Trail Journal

                             Trail Journal Issue 17

We have so many interesting events planned for June and July I can hardly wait. Best of all you can see some samples of the featured topics simply by walking out your door and onto the trails.

There are more kinds of beetles than any other group or order of organisms. And we have our share! A seldom seen but common one is the Caterpillar Hunter or Fiery Searcher (Calosoma scrutator). It prefers cool, damp places on the ground under rocks, logs, leaves, bark, decomposing wood, and other debris. You may spot them climbing trees in search of their favorite prey, caterpillars. They are very beneficial, eating tent caterpillars, gypsy moth caterpillars, and other harmful caterpillars. You can increase your changes by hunting in trees infested with caterpillars at night. If you can get your hands on a good supply of caterpillars, you may be able to keep them as a pet.

“Saturdays with Jeff” started out with a bang! We had a wonderful time and large group came to Hill House to view and learn about the snakes of the Reserve. One of my favorite demonstrations is to display a Northern Copperhead along with several “look-alikes”. One whose numbers have increased in this area, for reasons I’m not entirely certain, is the Corn or Red Rat Snake (Pantherophis guttata guttata or Elaphe guttata guttata for you old timers). When put side by side with the Copperhead the difference is obvious. This popular “pet” snake is beautiful and has a highly varied pattern. I put three beside each other and all had a different appearance. The basic pattern is bright red or orange blotches on a light to dark gray background. When you turn them over you can see how they get the name “corn” snake. The check-a-board pattern is similar the pattern found on ears of Indian corn. As you travel to the piedmont and coastal plain the background becomes an orange-red and they are more colorful. They average five feet but seven foot specimens are not uncommon in lower parts of the state. At home in trees, barn rafters, and other high areas Corn Snakes can hunt and catch birds and their eggs. The most preferred prey; however, are small rats and mice. They are great animals and deserve our protection.

Our next Saturday event was a bird watching walk on Turkey Ridge trail. Turkey Ridge trail and park was named for the Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hen that used the broken wing method to lure me away from her nest. This was some years ago when we were laying out the trails themselves. Even though I could hear the chicks “peeping” I couldn’t see the nest. She acted this way for nearly fifty yards then flew off to return to the nest. This hen shown here was photographed at the end of Top Ridge Road. In the spring, in some of our meadow areas you may witness the males with their inflated wattles, the red area on the throat and neck, and spread tail feathers courting up to five or more females. The hens nest on the ground and the chicks or poults can leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching. If you walk the trails early in the morning you may see a “mama and her biddies”.  

As a beekeeper myself I am very concerned about the problem with honey bees. Beekeepers sounded the alarm in 2006. Seemingly healthy bees were simply abandoning their hives en masse, never to return. Researchers are calling the mass disappearance Colony Collapse Disorder, and estimate that nearly one-third of all honey bee colonies in the country have vanished. Why are the bees leaving? Scientists studying the disorder believe a combination of factors could be making bees sick, including pesticide exposure, an inadequate food supply, and a new virus that targets bees' immune systems. So far it seems, South Carolina has been spared.  I mention this because on our bird watching walk we discovered something very comforting, at least for me. A dead tree or snag with a baseball sized hole had a huge swarm of bees coming and going. Honeybees are one of the most studied of all insects and I could fill the journal with these facts that you may want to research yourself. Instead I’ll tell you I was five feet from the bee’s entrance and they were never alarmed. The tree stands 30 or so feet from the trail and poses no threat to any hiker. But this does remind me to tell everyone that as safe as our trail system is you should always be alert to the things around you. That way you will be safe and not miss any of the treasures to be seen. 

Finally, some information for all of you bear watchers. Immediately past the boat storage on Pine Grove Church Road is Rutledge Drive. The Rutledge family lives at the end of the road. In the past 6 weeks they have had 2 bears come onto their porch and basically tear through the screens. In both cases the Dept. of Natural Resources brought a bear trap and caught the bear. June 19^th was the capture date for the last one. And it was huge! The picture was taken through the cage, of course, so it may not have the best quality. The ranger had told the Rutledges that the bear might not be hauled away for a few hours and they were concerned it would get too hot in the cage. The ranger told them to simply hose the bear down to cool it off and that it would actually enjoy that. They asked me if I wouldn’t mind doing this for them, which I  gladly did. The reason for even telling this part of the experience is to say the bear never “flinched”. It was as if we were old friends. He was acclimated the humans to a degree I’ve never observed. Fortunately he is now in North Carolina. Check the newsletter for my section on bears or stop by Hill House and pick up a pamphlet on “living with bears”.  

Hives of bees, backyard bears, should I even go outside? Absolutely! I’ve been a next door neighbor to the Reserve property for more than 20 years. I have walked, hiked, and climbed much of it as well. In all of that time I have never come close to any situation where I felt “uncomfortable”. Enjoy your trail system. It’s a real treasure many of you have yet to discover! Nature-ally yours, Jeff Breazeale

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