Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Winter is a GREAT time to get out and visit the parks! Hiking or biking the trails is a good way to burn off all those extra holiday calories for you and your dog—and if you bring the whole family, it is an awesome opportunity to have some bonding time. There are still plenty of things to observe in the natural world during the winter and some great activities to participate in as well. Light snow brings a completely new perspective and changes the scenery entirely at the parks. We are usually open if the roads are passable—but call ahead or check our Facebook Page to make sure if you are in doubt. Below we have put together a few “must see” lists for winter for those of you who are interested in getting out and exploring Catawba County’s natural heritage! Since there is always a Ranger on duty at each park, stop in and ask what good things have been seen recently and they will be happy to point you in the right direction!

Evergreen Plants/Wildflowers/Interesting Fruit: American Holly (fruit), Heart-leaf Ginger (leaves), Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (leaves), Puttyroot (leaves), Cranefly Orchid (leaves), Trout Lily (blooming late February thru March), Round-lobed Hepatica (blooming late February thru March), Christmas Fern (leaves), Witch Hazel (blooming late November thru February), Hearts-a-Bursting (fruit), Purple Beauty Berry Bush (fruit), and Coralberry (fruit)

Winter Birds At The Feeders: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and Fox Sparrow along with the more common feeder birds. You never know what excitement you might find just watching the feeding stations at any of our facilities.

Winter Birds Away From The Feeders: Wild Turkey, Bufflehead, Northern Flicker, Hooded Merganser, Red-breasted Merganser, Ring-billed Gull, Barred Owl, Bald Eagle, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren, Savannah Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, and Rusty Blackbird.

Other Things To Look For: Winter is a great time to look for animal tracks including White-footed Mouse, Eastern Gray Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, Raccoon, Virginia Opossum, Mink, Muskrats, and White-tailed Deer. The American Woodcock, known for its long flexible bill and short fat body, begins its whimsical mating displays. Near dusk, the males will fly up into the air from a clearing in the canopy and spiral back down while making a soft twittering sound. (This is usually the best time ALL YEAR to see them because of their very cryptic habits!) And, after a warm winter rain—look for mass migrations of Marbled and Spotted Salamanders to vernal pools where they will lay their eggs.

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Fall was a beautiful one here in Catawba County with lots of fall foliage color peaking near the last of October and the first of November.  Our Parks also had their fair share of “winter visitors” at the bird feeders too!  All three Parks had Pine Siskins and Purple Finches while St. Stephens also had fly-over Evening Grosbeaks and a lone Common Redpoll.  Riverbend also had several Red Crossbills one day in November!  Keep your eyes open . . . . there are always surprises to be found when it comes to our winged friends!  One of our most uncommon bird sightings this fall was actually seen during our “Big Sit” event that we held at Riverbend on October 14, 2012.  We were getting ready to call it a day when we looked up to see an American White Pelican soaring over head!  It was the second time in 2012 that White Pelicans were seen at Riverbend Park!

We were also busy this fall getting kids outdoors!  We hosted a regional JROTC Orienteering Meet in October, led a Zoology Hike for Homeschoolers, hosted a 4-H Family Camp Out night, and Ranger Owenby hosted a Christmas party for the 4-H Junior Ranger Club where they decorated and then donated 100 lunch bags for the Corner Table in Newton.  One of our regular patrons, Jim Rogers of Hickory, also stopped by with a wonderful gift for us!  He sketched us a very special, one-of-a-kind piece of hummingbird art that put a big smile on our faces!

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

As some of you may know, our Rangers have a deep love of the natural world and love to share their passions with others!  In 2012, three of them teamed up with two instructors from CVCC to do a “Big Year.”  You may have seen the movie last fall about the three friends who were in competition with each other to see which one could spot the most bird species in a single year—well, this isn’t like that at all!  Each of them will be counted DIFFERENT things.  Ranger Dwayne Martin counted bird species; Ranger Lori Owenby counted butterfly and moth species; Ranger Alisha Stamey counted mammals, reptiles, and amphibians; Biology Department Head, Emily Whiteley counted spiders; and Biology and Botany Instructor Tracie Jeffries counted wildflowers.  They limited themselves to the four counties of the Catawba Valley—Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba—so how did it turn out?  See the list below!

Birds: 209 species

Butterflies & Moths: 389 species

Spiders: about 175 species

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

January & February Hours: 8 am thru 6 pm; March Hours: 8 am thru 7 pm

Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday

Closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

We will be OPEN our normal operating hours on the following holidays:

Monday, January 21, 2013—Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Monday, February 18, 2013—President’s Day

Friday, March 29, 2013—Good Friday

Sunday, March 31, 2013—Easter Sunday

Monday, April, 1, 2013—Easter Monday

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Many of you know that Ranger Martin bands Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at Riverbend Park during the summertime.  But did you know that during the winter, on his days off, he travels around to capture and band wintering hummingbirds across our region?  Most of the hummingbirds that he bands after the end of October turn out to be Rufous Hummingbirds.  So far this season, he has banded Rufous Hummingbirds in Boone, Hickory, Shelby, and just missed getting one in Hiddenite.  Because another bander from South Carolina was unavailable in December, he also travelled to McClellanville, SC to band South Carolina’s second record of Buff-bellied Hummingbird.  It was an immature bird and was very vocal!

Remember that you, too, can host a wintering hummingbird!  Just keep your feeder out and filled with the “regular” mixture of four parts water to one part sugar.  No red dye is necessary and in fact may cause harm to the birds.  The mixture will not freeze unless it stays below 27 degrees for a while and you will not have to worry about it going rancid as quickly as it does in the summer.  You will only have to change it every 10 to 12 days.  Let us know if you are lucky enough to see a hummer this winter at your feeder!  Contact Ranger Dwayne Martin at jdmartin@catawbacountync.gov or call 828-256-9157.

