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A journal of the natural life
along a trail of community wonders.

FROM OUR NATURALIST, JEFF BREAZEALE

Jeff will come to your Reserve property and help identify plants and vegetation for you. Property owners can also arrange a private group hiking on The Reserve at Lake Keowee trails. If you are interested please contact him by email directly. Jeff can be reached at: Jbreazeale@reserveatlakekeowee.com

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Trail Journal Issues 1 - 34

TRAIL JOURNAL ISSUE 35 (Winter 2011)

The Upstate of South Carolina has had a warm, color-filled fall this year. The leaves turned a little later this year, but were beautiful, none the less. As the winter months approach with cooler weather, trees are dormant, most wildflowers have died back, and insects and reptiles are hibernating. However, there is still activity to be found!

This winter The Reserve at Lake Keowee Community Foundation will be participating in The Great Backyard Bird Count. This event is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to help provide information of where the birds are across North America. The dates for the 2012 Bird Count are February 17-20th. The time of your participation can last 15 minutes or an hour or so each of the days. You choose the times. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. Contact Kathryn at the Community Foundation for details or visit www.birdsource.org/gbbc/howto.html to participate and to get a list of birds in the Sunset area. The idea is for participants to count birds on their property or various sections of The Reserve during this four day event.

In our area, there are birds which you will only see in the winter months, so take advantage of their visit and keep your binoculars handy!

Our most recognized avian friend is the Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). When they are not feeding at a birdfeeder they forage on the ground, in trees and around bushes. They feed mostly on seeds, grains, and fruits, with a few insects and snails thrown in. When on the ground they hop instead of walk. Pairs mate for life, and they stay together year-round. Mated pairs sometimes sing together before nesting. During courtship they may also participate in a bonding behavior where the male collects food and brings it to the female, feeding her beak-to-beak. I have observed this and the male passes the food off to the female very gently. He appears very devoted to her. They will feed their young almost exclusively on insects.

Two of the woodpeckers found in our area are the Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) and the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus).

Hairy Woodpeckers forage primarily on the trunks or main limbs of trees, where they probe into crevices and scale off bark searching for prey. The best time to here their “drumming” is in spring. Bark-boring and wood-boring beetle larvae in dead and dying trees are their main food. They also feed on sap from sapsucker holes, berries, nuts, and seeds. They relish suet which is provided at feeders. Hairy Woodpeckers form breeding pairs in late winter, and pairs from previous seasons often re-pair. Both will excavate nesting and roosting holes in soft or rotten wood, especially dead conifers.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers forage on the limbs and tree trunks of deciduous trees. Their favorite foods are beetles, grasshoppers, ants, acorns, beechnuts, and fruit. During winter, their diet consists mostly of seeds and they can often be found at birdfeeders. They will sometimes store food in crevices of tree bark for later consumption. In early spring, Red bellied Woodpeckers are known for tapping their bill together forming a drumming sound which signals that the male is claiming its territory and hopes to court a mate for a season of nesting. This habit of tapping is done on gutters, utility poles, siding or hollow limbs as they are attracted to noises that resonate. They will also tap noisily on aluminum roofs, metal guttering and even on cars to attract mates. Their annoying sound can cause dismay to a person who wishes to sleep peacefully at night. These birds are said to be monogamous throughout the breeding season. Some pairs last for over several seasons.

The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is very common and inhabits mixed deciduous and coniferous forests. They love acorns so they prefer the presence of oak trees. They will gather nuts and seeds jam them into tree bark, and hammer or the food open with their bills. I never knew this before, but a group of nuthatches are collectively known as a "jar" of nuthatches. They often travel with small mixed flocks in winter. One explanation for these flocks is that the birds gain protection from predators by the vigilance of the other birds.

Pine Warblers (Dendroica pinus) are the only warblers that eat large quantities of seeds, usually pine. The scientific name for this species describes its habitat: dendron (a tree); oicos (inhabitants); and pinus (a pine tree). They prefer to nest in pine trees, hence their names. This was the first bird I ever photographed for the Reserve trail journal several years ago. Strangely, in all that time I’ve never seen one at my feeder.

The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) prefers habitats that include swampy or moist woodlands, and urban shade trees. Summer foods consist of insects, snails, and spiders, shifting to fruits, seeds, and nuts in the fall and winter. Titmice often establish food caches in their territory consisting of seeds stored under bark and in the ground. I came across another little known fact, at least to me; a group of titmice are collectively known as a “banditry” and a “dissimulation” of titmice.

With the exception of the Pine Warbler, I have seen all of these birds come eagerly to a feeder filled with black-oil sunflower seeds. Most birds prefer these because they are easier to shell. Unsalted, raw, or parched peanuts are relished as well, especially by woodpeckers.

Enjoying the antics of these birds is as easy as a glance out the window! If you are able to maintain a feeder you will really have a show. Don’t forget to inquire about the bird count and enjoy our fine-feathered friends this season.

Nature-ally yours,
Jeff Breazeale