Georgia Wildlife Federation

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Cogongrass is an exotic invasive species of grass found in South Georgia that has become an increasing threat to agriculture, forestry and wildlife. It is considered one of the “World’s Worst Weeds” and listed as a Federal Noxious Weed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cogongrass is extremely invasive, provides poor wildlife habitat and competes with growing seedling trees. It is also highly flammable and can present a wildfire hazard. Cogongrass has some distinctive features that aid in identification. It grows in patches or infestations, often circular in outline. Plants within a patch vary in height, from one to five feet. Leaves are yellowish green and are 12 to 30 inches long and ½ to 1 inches wide. In late March through mid June it produces fluffy, white, plume-like seed heads. This is in contrast to most summer grasses which flower later in the season. The leaves sometimes turn reddish in the fall.

Viewer Tip: If you find a patch of cogongrass note the location and report it to the Georgia Forestry Commission at 1-800-GATREES. They will treat infestations at no cost to landowners. If you walk through cogongrass clean your shoes and clothes in the area to keep from spreading the seeds.

Learn more about Cogongrass.

Our abundance of trout streams in the North Georgia mountains makes Georgia the most popular fishing destination for anglers in the Deep South. However, trout require cool water in order to survive, and trout streams in North Georgia are heating up due to the loss of Eastern hemlock trees which provide shade and stabilize soil along stream banks. The culprit is the hemlock woolly adelgid, an exotic invasive insect that feeds on hemlock trees throughout eastern North America. The hemlock woolly adelgid is tiny and varies from dark reddish-brown to purplish-black in color. As it matures, it produces a covering of wool-like wax filaments to protect itself and its eggs from natural enemies and prevent them from drying out. This “wool” (ovisac) is most conspicuous when the adelgid is mature and laying eggs. Ovisacs can be readily observed from late fall to early summer on the underside of the outermost branch tips of hemlock trees. Wind, birds and mammals often spread the hemlock woolly adelgid to nearby hemlocks. The loss of hemlocks will mean a loss of shade for streams and a loss of a major riparian component. A two or three degree rise in water temperature could be very detrimental to aquatic life, especially in trout streams.

Viewer Tip: The hemlock woolly adelgid is an exotic invasive species with no natural enemies in the U. S. If you travel abroad please be careful what you bring back.

Learn more about hemlock woolly adelgid.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of summer is waking up to the sound of song birds outside your window. Some species, such as the Northern Mockingbird, sing during the night but most birds sing in the morning when there is little wind or convection. Calls at night broadcast up to 20 times further than songs of equal amplitude broadcast at midday. Singing from a treetop increases the broadcast coverage since sounds near the ground can be blocked or absorbed. In a monogamous species it is almost always the male that sings to attract a mate and establish his territory. The songs of dozens of males simultaneously advertising their territories make up the dawn chorus and at times can seem chaotic. Birds that have similar pitches will avoid superimposing songs and will begin their song immediately after the other bird has stopped. Some species of birds exhibit local dialects that may vary from the same species just a few miles away.

Viewer Tip: You can create wildlife habitat to attract birds and other wildlife to your own back yard by providing the four basics of food, water, shelter and a place to raise young.

Learn more about attracting wildlife to your backyard.

Source: Hollows, Peepers, and Highlanders, An Appalachian Mountain Ecology by George Constantz

Are you aware of the importance of earthworms? Charles Darwin, the great naturalist, studied earthworms and wrote, “it may be doubtful if there are any other animals which have played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organized creatures.”

Gardeners, farmers, foresters and soil scientists all love the earthworm because of the good they do for flowers, crops, and plants and animals of the forest. Earthworms eat organic debris that they move from the surface into their burrows. This food contains rich nutrients such as calcium, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Their excrement, called castings, is deposited on the ground and provides nutrient-rich food for other animals and plants. Since they can’t tolerate heat and sun during the summer earthworms come up to the surface only at night when the evaporation potential of the air is low. After a rain you’ll notice multitudes of earthworms on the surface because it’s easier for them to move on the wet surface. The wet ground allows them to move without drying out. Their need for moisture restricts their activities to a burrowing life in damp soil during the day. Some scientists estimate that there are approximately 50,000 earthworms per acre of moist soil in deep, dark, long, narrow tunnels or burrows under the ground.

Viewer Tip: Vermiculture, or the growing of earthworms, provides nutrient-rich compost that can be used in place of manufactured fertilizer. When planting your flowers or spring garden a small trowel of the compost produced by feeding the worms in your worm bin can be placed in the bottom of the hole prior to planting. Worm compost also helps hold moisture in the soil. For more information about vermiculture, go to www.gwf.org.

Learn more about vermiculture.

Did you know that the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and other government agencies have been working to boost the population and protect the habitat of a small, semi-aquatic, long-lived turtle called the Bog Turtle? The bog turtle is threatened across its range, from Georgia to the lower New England states, and all but extinct in Georgia because they require very specific environmental conditions to ensure their survival. Their preferred habitat, open, level land in mountain bogs is in short supply since most mountain bog wetlands in North Georgia have been drained and converted to other uses such as roads, reservoirs and farms. These rare turtles were first discovered in North Georgia in 1979 when one was found in a trap set for grouse. Bog turtles may live 20 to 30 years and often spend their entire lives in the wetlands where they were hatched. Spring, summer and early fall are the most active seasons for bog turtles as they mate, lay eggs, and feed on berries, insects, crayfish and tadpoles. During late fall and winter they hibernate in mammal burrows or mucky soils. Bog turtles, like many habitat specialists, are often barometers of the quality of wildlife habitats in an ever-changing, increasingly altered environment.

Viewer Tip: When you see a turtle crossing the road, it is very often a box turtle. If you move the turtle off the road, make sure to move it in the direction in which it was heading. Moving it to the side from which they just came will often cause them to attempt to cross the road again. It is unlawful to possess or remove turtles from the wild. If you see anyone removing them, contact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Learn more about bog turtles.

Late spring into early summer is the time of year when black bears are in the news. You hear about bears being hit by cars, bears showing up in backyard in suburbs and encounters between campers and bears. There are two reasons for this. As the population of Georgia grows and the suburbs expand we are encroaching more and more on the habitat of the black bear. Also, this is the time of year when the mother bear drives the young bears away to fend for themselves and to establish their own territory since she’s ready to start a new family. Females breed in July and cubs are born in the den in late January or early February. The cubs stay with the mother throughout the first year, den with her in the winter then leave in the late spring. Therefore, females breed every other year. Bears usually give birth to two cubs at a time but three or four are not unusual. Black bears are found in three areas of Georgia – the north Georgia mountains, the Ocmulgee River drainage system in central Georgia and the Okefenokee Swamp in the southeast. Bears are omnivorous and eat whatever is available at that time of year including, berries, fruits, acorns, insects or mammals – even deer. They are also attracted to non-natural foods such as human food, pet foods, birdseed, suet, compost piles, gardens, beehives and cornfields.

Viewer Tip: When their natural food sources are scarce bears can become attracted to non-natural foods, which are easier to obtain. This can cause them to lose their innate fear of humans. Feeding a bear is unlawful. Keep grills, pet food or bird feeders off-limits to bears. Clean and store grills when not in use, keep pet food indoors and take bird feeders down if bears are in the area. When camping or picnicking, never keep food in or near your tent. Store food in properly sealed containers and hang in bags from a tree.

Learn more about the black bear.

Source: The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, Black Bear Fact Sheet

A Tiny Menace: Southern Pine Beetle:

Did you know that the drought is contributing to the loss of pine trees by a tiny beetle that bores winding “S” shaped galleries under the bark to lay their eggs and introduce a blue stain fungus that blocks water flow and kills the tree? Of the three pine bark beetles found in Georgia the Southern Pine Beetle is the most destructive because it will attack healthy as well as weakened and damaged trees. Drought conditions weaken trees and fuels the beetles’ onslaught resulting in the loss of thousands of acres of pines in Georgia and the southeast. Since 1972 this destructive beetle has inflicted $240.2 million in damage on Georgia’s trees with the Oconee National Forest and the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge being especially hard hit. These two areas also provide habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker, one of Georgia’s most endangered birds, which nest in the soft wood of older pines. Loblolly, Virginia and shortleaf pines are the most susceptible species and discoloration of the foliage is often the first indication of attack. Needles become a yellowish-red and then brown. At the point of attack the tree exudes a resin pitch tube about the size of a small piece of popcorn and pine dust is often found around the hole or on the base of the tree.

Viewer Tip: If you suspect that you have infected pine trees the best action is to clean up and remove any downed branches. Remove broken and damaged branches from trees to reduce open surface that is oozing sap. Cut down and remove dead or badly damaged trees. Have infected trees or branches hauled away because they will only attract more beetles. Private, non-industrial forest landowners of 10 acres or more may be eligible for assistance from the Georgia Forestry Commission through their prevention and restoration program.

