Field Trip Reports
Wildflower Walk at Methodist College, Fayetteville - April 12, 2008
The weather gods favored us and held off drenching thunderstorms until just after we completed our trek. About a dozen folks participated on a warm and breezy day to these woods along the Cape Fear River.
We were treated to a fine show, although too late for Trout Lilies and most violets. Spring Beauty, Violet Wood-sorrel, Wild Geranium, False Garlic, Wild Ginger, Starry Chickweed, Licorice-root (Osmorhiza), Britton’s Violet (rare in NC), Painted Buckeye, and others gave us plenty to look at and photograph. By all accounts, the favorites were Atamasco Lily and Gray’s Sedge (Carex grayi); there were hundreds of the lilies in full bloom and more on the way, while we walked through knee-high swaths of the sedge.
The setting energized us as well: tall (120’) bottomland hardwoods and mesic mixed hardwoods of Tulip-poplar, beech, Hackberry, Shumard Oak, White Oak, Ironwood, sycamore, Florida Maple, Boxelder, etc. These trees were farther advanced in leafing out than I had expected--I’d say a week ahead of similar forests on the Pee Dee. Massive grape vines, plus Crossvine, Trumpet-creeper, and Poison Ivy climbed up out of sight. We saw many mature trees, none bigger than a Shumard Oak 5 feet dbh! These hardwoods are very impressive, and an amazing contrast to our fire-driven Longleaf Pine/oak/Wiregrass woodlands. To boot, we had an impressive lesson in geology, what with the dramatic topography, clay soils, and a double waterfall at a tributary creek.
Birds were relatively vocal, but not cooperative. We heard Pileated and Red-bellied woodpeckers, Prothonotary and other warblers, Ovenbird, Red-eyed and White-eyed vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Summer Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, etc. Cope’s Gray Treefrog was the only herpster. Zebra, Tiger, and Spicebush swallowtails, Green Tiger Beetle, and a natural hive of Honey Bees in a Black Walnut tree were among the insects present. And who can forget the “kitty barf fungus”? (Bruce Sorrie)
Pungo - January 19, 2008
Eighteen SNHS members made the 3.5-hour trek east to Pungo National Wildlife Refuge about 20 miles southeast of Plymouth, NC. With temps in the mid 60s, it felt more like March than mid-January. In fact, Tag Alder was in bloom and maple was getting close. The roads were a bit muddy from the previous day’s rain, which made getting through one spot a little exciting. Our first stop was at the observation tower on the south side of the lake. The majority of the waterfowl was tucked way up in the west corner of the lake and was too far away even with scopes. A handful of duck species were visible from the tower, including American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, and Ruddy Duck.
We had permission to walk into a closed area near the west end of the lake and headed there. On the walk out to the lake edge we added a few land birds, and several Wood Ducks flushed out of the canal as we walked out. Bruce also found a leaf of a Swamp Cottonwood, though we couldn’t locate the tree. We saw several piles of fairly fresh bear scat. At this point I knew I was with folks who truly like every aspect of nature. We examined the contents of the bear scat and tried to identify the different seeds. Before the day was done, nearly everyone would stop and pick at a pile of bear scat. Besides corn, the most dominant identifiable item, we think they had been feeding on Tupelo Gum, Smilax, and possibly bay berries. At the lake’s edge we were able to look back into the western side of the lake and see probably all of the estimated 85,000 Snow Geese. Large groups of Snow Geese would flush when a Bald Eagle would fly over, and the sight and sound were truly amazing. As far as eagles go, any time we stopped during the day you couldn’t look up and not see one. Earlier in the week I had been at Pungo very early in the a.m. and we were able to count at least 35 eagles that were perched in trees on the north side of the lake. They are feeding on dead and injured waterfowl. We got good looks at more waterfowl, Tundra Swans, Canada Geese, Ringed-neck Ducks, Shovelers, Gadwall, and a big flock of Ring-billed Gulls resting on the lake.
