Star Gazing at the Park on November 9th

The folks from Morehead Planetarium will bring out some high-powered telescopes on the evening of November 9th for Little River Under the Stars. The park will be open until 8:00pm for this special event. The telescopes will be set up for viewing by 6:00pm in the play meadow with a guided tour of the night sky by Planetarium staff to follow shortly after.

The moon will be moving out of its last quarter and entering its new moon phase on the 13th making night sky viewing conditions good. The planets Jupiter and Uranus should also be visible. 

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until 3:00am on November 17th to see the Leonid meteor shower peak. At times the Leonid meteor shower has produced incredible storms of meteors. Though this year is not predicted to be anything extraordinary, there’s always a chance of seeing a good number of meteors. This year there will be no Moon in the sky after midnight when meteors are most frequent.

Some objects may not be viewable for the whole session because of rise and set times.

Feel free to bring a couple of camp chairs or a blanket, binoculars or your own telescope and a snack. Remember if you bring a flashlight, use a red colored lens to help everyone keep their night vision. Please call the park office at 919-732-5505 after 4pm if the weather looks cloudy.

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This free program was made possible through the generous donations by the Trailheads  from the Little River Trail Runs.

The Bluebirds Outside Our Door

Was it a predator perhaps? A hawk who failed to negotiate the narrow alley between the office and the maintenance area that lost its prey? Was she injured while defending her nest from a roaming cat? Or was she startled from the nestbox by a noise flying blindly into some sharp object? We're not sure what happened but the female Bluebird lay dead a few feet from her nestbox that evening a small gash across her stomach the only clue. A scene that no doubt plays out everyday in nature but today it was right outside our door.

Just a few feet from the door of the office is a wooden nestbox on a thin pole attached to the split rail fence. It was put there in February to show people how to set up and monitor the boxes they had just built during a program we hold every spring. It was just meant to be an example like a model home but within a few hours it had attracted the attention of several Bluebirds and Chickadees. After a week it held the wispy beginnings of a nest of pine needles. We watched as a pair of Bluebirds brought materials into the box. They watched us as we came and went from the office. At the end of March we checked the progress of the nest and found four small, light blue eggs, the next day there were five.

Baby Bluebirds are hungry little things. They need to eat several times an hour for the first few weeks. That was how we knew the eggs had hatched. There was constant activity from the parents bringing food for their young. As soon as one parent left the box the other was right there a second or two later with some tidbit in its beak. Back and forth from sunrise to sunset the soft cheep, cheep of the nestlings could be heard each time a parent landed on the box. Until the day the female Bluebird was discovered. It was like a switch had been turned off. There was no rush of activity. No soft cheep, cheep.

Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic advised us to watch the nestbox. The male Bluebird may still try to feed the young. After several hours we had seen nothing. The director of the clinic had us check the nestlings - put one in your hand she told me, feel if it is warmer than your skin. The bird is smaller than my thumb, pink and wrinkly in my palm. It is a warm day, I can’t tell but the wrinkly skin is not a good sign. The nestlings are dehydrated. Bring them in she says. Make a nest of tissues in a box. Fill a bottle with hot, hot water, put it in a Ziploc bag and put it in the box of tissues. The nestlings need to stay warm. I prepare the box. I remove the nest and place it on the ground and slowly remove the tiny birds. The first three gape weakly at me when I place them on the tissue their yellow mouths anticipating food I do not have to give. The two at the bottom of the nest do not gape. They do not move. I am pretty sure they are dead but I place them in the tissue nest anyway.  

The clinic is in south Durham. It takes 45 minutes to drive there from the park. It is small. The front office is crowded with a desk, filing cabinets and a mom with her two young boys who have just dropped off an injured snapping turtle. Raucous screeches come from the behind the door that leads into the clinic. While I fill out the paper work another family comes in to ask about two small snakes they have in containers. Before I leave they tell me the two at the bottom of the nest had already died. “You gave them their best chance at survival.” the volunteer at the front desk tells me. One of the three remaining did not make it past the first night. The two remaining are with a wildlife rehabilitator that can give them the constant care they will need.

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What should you do if you find injured or abandoned wildlife?

There are several websites you can consult on the appropriate steps to take:

We found the information at Piedmont Wildlife Center to be the most helpful. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has a list of wildlife rehabilitators to call.

We would really like to thank the Triangle Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic for taking in and caring for our nestlings. They are a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to caring for sick, injured, and orphaned native wildlife as well as promoting conservation and preservation of native wildlife and ecosystems through education. They need volunteers, supplies and donations to help keep their clinic running.

Live Wildlife

Last Spring the park set up a small video camera inside one of our nest boxes. We were able to stream the video feed so folks could watch over the internet. We also got some great clips of the family of bluebirds that spent the summer building, laying, raising and fledging.

We thought we would share some of the video streams and wildlife cams that help bring the wonder of nature into our homes, schools and offices.

Lily the Black Bear
http://www.bear.org/livecams/lily-faith-cam.php

Thousands watched in January of 2010 as five-year-old Lily gave birth to her cub, Hope. Never had the world seen into the secretive world of a black bear den. Lily and her grown cub, Faith can be seen denning in their 7-foot deep rock den.

Cornell University Red-tailed Hawk
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/page.aspx?pid=2422&ac=ac

Hawks have been nesting above the Cornell U athletic fields for several years. Now they've installed a nest cam so we can all watch "Big Red" and her mate.

Jordon Lake EagleCam
http://www.ustream.tv/jordanlakeeagles

The feed is streaming on a three day delay due to technical issues but you can still watch the two fledglings that were born in January.

CCB Richmond Eagles
http://www.ustream.tv/richmondeagles

Two chicks were born on March 16 & 18. The parents are busy bringing food back for the hungry nestlings. Brought to you by The Center for Conservation Biology, the nest is located on the James River in Richmond Virginia.

Rowe Sanctuary's Crane Cam
http://www.rowesanctuary.org/crane%20cam.htm

The Rowe Sanctuary is on the Platte River in Nebraska, the place to be if you are a crane migrating. Nearly a half-million birds will arrive in the evening and take off in the morning. The sound is incredible!

Monterey Bay Aquarium Open Sea Cam
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/efc_opensea/open_sea_cam.aspx

The one million gallon aquarium houses a diverse group of sea animals from bluefin tuna to giant green sea turtles. The live feed is only available from 7am-7pm PST.

Sea Lion Web Cam
http://www.pier39.com/SeaLion/sea_lion_webcam.htm

From Peir 39 in San Francisco you can watch the crazy antics of the sea lions on the platforms floating in the bay.

Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagle Cam
http://www.wvec.com/eaglecam

This eagle cam is located in the Botanical Garden in Norfolk Virginia.  The latest reports are that a new female has taken an interest in the nest.

Those are just a few of the live video feeds that are available to view. If you have a favorite, we'd love for you to share it with us.

We're hoping to bring our live stream back online in the next few days. There has been a lot of nest building activity in the boxes around the park but not a whole lot in the one with the camera. Check-in from time to time on our Ustream channel - http://www.ustream.tv/channel/little-river-nestbox-cam to see if we've gone live.

Happy Watching!

2012 Great Backyard Bird Count Recap

Even the birds think Spring has arrived or so the results from this year's bird count would suggest. Snow Geese, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Sandhill Cranes were just some of the species already migrating in mid-February.

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) saw a record number of 103,960 checklists submitted with 618 different species of birds identified and 17.3 million birds observed throughout the United States and Canada. The most frequently spotted bird for the eight year in a row was the Northern Cardinal. The Snow Goose won with the most numbers reported. The Tree Swallow, which had never appeared on the most numerous top ten list before, came in second largely due to a massive flock reported in Florida (check out this YouTube video of the huge cloud of birds).



photo courtesy of the Herald Sun



The Tarheel state placed fourth in the number of checklists submitted, missing out on the number three spot by just 300 lists. Three of North Carolina's cities garnered spots on the top ten list of most checklists submitted by locality: Charlotte was the number two city with Raleigh placing sixth and Durham coming in at number ten.

Statewide birders counted 19,578 Red-winged Blackbirds making it the most numerous bird counted but the Northern Cardinal appeared on the most checklists with 3,962.

In our area of Rougemont, NC, here's a breakdown of the results:

Species	Number of Birds	Number of Checklists Reporting the Species
White-throated Sparrow	64	3
Northern Cardinal	42	5
Canada Goose	27	2
Carolina Chickadee	22	5
White-crowned Sparrow	19	1
Dark-eyed Junco	14	4
American Goldfinch	13	4
Tufted Titmouse	12	5
American Crow	10	3
Turkey Vulture	10	3
Yellow-rumped Warbler	8	1
Blue Jay	7	2
Carolina Wren	6	3
Eastern Bluebird	6	3
Northern Flicker	6	3
American Robin	5	1
Common Grackle	4	1
Mourning Dove	4	1
Brown-headed Nuthatch	3	2
Eastern Phoebe	3	1
Hairy Woodpecker	3	2
Red-bellied Woodpecker	3	2
Red-tailed Hawk	3	2
Chipping Sparrow	2	2
Downy Woodpecker	2	2
Eastern Towhee	2	2
Field Sparrow	2	1
House Sparrow	2	1
Northern Mockingbird	2	1
Purple Finch	2	1
Song Sparrow	2	1
White-breasted Nuthatch	2	1
Belted Kingfisher	1	1
Cedar Waxwing	1	1
Great Blue Heron	1	1
Pine Warbler	1	1
Total	316

A total of 36 species were reported.

The Great Backyard Bird Count allows researchers to look at the distribution of birds across the continent over a single weekend - a feat that would be impossible without so many volunteers. We can learn a lot by knowing where birds are since bird populations are always in flux. Along with other citizen science projects like the Christmas Bird Count, Project Feeder Watch, NestWatch and eBird, researchers and scientists hope to gain new insight into bird migration patterns, population changes, and nesting behavior.

Join us for next year's Great Backyard Bird Count on February 15-18, 2013.

Species Spotlight: Trout Lily

(This article was originally published in the Spring 2010 issue of the River Rambler)

Those of us eager for the spring to arrive come out to LRRP; there is a cure. The Trout Lilies (Erythronium americanum) are in full bloom these days throughout the park, a sure sign that spring has arrived.  Found all along the east coast and as far west as Arkansas, Trout Lilies thrive in the park’s damp, open woods along the river. Visitors to the park can hike out to see these amazing flowers in abundance along the Ridge and North River Loop Trails. Once out there, hikers will find these flowers blanketing the hillsides and slopes along the river blooming among the ferns. In fact, a hiker will be hard pressed tiptoeing around the many lilies growing right on the trail. Anyone still with the winter blues who hike out among these lilies are sure to shed their winter hangovers and feel revitalized.

The Trout Lily will reach a height of 4-10 inches and have 2-3 leaf blades growing from the base to about 3 inches. It is said that Trout Lilies got their name due to the red-purple marbling on their green leaves which resembles a trout’s markings and the fact that their blooms usually coincide with trout season. The flower sits atop a reddish leafless stem and is yellow facing the ground with six petals folded upward. There are other common names for this interesting flower, some may recognize them as ‘Fawn Lilies’ or ‘Adder’s Tongue’.

    

Under any name these lilies are worthy of recognition. Many medicinal uses have been developed from the Trout Lily. Teas can be made from the leaves, stem and flower and can be used to cure hiccups and fevers. When crushed, the flower can be used as a skin emollient and to dress wounds. Certain chemicals found in the plant have antimutagenic properties which are promising for finding cures for cancer. All parts of the plant are edible; the leaves can be a light addition to a salad. They provide food for a variety of wildlife, bears like to eat the bulbs and the deer will eat the seed pods. Perhaps the later is a reason why there is a ‘sea of gold’ on the hillsides and slopes down along the river.

    

Steeped in folklore and having many potential medicinal uses, the trout lily has found a safe home here at Little River Regional Park. Trout Lilies do not bloom until its seventh year of life and to have so many in bloom, the park is truly a great place to come and see these amazing flowers in person. Please do not wait too long, they will only bloom until early May, so come on out and shed the winter blues away.

Big Check for Little River



The 2012 Little River Trail Run broke several records this year and not just for the fastest times. In addition to the purchase of the highest amount of carbon offsets to date (see Little River Trail Run Sets New Records), the Trailheads were able to increase their donation to the park to $6,000.00. They also donated $500.00 to Triangle Offroad Cyclists (TORC), the organization who helps maintain the single-track mountain bike trails at Little River.

Donations from the trail runs have been used to purchase materials and equipment to help maintain the hiking and mountian biking trails including such things as rakes, shovels, rocks and half the cost of a John Deere Gator. The money has also underwritten programs like the Morehead Planetarium star gazing sessions which are free to the public. The park plans to use donation money to offer more free public programs this year to include the NC Herpetological Society, the Raleigh Raptor Refuge and others.

Thanks Trailheads for continuing to make the Trail Run such a fun and successful event for the runners, volunteers, spectators, the park and the earth!



Little River Park's Michelle Pesavento (far left) and Mike DiFabio (far right) accept the big check from Trailhead's race coordinators Dave Elam and Layna Mosley (center)



David Housekeeper (left) from TORC accepts the check from Trailhead member Squonk (right)

For an excellent article and listing of race results, Randy Young from the Chapel Hill News wrote this about the race: Little River Trail Runs continue to bring out the winter runners

February Programs at the Park

What’s the Weather?

When: Monday, February 6^th, 10am-11am                              911202-E

Tuesday, February 7^th, 10am-11am                              911202-F

Where:  Park Office

Cost:  $2.00 per participant

Description: Trekkers find out about weather as we create some clouds, make some rain, and wonder about thunder.

Bird Box Building                                                                                912202-C

Date: February 18

Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Location: Large Shelter

Cost: $5.00 per box

Description: Spring is just around the corner and some birds will be looking for places to nest.  We’ll help you build a nest box for your home to help attract bluebirds, chickadees, and wrens to your own backyard.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

Date: February 17-20, 2012

Location: Park Office

Description: Participate in this National event here at the park or in your own backyard. Pick up instructions, field guides and data sheets from the Park office. Spend as little as 15 minutes counting birds, leave checklists for us to tally or submit the information at home. Information session held at 4:00pm on Feb. 18th. Free and no registration required.

Little River Under the Stars

Date: Friday, February 24th

Time: 7:00pm-9:00pm
Location:  Play Meadow
Cost: Free
Description:  Join us for some star gazing at the park! Volunteers from Morehead Planetarium will bring out the high power telescopes and give us a tour of the night sky. Bring a blanket, camp chairs or your own telescope or binoculars. Be sure to call the park office after 4pm for cloud/cancellation updates: 919-732-5505.