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| February 5, 2010 ~ Bubble Gum Lichens | |
 The live oak trees is a keystone forest species that plays host to a great number of other organisms, including Spanish Moss, Resurrection Fern, and this bizarre hot pink substance. Sometimes known as bubblegum lichen, it often draws concern because it looks like a strange plant disease. But never fear, lichens are a harmless partnership between two different kingdoms of life: fungus and algae. Through photosynthesis the algae provides energy in the form of sugars to the fungus; in turn, the fungus provides a stable environment for the algae and a more advanced reproductive system. Neither partner can survive on their own. Most lichens you encounter are shades of gray and green; it is the reproductive bodies that gives bubblegum lichen its unusual pink color. Like most lichens it is very sensitive to air pollution and is a good environmental indicator of air quality; in the large, car-congested cities of Florida, most lichen species have disappeared. Because bubblegum lichen thrives on Kiawah, we know that the air quality is healthy for humans as well. |
| February 2, 2010 ~ American Robin (Turdus migratorius) | |
 Many people across the country look for the first robin of spring. But here on Kiawah, we look for the first robin of winter. The month of January has finally brought large flocks of hungry American Robins to our maritime forest. This member of the thrush family - similar in color but unrelated to the friendly Robin of Europe and Britain - will return north to breed and nest. The only thrush that remains on Kiawah throughout the summer is the Eastern Bluebird. Despite their reputation as a spring bird, American Robins are found year-round across almost all of the lower 48 states, but a change in behavior makes them less noticeable. While robins are famous for walking across lawns, pulling up worms and other bugs, in winter they form larger flocks and mainly feed upon berries. They will often flock together with fellow fruit-eatering species like the Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Red-winged Blackbird. Berry trees often have large amounts of berries but can be difficult to locate. A large flock increases the chances fruit will be found. In the summer, their diet switches to insects and it is a better strategy to hunt alone or in small groups. So in summer, you are likely to see many robins but in small numbers. In winter, you are less likely to see robins but when you do, it is in large numbers. One side effect of large flocks of fruit-eating birds is the byproduct of their fast digestion system. Birds that eat berries pass the seeds frequently, which is a benefit for berry-producing trees and bushes: their seeds are spread far and wide courtesy of the birds. From our perspective down on the ground, winter visitors to Kiawah quickly learn that it's best not to park your car under a berry-producing tree! |
| January 31, 2010 ~ Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) | |
| The Heron Park Nature Center recently received several different calls about an injured woodstork by a pond edge. Every time a naturalist rushed out to check on the bird - a federally endangered species - it was no where to be seen. Finally our Recreation Director Liz caught it in the act of flying away, apparently completely healthy. When comfortable and relaxed in the sun, wood storks will often sit in a way few other birds will. Next time you see a heron or egret, look at its legs - rather than forming bending out like the knee of a person (rather like this symbol: <), a bird's "knee" bends inwards (like this symbol: >). What looks like a bird's knee is actually its heel; the patella joint, its true knee, is concealed by the feathers. When a bird stands, it is standing on its toes. When a wood stork sits, it is actually resting on its heels. It is always startling to see such a large bird in such a strange position, with legs bent at what, to us human observers, seems like a very painful angle. That position combined with the unkempt, featherless, homely face of an immature wood stork was what probably prompted observers to report an injured bird. But as far as we could tell, this bird has been simply enjoying the sunlight on a cold January morning. For a picture and explanation of this phenomenon, visit the blog entry of Birdwatcher's Digest Editor Bill Thomson III at: http://billofthebirds.blogspot.com/2008/01/wood-stork-ankles.html |
| January 27, 2010 ~ Bella Moth (Utetheisa bella) | |
