A great time of year to see American Oystercatchers

The shell middens along the intercoastal waterway are host to one of the greatest wintering concentrations of American Oystercatchers on the east coast.  In the winter, the birds congregate along the shell banks and are conveniently viewed from the ferry.  During a rather high tide the other day, there was a large group of them resting.  The ferry wake flushed them into the air; as the waves abated, they all settled back to their perches.Oystercatchers are distinctive to identify, with a black head and long orange bill, which they use to snip the adductor muscles of oysters and clams.  Since that is the muscle the shellfish uses to keep the shell closed, once it is severed, the oystercatcher can take its time consuming the animal within.  They nest in the spring, and I think they have been known to nest on Dewees in the past. 

They are listed as a species of high concern by SCDNR, who note that there was a 21 % decline in Oystercatchers in 14 years ending in 2001.  Their nests face depradation from raccoons, minks, and possums, and in extremely high tides like we had in May, they may be washed over.  Our interns noted that Oystercatcher nests had high mortality last spring, which is worse if they only nest once per year.

Oystercatchers nest on beachfronts, shell mounds, and marsh or spoil islands.  They mate for life and raise only one brood per season.  In South Carolina, nesting begins early April and ends in late June.  Pairs are very defensive during the nesting season.  Territorial displays, such as a breeding pair running side-by-side while lowering their heads and calling loudly, are frequently seen near nesting sites.  The nest is a shallow depression on a sandy or shelly beach with little or low vegetation.  Clutch size is 2 – 4 and eggs are gray with dark spotting.  Chicks are dependent on adults for food for at least two months. Oystercatchers are able to fly at approximately 35 days. They are believed to begin breeding at 3 – 4 years.  (SCDNR)

You can listen to one here:  enature

Golf Cart Tips

Property owners on Dewees can only use electric vehicles. Most people have golf carts, a few have GEM cars. The golf carts are great for the environment; they’re fun to drive; they bring you closer to nature and neighbors.

The sandy roads on the island and the salt water in the air can be hard on vehicles that are designed for the manicured fairways at golf courses. Following some quick tips can dramatically reduce the number of problems your golf carts have.

Quick Tips:

1. Charge your carts over night — deep cycle batteries need a good 6 to 8 hour charge.
2. Check your battery connection cables regularly — they should be tight to avoid an electrical arc; replace old cables that are suffering from electrolysis (corrosion caused by two different metals touching each other).
3. Refill your batteries with distilled water monthly — the water level in deep cycle batteries should be up to the bottom of the refill cylinder; over filling can cause the battery acid to boil out during charging; low water levels can cause the metal plates in the batteries to calcify, reducing the battery’s working life.  See battery manufacturer’s instructions for details.
4. Run your cart at least once per month — like any piece of machinery, golf carts need to be used to stay in good shape.  If you can’t get to the island once a month, hire someone to take your cart around.  Kids could be hired at reasonable rates to check on your carts.  Or see the list of contractors and vendors on the POA website.
5. Stay out of puddles as much as possible — charging through puddles can throw a slurry of sand and water up into your brakes, wheels and the rest of your cart’s undercarriage; the slurry can eat at parts; if you have to go through a puddle, slow down to reduce splashing.

If you have other tips, please submit a comment to share them with the rest of the community.

Sea Level Rise?

For Ted’s birthday party yesterday, we tried to take a bunch of 2nd graders to the North Beach — out past six pipes. We never made it.  At 2 p.m., a couple hours after low tide, the road north was covered with 6 to 8 inches of water just before the submarine tower. The turn off to myrtle dock looked washed out from the tidal flow 8 hours before.

Path to Myrtle Dock

The road has always been low just before the submarine tower, but it feels like it’s been covered with water much more this year than in the past and on days without exceptional high high tides. Perhaps we’re seeing the local evidence of sea level rise.

We took the kids to Ancient Dunes instead and Ted had a great party.

Erosion continues in the Middle of the Island

The area south of Osprey Walk down to Needle Rush Walk eroded some more this week. Since 2007 Gary McGraw’s beach walkway has been a good barometer of how things are going. The situation is surprisingly dynamic. One day the beach grows, the next it erodes — sometimes in dramatic leaps. This week, two sections of Gary’s walkway collapsed. That’s about 24 feet of walkway. Not all of that was new erosion as part of the walkway was already sticking on out into the water at high tide. There was probably 10 feet of new erosion.

