Views from the Big Country: Life on the Refuge ~Trail Maintenance and Wood Duck Boxes

Monday, June 22

We're enjoying ourselves living and volunteering on the Refuge. Everyday brings something new and interesting. We are on a huge learning curve! We both spend part of each day in the visitors center. The remaining part of the day we spend out in the field. It has been unusually hot for this time of year; we've had triple digits for the past week, which has limited our field work and sight-seeing!!

Santee NWR is short-handed at the moment. Susi is our biologist, while Kevin is our Federal Law Enforcement Agent. We also have a full-time intern, Kelli, and Lexi who is a part-time intern. There are also eight other local volunteers who help out with manning the visitors center, checking blue bird and wood duck boxes, trail maintenance and anything else that needs to be done. We will have a new NWR manager arrive the end of July (the current manager is on leave and will be retiring).

Our day begins with the raising and lowering of the flag...

Other than the visitors center, the Bluff Unit is home to the Santee Indian Mound (more about that in another blog) as well as the popular Wrights Bluff Nature Trail. This one-mile trail gives visitors the chance to observe a variety of wild flowers, songbirds, small mammals and reptiles. The north side of this trail along Cantey Bay, is a great place to observe wading birds, Canada geese (they are managed here. Hard to believe, I know), shorebirds and other wetland species. An observation platform and tower give hikers good observation areas for wildlife. This area, along with both the Pine Island and Cuddo units provide great opportunities for seeing the spectacular painted bunting.

One of our responsibilities is to maintain this great trail.

Some of the sights along the way...

remnants of a turtle shell

turtle shell remnant. almost translucent

love the smoothness of this pine cone

sweet gum pod

almost looks like pine needles

lichen

Cantey Bay

cypress knees (middle of picture)

more cypress knees

interesting...legs are on all sides (including the front
and back of his body)

One of the fun things we do is going into the "managed" areas. These areas are off-limits to the public. We've seen many cool birds including wood ducks, storks and herons in these areas. The managed areas are where the wood duck and blue bird boxes are located, among other things. One of our fun "jobs" is checking on the wood duck boxes. We have boxes on the Bluff, Pine Island and Cuddo Units.

Ron and Kelli checking the boxes on the Bluff...

Kelli knocking on the box...if mom is in she'll be
flushed out

step two. using the hook to check for rat snakes.
these snakes like to get into the boxes

step three. when all is clear, feel for eggs

hatching's! (from a different box)

In order to track migration, we are baiting wood ducks as well as doves.

Kelli baiting the wood ducks

The lake has been lowered. As the baiting progresses, the bait is moved closer and closer to shore, until finally we bait on the shore. A net will be shot over the ducks to trap them in order to band them. We must be very careful to trap on land. If we were to trap them while in the water, the ducks would drown.

As I said, each and everyday brings a new adventure!!