 After many weeks spent as a pupa, our first Bella moth has emerged from its chyrsalis. In the photograph it is using its straw-like tounge to enjoy its first drink - sugar water from a Naturalists' fingers. Bella moths definitely stand out from the hundreds of nocturnal brown or grey moth species that inhabit South Carolina: they fly during the day and are brightly colored (with hot pink/black-bordered underwings, not seen in this picture). It has the temerity to do so because as a caterpillar they eat the seeds of the poisonous rattlebox plant. The noxious chemicals carry over into adulthood, and the female even receives a packet of extra chemicals every time she mates with a male to give her eggs extra protection from predators. Like the colors of the more well-known Monarch, the bright colors of the adult Bella moth warn predators of of its bad taste. |
| January 25, 2010 ~ Common Loon (Gavia immer) | |
 The strong winds of a storm last night blew this common loon on a Kiawah front yard. The leg placement of a loon, located far to the back of the body, results in some powerful propulsion underwater but also the inability to walk on land. In fact, loons cannot even fly without large bodies of water for a lengthy takeoff. Luckily for this particular loon, a concerned nature lover passing by spotted the bird and remained with it until a Naturalist could pick it up. Thanks to her prompt action the loon was still in excellent shape. A team of Naturalists, excited by the chance to get a close look at such a shy bird, released it on the Kiawah River, where it can dive, fish, and have enough water for takeoff if needed. Although no one knows what emotions birds are capable of feeling, to all those watching the bird appeared to be thrilled to be back on the water. It flapped its wings, preened its feathers, and even let out a few signature wild, eerie calls. |
| January 20 2010 ~ Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) | |
 Recently, this little Eastern Gray Squirrel was found in the yard of a Kiawah Island resident. He was found covered in fleas and dehydrated, a sign that the mother was either missing or no longer caring for her young, so he was brought to the Nature Center for care. Based on his size, the amount of fur and his weight, we estimated his age to be around 4 weeks old. His eyes were just beginning to open. He was fed and cared for nearly a week, but unfortunately died of of an infection. If you find a squirrel in your yard, it is always best to give the mother an opportunity to pick up her young and return them to the nest. Contrary to popular opinion, most mammal mothers will take back their young even after a human has touched them. The maternal instinct usually is stronger than their distrust of people! The best way to give a mother squirrel the opportunity to pick up her young is to wrap a hot water bottle in an old towel or sweater, than place the baby squirrel on top and leave it alone for a few hours. This keeps the baby warm while it waits for its mother to return. Eastern Gray Squirrels are by far the most frequently seen mammal on Kiawah Island as well as the rest of the East Coast. They are in the Order of Rodentia, and can grow up to 20 inches long. They can live just about anywhere where there are large deciduous trees. Squirrels either live in large holes in trees or in large, messy nests built out of leaves - often mistaken for bird nests. Squirrels typically have two litters a year, one in spring and one in summer, but here in Kiawah's subtropical environment they breed and nest year-round as long as there is enough food to support a litter. A large acorn crop this fall provided ample food to squirrel families. Their diet is flexible depending on what food is avaliable. While nuts and acorns are their favorite, they will also eat tree buds, berries, blossoms, seeds, and insects. Squirrels can live to 5 years in the wild but as a prey animal, many young squirrels on Kiawah are taken by bobcats, snakes, and birds of prey. Although some people view the squirrel as a pest, this species is very helpful in controlling plant populations by feeding on the seeds. They play an important role in tree proprogation by burying acorns and other nuts for the lean months of winter and early spring. They will remember to dig up as much as 85% of these, but some they will forget. Oak trees rely upon this method to help spread their seeds to new locations. Squirrels are also essential in controlling insect populations since they dine on a high number of many different insect species. |
| January 19 2010 ~ Sea Stars | |
The recent onslaught of heavy waves turned Kiawah Island's beach into a veritable graveyard of marine invertebrates. In addition to the usual variety of bivalves and crabs that wash up with strong surf, an extreme number of Grey Sea Stars (Luidia clathrata) and Common Sea Star (Asterias forbesi) were strewn about the beach with wreckless abandon by the tides. It was as if Neptune himself was giving us his best impression of a Jackson Pollock painting.
