by President Howard Costa, Clem Dietze and Mayor Tom Peeples about the town park and the new signs.

The presentation was followed by a bird walk to view the new signs and of course, look for birds. We birded the park's wooded areas and then on to the Port Royal Sound's mud flats at Fish Haul Creek. We concluded our trip with a visit to the nearby new Michelville Beach Park dedicated just last month.

The group found a total of 44 species of birds. The bird of the day was a Prairie Warbler, not usually seen here until later in the spring when it migrates here for the summer.

Other good birds seen by the group included: American Oystercatcher, Black Skimmer, Marbled Godwit, Short-billed Dowitcher, Forster's Tern, Bonaparte's & Herring Gulls, Clapper Rail (heard), Black Bellied Plover, Rudy Turnstone, Red-shouldered Hawk, White Ibis, Willet, Fish Crow, Boat-tailed Grackle, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Tree Swallow, Cedar Waxwing, Downy Woodpecker and the common Rooster (heard) plus other common species.

It was a very good outing enjoyed by all.

Good Birding,
Jack C.
HHI, SC

Canoeing

After a day for the ducks, yesterday was a day for canoeing. Paddling upstream from Mallard Lake, Yellow-bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta) slid into the water from their sunny perches on logs. Later, a Brown Water Snake(Nerodia taxispilota) and a Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata fasciata) were seen taking advantage of the plentiful sun. In the next few weeks, the canoe trail will be inundated with the songs and colors of neotropical songbirds returning from their wintering grounds in Central and South America to breed in Four Holes Swamp. As the canoe trip ended back at Mallard Lake, a 6-foot Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) slid off the bank and eyed the canoe flotilla from its nearly submerged position in the water.

Great Day for Ducks!

The weather has warmed considerably from this weekend, but the warmer weather has been accompanied by rain. Rainy weather reduces the number of visitors that venture out to the swamp, but it has drawn some animals closer to the nature center.

The images show a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) and a Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) that appeared outside the windows of the nature center this morning. The Timber Rattlesnake was coiled atop a three-foot stump having apparently listened, like us, to the same fictitious forecast for sunny weather. The hawk appeared to have spotted some prey that eluded it under the boardwalk or building.

Since the time the images were taken, it has only rained harder. The snake has retreated into the stump as if to say, "It's a great day for ducks, but nothing else!"

Conservation Lobby Day

Yesterday, several members of the Francis Beidler Forest staff traveled to Columbia to discuss with their representatives and senators various issues of concern for the conservation community.

On the agenda were the continuation of funding for the Conservation Bank, the Atlantic Compact (H.3545) dealing with the Barnwell nuclear waste repository, Green Buildings (H3034), and the Priority Investment Act (S.266). Sen. Randy Scott and Rep. Patsy Knight were able to come out of their respective chambers and discuss the issues with the Beidler Forest staff.

GPS and Field Experiences

On February 16th, Mark Musselman made a Global Positioning Systems (GPS) presentation to the middle school social studies teachers of Anderson School District Five at T. L. Hanna High School in Anderson, SC. The professional development workshop dealt with using GPS technology in the classroom and provided an opportunity for the teachers to become familiar with the technology. Of the 28 teachers in attendance, 25 stated that they had never used the technology.

The image shows the practice course that was set up north of T. L. Hanna High School. Teachers began at any of the stations shown in the image. There they rolled a die and loaded from a list at that station the coordinates associated with that number. A teacher then navigated to the coordinates that they loaded to the GPS unit. At the destination, another teacher repeated the process until each teacher felt comfortable with loading coordinates and navigating to a point. The campus practice course and the downtown field trip example were both set up from the Francis Beidler Forest office in Four Holes Swamp using Google Earth. Examples were also given regarding the use of GPS technology at sites such as the Francis Beidler Forest.

Great Backyard Bird Count

Don't forget! The Great Backyard Bird Count begins tomorrow! Check out their webpage for all the details. Join us by participating in this Citizen Science opportunity!

Kiwanis of Summerville

Mark Musselman, education director at the Francis Beidler Forest, made a presentation at the Kiwanis of Summerville breakfast. The various holdings of Audubon South Carolina were described followed by the specific educational programming, flora, and fauna at the Francis Beidler Forest.

