Coastal Woodlands

Beaches, bays, and marshes come to mind most readily when I think about coastal environments.  But the Gulf Coast also boasts a variety of wooded landscapes that provide crucial habitat for many animals and serve as buffers against storms.  In the photo below, a Great Egret fishes along a wooded coastal creek in late December.  One consequence of the moist, warm regional climate is that many woodlands tend to stay green and blooming well into the fall and winter.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

I love the diversity of these coastal forests.  The canopy trees may be hardwoods like black gum, water oak, or live oak; pine species; or a mixture of both.  Several of these trees, like the water oak, can be found across much of the southeastern U.S., while others, such as the southern live oak, are highly representative of coastal ecosystems.

Slash pine (Pinus elliottii) is a common, fire-resistant tree in coastal woodlands.  Note also its broad patches of bark.

Water oaks (Quercus nigra) typically have smaller leaves, but these saplings were growing in to the understory, and therefore needed more leaf surface area to capture sunlight.

This is a typically enormous live oak (Quercus virginiana).  These trees grow rapidly in the first few decades of life.

The understory trees and shrubs of coastal woods are particularly interesting, since they tend to bear obvious adaptations to the ever-changing environment.  For example, there are a number of species that are evergreen and have waxy leaves: features that help to prevent desiccation and protect against the fires that were once natural, expected occurrences on the coast.  In more recent decades, prescribed burning has aided in forest recovery.

Swamp bay and wax myrtle are two of these common evergreen coastal trees (or shrubs, depending on their growth pattern).  Both species produce provide cover for animals during the winter, and their flowers and fruits can attract many birds and other wildlife.  The wax myrtle’s leaves are smoother and have wavier margins than those of the swamp bay.

Swamp bay (Persea palustris)

Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera)

A little farther inland, mountain laurel is often a surprisingly common understory plant.  It usually grows in montane forests in the northerly portions of its range, but it may be found in low-lying areas in the coastal region.  Like the swamp bay and the wax myrtle, it has thick, waxy, evergreen leaves.  While birds and insects may enjoy feeding from its flowers, it is highly toxic to most other animals.

Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

Of course, not all understory plants of the Gulf Coast have a typical tree-like growth form.  The dramatically spiky, waving fronds of the saw palmetto give panache to the forest floor.  Like other palm species, saw palmettos stay green all year.  Their berries provide food for a multitude of wildlife species.

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)

 

What of the non-shrub understory plants of these coastal woods?  Well, switch cane is one of the most noticeable.  This is especially true during the winter, when many of the herbaceous—or non-woody—plants have died back, and only the toughest of them, the graminoids—a group that includes grasses and sedges—are left to provide groundcover.  Canes and bamboos actually belong to the grass family, which isn’t surprising when you consider their shape and growth habits.  Being a native bamboo, switch cane commonly grows in low-lying, swampy habitats.  In other words, don’t necessarily expect to find it in urban areas!  Of course, if it does happen to be growing there, leave it be.  Native plants deserve a chance to thrive.  

Switch cane (Arundinaria tecta)

As always, there are countless other plant species that you may find in these coastal woods.  The colder seasons along the coast don’t always look the way that you might expect, and there is generally a lot of greenery in the woods.  As the season eventually shifts into early spring, however, watch for changes—particularly the proliferation of herbaceous plants along the ground and the blossoming of some of the trees and shrubs in the other forest layers.  It’s always nice to have an excuse to duck into a comparatively cool, shady woodland after a long walk at the beach on a sunny day!

Wintry Coastal Woods

Beaches, bays, and marshes come to mind most readily when I think about coastal environments.  But the Gulf Coast also boasts a variety of wooded landscapes that provide crucial habitat for many animals and serve as buffers against storms.  In the photo below, a Great Egret fishes along a wooded coastal creek in late December.  One consequence of the moist, warm regional climate is that many woodlands tend to stay green and blooming well into the winter.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

I love the diversity of these coastal forests.  The canopy trees may be hardwoods like black gum, water oak, or live oak; pine species; or a mixture of both.  Several of these trees, like the water oak, can be found across much of the southeastern U.S., while others, such as the southern live oak, are highly representative of coastal ecosystems.

Slash pine (Pinus elliottii) is a common, fire-resistant tree in coastal woodlands.  Note also its broad patches of bark.

Water oaks (Quercus nigra) typically have smaller leaves, but these saplings were growing in to the understory, and therefore needed more leaf surface area to capture sunlight.

This is a typically enormous live oak (Quercus virginiana).  These trees grow rapidly in the first few decades of life.

The understory trees and shrubs of coastal woods are particularly interesting, since they tend to bear obvious adaptations to the ever-changing environment.  For example, there are a number of species that are evergreen and have waxy leaves: features that help to prevent desiccation and protect against the fires that were once natural, expected occurrences on the coast.  In more recent decades, prescribed burning has aided in forest recovery.

Swamp bay and wax myrtle are two of these common evergreen coastal trees (or shrubs, depending on their growth pattern).  Both species produce provide cover for animals during the winter, and their flowers and fruits can attract many birds and other wildlife.  The wax myrtle’s leaves are smoother and have wavier margins than those of the swamp bay.

Swamp bay (Persea palustris)

Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera)

A little farther inland, mountain laurel is often a surprisingly common understory plant.  It usually grows in montane forests in the northerly portions of its range, but it may be found in low-lying areas in the coastal region.  Like the swamp bay and the wax myrtle, it has thick, waxy, evergreen leaves.  While birds and insects may enjoy feeding from its flowers, it is highly toxic to most other animals.

Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

Of course, not all understory plants of the Gulf Coast have a typical tree-like growth form.  The dramatically spiky, waving fronds of the saw palmetto give panache to the forest floor.  Like other palm species, saw palmettos stay green all year.  Their berries provide food for a multitude of wildlife species.

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)

 

What of the non-shrub understory plants of these coastal woods?  Well, switch cane is one of the most noticeable.  This is especially true during the winter, when many of the herbaceous—or non-woody—plants have died back, and only the toughest of them, the graminoids—a group that includes grasses and sedges—are left to provide groundcover.  Canes and bamboos actually belong to the grass family, which isn’t surprising when you consider their shape and growth habits.  Being a native bamboo, switch cane commonly grows in low-lying, swampy habitats.  In other words, don’t necessarily expect to find it in urban areas!  Of course, if it does happen to be growing there, leave it be.  Native plants deserve a chance to thrive.  

Switch cane (Arundinaria tecta)

As always, there are countless other plant species that you may find in these coastal woods.  Winter along the coast doesn’t always look the way that you might expect, and there is always a lot of greenery in the woods.  As the season gradually shifts into early spring, however, watch for changes—particularly the proliferation of herbaceous plants along the ground and the blossoming of some of the trees and shrubs in the other forest layers.  It’s always nice to have an excuse to duck into a comparatively cool, shady woodland after a long walk at the beach on a sunny spring day!

An Afternoon at the Beach

As regular readers probably already know, I love spending time on the Gulf Coast.  This spring, I was able to spend a few days enjoying the natural sights in parts of coastal Mississippi and Alabama.  Let’s take a look at some of the avian life that I observed in an afternoon on the Mississippi coast!

It was a pleasant day at the Ocean Springs public beach, and the area was teeming with birds.  Snowy Egrets waded near the shore, darting back and forth in the shallows as they searched for fish and aquatic invertebrates.  They occasionally stopped and flew farther up the beach to find better pickings.

Snowy Egrets

Gulls, terns, cormorants, and pelicans perched on old pilings.  The size difference between the species Laughing Gull and Herring Gull is apparent in the next couple of photos.  Most of the Herring Gulls that I saw had not yet attained adult plumage—probably because it takes the birds four years to reach maturity.  Herring Gulls’ slow maturation goes hand-in-hand with their longevity, though; individuals have been known to live for several decades in the wild.  I imagine that the older ones are the wiliest of beach marauders. 

Herring Gulls, Laughing Gull (foreground), and Double-crested Cormorant (at right)

Herring Gull in middle, Laughing Gulls above and below

In addition to the Herring Gulls, there were dozens of Laughing Gulls milling around on the beach and foraging over the water.  Their raucous calls rang out in the salty air.

Laughing Gull flock

Black Skimmers, which, as their name suggests, hunt for fish by gliding low over the water and skimming the surface with their long bills, formed their own sizeable flocks on the sandbars.  They also sometimes mingled with the Laughing Gulls, but they did not fly out to hunt.  Unlike the more diurnal gulls and terns, skimmers tend to be crepuscular, foraging mainly during dawn and dusk.  I can relate; I don’t always feel so energetic during the heat of midday, either.  Skimmers actually have more rods than cones in their eyes than most birds do, which makes it easier for them to hunt in dim light. 

Gulls and Black Skimmers

A few Ring-billed and Bonaparte’s Gulls were mixed in with the enormous flocks of Laughing Gulls.  Ring-billed Gulls bear distinctive black markings on their bills, and Bonaparte’s Gulls—during winter and spring, at least—have smudgy dark spots on their heads.  Both species are common on the Gulf Coast from fall to spring, although they’re far less numerous than Laughing Gulls.

Ring-billed Gull strolling along

Bonaparte's Gull swimming

At one point, most of the roosting and foraging birds were stirred up by … something.  The flocks of gulls and skimmers simply exploded upward in a flurry of wingbeats.  What was going on? 

Stirred up!

Looking around, I deduced that the source of the consternation was an adult Bald Eagle that was perched in a giant live oak tree.  Wow!  Bald Eagles will certainly catch gulls and other shorebirds if they get the opportunity, but, given that this one had been detected already by its potential prey, I think that its chances of obtaining a poultry meal at this site were slim.

The Bald Eagle

Apparently, even a predator as fierce as a Bald Eagle is a bit less frightening to smaller birds if they can let it know that they can see it.  This is probably why a bunch of the Laughing Gulls dive-bombed the eagle—taunting it prevented it from launching a surprise attack on the flock. 

Gull flying over eagle's head

Overall, it was a great afternoon for birding on the Gulf Coast.  Stay tuned for more in later posts!

Gulf Coast Observations

As far as I can tell, there is no surefire way to escape the heat and humidity while remaining in my home state, Mississippi, during the dog days of summer.  However, even if we failed to avoid the mugginess, my family and I did manage to find distractions from it—and, really, isn’t that the best that can be expected in July?—by spending a few days in and around Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  We weren’t there for very long, but it turned out to be just what we needed for a refresher.  I saw a good variety of wildlife in the coastal woodlands, brackish marshes, beaches, and tide pools.

You can see Deer Island on the horizon.  It was originally part of the mainland, and isn't a barrier island.

Whether it’s because staring up at the sky or across the water when the sun is out eventually starts to hurt my eyes, or because there are no trees for me to scan for birds, walking on the beach tends to make me focus downward.  That was the case here, and I entertained myself much of the time by watching the vast variety of creatures on the seashore and in the tide pools.  I found a number of crabs, including the ones below:

Disclaimer: this particular crab was found at night, not during the daytime.  Even at night, though, it's a good idea -- for multiple reasons! -- to focus your attention on the ground while walking on the beach.

This is a fiddler crab, and the weirdly oversized claw marks it as a male.

There were also hermit crabs in the tide pools.  Unluckily for would-be photographers, these hermit crabs have an annoying tendency to scrunch themselves tightly down into their appropriated mollusk shells, making it difficult to capture decent pictures!

Occasionally, there will be something that really doesn’t belong on a beach.  No, I don't mean empty cans, fast food containers, or old firework tubes (although, unfortunately, all of those things turned up, too), but a squirrel treefrog.  For some reason, this small frog was shuffling through the salty sand only a few feet from the waves.  I suspected that it had come from the tree-lined area just off the beach, so I carefully relocated it. 

I later learned that squirrel treefrogs can apparently tolerate fairly saline environments (for example, Webb [1965] found that a squirrel treefrog breeding pool on a North Carolina barrier island contained 47% seawater http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Hyla&where-species=squirella), so perhaps this individual had just been seeking out a rainwater puddle somewhere nearby.  Even so, I feel comfortable with my decision to move it away from the excessive foot traffic.

On most of the beaches of the Gulf Coast, you can expect to see (and hear!) Laughing Gulls, which, during our visit, seemed particularly laid-back—moseying around like tourists.  Occasionally, Royal Terns, sleeker and swifter than the gulls, flew by.  Brown Pelicans and Ospreys were also spotted from the beach during this trip.

Laughing Gulls

Great Blue Heron eying the fishing

Great Blue Herons hung out at the fishing pier, probably taking advantage of the atmosphere created by the people fishing: if they couldn't get handouts, or if they weren’t able to scavenge a few fish from the buckets, at least the bait that was continuously added to the water might attract more fish to the area.

Of course, beaches aren’t the only natural places worth visiting on the coast.  Gulf Islands National Seashore, preserved by the National Park Service, was also on our itinerary.  We walked some of the trails that wound through the coastal scrub forest, enjoying our looks at Spanish moss (actually a bromeliad, not a moss), huge live oaks, marshes, and more.  I heard Clapper Rails and saw Red-winged Blackbirds, Barn Swallows, herons, woodpeckers, and several other bird species.  Coastal wetlands, in particular, can play a major role in reducing storm surge from hurricanes and tropical storms, so conserving them is essential if we want the coastal cities that we enjoy visiting to exist years into the future.

Spanish moss -- an unusual plant for me -- growing on sweetgum, a species that I know extremely well.