Grey sea stars, also commonly referred to as star fish, are not actually fish, but echinoderms (Greek, echino=spiny; derma=skin). These close cousins to sand dollars and sea urchins dwell on sandy bottoms in shallow offshore areas from North Carolina to the tropics. Sea stars do regularly wash up after heavy storms, but an exact answer to why such excessive numbers of them have recently turned up dead or dying on Kiawah's beach eludes those of us here in the Nature Program. And searches into field guides and even the primary literature have yielded little or no help. In the meantime, we will continue to comb the beach and present information for less common species like the Giant Tun Shell (Tonna galea), and the Pear Whelk (Busycon spiratum), all of which have also been appearing in larger than usual numbers. |
| January 17, 2010 ~ Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) | |
From Kiawah property owner Paula Feldman: "I like this photo because it shows the way the piping plover uses protective coloration to blend into its surroundings. It’s hard to get a photo that does that and still shows the bird as distinct from the sand!"
There are fewer than 2000 pairs of piping plovers left in the wild. As coastal areas become more developed, the plovers face increasing disturbance from human foot and vehicle traffic, off-leash dogs, and feral cats. Kiawah's quieter, more natural beaches are becoming an important wintering site for this special bird. While they can be seen anywhere along the beach, your best chance of finding one is during low to mid tide at the protected shorebird areas along the eastern and western tips of the island. Use the pale back coloration - it mimics light dry sand - to differentiate the piping plover from its wet-sand-colored cousin, the semipalmated plover. |
| January 11, 2010 ~ Sea Cucumbers (Holothuroidea) | |
A walk today from West Beach to Captain Sam’s Inlet proved to be an excellent time for beach combing. Hundreds of sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, pen shells, and dozens of other various aquatic species littered the wrack line in great abundance. The most interesting animal we discovered was the sea cucumber. Sea cucumbers are related to sea stars, sea urchins and sand dollars. When sea cucumbers are threatened, they can shoot out water and their internal organs toward a predator. After this occurs, they can grow back any extruded body parts. Their diet consists of dead and decaying matter, algae and microscopic plankton. Although this little guy is only a few inches in length, some species can grow up to 16 inches. This specimen appeared to be slightly injured, but it was still moving in the sand where we found it. After a quick photo, we immediately released it in the water. If you are up for a little time on the water, join us on a kayak trip to Captain Sam’s Inlet, where you can get out and take a walk on the beach where there is always something interesting to find. Who knows, maybe you will be able to catch and release your very own sea cucumber. |
| January 10, 2010 ~ Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) | |
 Nature photographers on Kiawah might suppose that we bribe our local anhingas with their favorite food, fish, to pose specially for them. They are often seen extending their wings and tilting their head, as if they are proud of their handsome exotic looks. But anhingas have another motive in mind, a motive also shared by both alligators and human beach visitors: basking in the sun. Anhingas are professional swimmers; the unique structure of their body feathers causes them to be water-logged in short order. This allows them to dive and swim with ease. However, a bird flying with wet feathers is somewhat like a human trying to swim with clothing on; it's possible, but difficult. Anhingas must bask in the sun to dry off their feathers before flying again. Ducks solve this problem by waterproofing their feathers with oil from a skin gland; this means they can fly from the water easily, but they must work harder to swim underwater because the oil and air trapped in their feathers makes them more buoyant.
Like wet clothing, wet feathers cause an anhinga to chill easily, so their range is limited to the warm southeastern states. They are most commonly found in swamps and other tree-surrounded wetlands. The nickname of "Snakebird" describes their eerie swimming style; only their long curvy neck shows, giving them the appearance of a snake in the water. The cormorant, their more widespread relative, has a hooked bill and shorter neck and tail. Unlike herons and egrets, it's easy to tell apart the gender of an anhinga: females, like this one, have a brown head and neck while males have metallic green-black plumage accented by light-colored plumes on the back and wings. Photograph by Jamie Rood, staff photographer |
| January 8, 2010 ~ American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) | |
 The recent cold snap experienced by much of the East Coast has put a thin sheet of ice on some of the smaller ponds throughout the island. This means that our alligators, like many other animals, are hunkering down for the winter. Out of all living crocodilians, American Alligators are the only species able to tolerate such cold temperatures. Similar to bears, gators go through a period of dormancy during the cold winter months. But unlike bears, the alligators don't undergo hibernation - that is, they don't enter a deep sleep. Instead, a process called brumation allows an alligator's metabolism to hit rock bottom during the winter, and it will often go for months without eating. Studies have shown that captive alligators lose their appetite around 80 deg F, and will generally stop eating when the thermometer drops below 73 deg F. As long as the alligator has stocked up on food during the summer and fall, their energy reserves should easily sustain them through winter.
