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Wildlife Management Notes

Wildlife Management Notes and Observations
October 6, 2000

Woodland pond at Birdsong.

Weather At last we've had some drenching rains thanks to the hurricane season, providing us with over 14 inches of rainfall since September 1st as well as a deep sense of relief. The rain has helped reduce the annual rainfall deficit somewhat and has raised water levels in the ponds and Big Bay Swamp. We will now be watchful for any beaver activity - at this time water levels in the Farm Pond and Big Bay are higher but not flowing significantly through the spillways, and therefore haven't attracted much beaver attention.

Burning We have two burning priorities this fall: first, the Big Bay Field, where short-leaf pines are taking over and second, the Gin House Field which we traditionally burn in late fall, usually November. The pine situation in Big Bay Field is a real problem. Unfortunately, we were unable to burn it really hot early in the season due to the severe drought conditions and bans on burning, so the pines have kept on growing and the problem is worse. We'll get to it as soon as we have appropriate and safe conditions for a really hot burn.

The Gin House burn prescription is always challenging. We like to wait to burn until after the first killing frost because it dries out the grasses and other fuel resulting in an effective burn. We can't wait too late, however, because the red clover can start to germinate and we want to maintain that naturally seeded-in crop each year, so this burn has to be timed very carefully.

Wildflowers and Grasses The fall wildflower display is already spectacular. There are masses of fragrant goldenrods, varieties of aster, Eupatorium, Ageratum, narrow-leaved sunflowers, with yellows and purples everywhere. There are beautiful patches of purple Liatris, or blazing star, scattered about. Look for an extensive patch on the north bank on the trail to the Listening Place. Outstanding! The star of the show is Agalinis, or false foxglove - it's turning the Gin House Field pink in the morning and early afternoon. This year however it is thicker and more intense in the Mill Field - like walking through a pink cloud.

Berries, Grasses and Grasshoppers There is so much wonderful wild food available! There is ripe or ripening fruit on shrubs and trees everywhere. Very noticeable and abundant are purple American beauty berry, dark red (and sour) winged sumac, and rich red magnolia. Coming along are the yaupon holly, dogwoods, privets, Virginia creeper, and wax myrtle.

A multitude of grasses are flowering out, producing beautiful gold, copper, purple and bronze seed heads. They are breathtaking in the early morning or late afternoon fall light - all with golden halos.

The abundant and diverse vegetation in the fields and savannah areas are supporting a huge grasshopper population. Just stroll through the Gin House Field and you'll flush out hundreds of different colors and sizes of these and other insects.

All of this abundance is providing plenty of food for our residents and migrating birds and attracting our locals away from...

The Bird Window The migrants are coming through! Waves of visiting migrants started in early September and over the last three weeks we've observed scarlet and summer tanagers; veeries; house finches; red-eyed, solitary, yellow-eyed and white-eyed vireos; catbirds; redstarts; acadian flycatchers; Swainson's and wood thrushes; rose-breasted grosbeaks; indigo buntings; and pine, parula, hooded, Canada, and black and white warblers. It has been enormous fun for our Bird Window volunteers to catch sight of these birds uncommon to our area, many of them bathing.

Our resident species are doing their annual "disappearing act". Due to the amazing amount and variety of wild food available naturally this time of year, most birds are not eating much at the Bird Window. They've raised their last brood of babies and are now enjoying the fruits of autumn. Most frequently seen now are cardinals, titmice, chickadees, jays, wrens, red-bellied woodpeckers, a few brown thrashers, towhees, and large coveys of quail. The mockingbirds started singing exuberantly about a month ago, signaling the end of the dog days of summer, and they have been pairing off doing their territorial dance - very entertaining. The last recorded sighting of a hummingbird was on September 29. The pileated woodpeckers are patrolling the magnolia trees daily, and vocalizing loudly about it all. They are enjoying the feast of red berries.

The Butterfly Garden and Butterflies The garden is beautiful and responding to the recent rains. We've seen a shift in species and numbers recently, as is expected with the onset of fall. We now see relatively few swallowtails of any kind, but have a great abundance of gulf fritillaries, buckeyes, longtailed skippers, and cloudless sulphurs. We see an occasional migrating monarch. Expected soon are the zebra longwings, always a fall favorite.

The butterfly gardeners are getting the garden in shape for the Open House and just recently planted a gorgeous bed of vibrantly colored pentas. As soon as the sun hits them the butterflies move in. Beautiful!

Bluebirds The bluebirds had an excellent nesting season. The Bluebird Monitors' next job will be to clean out the nest boxes, remove any wasps (both the paper wasps and mud daubers find these to be wonderful homes) and put a little pine straw inside. The boxes will make cozy roosting sites on very cold nights. We've been seeing lots of bluebirds on the place and they are singing throughout the Pecan Grove and Gin House Field.

We have seen great changes in our natural surroundings since right before the fall equinox. The angle of light has changed, the temperature is cooler, leaf and berry color is brightening, the kinds of birds and butterflies we see are different, their behavior is changing. On we go to another season. Please come visit and enjoy all Birdsong has to offer at this lovely time of year.

    From Betty
    My love to you all
    Praise and thanks!
    Blessed be.
        -KDB

"Wildlife Management Notes" appears regularly in our bi-monthly Newsletter. Below is an index of links to previous wildlife management articles:

• August 2000
• June 2000
• April 2000
• December 1999
• October 1999
• April 1999
• February 1999
• December 1998

Copyright © 1999, Birdsong Nature Center
Revised -- January 19, 2001