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

January:

Saturday, January 12, 2013—Second Saturday Bird Walk at Riverbend—9 am

Monday, January 21, 2013—4-H Junior Ranger Club: Mustelids: A Quartet of Weasels—6:30 pm

Saturday, January 26, 2013—Fourth Saturday Nature Hike at Bakers Mountain—9 am

February:

Saturday, February 9, 2013— Second Saturday Bird Walk at Riverbend—9 am

Friday, February 15, 2013—Great Backyard Bird Count at St. Stephens—10 am

Saturday, February 16, 2013—Great Backyard Bird Count at Riverbend—5 pm

Sunday, February 17, 2013—Great Backyard Bird Count at Bakers Mountain—8 am

Monday, February 18, 2013—4-H Junior Ranger Club:  Birds: Our Extraordinary Feathered Friends—6:30 pm

Saturday, February 23, 2013— Fourth Saturday Nature Hike at Bakers Mountain—9 am

March:

Saturday, March 9, 2013— Second Saturday Bird Walk at Riverbend—9 am

Monday, March 18, 2013—4-H Junior Ranger Club: Small Mammals: Moles, Voles, & Shrews—6:30 pm

Saturday, March 23, 2013– Fourth Saturday Nature Hike at Bakers Mountain—9 am

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Saturday, January 12, 2013; Saturday, February 9, 2013; Saturday, March 9, 2013—9 am

Join a Ranger on the second Saturday of each month to search for birds along our section of the Catawba River. Winter brings the possibility of ducks along the river.  We regularly see Hooded Mergansers and have found Common Goldeneye during very cold periods.  This is also one of the best times to see one of “our” Bald Eagles as they are courting each other and repairing their nest in preparation for their new babies.   The walk will be two and one half to three miles but will be over easy terrain.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring binoculars.  Contact Ranger Dwayne Martin at jdmartin@catawbacountync.gov or call (828) 256-9157 for more information.

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Saturday, January 26, 2013; Saturday, February 23, 2013; Saturday, March 23, 2013—9 am

Join Ranger John Sutton on the fourth Saturday of each month to enjoy a guided nature hike at one of Catawba County’s most unique spots! The route and length of the hike may change from month to month to take advantage of the best spots in the park to see wildlife and wildflowers that day—but rest assured that there is always something fascinating to see!  Winter can be full of surprises on the mountain!  Ranger Sutton will talk about how to stay safe while hiking in the winter—by keeping hydrated and dressing in layers for maximum comfort.   You will also learn more about the history of the mountain and why it is such a unique ecosystem.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water for drinking.  Contact Ranger Sutton at jsutton@catawbacountync.gov or call (828) 324-8461 for more information about how easy/difficult the hike will be each month.

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Monday, January 21, 2013—6:30 pm

We will have a jam-packed evening of activities!  Since it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we will begin by participating in a short discussion activity on injustice.  We will then briefly talk about our upcoming WHEP (Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program) schedule before diving into our program on the weasels of our area.  We actually have four species here in Catawba County . . . . two of them prefer riparian habitats while the other two prefer woodlands with clearings.  Can you guess what they are?  If not, come and learn something new about nature!   Contact Ranger Lori Owenby at lowenby@catawbacountync.gov or call 828-256-9157 for more information.

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Now in its 15^th year, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is now open for participation to anyone, from any point on the globe!  Last year, kids and adults both submitted over 17 million bird sightings during the four-day annual event.  “The GBBC is an ideal opportunity for young and old to connect with nature by discovering birds and to participate in a huge science project,” says Gary Langham, Audubon’s Chief Scientist. Participation is easy! All you have to do is count birds for at least 15 minutes at the location of your choice on one or more days of the count.  You then visit the GBBC website and submit your sightings.  How easy is that?

We are planning on making it even easier for those of you who may just be starting out and aren’t comfortable identifying birds on your own.  We have a walk scheduled at EACH of our three parks and plan to look for a variety of species at each location.  St. Stephens will begin the count on Friday at 10 am.  We will venture around the nature trail and maybe even take a short stroll through the nearby neighborhood to look for urban birds.  On Saturday, we will be putting on our warm clothes and carrying our flashlights to look for owls and listen for woodcocks at Riverbend!  We will start at the park office at 5 pm and will watch the bird feeders for a little while before heading into the woods in search of our nocturnal feathered friends!  And then on Sunday morning, Ranger Sutton will be heading out bright and early at 8 am to look for nuthatches and winter finches along the trails at Bakers Mountain.  We are sure the bird feeders will be a great spot to count from in the chilly morning air.  In addition to our walks, Murray’s Mill will also be hosting walks on Saturday and Sunday during the count.  We hope you will join us on one or more of these fun-filled walks!

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Monday, February 18, 2013—6:30 pm

Our meeting again falls on a holiday—so we will begin by participating in a citizenship activity about President’s Day before learning all about the birds in our area.  We will participate in a Cardinal craft activity (wear old clothes!) and learn about bird beak adaptations as well.  Contact Ranger Lori Owenby at lowenby@catawbacountync.gov or call 828-256-9157 for more information.

Posted By lowenby on January 7, 2013

Monday, March 18, 2013—6:30 pm

Have you ever wondered what the difference was between a mole and a vole?  How about a shrew?  Well, come on out to our meeting to find out!  There is a lot to learn about the underground secrets of these mostly nocturnal creatures.  We will also be doing a community service project for the local Animal Shelter.  Contact Ranger Lori Owenby at lowenby@catawbacountync.gov or call 828-256-9157 for more information.