April 2010
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Also in this issue* Learning at
Ohoopee Dunes* They're
eating my flowers!
* Georgia
herp hotspot
*
Carters Lake whoopers* Burns yield
longleaf boom
*
King rail at Panola Mountain
Give wildlife a chance
* Buy a
conservation license plate.
* Contribute to the
Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund tax checkoff.
*
Donate directly to the Nongame Conservation Section.
* Use
GoodSearch for your Internet searches (at
www.goodsearch.com, enter "Georgia Nongame Conservation Fund" under "Who do you GoodSearch for," click "Verify," and search).
All of the above support Georgia DNR's
Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state funds to conserve nongame wildlife, native plants and natural habitats. Details: (770) 761-3035.
WILD Facts
Bird nesting is in full swing! Species that normally nest in cavities may take up residence in dead trees or birdhouses in your yard. Non-cavity nesters may find your evergreen trees and shrubs particularly attractive for raising young. While some birds are very secretive about where they nest, other species don’t mind making their homes close to humans.
Wrens often nest amidst garage clutter,
house finches may choose hanging flowerpots, and
phoebes and
barn swallows like to nest on ledges. Be patient and feel privileged if a bird picks part of your living space for its nest.
In education
Georgia educators who want to learn, and teach, more about forestry and wildlife should check out the sixth annual
Georgia Teacher Conservation Workshop. Set for June 21-25 and based at
Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, the program covers wildlife management and the growing cycle of trees through experts and outdoor and timber industry tours. The cost: $35. The return: four professional learning units and a weeklong education in the field. The course is for non-forestry and non-wildlife educators working with grades 5-12. The limit: 30 participants. Apply by May 1.
Under the Gold Dome
Score one for the turtles.
House Bill 1000, which would allow the Board of Natural Resources to regulate trade in freshwater turtles, cleared the state House 156-1 in late March and was set for a possible Senate vote as of April 20, the 37th day of the 40-day General Assembly. The Wildlife Resources Division has supported legislation to regulate the commercial harvest of turtles. Demand fed by Asian markets threatens the Southeast's rich diversity of freshwater turtles.
Correction: Georgia's Legislature runs on a biennial, or two-year, cycle. 2010 is the second half of the current cycle, meaning bills not passed in this session will die -- not be shelved until 2011. The
March Georgia Wild misstated the status of legislation that does not pass both the Senate and House this year.
Ranger reports
Making a case: A long-running investigation in Dougherty County led by Ranger 1st Class Ben Roberts resulted in 28 warrants involving three subjects. Charges ranged from hunting deer at night to hunting hawks and owls. Tipped off by a complaint in November, Roberts begin investigating a plantation manager, with the search for evidence including interviews with witnesses, deer processors and taxidermists.
Wilson's ploverCharadrius wilsoniaKey characteristics: Medium-sized shorebird – about 6-8 inches long – with short necks, flesh-colored legs and stout bills. (
Wilson’s are sometimes called thick-billed plovers). Adults have brown backs, white underparts and either a black or brown band on their chest.
Named for: Ornithologist
Alexander Wilson, who collected the species in New Jersey in 1813.
Range: Includes the Pacific Coast from Baja California to Peru, the Atlantic Coast from Virginia to Brazil, and the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Wilson’s plover is found year-round in Georgia, but is rare here in winter and found regularly only at a few sites.
Habitat: Coastal beach habitats, from dry sand beaches and dunes to intertidal sand flats and mud flats, accretion areas and washovers.
Nesting: Along Georgia’s coast, nests primarily on outer barrier island beaches, but also on sand spits at the mouth of large rivers and on sand flats. Nesting season runs from late April through June. Most nesting occurs in May. Nests are a shallow scrape in the sand made by the male. Each nest usually contains three eggs. They hatch in 23-24 days. Young leave the nest with the adults soon after hatching, foraging on the wet beach of an outgoing tide.
Eats: Fiddler crabs, other crustaceans, worms and insects. Wilson’s plovers often probe the sand and mud for meals.
Sounding off:
Listen for a sharp “wheep!”
Threats: Mortality and nest losses resulting from people and their pets, plus direct predation by feral cats, are primary threats. Other predators include raccoon, mink and laughing gulls. Tides and storms can wash over nests. Erosion is undermining some nesting habitat.
Status: Referred to in the late 1950s as “one of the most the most characteristic breeding birds of the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast beaches,” the species has declined sharply in these areas. Wilson’s plover is listed in Georgia as rare, and in some other states as threatened or endangered. Georgia’s population of about 100 nesting pairs is down from estimates of 360 in the early 1980s and 200-250 in 1986. Robust numbers are found only on
Little St. Simons Island and
Cumberland Island’s southern end. Georgia’s State Wildlife Action Plan, or SWAP, lists Wilson’s plover as a high-priority species.
How to help: Avoid nesting, brood-rearing and feeding habitats. Keep pets at home or at least on a leash when visiting the beach. Support conservation efforts for shorebird habitats.
Largely from an account by Nongame Conservation Section Program Manager Brad Winn in “The Breeding Bird Atlas of Georgia,”(UGA Press). Additional sources: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and “Protected Animals of Georgia” (Georgia DNR).
NoteworthyBald eagle nest numbers continued to
climb in Georgia this year, despite the cold, wet winter and early spring. Surveys by Nongame Conservation Section program manager Jim Ozier documented 135 occupied nesting territories, 118 successful nests and 187 young fledged.
A Canoochee River corridor conservation easement in the works targets habitat management for federally threatened
eastern indigo snakes along the edge of
Fort Stewart. Next month’s Georgia Wild will include more on the site and a federal $1.4 million
Recovery Land Acquisition Grant for the easement.
White Nose Syndrome has been found at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and
in Missouri, continuing its deadly spread. The
confirmation in Tennessee of
Geomyces destructans, the fungus and the presumptive causative agent of WNS, came from White Oak Blowhole cave, home to the state’s largest known hibernacula of federally endangered
Indiana bats.
Wildlife Resources’ Flickr page features posters that capture the art, and heart, of conservation. Earlier this month, 12 children were announced as
statewide winners from among more than 4,900 K-5th-grade students who entered the Give Wildlife a Chance Poster Contest.
The future of shad fishing in Georgia is the subject of a
DNR-sponsored meeting April 29 in Midway. Atlantic Coast American shad stocks are at all-time lows and do not appear to be recovering, leading to a Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission moratorium on commercial and recreational shad fishing beginning in 2013 except in states that can show the fishery is sustainable.
Townsend WMA sandhills are getting a fresh start. Extensive logging of mostly
sand pine – a non-native species that can shade out native vegetation – is planned at the southeast Georgia management area, followed by planting
longleaf pines. Regional Game Management Supervisor David Mixon called logging “
the first step in converting the sand pine and off-site loblolly into a longleaf pine ecosystem.”
SnakesKin, a
new
Animal Planet series, focuses on the Jason Clark family behind Georgia-based
Southeastern Reptile Rescue. The last episode, “Rattlesnake Island,” includes Nongame Conservation Section biologist Thomas Floyd.
The Interagency Burn Team did controlled burns on a whopping 19,500 acres during winter, with the Student Conservation Association
“strike team” accounting for 4,614 acres. Due next year: more prescribed fire on national forest lands, thanks to a recently signed agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.
The North Atlantic right whale season wrapped up without a wrapped up whale, thankfully. The numbers: 19 mother-calf pairs (the average since 1991 is 21), at least 200 other non-breeding whales, zero entanglements (compared to five last year), zero calf mortalities and one whale birth photographed (only the second in history).
“It is possible," explained Nongame Conservation Section biologist Clay George, "that there may have been some calves that were not reported. Research has shown that in years with cooler weather,
the whales tend to move farther south, out of our survey areas. So it is possible that there will be more calves that could show up in the breeding areas than were counted by our survey teams.”
Quick: What’s the nickname of the whale photographed calving? Derecha, Spanish for “right.” George says the whale has been known to calve in some unusual places, including the Gulf of Mexico.
The Georgia Aquarium contributed $11,000 for loggerhead sea turtle conservation as part of a new
Coastal America Partnership alliance with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The money goes to the Savannah-based
Caretta Research Project, a nonprofit that protects loggerheads on Georgia's
Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge.
Along with loggerhead hatchlings, Nongame senior wildlife biologist Mark Dodd had a hand, and a credit, in the Miley Cyrus movie “The Last Song.”
Read more.
An Important Bird Areas group banding birds at Panola Mountain State Park April 11 heard a
king rail in the reeds of a grassland/wetland restoration area. Nathan Klaus, a Nongame Conservation Section senior wildlife biologist, said he flushed a
black rail – the Holy Grail of birding – from the same area last fall, a sighting that highlights these secretive, high-priority birds and the successful habitat work at
Panola.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is
calling it quits in the search for
ivory-billed woodpeckers. “The preliminary conclusion we’ve come up with at this point is that it’s unlikely that there are recoverable populations of ivory-billed woodpeckers in those places that have received significant search efforts over the past five years,” said Ron Rohrbaugh, director of the Lab’s Ivory-billed Woodpecker Research Project. Sightings and video prompted Cornell’s assertion in 2005 that the species was alive.
Watch this
2009 video of the search.
Panola Mountain plays host to a
Mountain Top Owl Prowl on May 8. Other wild programs at Georgia state parks include
Birding by Ear and
Common Birds of Georgia May 22 at Smithgall Woods Conservation Park near Helen, and a
Frog Slog – warning: be prepared to get wet – at 6 p.m. each Tuesday until Aug. 31 at Panola in Stockbridge.
Wildlife, fun and education rule the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center
J.A.K.E.S. Day celebration, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 15. Admission is free, as is lunch for the kids.
Fitzgerald’s Wild Chicken Festival in March drew about 8,000 people and 100 vendors. “Great day, great turnout,” co-chairman Barry Peavey said of the
community event going strong 10 years after abandoning a rattlesnake roundup format.
The latest Junior Ranger e-newsletter from the Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites Division features a
Q&A with botanist Tom Patrick of the Nongame Conservation Section.
The climate invasion has begun. Or so says a National Wildlife Federation report and
intentionally cheesy B-movie
trailer called “They Came from Climate Change.”
Nongame in the news
The (Kings Bay) Periscope: “
Bird house,” about Trident Training Facility's Lt. Antone Eliasen, the Bird Man of Kings Bay. (April 15)
Florida Times-Union: “
Dolphin makes rare visit to Satilla, 51 miles upriver,” about bottlenose dolphin spotted near Tarboro. (April 14)
Barrow County News: “
Help nongame wildlife by finishing taxes with a checkoff for conservation,” DNR release about Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund checkoff. (April 14)
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer:
“
Yellow anaconda wins Hiss America Pageant,” about a contest during an annual Reptile Fest at Columbus’ Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center. (April 11)
The (Dalton) Daily Citizen: “
Wild Facts: tigers of spring,” Linda May brief about eastern tiger swallowtails. (April 8)
The Outdoor Wire: “
Winners announced in Georgia ‘Give Wildlife a Chance’ poster competition,” DNR release about statewide winners in annual contest. (April 8)
Athens Banner-Herald: “
Native plants -- Gotta have 'em,” column about what native plants are, and why plant them. (April 8)
Fly Rod and Reel Online: “
First ever photograph confirms Colombian hummingbird,” about image of a living Santa Marta Sabrewing in northern Colombia, the first confirmation in 60-plus years of the species’ existence. (April 7)
The Associated Press: “
Condor egg successfully hatches in California,” about first hatching of a California condor chick at Pinnacles National Monument. (April 7)
The Augusta Chronicle: “
Towering champions,” about Georgia’s Champion Tree List and what’s on it. (April 3)
Athens Banner-Herald: “
Endangered plantlife added at area WMA,” DNR release about planting mat-forming quillwort at Oconee WMA’s Eatonton Outcrop. (March 31)
Savannah Morning News: “
Early migrants showing up across Georgia,” DNR release about return of chimney swifts, hummingbirds and purple martins. (March 31)
MSNBC: "
Mysterious whale die-off is largest on record," about more than 300 southern right whales, mostly calves, found dead off Argentina. (March 31)
The Augusta Chronicle: “
Phinizy research could uncover rare species,” about Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy herpetological assessment if Phinizy Swamp. (March 29)
Savannah Morning News: “
After baby boom, whales have an average year,” about right whale calving season off Georgia/Florida coast. (March 27)
The (Dalton) Daily Citizen: “
Time short; register now for youth birding competition,” DNR release about signing up for annual event. (March 25)
Savannah Morning News: “
Striped newt could get more protection,” about U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposing striped newt for listing. (March 25)
RealEstateRama: “
Spring planting is for the birds, and butterflies!” DNR release about planting and landscaping for wildlife. (March 23)
New York Times: “
Are aquariums getting too lifelike?” about impact of growing aquarium trade on reef invertebrates. (March 22)
Florida Times-Union: "
Chemical causes high contamination levels in Atlantic dolphins," about PCB levels in dolphins linked to closed factory in Brunswick, results from sampling last summer near Brunswick and Sapelo Island. (March 1).
CalendarApril 24-May 5:
2010 Pine Tree
Festival and Southeast Timber EXPO, Swainsboro.
April 27-28:
Georgia DNR Board of Natural Resources committee meetings (1 p.m. April 27), monthly meeting (9 a.m. April 28), DNR board room, Atlanta.
May 8:
International Migratory Bird Day, officially May 8, though dates of events can differ by state, region.
May 15:
J.A.K.E.S. Day Festival, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, Mansfield.
June 19-25:
Paddle Georgia 2010July 25-29:
Bat Blitz, Fort Mountain State Park.
Family education night, 6:30 p.m. July 25.
Submit events
Photo credits (
from top):
* Division 2 (1st-2nd grades) winning poster in Give Wildlife a Chance poster competition.
Poster by Jordan Sullivan, Dacula Academy in Dacula.
* Coosa Valley prairie.
Marc Del Santro
* DNR's Jason Wisniewski (left) and Deb Weiler, along with researcher Jason Meador (center), record mussels on the Altamaha River.
Rick Lavender/Ga. DNR
* Wilson's plover.
Brad Winn/Ga. DNR
* DNR's Mincy Moffett and youth from the Highly Intensive Team Supervision Program inspect a scarlet kingsnake found at Ohoopee Dunes Natural Area.
Maurice McNeal/Department of Juvenile Justice
* Cardinal eating redbud blooms.
Terry Johnson
* Montage of herps -- (top left)
gopher frog; (top right) wood frog; (bottom left) spring salamander; eastern diamondback rattlesnake -- found within the four-county region of Talbot, Taylor, Marion and Schley.
Sean Graham/Auburn University * Whooping cranes at Carters Lake.
Joshua Spence* Longleaf pine seedling and cone.
Nathan Klaus/Ga. DNR* Florida panther with kittens.
Darrell Land/Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
Georgia Wildvolume 3, issue 4
Georgia Wild is produced by the Georgia DNR
Wildlife Resources Division and focused on conserving nongame species, those not legally trapped, fished for or hunted. The newsletter is delivered free to subscribers.
Subscribe or see previous issues.
Wildlife Resources'
Nongame Conservation Section conserves and protects Georgia's diversity of native animals and plants and their habitats through research, management and education. The section depends for funding on grants,
donations and fundraisers such as
nongame license plate sales, the
Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund state income tax checkoff and
Weekend for Wildlife. Call (770) 761-3035 for details on direct donations. The nongame plates -- the bald eagle and ruby-throated hummingbird -- are available for a one-time $25 fee at all county tag offices, by checking the wildlife license plate box on mail-in registration forms or through online renewal. Also,
check here for information on TERN, the friends group of the Nongame Conservation Section.
Read more in "
Conserving Nongame Wildlife: 2008-2009," a report on the Nongame Conservation Section's work.
Looking back
Three previous issues ...
Georgia Wild archives.
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Although Georgia is one of the most biologically diverse states in the nation, 318 species here have such low populations they are protected by state or federal laws. Hundreds of other species are of conservation concern as well, mostly due to habitat degradation and destruction.
Since the SWAP’s completion in 2005, more than 40,000 acres of high-priority lands have been acquired for management by DNR. An additional 150,000-plus acres have been protected through conservation easements or acquisition by other conservation organizations. Prescribed burning, invasive species control, and native vegetation restoration have enhanced high-priority habitats on public and private conservation lands. Data gathered from expanded survey and monitoring efforts has helped manage populations of amphibians, coastal shorebirds, sea turtles and rare plants. Recovery efforts for federally-listed species, technical assistance programs for landowners, and environmental education have all benefited from the resources and direction provided through the SWAP.
It might come as a surprise to you that some birds regularly eat buds and blossoms. A few years ago, a fellow called me upset because birds were eating blossoms on his prized apple tree. It seems that a flock of hungry 
The results, published in the current 
Today, land managers are working hard to bring the longleaf back, and several burns conducted last year are doing just that. One reason that longleaf are difficult to recover is that they only produce a good seed crop, known as a cone year, about once every seven to 10 years. Cone years are highly unpredictable; however, cones take two years to mature before they release their seeds.