Volume 55, Number 7 July, 2013 ANIMALS IN THE LOW COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA by Mike Birmingham, Entomologist1 The animals depicted in this article were seen on my trip learn from the field guide that males and females look alike.2 to Dataw, Hunting and Oak islands, South Carolina last April. A Hunting State Park employee said the trails I walked From the boardwalk I see a blur of small creatures were in prime snake habitats. I would see a thin, fast moving disappear into round holes in the mud. I am motionless black snake cross the trail in front of me on Oak Island. It while I wait to see what happens next. Hundreds of small slithered into a Dwarf Palm (Sabal minor) grove where it fell crabs reappear from their silent and unseen. Shortly after the sighting a woman came earthen dens. They crawl along with a dog. I told her about the snake. She said she about the mud surface had seen a dead snake on a road to Oak Island similar to feeding on the detritus. my description. The snake I saw fits the visual, behavior and On close inspection I see range map for the Southern Black Racer one massive and one small (Coluber constrictor priapus), in my reptile front leg. The small crab is field guide. It hunts prey smaller than FIGURE 1 MUD FIDDLER CRAB, UCA food for egrets and herons. itself, and it is hunted by the Red-tailed PUGNAX, IS THE MOST COMMON FIDDLER As I walk the trails Hawk, (Buteo jamaicensis), seen and CRAB ON THE EAST COAST. of Huntington State Park heard nearby. I hear sounds and see images of animals I do not recognize. The calls of titmice and chickadees What looks like and behaves like a flycatcher alerts me to its in the crowns of live oaks gave the presence. It is a large, crested bird. Days later I hear its call from locations of wood warblers that the crowns of tall oaks. Two birds I see resemble the one at the appeared to feed on the same insects. park. At Oak Warblers were small, black and white Island towards with variable markings of yellow, FIGURE 3 MYRTLE WARBLER the end of black and white. Upon examination (SETOPHAGA CORONATA my trip, I of many photos and photos in field CORONATA) IS A SMALL NEW get a clear guides, I discover the common bird WORLD WARBLER. photograph continued on page 2 of the bird. It had sallied from a branch ADBC PLANNING MEETING in pursuit of JULY 18, 2013 flying insects. I enlarge the AT 7:00 PM digital photo to confirm at the home of Marcia Anderson. FIGURE 2 GREAT CRESTED FLYcaTCHER, (MYIARCHUS CRINITUS) ARE THE LARGEST INSECT EATING BIRD IN THE it to be a All members welcome. Phone Marcia at 758- TYRANT FLYcaTCHER FAMILY, THE LARGEST BIRD FAMILY IN Great Crested 6433 if you plan to attend or need directions. THE WORLD. Flycatcher. I ANIMALS IN THE LOW COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA continued from Page 1 was the Yellow-rumped Warbler I have never seen (Setophaga coronata) in two forms: a Purple Martin in The common Myrtle Warbler and Columbia County the less common Audubon Warbler even though I have shown in Figures 3 and 4 respectively. two martin nest boxes Another warbler photographed in my yard. At Dataw was the Yellow-throated Warbler Island, a purple martin (Setophaga dominica) but not shown nest box was crowded here due to being out of focus. It with noisy martins. FIGURE 6 PURPLE MARTIN (PROGNE SUBIS) IS lacks the black breast markings of Females and juveniles THE LARGEST NORTH AMERIcaN SWALLOW. the Yellow-rumped Warbler, had have light colored black side streaking and an extensive breasts; males have a bright purple back. They hunted typically yellow throat patch. The yellow on the wing singly FIGURE 4 AUDUBON WARBLER (SETOPHAGA CORONATA rump patches were seen through the or in small groups AUDUBONI) IS A SMALL NEW binoculars and confirmed by notes I near the ground WORLD WARBLER. kept. and low to the A fisherman for Blue Crabs pond edges. They (Callinectes sapidus) walked with me from the wharf to the would rest briefly nature center where he pointed to a fleeting Painted Bunting. on the ground or Later on I asked a tree branch, Figure woman walking 6, before taking her dog on Oak FIGURE 7 EASTERN TOWHEE (PIPILO flight. Island if she had ERYTHROPHTHALMUS) IS A NEW WORLD The Brown SpaRROW. seen these gaudy Thrasher colored birds. She (Toxostoma rufum) abounded along the forest edge in brush, said four pair of Figure 8. It scratched the forest litter, and It blended well them came to her with its surroundings. It also had many songs. I had difficulty feeder on Dataw Island. To locate where buntings live in the wild, FIGURE 5 PAINTED BUNTING (PASSERINA CIRIS) IS IN I check a field THE caRDINAL FAMILY. guide. I walked to a brushy, semi open place where the guide indicated the birds lived. A bunting flushed to a tree trunk long enough to take several photos of it. I had seen the Eastern Towhee only once in my yard at FIGURE 8 THE BROWN THRASHER (TOXOSTOMA RUFUM) IS A NEW Kinderhook. In the low county of SC I saw several towhees. WORLD RELATIVE OF A caTBIRD AND MOCKINGBIRD, BOTH LATER On a side road at a marina on Dataw Island, the towhee SPECIES ABUNDANT LOcaLLY. scratched leaf debris for insects in Figure 7. All sightings of the recognizing the species, for several species locally resemble one bird occurred along trails and roadsides. another. The photographs were essential in identification. 1 Photos are by author. All common and scientific names from Wikipedia. Wikipedia is credited with the information presented in the captions. 2 Field guides used in my work on the trip are: Eastern Birds by Roger Tory Peterson, Fourth Edition; Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America by Roger Conant et. al. 3rd Edition; Sibley’s Guide to Birds of Eastern, North America. July 2013 The Warbler alandevoebirdclub.org 2 REMINDERS & NOTICES ADBC FIELD TRIPS COLUMBIA LAND CONSERVANCY OUTINGS July 20, Sat. - CLERMONT STATE For Information about CLC events, programs & outings: HISTORIC SITE (morning) Meet 9 am Visit www.clctrust.org or call 518-392-5252 at the Visitor Center of Clermont State Historic Site. The park charges a fee ($3) for this event. Coordinator: Bill MOH ON A S W UDSON OHAWK IRD LUB RIPS K H M B C T D U Cook: 518-851-2678. H AT ILLIAM ANFORD IBRARY B & PROGRAMS ( W K. S L ) I B R U Aug. 10, Sat. - COPAKE RAIL TRAIL (morning) Meet D CL More info: 518-439-8080 or www.hmbc.net 8 am at the Parking area for the rail trail on Under Mountain Road. From the intersection of State Routes 22 and 23 in Hillsdale travel about 8 miles south on Route 22 and turn left on Under Mountain Road. The parking area is about 1/2 mile on the left. Coordinator: John Piwowarski: 518-672-7622. Aug. 17, Sat. - CLERMONT STATE HISTORIC SITE (morning) Meet 9 am at the Visitor Center of Clermont State Historic Site. The park charges a fee ($3) for this event. Coordinator: Bill Cook: 518-851-2678. Note TO FIELD TRIP LEADERS: Following the field trip for which you are the leader, send a brief summary/write-up of the trip for the Warbler to the editor - Nancy Kern, PO Box 321, Ghent NY 12075. email: [email protected] ALAN DEVOE BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP FORM Membership Annual Renewal Date: January 1st Send check to: Sandra Williams, 1730 Co. Rte 9, Chatham, NY 12037, payable to the Alan Devoe Bird Club, Inc. NAME: STREET ADDRESS: CITY, STATE & ZIP: TELEPHONE: RENEWING MEMBERS FOR 2013 E-Mail: Wendy Dwyer Betty Grinrod Paper Warbler or E-Warbler (please circle your preference) Kathryn & William Schneider MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES: Adult $15 [ ] Junior (18 or younger) $10 [ ] Supporting Adult $30 [ ] Individual Life $500 [ ] Family/Household $25 [ ] Supporting Family/Household $45 [ ] ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS: General Fund: Sanctuary Fund: Educational Opportunities Fund: TOTAL ENCLOSED: July 2013 The Warbler alandevoebirdclub.org 3 SIGHTING OF A COMMON NIGHTHAWK ROOSTING Photos and Text by John Piwowarski I was bird watching at a swamp in Ghent looking for Nighthawk. Flycatchers, Warblers and Vireos high up in the tree tops Nighthawks are a fair size, nine and a half inches between all the foliage. I was listening for their calls and long. They are a half inch larger than a Baltimore looking for movement in the upper canopy. I still had Oriole and a half inch smaller then an American available light for pictures at 7:30 PM on May 27, when Robin to give you a size perspective. You can watch I noticed movement from behind me, something flew their flight without binoculars. Most birds sit across right over my head and landed near the top of an ash a tree branch whereas Common Nighthawks sit tree directly parallel to the branches they roost on. It makes in front of them harder to see and less of a silhouette, so they me. As it are completely camouflaged. After viewing the bird flew over, I and resting my eyes, it took a while to relocate it in saw the very the tree even though I knew where it should be. On streamlined the following day at 9:15 AM I found a nighthawk near wings and the same the white swamp about patches on two hundred the under- feet further wings.