Meanwhile, alligators will spend hours at a time in dugout burrows along the pond's edge, insulated from freezing temperatures by a solid layer of earth. If the sky clears and allows sunning, alligators will occasionally emerge to soak up a few rays along a pond's edge. But for the most part, gators will spend much of the winter in their den. Their lower winter metabolism requires them to surface for air only a few times a day. Gators also posess a unique behavior for surviving especially cold temperatures when ponds and lakes freeze over. By submerging their body and projecting their nostrils out of the water, gators are able to breathe while the surface water freezes around them. This is called the “icing response.” However this behavior will on occasion leave an alligator trapped under the ice. If this does occur, the gator must rely on its extraordinary ability to hold its breath, perhaps up to 8 hours. |
| January 7, 2010 ~ Sanderlings (Calidris alba) and Dunlin (Calidris alpina) | |
 If you look carefully at this photo taken by island guest Roseanne Jordon, you'll notice two distinct types of birds. What may strike you first is the difference in color - some of these birds have a light sand-colored back, while others have a darker mud-colored back. Next, compare the difference in bills. The lighter birds all have shorter, relatively straight bills. The darker birds all have longer, drooping bills. There are two species present in this photo, Sanderling (lighter) and Dunlin (darker). When not feeding, they often will flock together in large groups for protection from shorebird predators like the Peregrine Falcon.
The different appeances of the two species gives you clues about their feeding style. Sanderlings are lighter to blend in with light beach sand - these are are the birds you see running along the edges of oncoming waves. Their bill is shorter because sanderlings rely more upon their vision to find bits of food washed up by the waves. The Dunlin have a more methodical feeding style, probing for invertebrates under the sand or mud with their longer and more sensitive bill. Their darker color helps them blend in with their favorite habitat - mudflats.
In a cold winter like the one we have been experiencing, it is particularly urgent to give shorebird flocks some privacy and respect. These tiny little bundles of feathers and soft peeps need all their energy to stay warm in the harsh January wind. When they are chased and/or disturbed by dogs, bikers, joggers, and even careless walkers, they spend that energy flying away rather than staying warm. If this happens throughout the day, the birds may not have enough energy to survive the winter. Please let others know how important rest is to the survival of these adorable birds. Always keep a dog on a leash around shorebirds and give resting flocks of shorebirds the courtesy of a nice wide berth while biking or jogging on the beach. |
| January 6, 2010 ~ Feather Report | |
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Tour: Back Island Birding Guide: Sarah Ernst
Weather: Partly cloudy, very windy, low to upper 40s
Locations: Bridge at Killdeer Pond, Marshview Tower in the Preserve, Osprey Point, Willet Pond, Ocean Course Beach
Notes: All the wind kept the birds hunkered down and our numbers fairly low today, but we finally had some great success at the beach, with gannets diving very close by in the surf and a piping plover hanging out close to the path. Unfortunately, we also saw an otherwise well-meaning family let their golden retreiver chase the piping plover (an endangered species) and other nearby shorebirds (click here to learn more about pet etiquette on Kiawah). The redheads are still here and it looked like at least one of the juvenile ibis is switching over from the juvenile brown plumage to the adult white plumage.
Species List: Redhead, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Nothern Gannet, Double-Crested Cormorant, Anhinga, Brown Pelican, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Common Moorhen, Piping Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Willet, Sanderling, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Caspian Tern, Foster's Tern, Red-bellied Kingfisher, Eastern Phoebe, Blue Jay, American Crow, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, European Starling, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird |