Species Profile: Pond Sliders

by Aaliyah Ross, Environmental Educator 

If you’ve spotted a group of turtles basking in the swamp at Phinizy, chances are pretty high that they were pond sliders. Pond sliders are the most common species of turtle at the Nature Park, and are very common throughout the Southeast in general. They are found in all aquatic habitats throughout the Park, and can frequently be seen from the Floodplain Boardwalk basking on stumps or logs.

Pond sliders have yellow bands on the carapace (upper half of shell), most commonly in younger specimens. Many individuals darken with age, obscuring markings on the skin and shell. The plastron (lower half of shell) is yellow with black markings around the edges. Males have long claws that are used to grip the female during mating.

There are two subspecies of pond sliders: Red-eared sliders and yellowbelly sliders. Many, but not all, red-eared sliders have a broad red stripe behind the eye. Yellowbelly sliders often have a yellow blotch in the same location, but this mark is often obscured in older, darker turtles. Yellowbelly sliders are native to the East coast, whereas red-eared sliders are native to the Midwest, from Illinois and Indiana south to Texas and Louisiana. Red-eared sliders are one of the most popular turtles in the pet trade, which has resulted in this species being exported throughout the world. Red-eared sliders can now be found living in the wild on every continent except Antarctica. They have also been found here at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park.

The release of red-eared sliders outside of their native range is highly discouraged. They have been found to outcompete other species, including our native yellowbelly sliders, for food, basking areas, and other resources. Research also suggests that these two subspecies have mated in the wild, further complicating the issue.

Sliders are less conspicuous this time of year, as cold temperatures force these ectotherms to seek refuge in the mud or underneath stream banks. They often come out of hiding to bask when temperatures rise, and go back once it gets cold again. Occasional, brief warm periods in the middle of winter are fairly common in Georgia. On the next sunny, [relatively] warm day, you’re likely to spot pond sliders basking throughout the swamp.

Swamp Treks – Getting Childrens & Teens Outdoors

By Gina Lusignan, Park Events and Volunteer Manager

We hear it often, “children need to spend less time in front of screens and more time being active”. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ages 3 and up should spend no more than 1 to 2 hours in front of a screen. Instead of screen time, the AAP suggests children should engage in play: walk or run the family dog, ride a bike, take a nature walk, or skateboard with a friend. The benefits of play for kids is very substantial; it builds energy, invites creativity, relieves stress, and creates healthy habits.

Growing up, some of my best times were spent exploring the small creeks and nature paths next to my home. Along with a friend or cousin, I would spend hours looking for secrets paths, interesting rocks, and racing leafs down the water. That might be part of why I now work at a nature park, but besides instilling a love for nature, it was great for my physical and mental health. Young children and teens thrive outdoors. Due to their brain development, teens succeed when they are taught through active learning alongside peers. They value their friends and are able to think creatively, solve problems, and connect new information, together.

Knowing how important it is for children and young teens to interact with and enjoy nature, I, along with my coworker Kim, have created a program called Swamp Treks to help your 3^rd – 8^th grade student step away from the screen and get outdoors with their friends. Every 3^rd Saturday of the month starting in November, Kim and I will lead children on a nature hike through Phinizy Swamp Nature Park. After the hike we will focus on a few nature based activities ranging from camping survival, nature printing, terrarium making, and animal communications.

We would love to have your 3^rd – 8^th grade child join us! For more information and to register, please visit   https://phinizycenter.org/event/swamp-treks/2016-11-19/

References:

Lorain, Peter. “Brain Development in Young Adolescents, Good News for Middle School Teachers” (2002) National Education Association.

Robb, Marina and Mew, Victoria. “Learning with Nature.” (May 2015). Edutopia.

A Message From The Park:  

If you come to the park over the next few weeks you may hear the noise of airboats out in the wet cells. The airboats come annually (from Louisiana) to push down the vegetation in the wet cells. This occurs to deter the Red-winged Blackbirds from roosting in the vegetation over night and then flying out in the morning, and again in at night, directly across the flight path of the airplanes coming into and going out of Augusta Regional Airport.

Read More about the Phinizy Red-wing Blackbirds below

Red-winged Blackbirds 

By:  Ruth Mead, Sr. Environmental Educator

The Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), one of the most abundant land birds in North America, is a member of the troupial family—named for their habit of gathering in large flocks—or troupes. They can be found in wetlands from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

While the genus name Agelaius means “belonging to a flock,” the species name phoeniceus and common name refer to the distinctive coloring seen on the adult males, which are mainly black with red shoulder patches, or “epaulets”. This coloring can be seen when the bird is flying or displaying. A pale yellow wingbar is also visible on perching males. Females, which are slightly smaller than the males, are mottled brownish with a sharp, pointed bill. Immature birds typically resemble females.

Red-winged blackbirds feed mainly on plant materials, including seeds from weeds and waste grain such as corn and rice. About a quarter of their diet consists of insects, such as dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, moths, and flies, but they also consume snails, frogs, eggs, carrion, worms, spiders, and mollusks.

During summer months, red-winged blackbirds roost in small flocks. In winter, they form huge congregations of several million birds, which flock together to roost in the evening and disperse each morning.

The History of Red-Winged Blackbirds in Phinizy Swamp

Red-winged Blackbirds have used the nearly 7000 acres Phinizy Swamp and surrounding Savannah River floodplain for hundreds of years. These wetlands provide excellent habitat for roosting, breeding, and foraging. In winter months, millions of blackbirds have been known to use these wetlands. Twice daily the skies are filled with blackbirds as they disband in the morning for daily foraging and return in the late afternoon for roosting.

From November through March these large flocks of blackbirds have caused concern for Augusta Regional Airport, located directly adjacent to Phinizy Swamp. As birds create a flight risk to the planes, several accommodations have been made to keep passengers and crew safe. No plane activity is allowed for 20 minutes during dawn and 20 minutes during dusk, around the time that the birds usually fly over the airport. Although this approach is effective, it’s also too passive to change the behavior of the birds.

The Constructed Wetlands and Red-winged Blackbirds

Construction of the man-made wetlands, housed within Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, began in 1996. These wetlands were built SOLELY as the tertiary treatment for Augusta’s wastewater. As the constructed wetlands became established red-winged blackbirds, as well as many other birds and animals, discovered the wetlands as wonderful habitats and moved in. Even though the birds were in the area long before the constructed wetlands were built, their use of the wetlands has created a liability for Richmond County.

In recent years there have been attempts to discourage red-winged blackbirds from roosting in the vegetation in the constructed wetlands. These attempts include plowing down the vegetation in several wetland cells with airboats and burning the vegetation (which proved unsuccessful as the burning windows were too narrow and the fires extinguished quickly).

In December 2008, the marshy grasses of every wetland cell were flattened with airboats. Noise-making devices were placed in the constructed wetlands in an attempt to scare off the blackbirds and discourage them from returning. The noisemaking devices are set to go off in the morning and late afternoon/evening, during the red-winged blackbirds normal flight patterns.

So far, the recent efforts to remove the blackbirds from the constructed wetlands have been effective. A mere 200 blackbirds were counted during the 2008 Christmas Bird Count, while past counts have been over 3 million birds. The red-winged blackbirds are still in Phinizy Swamp and surrounding river floodplains, but the liability of the birds in the constructed wetlands seems to be under control.

Most of the airports around the world are located near wetlands—which we know are important habitats for migrating birds as well as other wildlife. What responsibility do we share for the flight-interruption dilemma and what is the best solution?