Kingfisher

As the setting sun lowered a crimson veil over the horizon, I took a late afternoon stroll down to a favorite marsh overlook and was greeted by a loud, clear rattling call that sliced through the calmness of the approaching evening. A disturbed Kingfisher stared at me with obvious irritation, its magnificent crest feathers stood erect, resembling a Mohawk hair style spiked up with gel.

Flushed now to an exposed perch, I could only see the silhouette of its uniquely shaped body through the gathering darkness. Its large crested head included a long, stout pointed bill and a stubby body with very short legs. This distinctive shape and coloration is not easily forgotten. Sporting a slate blue head, wings and back, the kingfisher has a white chest and belly with a blue neck band. The female is a bit showier and flaunts an additional reddish chest band. A legend contends that the band was scorched across the breast of the first female kingfisher when she flew too close to the sun.

The belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) primarily eats fish, but has also been known to eat crabs, insects and even lizards. It uses two methods to find prey --patrolling or perching. The kingfisher will patrol a stretch of clear water, scanning for surface fish. It will hover, acquire the target and dive head first into the water. The bird then spreads its wings to keep from going too deep into the water. From a stationary perch near water, such as a dock railing or piling, a kingfisher will sit as motionless as stone then launch itself headlong after the prey.

Once a fish is firmly pinched in its powerful bill, the bird will return to a favorite perch to consume the meal. But first, to prevent the slick mucus covered fish from squirting out of its grasp, the kingfisher will pound the liveliness out of the fish on a hard object. It will then position the fish head first and gulp it down. I was once on a boat tour conducting a birding program when a kingfisher began patrolling a section of marsh water near the boat. I had just finished presenting the group with detailed information about their hunting technique when the kingfisher slowed to a hover right next to the boat. It then plunged into the water with a splash, then promptly flew onto the boat rail, pounded the fish a few times on the rail and then flew away. The passengers all turned and looked at me in stunned silence.

The belted kingfisher is a year-round resident in much of the United States and can be seen along rivers, streams, lakes and fresh or salt water marshes. A male will try to impress a potential mate with the presentation of a fish. He will approach in a low posture with his wings dropped, as if a man on one knee wearing a cape, then stretches the offering out before a female.

A kingfisher pair will mate for life and build a nest on a steep dirt bank near water. The pair will use their chisel-like bill to mine a tunnel into the bank. As their work progresses deeper, they will use their specially adapted feet (with two toes fused together) to shovel out the material. The tunnel will gradually slope upward for about eight feet and end in a wider nest chamber that can accommodate the chicks and parents. The upward slope of the tunnel will prevent any water from flooding the nest. If a predator ventures to close to the nest entrance the female parent might flutter about on the surface of the water below the nest to distract the intruder. The chicks are born naked and helpless and hardly resemble a bird, but in a little over two weeks they are covered in plumage and look much like the parent.

As their name implies, kingfishers are experts when it comes to hunting their favorite prey. Native Americans believed that tying kingfisher feathers to their bows would cause the arrow to fly as true as a kingfisher to a fish. To become a master at fishing, the young chicks must enroll in fishing practice with the parents acting as coaches. The parent will catch, then subdue a fish and fly to a perch where the chicks are eagerly waiting for a handout. After a quick tease, the parent will drop the fish into the water below, forcing the chick to dive in after it. With a couple weeks of practice, the chicks graduate to fishing on their own and will soon disperse to claim and actively defend a fishing territory of their own.

The kingfisher is prominent in many legends, myths and stories from various cultures. According to Native American folklore, the feathers on top of the kingfishers head didn’t always form a crest. Old Man, a mythical creator god, was left alone in the cold snowy woods when his hunting companion, Wolf, fell through the river ice while chasing otters. Old Man cried and wailed at the thought of being left alone. Kingfisher, sitting high on a branch witnessed the whole thing, and laughed at the crying Old Man, who swung his club in anger at Kingfisher, The blow merely grazed the head feathers causing them to stand on end, creating the crest.

 In Greek mythology there are a few versions of how the first pair of kingfishers was created. All of the stories pretty much agree that Zeus was displeased with Ceyx and his wife, Alcyone. When Ceyx was at sea, Zeus threw a lightning bolt at the ship causing it to sink resulting in the death of Ceux. Distraught, Alcyone went to the sea to drown herself to be with Ceyx. In a show of mercy, the gods changed them both into kingfishers so that they could be together. The kingfisher was then known as the Halcyon Bird and the gods would calm the seas for fourteen days near the winter solstice so that Alcyone, now a bird, could care for her eggs that floated on a nest at sea. This time of year is known as the Halcyon Days and represents a tranquil time of peace and calm. Thus, old mariners always felt that the sight of a kingfisher would protect them from storms and calm the seas. 

Sea Hare

Everybody probably remembers the fable by Aesop about the tortoise and the hare. Well, what about the sea turtle and the hare! Just kidding, but we do have a type of hare that lives in our coastal waters, just not the kind of four legged hare that you are probably thinking of.

Sea hares are without a doubt one of the most intriguing animals you will ever encounter.  Anyone that has spent time wading the shallow beach and marsh waters has most likely come across what appears to be a pulsating blob of mottled brown flesh slowly and steadily swimming by. Most people view sea hares with caution, concern and sometimes disgust and give them a wide berth. This could be from the misconception that has its roots in ancient Greece that a person would die if they touched a sea hare.

Young kids however, are fascinated and drawn to the sea hare like a magnet. I once observed a young boy in the marsh waters behind Bear Island meandering along staring intently into the water.  To no one in particular he loudly exclaimed, “I love these things.” I instinctively knew what produced this proclamation of joy. The boy then reached down and gently stroked the sea hare as it moved along.

Sea hares are marine gastropod mollusks that do not have an external shell and resemble a big 8- to 10-inch garden slug. They do have a soft thin calcified shell that protects their heart and gill. It is embedded into the mantle and can partially be seen on their dorsal side.

The philosopher Aristotle has been credited with naming the sea hare due to a pair of body parts that, with an active imagination, resembles the long ears of a hare. These are actually head tentacles called rhinophores, which are sensory organs that can detect dissolved chemicals in the water. This gives the sea hare an excellent sense of smell that is essential in locating algae and eel grass. Due to their diet, these herbivore grazers have been referred to as “rabbits of the sea.” The flesh color of the sea hare is the same color of the food that it eats. This provides great camouflage to avoid detection from predators and could easily be mistaken as a dirty sponge by humans. However, any predators brave enough to nibble on a sea hare will soon regret that decision as their tissue contains a toxin that makes them undesirable.

Since the sea hare cannot retreat into a shell for protection like other gastropods, it does possess another form of defense. When disturbed, the sea hare will eject a cloud of ink similar to an octopus or squid. One would assume that this is a smoke screen to provide cover for a quick escape. Yet remember, this animal is like a slug and can not make a fast get away. The ink is thought to contain chemicals that confuses and interferes with the senses of a potential predator. As a chemical engineer, the sea hare is able to convert harmless algae pigment into this potent ink concoction. The sea hare can then move away from the disoriented predator using one of two methods. It can use the large foot at the base of its soft body to crawl away or it can undulate wing-like flaps of flesh called parapoda and swim away.

Native Americans would actually use the ink as dye for clothing. Today, some species of sea hares are used in neurobiology research due to a bundle of nerves that makes up their brain. They have the largest neurons of all animals, allowing particular actions to be traced to a single cell. Dr. Eric Kandel’s use of sea hares in understanding how neurons develop memories won him the Noble Prize in physiology in 2000. Also, a chemical in their ink called escapin, has anti-bacterial properties that is being studied to develop compounds to be used in eco-friendly biofilm products applied on boat hulls and other marine equipment.

But the most enjoyable use of this creature is to ponder its mystery as it cruises about in our diverse estuaries.

Bottlenose Dolphin

During my life living and working along the coast and spending time on the water I have learned that no species of animal brings more joy, reverence and awe than the magical bottlenose dolphin. They command your full attention and seem to make time fly and stand still at the same time. 

Throughout time, the sleek, mystical creatures that cruise the oceans have captivated humankind.  Prehistoric engravings in Africa portray the image of people swimming with dolphins, and 3,500 years ago the ancient Greeks and Romans depicted dolphins in great works of art and stamped their image on coins.  Prominent on many early ships, the symbol of a dolphin was thought to provide protection from a fickle and sometimes angry ocean. Aristotle was the first to document that dolphins were indeed mammals and not a fish.  He noticed that they breathed air, were warm blooded, possessed hair, bore live young and nursed their young.

