Posted By lowenby on January 1, 2012

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 it’s 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 1, 2012

Happy New Year! We hope everyone has enjoyed the holiday season… This winter has been somewhat mild so far this year. We have experienced many days in the 50’s and this makes for great park weather! Just remember to dress in layers for maximum comfort. We have experienced a fair amount of rain this season and with cooler temperatures trail conditions can get muddy and remain that way for extended periods. It is a good idea to wear the right boots/shoes for these conditions and use caution on the steeper slopes. If we do experience any inclement weather that requires us to close, we will post the closing on the Catawba County webpage and on the Parks Facebook page.

There is a lot to do and see in the winter forest…  When the trees are bare you can see and hear great distances and this makes wildlife viewing excellent. Keep an eye on the moist winter ground and you will see many wildlife tracks and sign. You never know what you may find; like our rare little winter visitor the Allen’s Hummingbird. Just remember the days are short and it gets cold and dark fast out on the trail late in the day.  Getting outdoors as much as possible in the winter months helps to lessen seasonal depression and helps keep us active and healthy. Plan on visiting your parks this winter and watch the season slowly melt into spring. Spring will be here before you know it and the transition between the seasons is a great marvel to behold. Bring the family and the dog and enjoy the peace and beauty of the forest! We look forward to your visit soon!

A Winter Eden

A winter garden in an alder swamp,
Where conies now come out to sun and romp,
As near a paradise as it can be
And not melt snow or start a dormant tree.

It lifts existence on a plane of snow
One level higher than the earth below,
One level nearer heaven overhead,
And last year’s berries shining scarlet red.

It lifts a gaunt luxuriating beast
Where he can stretch and hold his highest feat
On some wild apple tree’s young tender bark,
What well may prove the year’s high girdle mark.

So near to paradise all pairing ends:
Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,
Content with bud-inspecting. They presume
To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.

A feather-hammer gives a double knock.
This Eden day is done at two o’clock.
An hour of winter day might seem too short
To make it worth life’s while to wake and sport.

~ Robert Frost

S. Blair Rayfield Jr.

Catawba County Parks Division Manager

(828) 312-4803

Blair@CatawbaCountyNC.gov

Posted By lowenby on January 1, 2012

Fall was a busy time for us again here at Catawba County Parks.  The end of August brought a horrendous storm through the northern part of Catawba County and we spent several weeks cleaning up from the aftermath.  We cut at least 100 trees from the trails and picked up more debris than we’d ever seen after a summer storm!  Lots of tops were broken out of Oaks and Walnuts because they were so full of nuts. Then we celebrated in October as one of our own got married at Riverbend Park.  Ranger Alisha Stamey and her new husband, Steve, were wed along the shoreline of the Catawba River at the park and had their reception in the educational building.  Click here to see photos!  Congratulations to them both and we wish them many, many happy years together!

And on November 19—we had a very unexpected visitor show up at the hummingbird feeder at Riverbend Park!  It was an adult male Allen’s Hummingbird—only the second record ever for this species in the state of North Carolina!  We caught and banded “Little Al” to confirm his identity and proceeded to have a steady stream of birders from all across the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Georgia to come by the office to see him.  Before he left on December 19, 220 folks had traveled to Catawba County just to see this bird!  Many of them asked about other great birding spots in the area so we got to share some of our local favorites like the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge and Murray’s Mill with them as well.  Unfortunately, the little guy left 3 days before the Catawba Valley Christmas Bird Count—he would have been the first Allen’s Hummingbird for this annual count in NC!

Posted By lowenby on January 1, 2012

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 will be teaming up with two instructors from CVCC to do a “Big Year.”  You may have seen the movie this past 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 counting DIFFERENT things.  Ranger Dwayne Martin will be counting bird species; Ranger Lori Owenby will be counting butterfly and moth species; Ranger Alisha Stamey will be counting mammals, reptiles, and amphibians; Biology Department Head, Emily Whiteley will be counting spiders; and Biology and Botany Instructor Tracie Jeffries will be counting wildflowers.  They have limited themselves to the four counties of the Catawba Valley—Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba—and hope you will follow along as they blog their way thru their Catawba Valley Crazy Big Year!

Posted By lowenby on January 1, 2012

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:

Sunday, January 1, 2012—New Year’s Day

Monday, January 16, 2012—Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Monday, February 20, 2012—President’s Day

Posted By lowenby on January 1, 2012

January:

Saturday, January 14, 2012—Second Saturday Bird Walk at Riverbend—9 am

Monday, January 16, 2012—4-H Junior Ranger Club: What is WHEP?—6:30 pm

Saturday, January 27, 2012—Fourth Saturday Nature Hike at Bakers Mountain—9 am

Oyster Mushrooms-a common winter fungi

February:

Saturday, February 11, 2012— Second Saturday Bird Walk at Riverbend—9 am

Monday, February 20, 2012—4-H Junior Ranger Club: Beginning Habitat Evaluation—6:30 pm

Saturday, February 25, 2012— Fourth Saturday Nature Hike at Bakers Mountain—9 am

March:

Saturday, March 10, 2012— Second Saturday Bird Walk at Riverbend—9 am

Monday, March 19, 2012—4-H Junior Ranger Club: Advanced Habitat Evaluation—6:30 pm

Saturday, March 24, 2012– Fourth Saturday Nature Hike at Bakers Mountain—9 am

Posted By lowenby on January 1, 2012

Saturday, January 14, 2012; Saturday, February 11, 2012; Saturday, March 10, 2012—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.   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 1, 2012

Bakers Mountain in winter

Saturday, January 27, 2012; Saturday, February 25, 2012; Saturday, March 24, 2012—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!  Summer can be full of surprises on the mountain!  Ranger Sutton will talk about how to stay safe while hiking in the summer—by keeping hydrated and keeping an eye open for the ever possible summer thunderstorm.   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 1, 2012

Monday, January 16, 2012—6:30 pm

Join us for an informational meeting on NC WHEP  (Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program).  We hope to put together a team of kids this year to compete in the statewide competition in May. Kids will learn about different species of wildlife in our area and which practices can be used to manage their populations.   Contact Ranger Lori Owenby at lowenby@catawbacountync.gov or call 828-256-9157 for more information. 

Posted By lowenby on January 1, 2012

 Monday, February 20, 2012—6:30 pm

In tonight’s session, we will start learning how to evaluate various habitats to determine which species of wildlife you may encounter.  We will learn about signs to look for indicating the presence of existing species and talk about how you could improve the habitat to attract additional species.  Contact Ranger Lori Owenby at lowenby@catawbacountync.gov or call 828-256-9157 for more information.

Posted By lowenby on January 1, 2012

Monday, March 19, 2012—6:30 pm

Ever wondered how NC Wildlife and Forest Service determine how they manage their millions of acres in the state?  Aerial photos!  Join us tonight as we learn how to interpret these photos into real and practical policies for wildlife management.   Contact Ranger Lori Owenby at lowenby@catawbacountync.gov or call 828-256-9157 for more information.