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Wildlife Management Notes

Wildlife Management Notes and Observations
December 11, 1999

Woodland pond at Birdsong.

Weather and Water The drought continues. Our area is now experiencing a thirteen-inch rain deficit for the year. The ponds and swamp have not been this low in the last fourteen years. The Frog Pond and Big Bay Pond are completely dry, and we can now walk across parts of Big Bay Swamp. The water marks on the water tupelo trees indicate that the level has dropped about two and a half feet. No water is entering or leaving the swamp through the usual drains. What effect is this having on the wildlife?

Burning We were hoping for a hard freeze to dry out the grassy fuel in the Gin House Field but needed to burn before the crimson clover germinates, so we burned the field in three sections on December 1, 2, and 3. The Georgia Forestry Commission was granting permits, but cautioned us because of the risky conditions. The first day (November 30) we went out prepared to burn and called it off due to very high gusts and a less than ideal fire break: the drain leading out of Big Bay Swamp was dry in places and with those variable high winds it was just too risky. The next day we burned the south side of the Gin House Field, with a northeast wind, backfiring from the Listening Place around the slash pines, eventually heading it as the two burning crews worked their way north and met in the middle of the Gin House Trail. As dry as it was, with 23-25% humidity, the grasses were still green at the base. It burned well, but left plenty of standing cover. The next day was even drier 21-23%, with a southeast wind and we started with the northern Lewis Field, protecting the north corner and then whipping it towards the Farm Pond. It has not burned through the trees and onto the drag fill "peninsula" in six or seven years and conditions were perfect. As the fire headed straight into the marsh it sounded like hundreds of firecrackers exploding through the rushes. It was a hot and very effective burn.

Next we burned the north side of the Gin House, having to go extremely slowly along the north perimeter, backing it and creating a substantial black line. The edge of the field here is right next to the Holly Woods - which has not been burned for over 100 years, and which we do not want to burn, so we proceeded very slowly in order not to send up any sparks or flaming leaves that might ignite the nearby woods. It took a lot of self-restraint and patience to go that slowly, but finally we got around to the east line and it began to head. After that it went extremely quickly, and of course the wind switched direction on us at the last minute, so it got exciting there for a little while. The result was a very hot, very clean burn. It will be interesting to compare the differences in the vegetation on both sides of the field.

Finally, on December 3rd, we burned the south Lewis Field, again a very dry day, with a strong southeast wind. We began by protecting the northwest corner by burning out the wooded area along the Farm Pond Dam. This area too has not had a good fire through it in a number of years, and because of the high wind and very dry conditions it burned very nicely, shade and all. (Interestingly, our friends the beavers, who have moved into the Farm Pond Dam, had recently dammed up the creek and therefore helped us by creating a nice firebreak south through the woods. If they just wouldn't burrow in our dams, we'd get along just fine...)

The north corner and west line through the woods then protected, we headed the fire northwest across the field. It was hot and high and quite impressive. We hope it will effectively control some of the sumac and persimmon that has become abundant there in recent years.

We had great burn crews each day - Thank you: Blair Johnson, Peter Wright, Bill Waite, Kris and Greg Black, Marion Jarnigan, Wayne Schiefelbein, Peter Kelly, and Joe Peresich. These burns are such a great learning experience - if you want to participate, call us. We will start burning again in mid-January.

Wildlife on the Burn A very impressive sight that goes on continually while we are burning is a mass exodus of grasshoppers, emerging ahead of the fire and all traveling in the same direction away from the smoke. Literally hundreds of them take to the air in advance of the flames. This makes our kestrels very happy. The evening after the north side burn, right at sunset, the northern harrier was seen, perching on a bluebird box and then cruising over the burn in search of exposed prey. Flocks of chipping sparrows, bluebirds, robins, palm warblers, crows, and meadowlarks have been all over the burn this week after. Three killdeer have been seen on the burn every evening at sundown along with a number of deer.

Fall Color We've really been enjoying the slow fall color changes this year. With several mild freezes, the colors are changing gradually, and leaves have remained on the trees because we've had so little rain. It's fun to be able to see each individual tree standing out with its own distinctive colors. A favorite is the black gum, with its beautiful small red leaves, and the hickories, large-leafed and golden. Sweet gum, too, varying from gold to red to purple. And cherry, peach-colored, lance-shaped. I guess they are all our favorites.

Bluebirds The Bluebirds Trail volunteers came out last Saturday to clean and prepare the 35 boxes for winter use so on a cold night the bluebirds will have a clean, cozy roosting box to gather together in and keep warm. Visitors are seeing lots of bluebirds in the Gin House and elsewhere; they've been singing frequently near the offices and garden.

The Butterfly Garden These notes are being written on December 11 in the Butterfly Garden. There are an amazing number of butterflies feeding busily on a patch of purple dwarf lantana, a source of flowers not yet nipped by frost. Right now there are sixteen gulf fritillaries, three zebra longwings, six or so long-winged skippers, a buckeye, a painted lady, and about five unidentified skippers. Cloudless sulphurs are on the few remaining pentas. They all appear to be very appreciative of these remaining nectar sources. Thank you, Butterfly Gardeners.

The Bird Window As is typical at this time of year, there are few birds using the Bird Window because there is such an abundance of wild food yet available. In spite of the mild freezes, there are still lots of grasshoppers, berries, grasses, and nuts. We do see chipping sparrows, yellow-rumped warblers, goldfinches, and the usual residents such as cardinals, titmice, carolina chickadees, and wrens. Around the garden and pecan grove there are bluebirds; white-breasted and brown-headed nuthatches; flocks of robins; crows; pileated, red-bellied, and downy woodpeckers. If you enjoy leisurely birding, you might consider volunteering as a Greeter - the front yard/Registration Booth area is an excellent place to see and hear birds!

Pecan One of the old pecans in the Pecan Grove near the house was struck by lightening last summer. It has been shedding its huge branches ever since. Our Land Management Assistant, Blair Johnson, took some of the fallen wood and has constructed a variety of absolutely beautiful boxes. The wood had spalted or began to decompose creating interesting lines, and some of the pieces also have insect burrows through them. Each box has a beautiful pattern all around it, looking almost like line-drawing landscapes. Blair has kindly given us these boxes to sell in the Gift Shop, so if you love beautiful objects made of wood, you may want to have a look at them. Thanks, Blair!

From Betty
    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:

• October 1999
• April 1999
• February 1999
• December 1998

Copyright © 1999, Birdsong Nature Center
Revised -- January 18, 2000