Beginning next month, the neotropical migratory songbirds will be returning from their winter ranges in Central and South America. It's a great time to come for a visit! However, birds are not the only organisms to migrate. The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) also makes the journey to and from Central America. The image shows a male stopping for a meal on goldenrod growing at the end of the driveway.

Audubon South Carolina - Google Earth

The Google Earth (kml) files for all of the Audubon South Carolina properties are now available on the Francis Beidler Forest education curriculum page. The image shows the Audubon Center at Silver Bluff Plantation along the Savannah River near Aiken, SC.

The Wannamaker Preserve near St. Matthews, SC is being transferred from the Charleston Audubon Society to the Columbia Audubon Society. Audubon South Carolina has created trails within the preserve and is developing an environmental curriculum to serve the students of Calhoun County.

McAlhany Preserve is on the Edisto River west of St. George and is owned and maintained by the Charleston Audubon Society. Note the beautiful oxbow lake within the property. Longleaf Pine trees are being planted north of Wire Road in the area that appears bare.

Continuing Education

As part of the continuing education within the education department at the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest, the director of education is enrolled in the Fundamentals of Environmental Education course through the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point.

The course is described as: Gain a foundational knowledge of environmental education and learn how to incorporate quality EE into your instruction. Participants discuss the history and goals of EE, develop an understanding of the professional roles and instructional methods of environmental educators, and interact with other educators from across the country.

Family Science Night

Last night, Knightsville Elementary School hosted their family science night. Mark Musselman, Education Director at the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest, made a presentation on the upcoming Great Backyard Bird Count. Over 150 parents and students learned how they can help bird researchers identify and understand fluctuations in bird populations and migrations by participating in this citizen science event on February 16-19, 2007.

Information on the event can be found here.

The 2006 results in South Carolina can be found here. The 2006 results for specific localities in South Carolina can be found here. You will note that there are large areas of our state for which no reports were filed. The Top 10 lists for 2006 can be found here. Note that South Carolina tied for 10th on the "Reporting the Most Species " list, but failed to make the top 10 on the "Submitting the Most Checklists" list. We challenge all South Carolinians to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count and put South Carolina on the top 10 list! The Audubon sanctuaries at the Francis Beidler Forest and Silver Bluff Plantation are outstanding sites for birdwatching!

Appressed Bog Clubmoss

John B. Nelson, Curator of the Herbarium, identified Appressed Bog Clubmoss (Lycopodiella appressa) as the "mystery plant" we discovered along the boggy road with the Red Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia rubra). Appressed Bog Clubmoss was not on the list of flora at the Francis Beidler Forest. Along with the Red Pitcher Plant, the main threat to the survival of the Appressed Bog Clubmoss is overshadowing caused by plant succession and a subsequent loss of colony sites. This species is listed as threatened in other states, but will be forever protected in this Audubon sanctuary.

Florida Whooping Cranes

This morning, Audubon members in Florida reported that the violent weather that killed 19 people in Florida also killed the entire migrating flock of Whooping Cranes (18 birds). At one point there were only 15 or 16 birds left in the wild, so efforts over the last 20-30 years have focused on dispersing the wild population. Had those efforts not been successful, an event such as yesterday's weather could have caused the species to go extinct!

Suitable habitat over a wide geographic area (sometimes hemispheres!) is critical to health and viability of birds and other animal species.

Audubon South Carolina Advisory Board

The Audubon South Carolina (ASC) Advisory Board met today at the Francis Beidler Forest in Four Holes Swamp. The main topic of the meeting was ASC’s strategic plan, which will guide the organization over the next five years.

Prior to the meeting, ASC Executive Director Norman Brunswig took the board on a field trip to the recently planted Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) tract (see blog entry on Dec. 21, 2006 and Jan. 4, 2007). Along the edge of the property in the soggy remnants of an old road were several Red Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia rubra) shown in the image. These carnivorous plants attract insects into the rolled up leave by secreting a nectar-like substance. A waxy substance in the inner leaf makes the footing unstable and with downward pointing hairs it is nearly impossible for an insect to escape. A portion of the leaf acts as a lid to the tube-like portion, which prevents excess rain from falling into the tube and diluting the digestive secretions. Any insect falling into the digestive secretions diminishes the plant’s nutritional deficit, which is brought about by poor soils.

Google Earth Files

Google Earth files (.kml) have been created to show the boundaries of the Francis Beidler Forest in Four Holes Swamp; the boardwalk through the virgin, old-growth forest; the canoe trail through the virgin, old-growth forest; the hiking trails and scout camping area; and the boundaries and trails at the Wannamaker Preserve near St. Matthews. The image shows portions of the FBF boundary in red, the canoe trail in blue, and the 1.75-mile boardwalk in yellow. The nature center is at the west end of the boardwalk. The alligator can be seen in the hole (Goodson Lake) at the east end of the boardwalk.

Google Earth provides satellite imagery of the planet in conjunction with data layers that may be selected by the user. The data layers include roads, population centers, points-of-interest, geologic activity, and in our case, boundary lines and trails. These Audubon South Carolina files will be posted for download on the Francis Beidler Forest education curriculum page. Lessons and activities will be developed for these files and this technology. As a pre-trip activity, we believe exploring the images of Four Holes Swamp, the boardwalk, and the surrounding area will help students put the swamp ecosystem into context and enrich their on-site experience.

Grassland For Birds

Audubon South Carolina plans to create perennial, warm-season grassland on 38 acres of newly acquired land on the Spring Branch tract. 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.

The soils on the plot have been identified and a plan has been created for the grassland restoration. Today, staff from the Francis Beidler Forest used Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to plot the boundaries of the proposed grassland and to calculate the acreage (38 acres). The view in the image is from west to east.

Career Day

Each year, Summerville Elementary School invites parents to come and share their profession with the students. The image shows Mark Musselman, education director, discussing the Francis Beidler Forest and a career in environmental education with a class of students. Using a turkey leg, a Barred Owl's wing and talons, a turtle shell, a beaver skull, a snake skin, a deer skull, various digital images, and an alligator skull, Mark shared with the students the uniqueness of the virgin, old-growth swamp, the relationships of its inhabitants, and the importance of conserving natural areas before they disappear.

Except for live animals, there is little that can trump a hugh gator skull!

Old Forest Roads

Although the original purchase of land for the Franics Beidler Forest contained almost 1800 acres of virgin, old-growth forest, the rest of Four Holes Swamp has been logged. Some logging roads were built out into the swamp. They remain and their effects, mainly the impediment to flowing water, are easily seen. Skidder tracks are harder to discern, except when rain water collects in the low areas (see image).

Elsewhere in our state and country, forest roads appear to have a negative effect even after they have been abandoned. Dr. Raymond Semlitsch, professor of biology at the University of Missouri, studied and reported (here and The Forestry Source, Dec 2006) the effect of forest roads on woodland salamanders. Plant ecologists have documented that road edges receive more sunlight and wind, which has a drying effect on the micro-climate. The study of marco- and micro-invertebrates near roads showed that the "road-effect zone" extended farther than the 35 meters Dr. Semlitsch determined for the salamanders. Since salamanders eat the invertebrates and prefer a cool, damp environment, the absence of food and suitable habitat would certainly have a negative effect on the salamanders.

"The big implication is that, not only do existing roads have effects that go beyond their roadside boundaries, but that these 80-year-old roads that have been abandoned have long-lasting effects, too," Semlitsch said. "So, if you're constantly laying down new roads, you're fragmenting the forest into smaller and smaller parcels." He suggested reusing forest roads, since the footprint has already been established.

Tourist in Your Town

This month, over 150 Charleston area residents have taken advantage of the "Be a Tourist in Your Own Town" passes and visited the Audubon Center at the Francis Beidler Forest. The pass allows the bearer free access, as is the case at FBF, or discounts to encourage local residents to explore places of interest in our area. Not only is it possible that these local residents will return once they have discovered the unique beauty of the virgin, old-growth forest, but they are likely to share their discovery with friends and neighbors, especially out-of-town guests looking for a memorable experience.

Few people that have learned about FBF (that's where you can help!) and have made the effort to visit have departed unsatisfied with their experience in the swamp. Hopefully, the peace and beauty of the swamp have created 150 excited storytellers and future supports of Audubon's efforts in Four Holes Swamp.

Bird Identification

The Francis Beidler Forest staff has installed a computer in the nature center to help visitors identify birds they have seen on the boardwalk or in their yard.

The Thayer birding software loaded on the computer contains 2,788 color photos and songs for 707 species. Visitors simply select the color, size, habitat, location or sound of their bird and the program will show them everything that matches their description.

"Do you know the name of that little brown bird?" could still be a challenge.

Water Quality

Today, quarterly macroinvertebrate samples and water samples were collected at the Francis Beidler Forest. The macroinvertebrate samples will be picked through this weekend and the collected organisms will be sent to Dr. John Morse, Clemson University, as part of his 29-year study. The following data is collected for the water samples: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, hardness, turbidity, phosphates, nitates, and nitrites. The image shows the dissolved oxygen test in progress.

Both the macroinvertebrate inventory and the chemical water tests provide the staff at FBF with water quality information. The macroinvertebrate inventory provides qualitative results while the chemical testing provides quantitative results. Depending on the number and species of macroinvertebrates present, the staff can determine if the water quality is poor to excellent. Some species are very tolerant of pollution while other species are quite intolerant of pollution. Therefore, a large quantity of pollution-tolerant organisms in the absence of pollution-intolerant organisms would indicate poor water quality. Chemical testing of the water provides quanitative results such as today's Goodson Lake data: 7.0 degrees Celcius, 7.0 pH, and 10 mg/L dissolved oxygen. Obviously, if the water is too acidic or too basic, many organisms cannot survive. Aquatic organisms require oxygen, like terrestrial organisms, though they obtain the oxygen from the water instead of the air.

The water in the Francis Beidler Forest portion of Four Holes Swamp remains high-quality though E. coli is an issue in the upper reaches of the swamp near urban centers.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Today, several Francis Beidler Forest staff members saw a Red-shouldered Hawk(Buteo lineatus) on the handrail of the ramp leading to the nature center, near the outdoor classroom and perched 10 feet above the parking area. These hawks prefer forests with an open understory, especially those near water or flooded like Four Holes Swamp. They will hunt from a perch (see image) and pounce on their prey, which include small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and crayfish.

Mating season for Red-shouldered Hawks is from late January to July. They make their nest in the crotch between a limb and the main trunk of a tree. The nest is constructed of sticks and twigs and lined with finer twigs, bark, evergreen sprigs, dried leaves, moss, or down. The chicks will hatch in 28 to 33 days and fledge after an additional 39 to 45 days.

A visitor reported seeing "two fluffy hawk chicks" sitting together on a branch west of the boardwalk on the way to Goodson Lake. Hopefully, we can verify that sighting. Possibly the warm winter weather encouraged the hawks to start their family early.

Office Space

As the staff and educational programming at the Francis Beidler Forest continue to grow, the space in the 1970s-era nature center has become increasingly constricted.

Today was moving day for the education director and the important bird area coordinator as the space previously occupied by one full-time staff member became the office of two full-time staff members. The image shows the new office space (mid-move) for the education director. It is literally a corner office with a view!

Tomorrow will be reorganization day with files in the cabinet and books on the yet-to-be-constructed shelves.

Canoe Trail

The canoe trail at the Francis Beidler Forest stretches two miles upstream from Mallard Lake to a point 300 meters east of the boardwalk at Goodson Lake. Scheduled guided tours are available Mar-May and other times of the year based on water levels, guide availability, and group size.

Although the cooler weather limits the animal sightings, we enjoyed a pleasant paddle through the virgin, old-growth forest. Today, we heard a Barred Owl (Strix varia), a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), saw seven Yellow-bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta), an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), and four Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) like those in the image.

Noisette Creek

Audubon South Carolina continues to work with The Noisette Company and its Michaux Conservancy to restore Noisette Creek. Noisette Creek is located at the northern end of the former Charleston Navy Yard (later Charleston Naval Base) and drains into the Cooper River a relatively small area in the "neck" of the Charleston Peninsula.

Various groups and agencies are involved in the actual restoration process. Audubon South Carolina is creating bird survey and water quality testing protocols to be used by students from the nearby Charleston Academic Magnet High School. By collecting information on bird populations and water quality prior to the restoration of the marshes within the Noisette Creek watershed, students and Audubon South Carolina will be creating a baseline with which to evaluate the effects of the restoration efforts.

Yesterday, during a 1.5-hour visit, Audubon staff identified 22 bird species, including Hooded Mergansers, a Brown Pelican, a Common Yellowthroat, adult and juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons, Great Blue Herons, White Ibis, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, more than a dozen Yellow-rumped Warblers, Loggerhead Shrikes, Anhingas, Belted Kingfishers, Pied-billed Grebes, and a variety of common backyard birds.

Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is February 16-19, 2007! The results for South Carolina in 2006 can be found here. There are numerous non-reporting areas in our state. We didn't make the Top 10 for number of checklists submitted, but we were #10 for total number of species reported. Join us in this Citizen Science opportunity and let's move South Carolina up the list!

"The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.

As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.

In 2006, participants reported a record-breaking 7.5 million birds of 623 species. They submitted 60,616 checklists, just 433 shy of an all-time record for total checklists."--birdsource.org

Mystery Crayfish

The mystery was not what creature had previously been constructed of the parts, but what creature had deposited the parts onto the boardwalk. The collection of crayfish parts shown in the image was discovered on the boardwalk 50 meters from the nature center. Detective work is one of the enjoyable aspects of our work as naturalists.

Several animals eat crayfish here in the swamp including River Otters, Yellow-crowned Night Herons, Raccoons, White Ibis, and Barred Owls. By looking at the pile of parts, it could be seen that the majority of the pieces were bound together as if they had been squeezed in the one's palm or constricted in an esophagus. The parts did not appear discolored (orange/pink) as one might expect if they had traveled through a digestive system or boiled in a pot. There were no signs in the crayfish parts of other fecal matter or the distinctive white material produced by a bird's urinary system. Therefore, it is unlikely that the pile of crayfish parts came from an otter, a heron, a raccoon, or an ibis as all these animals would pass the indigestible portions of their meals completely through their digestive system. As owls regurgitate the indigestible parts of their meals (hair, bones, scales, exoskeletons), we concluded that a Barred Owl (Strix varia) perched on the handrail (where there was a quantity of white bird waste) after consuming several crayfish and then relieved itself before flying off. The crayfish parts were still quite moist, so we did not miss seeing the owl by much.

Bird Roadkill

We do not have any numbers regarding the number of animals killed along roads in and around Four Holes Swamp, but over the years it is obvious that roads are a deadly hazard to many of the species that reside in the swamp. The larger animals usually attract our attention as why drive by, but certainly smaller animals, including birds, suffer similarly when they make contact with a fast-moving vehicle.

On the drive from Summerville to the Francis Beidler Forest along U.S. Hwy 78, U.S. Hwy 178, Beidler Forest Rd., and Mimms Rd., we have seen deer, a bobcat, an otter, numerous Barred Owls, various snakes, raccoons, opossums, a coyote, a beaver, a turkey, rabbits, squirrels, turtles, hawks, domestic ducks, a and Gray Fox dead along the road. Today, we collected a dead Barred Owl along Beidler Forest Road and were able to salvage both talons and wings for use in our education program. We would much prefer to see the owl in the swamp while leading a group around the boardwalk.

Roads are not a natural part of the environment and can cause animal mortalities when they cross established migratory routes or fragment animal habitat. Unfortunately, roads can also be attractive to animals. The grassy right-of-ways along roads and under power lines that often parallel roads provide suitable food for a variety of rodents. Rodents are prey items for larger animals that can become fixated on their prospective meal and oblivious to vehicles approaching a great speed. Additionally, power line poles and trees at the edge of the right-of-ways provide excellent observation posts for birds of prey to survey the open areas along the road. Once they spot their prey and begin their attack glide, they will often cross the road at a height consistent with that of a passing vehicle.

More roads increase the fragmentation of habitat while increased traffic proportionally increases the number of animals killed by collisions with vehicles. In the short term, we can slow down and remain alert as we drive. However, in the future, if we hope to have sufficient habitat and animals living in that habitat, we will need to consider alternatives to more roads as a solution to increasing traffic.

Lecture on Ivory-billed Woodpecker

Followup to the blog entry of 1/2/07:

On February 8th, the Charleston Audubon Society will host a lecture by Scott Simon, Director of The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas and co-leader of the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

Longleaf Pine Planting

On December 21, 2006 (see blog entry), we burned a recently aquired tract of land in order to restore the native Longleaf Pine/Wiregrass forest. Yesterday, over 9,000 Longleaf Pine seedlings (see image) were planted on the same land.

The planting was accomplished by hand. Planters carried the seedlings in large sacks as they moved across the 30 acres. Using a hoedad (blade visible below the right bag in the image), planters made a hole in the soil, dropped in the seedling, closed the hole, took 13 steps and repeated the process over 9,000 times.

Images and GPS coordinates were taken at four locations around the tract. We will continue to take images at the same locations to record the transition of the land from its current state to a mature Longleaf Pine forest.