Other highlights included my favorite bird--a Merlin that Bruce Sorrie spotted feeding on what appeared to be a Red-winged Blackbird. We all got good looks at it through scopes. Next, a bittern that flushed out of a canal as we were watching huge flocks of blackbirds. Northern Harriers and Red-tailed Hawks were constantly spooking these birds. The fluid, synchronized movements and flashing epaulets of the male Red-wing Blackbirds were mesmerizing. We ended up on the north side of the lake, where we got stunning looks at eagles and saw lots of bear sign, but sadly, no bears. Our total for birds was 61. We had Nutria and deer, one group saw otters, and lots of sliders/cooters were seen. Good wildlife, good company, and a long but very good day. (Scott Hartley)
Stargazing 101 - January 12, 2008
The weather was great for our second attempt at stargazing. About 16 members came and we talked about what stars actually are, their brightness, magnitude, light-years, and other basic astronomy terms. Next we learned to orient ourselves by locating the North Star, locating and naming the brightest star in each of about 12 constellations, and learning how to connect or trace out the patterns/pictures they make in the sky. This is challenging and takes practice. Orion, the hunter--with his shield held out in front, the three stars of his belt, and the sword hanging from his belt--is fairly easy. Seeing Andromeda, the “chained lady,” is harder. We were able to see the Andromeda Nebula and Orion Nebula with binoculars. The Andromeda Nebula, at 2.7 million light-years, (a light-year is the distance light travels in a year--about 6 trillion miles--you do the math; I don’t have enough fingers and toes!), is the most distant space object that the human eye can see without binoculars or scopes. You need a very dark sky to see it with the naked eye. Thanks to everyone who came out. (Scott Hartley)
Pinehurst Greenway – October 6, 2007
The trip was led by Carol Bowman on a section of the Pinehurst Greenway Trail. Seven of us started at the parking lot of the fitness center and walked eastward to US 15-501 and back, taking a couple of side trails en route. The trail winds through a fair bit of longleaf pine, crosses several stream-heads, and along backyard shrub thickets. One of the thickets had lots of wax myrtles which attracted a bunch of Cardinals and Robins. A couple of bird feeders were also busy with Chickadees, Titmice, House Finches, and Nuthatches.
After a slow start, bird activity was generally good. Brown thrashers and Towhees were common in shrubby stream-heads and eventually gave us good looks. We noted few signs of migration. For example, no White-throated Sparrows, no Juncos, no Kinglets, but we did have close looks at two Redstarts. One or two Red-breasted Nuthatches were heard briefly. The most unusual bird was an immature Red-tailed Hawk which hunted out in the open near a parking deck. Twice it sailed down and pounced in the grass but missed its prey (presumably mice or voles). This same bird later allowed even closer approach as it perched in a tree; see photo at the SNHS website.
Botanically, we got to see three kinds of pines (loblolly, longleaf, and pond) and a number of shrub species, including a possum haw heavily laden with ripening fruit. Goldenrods and several asters bloomed in stream-head openings, but this year’s extreme drought has put a strain on plants and we saw very few wildflowers in the uplands. Submitted by Bruce Sorrie.
Pilot Mountain State Park – September 22, 2007
On Sept. 22, nine SNHS members carpooled to Pilot Mountain State Park, NC to observe the annual count of southbound migrating raptors. We arrived early to walk the Big Pinnacle trail to look for migrating warblers where we saw seven species including Blackburnian and Bay-breasted. From the trail we also were able to compare soaring Ravens overhead with Turkey and Black Vultures. We then spent several hours on Little Pinnacle Overlook where the raptor count is conducted by the Forsyth Audubon Society. Migrating raptors follow mountain ridges and rivers on their migration and at Pilot Mountain they can be observed flying overhead and occasionally at eye level between Little and Big Pinnacle Overlooks. The official days’ count was 66 raptors, a slow day that began with fog. However our group was treated to sightings of 11 raptor species as they winged their way toward their wintering grounds. While on the pinnacle we also observed Red-Spotted Purple and Monarch butterflies on their migration and Chimney Swifts passing so close we could hear the “rush” of their wings! Submitted by Carol Bowman.
Calloway Tract – September 15, 2007
On the morning of September 15, several members of the SNHS attended the dedication ceremony for the Calloway Community Nature Park, a 15 acre portion of the 2700 acre Calloway Forest owned by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). TNC took over management of the property from the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) who purchased the property in for 5.3 million dollars in September of 2001 as a mitigation land for RCW habitat taken in highway building projects near Fayetteville. The prior owner of the Calloway Tract farmed much of it for pine straw. This owner in turn purchased the Calloway Tract from the Calloway family.
TNC provided for a sightseeing tour of the Calloway Tract. Seating was over straw bales in a pick-up truck and a tractor-pulled hay wagon. Much of the tract was in even-aged longleaf pine. Previous herbicide use to control under-story growth for pine straw farming led to the present scarcity of under -story plant species except for wiregrass. Bird species observed were sparse as well. These species included Red-shouldered Hawk, Turkey Vulture, American Crow, Fish Crow, and Brown-headed Nuthatch. There was also an interesting geologic observation. Concentrations of sandstone boulders provided evidence of the Orangeburg Scarp which separates the coastal plain-derived Cape Fear Formation from the overlying piedmont-derived Middendorf Formation.
The Calloway Tract and nearby Raft Swamp Farms have the potential for a greater observation of fauna and flora during future SNHS fieldtrips. Submitted by David McCloy.
Swift Night Out - September 8, 2007
On September 8, Scott Hartley led a group of almost forty naturalists and birdwatchers to Aberdeen Elementary School in order to watch a great spectacle of nature-migrating Chimney Swifts coming in to roost. We arrived at the school in the evening about a half hour before dusk, only to witness still, clear, bird-free skies. Before long though, a few swifts began to trickle in and circle above the school’s chimney. In the next thirty or so minutes we all were privileged to observe hundreds of swifts come in and join the already-circling birds above the chimney. Then, uncertainly at first, a few swifts began to drop into the chimney, doing a full body twist in order to enter feet-first, to make roosting on the completely vertical surface easier. Following the lead of those few brave souls, the remainder of the circling flock dove into the chimney, scrambling for the best positions left in the roost. Final estimates for the number of birds varied widely, but a number around 2000 was agreed upon for the official consensus. I would love to see these guys emerging from the roost in the morning- it must be just as spectacular! Submitted by Michael McCloy.
Stedman Sod Farm – Mud, Sweat, and Killdeers - August 25, 2007
The Sandhills Natural History Society, represented by Carol Bowman, David and Michael McCloy, Vim van Eck and me, went to the Stedman Sod Farm in Stedman, NC to look for shorebirds. Unfortunately, after a record drought, there was no water in the fields, so we saw no shorebirds but the Killdeer. However, I did see my first Horned Lark in the field before the bridge, and later, we saw 12 more in the field further back in the property. Its yellowish throat and face markings stood out so clearly, but no one saw any horns. We also had good sightings of the American Kestrel, first of an adult male perched on a bush in the distance, then a female on the wire. Both male and female Blue Grosbeaks were flitting about and singing in the field next to the road. We saw a huge murder of Fish Crows, about sixty strong, which flew to the tops of the trees at the edge of the field. A Red-bellied Woodpecker could be heard a couple of times coming from that same patch of woods, and we also heard a Great Crested Flycatcher. A Carolina Wren was alternating between call and song in the same field as the Grosbeaks, only much closer, and later that day a White-eyed Vireo sounded off. And, of course, there were the Mourning Doves and Killdeers, both flying overhead and perching on the ground. But there were no raptor sightings (other than the Kestrel) until the inevitable Turkey Vulture.
In the butterfly department, we fared much better. There were multiple sightings of the Sleepy Orange, the Cloudless Sulphur, the Palamedes Swallowtail, enormous Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, the Monarch, the Red Admiral, the Viceroy, and one lone Variegated Fritillary. The first Sleepy Orange we saw was perched on a blade of grass, from which Michael was able to pluck him. Michael put him on his finger so we could get a good look at the inner wings. We figured he was sluggish from having just emerged from the chrysalis. There were also quite a few dragonflies, the most prevalent among them the Common Whitetail, and we saw at least three pairs of dragonflies mating in midair. There were also lots of Eastern Amberwings and a few eastern Pondhawks. Michael picked up a mud turtle hanging out in the muck at the bottom of a ditch. Unfortunately, I don’t know my wildflowers as well as I know my birds, but the standout flowers that day were the pink, white, and yellow rhexia, and orange milkwort. Submitted by Patrick Shaffner.
Cape Fear Kites and Beyond - July 21, 2007
A group of ten or so drowsy SNHS members left Wally World bright and early for a day of chasing kites and other feathered critters through the Coastal Plain of NC. First stop was the Oakland Plantation sod farm in where killdeer were the most popular species seen. We also saw a small flock of wild turkey crossing the road in roughly the same place as last year. The group did get close looks at both male and female Eastern Pondhawk dragonflies.
Next we headed to Lock and Dam #2 On the Cape Fear River. No kites were seen this year, but there is always next year!
Our third stop took us to Sunset Beach in search of wood storks. As soon as the group parked, there were numerous large black and white birds in the trees around the Twin Lakes. The group got good looks at Wood Storks, Common Moorhen, Great Egrets, and a few alligators. All that was missing from the previous year’s trip was the Roseate Spoonbill.
Lake Waccamaw State Park was our last stop on the whirlwind tour of the coastal plain. We had hoped to catch the tail end of Susan Campbell’s hummingbird banding demo, but just missed her. It was pretty quiet birdwise, so we walked a half mile to see the native venus fly traps. It was a warm walk, but worth the trip. A few folks stayed behind, after most of the group left for home, to look in the canals around the Lake for basking alligators. We got several good looks and photo opportunities of the reptiles.
All told we saw or heard 61 species of birds, several dragonfly species and four living reptiles. Submitted by Brady Beck.
Weymouth Woods 11th Annual Butterfly Count – June 9, 2007
Have you ever wondered how to tell the difference among the King’s hairstreak, Edwards’ hairstreak, gray hairstreak, banded hairstreak, and coral hairstreak butterflies? What does all of this have to do with New Jersey tea, a plant that was in bloom on June 9? What about the difference between the attenuated bluet and turquoise bluet damselflies or between the blue dasher and slaty skimmer dragonflies? When was the last time that you saw a blister beetle, an eastern hognose snake, or heard a Bachman’s sparrow?
Thirteen butterfly enthusiasts spent the morning of June 9 at Weymouth Woods Nature Preserve observing butterflies as part of an official North American Butterfly Association tally for that day. However, their interests weren’t limited only to butterflies. As illustrated above, odonates, other insects, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and plants were also greatly enjoyed by the participants. Submitted by David McCloy.
Blue Ridge Parkway Birds, Blooms, and Bugs – May 26, 2007
It is becoming a tradition for SNHS to make a May pilgrimage to northwestern North Carolina along a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway. This year the portion extended from Deep Gap south to Linville Falls. Trout Lake at Moses Cone Memorial Park, Julian Price Memorial Park, and Lynn Cove Viaduct were visited in between. There were four SNHS participants with Scott Hartley as the leader.
We tallied 67 bird species on the trip. Especially noteworthy were good looks at a singing alder flycatcher, a soaring juvenile bald eagle, old-time-named fire-throats or torch-birds (Blackburnian warblers), and two wild turkeys as well as a chorus of two or three veeries. This trip also provided a good opportunity to identify bird songs and calls, especially among the 12 warbler species that were seen and/or heard.
Several of the plant species we observed were an Angelica, a variety of daisy fleabane, a dogbane, false Solomon’s seal, elephant’s foot, fireweed, flaming azalea, golden ragwort, hay-scented fern, jack-in-the-pulpit, jewelweed, a lily (Clintonia sp.), a parsnip, rue anenome, Solomon’s seal, spicebush, a spiderwort, a Trillium, Turk’s cap lily, wild Geranium, and wild yam.
The butterfly species we observed were Appalachian tiger swallowtail, clouded sulfur, eastern tailed-blue, pearl crescent, and silver-spotted skipper. A stream channel at Moses Cone Memorial Park with partially flowing water provided the opportunity for us to overturn rocks. We discovered crayfish, crane fly larvae, mayfly larvae, an unidentified species of salamander, southern pygmy clubtail (a dragonfly), and stoneflies.
Needless to say, SNHS will be back again next year, if not at these locations, then elsewhere in the North Carolina Mountains. Submitted by David McCloy.
Beidler Forest – April 14, 2007
If you ever wanted to study the differences among banded water snakes, brown water snakes, cottonmouths, and redbelly water snakes from the safety of a boardwalk, Francis Beidler Forest/Four Holes Swamp in Dorchester Co., SC is the place to go. It is also a good place to observe differences among eastern mud turtles, eastern musk turtles, “Florida cooters,”, striped mud turtles, and yellow-bellied sliders.
Thirteen individuals from SNHS, including the co-leaders, Jeff Beane and Todd Pusser, marveled at the beauty and species diversity of the area. Prothonotary warblers especially were easily seen and heard along with hooded warblers, northern parulas, pine warblers, yellow-rumped warblers, and yellow-throated warblers. A total of 54 bird species were tallied. Atamasco lily and jack-in-the-pulpit were in bloom. Spruce pine was a new species for many individuals. Of special note at an open pond were the American alligator and bowfin and chain pickerel fishes.
No doubt SNHS will be doing a return trip next year. Submitted by David McCloy.
Soil Identification - November 11, 2006
Soils are a basis for the study of plant and animal communities. On Saturday morning, November 11, 2006, Jeff Beane, Brady & Karen Beck, Bruce Sorrie, David & Michael McCloy, and Ranger Kim evaluated soils as an ecological component at the Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve (WWSNP). The first stop (near the Pine Island Trail) was a dug exposure of a soil profile on a sideslope. Consideration was given to various soil properties as well as to different landscape positions. The remainder of the field trip was spent observing (by means of a soil auger) the five soil series that are mapped at WWSNP. We saw the Ailey, Bibb, Candor, Gilead, and Vaucluse soil series, discussed their classification, and learned how to distinguish among them. In addition, birds and plants were observed as illustrated by a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a Northern Flicker near the soil profile and Winterberry along a stream. Submitted by David McCloy.
Coastal South Carolina - October 20-22, 2006.
Cassie Willis, Carol Bowman, and David and Michael McCloy teamed up for an extended weekend of birding along the South Carolina coast from October 20-22, 2006. Our first stop was Huntington Beach State Park, a well-known birding locale just south of Myrtle Beach on Highway 17. Along the causeway, we were immediately greeted by a very photogenic flock of around 125 Wood Storks, mostly juveniles, and several American Alligators. Some other birds seen along the causeway included Osprey, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Blue-winged Teal, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Little Blue Heron. We then proceeded to hike out to the jetty, where we were disappointed to find no more than several Willets and Ruddy Turnstones.
That evening we stopped at a local birding hotspot in Mount Pleasant, known as the Pitt Street Causeway or Pitt Street Bridge. We ended up stopping there three times over the course of the weekend, and turned up numerous Clapper Rails, Seaside Sparrows, Great Egrets, and a Cooper’s Hawk, along with the ever-present Laughing Gull, Brown Pelican, etc. At high tide, a flock of shorebirds flew in to a nearby sandbar, and included numerous Short-billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated Plovers, Black-bellied Plovers, American Oystercatchers, and Marbled Godwits. We also had the opportunity to witness several Black-crowned Night-herons fly over the marsh over the course of our three visits.
On Saturday, October 21, we decided to take the ferry out to Bull Island, a popular birding spot that is part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. The two knowledgeable tour guides in charge of the ferry accompanied us for several hours in the morning, showing us some of the island’s birding hotspots. While we were with them, we were lucky enough to find a beautiful Roseate Spoonbill sitting in the top of a dead tree in full view not 30 feet from us. We marveled at this spectacular sight for approximately half an hour before we moved on. Several ponds on the island held large flocks of shorebirds, waders, and ducks, including Short-billed Dowitcher, Lesser and a single Greater Yellowlegs, Little Blue and Tricolored Herons, American Black Duck, Blue-winged Teal, and oddly enough, a very early Redhead. American Alligators were also abundant on the island; we even saw several babies!
Sunday was spent at Caw Caw Interpretive Center, an educational facility that has several flooded impoundments providing great habitat for sparrows, wrens, ducks, and waders. Some interesting birds seen at Caw Caw included Winter Wren, Osprey, Wood Stork, Anhinga, and several large mixed flocks of wintering passerines, among many others.
Our grand total for the weekend was 98 species of birds with insect life being relatively slow. Herp life was slow as well, with a Rat Snake and probable Black Racer being the only creatures of interest. Submitted by Michael McCloy.
Pinehurst Greenway - September 9, 2006
On September 9, 2006 a group of 14 birders/hikers/naturalists assembled for a familiarization trek on the Pinehurst Greenway, an area recently developed to focus on and preserve the natural habitat in Pinehurst. We started at the Arboretum entrance on Magnolia Rd., hiked thru Wicker Park, crossed Hwy. 211 to the trail behind the First Health Fitness Center, over the wetland footbridges and continued on the trail skirting Village Acres subdivision, approximately 4 miles roundtrip. The group saw/heard 25 species of birds, observed the native plant specimens along the trail that have been identified with signage and found numerous spiders/webs, dragon and damselflies and had excellent observations of several Phanton Crane Flys in one of the wet areas. Check out this website for a treat in spider web building: www.conservation.unibas.ch/team/zschokke/movie.html. Submitted by Carol Bowman.
Sandhills Turf Farm - August 19, 2006
On Saturday, August 19, 2006 Brady Beck, Carol Bowman, Linda Jones, David & Nancy Kilpatrick, David McCloy, Kaye Swafford, George Thompson & friend Thelma, and Pru Williams braved a heavy early morning fog to bird an area which potentially can have many fall migrant shorebirds. At 7:00 a.m. visibility was very poor in the open turf fields. It was decided, until the fog lifted, to search for passerines in the smaller fields along a service road/driveway and at a small pond. This area was on the west side of the property. Shortly before 9:00 a.m. the fog began to lift so that in a short time visibility became quite good. The open turf field immediately to the east of the office and maintenance buildings was searched at first and gave the best results. Near a small wet spot in the field three Horned Lark and a Pectoral Sandpiper were spotted as well as very prevalent Killdeer and European Starlings. Afterwards the remaining turf fields were searched. The trip ended with a search of a brushy area at the rear or north end of the turf fields.
The following is a list of the bird species seen/heard: Great Blue Heron 1, Red-tailed Hawk 2, American Kestrel 1, Northern Bobwhite 1, Killdeer 55, Pectoral Sandpiper 1, Mourning Dove 6, Yellow-billed Cuckoo 1, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Downy Woodpecker 1, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Eastern Wood-Pewee 4, Eastern Phoebe 1, Eastern Kingbird 1, Horned Lark 3, Blue Jay 2, American Crow 5, Fish Crow 3, Carolina Chickadee 2, Brown-headed Nuthatch 5, Carolina Wren 6, Eastern Bluebird 10, Northern Mockingbird 1, European Starling 130, Red-eyed Vireo 1, Pine Warbler 11, Northern Cardinal 2, Blue Grosbeak 3, Indigo Bunting 1, Eastern Towhee 2, Chipping Sparrow 20, Field Sparrow 6, and American Goldfinch 15. In addition, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Variegated Fritillary, Common Buckeye, and Monarch butterflies, a Six-lined Racerunner, and Halloween Pennant and Common Whitetail dragonflies were seen. Submitted by David McCloy.
