What was Seen at the Carolina Wildlife Foundation in April

April

Monthly Weather Review
Monthly Rainfall Total – 1.73 in
Highest Temperature - 88°F
Lowest Temperature - 40°F
Average Wind Speed – 7.43 mph

Tuesday April 1^st

An Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) was seen trying to cross the road, so CWF staff safely relocated it into the grass away from traffic.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), represented by Kyle McCoy and Clay Tiller (former CWF intern through Francis Marion University), visited the property to scout potential sites for Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) banding during the summer.

Thursday April 3^rd

A curious Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) watched as CWF staff walked by during weekly bird monitoring.
A Black Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoletus) was observed crossing a trail and climbing a nearby tree.

An Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) was perched in a nearby tree, hunting for prey.
CWF’s first Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) hatchlings of the season were found wandering around in a grassy area while their mother performed a broken-wing display to distract potential predators.

Friday April 4^th

An distinctive cup fungus known as Devil’s Urn (Urnula craterium) was observed on a fallen limb in the woods.

While setting up for the intern presentations, CWF staff spotted a Stenonema femoratum, a species of flatheaded Mayfly.
CWF spring interns gave their final presentations
CWF hosted Dr. Strosnider’s Watershed Monitoring and Management class from the University of South Carolina for a weekend full of water quality testing and camping

Saturday April 5^th

An Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) was seen relaxing in the shade on one of the trails.

Tuesday April 8^th

A Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) was found near the barn and returned to the creek, where it swiftly swam away and basked on an exposed rock in the water. The Spotted Salamander is South Carolina’s state salamander.

Thursday April 10^th

CWF staff monitored bird boxes and observed the beautiful spring plant life.
A Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) was observed incubating her eggs using an endoscope inside one of CWF’s bird boxes.

A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) was seen in the prairie carrying a piece of grass in its mouth.

Tuesday April 15^th

A Corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) was seen basking in the sun.
While checking beetle traps, CWF staff counted ten Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) flying up from the old hayfields- likely startled by the UTV.

Thursday April 17^th

The Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum) was in full bloom, painting the grasslands a vibrant red.

Monday April 21^st

CWF staff spent most of the day flow-tracking at various sites along Thompson Creek.

Tuesday April 22^nd

A new species was discovered in the Longhorn Beetle Traps and later identified as the Southern Pine Sawyer (Monochamus titillator).

On Earth Day, the Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) hatchlings left the nest.
A game camera captured one of the ducklings leaping into the water where their mother was calling to them.

Thursday April 24^th

Four Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) hatchlings were observed in their nest during the weekly bird box monitoring.
One hatchling was seen with their mouth open, expecting food from their mother.

Friday April 25^th

Despite CWF staff’s sharp eyesight, a microscope is often used to identify insects collected in the panel traps.
Here is a close-up of a Mulberry Bark Borer (Parelaphidion incertum). Look closely and you can see that some species of beetles like this one have tiny white hair covering their bodies
After a long day of field work, CWF’s four-legged field assistant, Smiley, was caught napping on the job.

Monday April 28^th

CWF returned to the watershed to sample for pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and turbidity. The beautiful spring day made this testing site particularly mesmerizing.

Tuesday April 29^th

CWF staff collected specimens from the longhorn beetle traps. It is not every day you carry around a strainer full of beetles!
On their way to the lookout-the highest point of Thompson Creek on the property, CWF staff were surprised to find an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) at such a high elevation.