There’s a palm tree that’s north of Gary’s walkway that’s been fighting for survival all summer. We thought it was a goner several times as the sand around it slipped away. Then to our delight the sand would return. Now, however, the salt has gotten to the palm. All the fronds are brown and the sand around the base has eroded 12 or so feet behind the palm. Some time this winter, I’m expecting it to go.

Many of the pine trees on the front beach are being carved by the salt from the ocean. The tallest and most seaward parts are fringed with brown needles.

New Fall/Winter Merchandise at the Landings Building

Stop by the Nature Center and check out the new merchandise:  we have gifts for all ages: long sleeve t-shirts in new colors, fleece hats and earwarmers and scarves, lots of stocking stuffers like turtle carabiner/bottle openers, kinetic energy flashlights, postcards, notecards, books and field guides, cute fur-trimmed tote bags, classic Dewees mugs, and more.  While you are there, check out the nature exhibits, too!

A big thank-you goes out to Ginny Moser and Betty Yearout, who have spent a lot of time carefully considering what items we need and creating beautiful displays with the new items.  Proceeds from items in the Nature Center benefit the island’s environmental programs.  Don’t forget to bring your checkbook at Thanksgiving (or you can bill your lot directly!)

 

 

Salt Myrtle blooming; a sure sign of Fall

Sometimes, this time of year, it looks like it is snowing, as the salt myrtle spreads its dandelion-like seeds out across the sky in fluffy clouds.  The white seeds are the female flowers; the male flowers have yellow blooms and appear on separate shrubs.  This plant is also known as groundsel, silverling, and sea myrtle, and consumption weed.  It grows quickly in our area, and can tolerate some salt spray and wet feet.  It even transplants easily when it is young, so if you have an area that needs plants, it’s a good choice for a native garden.  Marsh wrens, swamp sparrows and shorebirds may nest in salt myrtle, and it provides cover for other birds.  In our yard, we often have Yellow-rumped warblers flitting about in them, and I have seen a Northern Parula in a groundseltree more than once, as well as a Common Yellowthroat.

Supposedly, the name “consumption weed” came from a tea that could be made from the bark and roots which would treat colds and coughs.  In the late 1800’s, a Physician Porcher recommended the tea as a palliative for consumption, though he described the taste as “bitter and mucilaginous.”

The plant was also used for brooms in pre-Colonial and Colonial America.

Last year, I learned (the hard way) not to bring this inside in flower arrangements.  Clean-up requires chasing all the fluffy seeds around the house.

Green Turtle washes up; Victim of boat strike

visible propeller strikes

Our turtle team was busy yesterday checking out this turtle carcass which washed up on the beach.

While green turtles don’t nest on our beaches, they do frequent our waters sometimes.  They are smaller than loggerheads.  This poor specimen was killed quickly– the boat propeller sliced all the way through the carapace and almost severed the head.

Lori, Gretchen and Gary used the turtle stranding kit to identify the turtle and take measurements to send in.  Chrissie accompanied the carcass on the ferry so DNR could complete a necropsy.

They can range as far north as Canada, but nest on shores with warmer water.  Largely herbivorous, the green turtle feeds on shallow grasses and seaweed.

We noticed the beauty in the patterns of a scute that had fallen loose– classic “tortoiseshell.”

Take a minute to say thanks for the water!

Quality drinking water is something we take for granted sometimes.  This past weekend saw a water main break on the North end of Pelican Flight Drive, and our staff worked hard, sometimes in the dark, to get to the source of the break and get it fixed.  Once it was repaired, there was a boil water notice in effect for 72 hours.  We really appreciate all the efforts of the staff to get the water back online quickly!

If you are away from the island, be sure to dump out your ice makers when you get back and start again with fresh water.  The chance of any kind of contamination is remote, but it is better to be safe.

It’s RAINING!

As the remnants of Ida sweep through the area, we are set to get a lot (one forecast called for 4-8 inches) of rain in the lowcountry. Based on the unofficial comparison which occurred by chance meeting in the road, Mount Pleasant has already seen much more rain than Dewees has, but we may get more in the next day or so. Once the storm moves Northward, winds may cycle around and toss up some surf, leading to some erosion and possibly great beachcombing. We’ll keep you posted!

Progress in treating Chinese Tallow

This week, we could see visible evidence that the treatment of Chinese Tallow has begun.

Treated trees are beginning to experience a die-off, and the timing seems perfect– the trees still have enough leaves to circulate the herbicide through the plant, but the popcorn-like fruit has on developed to the point where they can be dispersed easily.