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Wildlife Management Notes

Wildlife Management Notes and Observations
February 22, 2005

Woodland pond at Birdsong.

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT NOTES

February 22, 2005

Weather

            It has been an unusually warm winter.  There have been a number of hard freezes but few days in a row with extended cold temperatures.  We’ve also had some rain: 3.23 inches since January 1^st.  This all has resulted in some very early spring blooming, lots of green clover in the Gin House Field, and high water in the swamps and ponds. 

Early Flowering

            The Carolina jessamine is in full bloom.  This high-climbing vine can cover the tops of trees and shrubs, unnoticed for most of the year.  Now, however, its bright yellow tubular flowers are showy and abundant.  The yellow jasmine hedge here in the garden is also in full bloom, as are the redbuds and tea olive.  It has been an amazing winter for camellias as well – the gardens have been full of color for weeks.  Betty and Jim Keeler were both camellia enthusiasts and would really have enjoyed them.  The old pear tree by the Barn is in glorious white bloom; soon it will be snowing petals!  Out by the swamp and drains red maple is in full bloom, ranging from pale orange to deep red in color.  It’s beautiful to see all the flowering, but it’s just so early!

The Gin House Field, burned in December and not long ago looking very wintry, is now full of rich green crimson clover.  It’s a very popular winter feeding ground for deer and turkeys.  It is also a busy place for over-wintering birds such as Palm Warblers, Flickers, Eastern Meadowlarks and Chipping Sparrows.  The Brown-headed Nuthatches and Chickadees are already nesting in some of the bluebird boxes and the Eastern Bluebirds themselves are in stunningly blue courtship plumage.

Ponds and Swamps 

            Rain and high water levels have caused the beaver to swing into action!  We haven’t seen evidence of their presence in a long time, but now they are back in business, diligently blocking up spillways as soon as Peter has cleared them out.  They really are amazing builders.  We need to keep the spillways flowing because our dams are old, full of burrows and very steep-sided.  We can’t afford to let the water pressure build up too much to the point of breaching the dams, especially the Farm Pond and Big Bay Swamp dams. 

            The Great Blue Herons are nesting in Big Bay Swamp, high up in the water tupelos and easy to view from the Listening Place.  They make such unusual sounds; un-birdlike.

Purple Martins

            Peter Wright got the first martin sighting on Monday, February 7.  We were all on the alert for them for several weeks prior.  Their arrival was always eagerly anticipated in the hope they would arrive on Betty’s birthday, January 29^th, which they actually did from time to time.  Yesterday, in a drizzling rain, pairs of martins were snuggled up together in seven of the ten gourds on the martin pole, bills and bright eyes looking out.  It is delightful to have them back – they make the most cheerful noise.

The Woods

            Many hardwood species will soon be blooming and leafing out, more subtly than the trees flowering now.  With no leaves on the trees, you can see quite far through the woods and with this visibility it is very obvious just how much damage we sustained during the seemingly endless hurricane season last fall.  Many many big beautiful trees came down, mainly hardwoods, some pines, and quite a few precious old snags.  One in particular we always raked around before burning, because it had been home to a pair of Red-headed Woodpeckers for over eight years.  We’re sorry to see so many trees down, but the natural cycle goes on:  the now-open canopy above such fallen trees will enable light to reach the forest floor and new trees will grow in their place.

The Bird Window has been extremely busy this winter.  We’ve got more Pine Siskins that I can recall in years.  Our usual local songbirds have been joined by lots of winter visitors such as Grey Catbirds, Northern Parula, American Goldfinch, House Finch, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Cedar Waxwing and American Robin.

            The American Robins have spent lots of time with us this year.  They love the open lot in front of the Barn where all the fresh green clover is growing.  Up to forty of them will spread out, gleaning insects from the ground.  They also love cherry laurel fruit.  On one day this big flock, with help from a flock of Cedar Waxwings, devoured every berry on a cherry laurel shrub in the garden.  The next day they finished off every berry on the neighboring shrub.  What a commotion!  It drives the mockingbirds crazy – they believe those shrubs belong to them. 

Roosts

            This time of year, perhaps due to the rain, our Carolina wrens have chosen to roost under the eaves of our buildings.  Actually, we are assuming they are wrens.  They leave lots of evidence.  Two have selected an eave under the awning over my office door, and even more inconveniently, one has chosen an excellent site on the electrical pipe under the Registration Desk roof.  We have to clean the desk off every morning. 

            A most unusual roosting sighting:  Cyndi and I were looking for something under the tin-roof shed outside her office when she turned and said “Kathleen, move slowly, there’s an owl right next to you!”  It was one of those “An owl, that’s not possible” moments, but there it was – a screech owl roosting under the roof on a beam, not three feet away.  It stayed still as we moved away, revolving its head with its eyes squinted nearly closed, pretending it was invisible, but definitely keeping an eye on us.  It stayed in that spot for most of the day and we got to show it to several people.  It was the most beautiful shade of rusty red.  It had big feet.  To see such a beautiful wild creature that close in broad daylight was a very special experience.

            I would like to invite you to come out and go for a walk in the rain.  I know it’s not something we ordinarily do, but I went on such a walk about three weeks ago and I saw more deer and birds up close that morning than I have in months.  Walking in the rain, being out there with wildlife all around, was very peaceful.  Getting wet didn’t matter, it actually felt wonderful.  If gave me a sense of closeness to nature that was very refreshing.  So do consider a trip to Birdsong on a rainy day – you’ll enjoy it. 

                                                                                                                            ~ KDB

Copyright © 2002, Birdsong Nature Center
Revised -- August 29, 2004