Cobb County Extension Service “Fact Sheet on Pine Beetles”
www.forestpests.org/gfcfacts/southernpine.html
Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Dry Trees Draw Beetles” July 8, 2007, page C1

For those who like to observe wildlife, summer is the perfect season. With life in full bloom summer is a season-long feast and the time when wildlife raise their young. During the summer, dawn and dusk are the best times to observe wildlife as many animals bed down during the hottest hours. A full moon night is an especially active time. In late spring and early summer birds are nesting, taking advantage of the fuller leaf cover. After one or more broods, they spend the summer foraging and in the late summer early migrants begin to stage together, fueling up for the long journey south. Summer is a good time to see family groups traveling together. White-tailed deer are feeding heavily in brushy openings in preparation for the autumn breeding season and does can often be seen with their fawns. Many adult amphibians leave their breeding pond and disperse into woods and fields, most of them sticking to moist, humid places. Tadpoles spend the early part of the summer in the water then seek land later in the summer after they become frogs. Snakes spend the summer eating, shedding skin, basking, and avoiding predators. Early in the morning turtles can often be seen basking in the sun on a log or rock, sliding into the water if they get too hot.

Viewer Tip: You don’t have to go far to see wildlife. Look in parks, fields, schoolyards, and even in your own back yard. Since most animals are hunted by other wildlife they are constantly on the lookout for strange scents, sights, movement, and ready to flee when they sense danger. Many of them are camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings. When observing wildlife look high, low and at mid level.

Learn more about Georgia's wildlife.

Sources: The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States by Janine M. Benyus
Urban Wildlife, Georgia Wildlife Natural Georgia Series, Volume 7, Number 1

During this time of drought we need to do everything we can to conserve water. Collecting rainwater for use during dry months in rain barrels or other depositories is an ancient and traditional practice and historical records show that rainwater was collected in simple clay containers as far back as 2,000 years ago. Rain barrels are becoming a popular source of collecting rainwater for outdoor water use and are inexpensive and easy to install by attaching a tube to your downspout. An average roof sheds 160 gallons of water per hour during an average rain fall. By placing the barrels uphill from your garden you can attached a spigot and hose to the barrels and allow gravity to move the water downhill to your garden. Captured rainwater is often used in landscaping, because the water is free of salts and other harmful minerals and does not have to be treated. It is also useful in attracting and providing water for wildlife. Capturing rainwater reduces the demand on our municipal water supplies, reduces erosion, and helps to reduce the contamination of surface water with sediments, fertilizers, and pesticides in rain fall run-off. In addition to benefiting our environment and wildlife, the use of rainwater also saves money by lowering your water bill.

Viewer Tip: Water your garden and plants early in the morning or in the afternoon to prevent water loss due to evaporation during the heat of the day. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to slow evaporation and to discourage weeds. For more information, visit www.gwf.org.

Sources: Rainwater Harvesting, fact sheet, AgriLIFE EXTENSION, Texas A&M System
Environmental News from Around the World – Forecast Earth
www.rainbarrelguide.com

Feasting Flatheads: Flathead Catfish

Did you know that there has been a decline in the abundance of redbreast sunfish in the Satilla River, one of the premier sunfish angling destinations in Georgia? Summer is the season for fishing but many anglers are finding fewer fish in the Satilla River and the culprit is the flathead catfish, an invasive species that was illegally introduced and first discovered in the Satilla in 1996. The introduction of flathead catfish is the most biologically harmful of all fish introductions because they are consuming and displacing native fisheries. Flatheads are one of the largest catfish, reaching 110 pounds, but most are less than 30 pounds. They have a flattened head, yellowish skin that is mottled with brown and green, a lower jaw that extends beyond the upper jaw, small eyes and an un-forked tail and can be found in deep river bends with some current. One of the top priorities of the State Wildlife Action Plan, developed by the Department of Natural Resources is the removal of harmful invasive species. The Georgia Wildlife Federation is partnering with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division and the Satilla Riverkeeper to remove flathead catfish from the Satilla River in an effort to restore our prized native fisheries, such as the Redbreast Sunfish.

Viewer Tip: If you catch a flathead catfish, don’t release it back in the river. If the flathead catfish is tagged, please report it to the WRD Fisheries Management office located in Waycross. There is a mercury advisory on the consumption of flathead catfish. Check the Georgia DNR’s Fish Consumption Guidelines at www.georgiawildlife.org for more information.

Learn more about flathead catfish.

Sources: National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) Global Invasive Species Database, Pylodictis olivaris http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/
Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, Satilla River Flathead Catfish Project, www.georgiawildlife.org