The dolphins that we see near the ocean shore and swimming in estuarine waters is the coastal bottlenose dolphin. Their sleek sturdy grey body can grow up to nine feet long and weigh up to 700 pounds.  Propelled by a mysteriously powerful tail, bottlenose dolphins usually cruise at a leisurely 3-6 miles per hour.  However, this superior swimmer has a streamlined body perfectly designed to reduce drag and can torpedo through the water at 15-22 miles per hour when chasing fish. They also have a smooth slick outer skin that allows them to easily glide through the water. 

This layer of sensitive skin is being replaced almost every two hours and is easily damaged resulting in scars.  These scar patterns are unique to each dolphin and serve as a signature to researchers that study these toothed whales. 

The individual characteristics of the dorsal fin are another fingerprint used by researchers. This fin acts as a keel and to keep the body from rolling and also has a thermo-regulating function to dissipate heat and prevent overheating. Their short pectoral fins gracefully maneuver the dolphin and also provide balance and assist with stopping.

Bottlenose dolphins use a variety of methods to snag fish with their cone shaped teeth.  They might individually chase fish or cooperatively work together to corral fish into a tightly packed ball and take turns charging through this “fish in a barrel”. A strong whack of the tail is sometimes used to stun fish for easy eating.  They have also been known to chase groups of fish into the shallows driving them onto a sandbar or muddy bank.  The dolphins will then get a running start and hydroplane on a thin cushion of water to reach the vulnerable flopping fish.  They will then wiggle their way back to deep water. 

This method of fishing, however, has some serious risks.  In 1995, I rescued two dolphins that stranded themselves using this technique on a sandbar in Bogue Inlet.  When I reached them the dropping tide had left them in only a few inches of water with more than a hundred feet separating them from deeper water.  I knelt down beside one of the dolphins with my thighs against the midsection of its tail and began splashing water on the exposed skin to help keep it cool.  Feeling my presence the dolphin then used its tail and pushed away from me using my legs as a fulcrum and scooted several feet away.  I knelt down beside it again and it pushed off of me once more, another six feet.  We were on to something!  With the help of a friend who immediately responded to my call for help, the dolphins pushed their way to deep water using the sturdiness of our bodies. They exclaimed their freedom with a few celebratory leaps high out of the water.

This type of intelligent thinking is legendary for dolphins. They have been trained for years to entertain tourists and for use by the military.  By 1964 the CIA was already using dolphins to detect and plant mines; to protect divers; to attach listening devices on ships and to recover lost objects. The military has also researched their ability to determine the shape and location of objects using echolocation.  Dolphins can emit a powerful burst of clicking sounds to create an “echoic image” when the return echo is transmitted to the inner ear.  This keeps them alert for danger and the ability to locate food. 

Dolphins are quite social and communicate through whistles and squeak produced from the blowhole.  They also alert each other using sound created by body language activities such as leaping and tail slapping.  

A dolphin lover will stumble over their words when trying to explain the spiritual presence they feel when near a dolphin.  My wife once buckled at the knees and passed out when she touched a dolphin named Benny that was rescued and being rehabilitated in Beaufort in 1995.   To Native Americans, the dolphin symbolized the life force, the “keeper of the Sacred breath…” 

Diamondback Terrapin

As a kid growing up in coastal North Carolina I spent many a hot summers’ day out on the barrier islands hiking through the sandy dunes, body surfing the ocean waves and walking the moonlit beach looking for ghost crabs.  I would also love to stray over to the sound side of the island and spend a lazy afternoon wading through the shallow waters of Bogue Sound looking for hermit crabs, blue crabs and sting rays.  During these excursions it wasn’t unusual to frequently see the head of a small reptile breaking the surface of the water for a fresh gulp of air.

As I grew older, I was always out on the water of our coastal estuaries through pursuits of pleasure and as a career.  I would continue to see the snouts of these creatures bobbing like a cork that has escaped the tether of a fishing line. Now, as over 40 years have passed, I rarely catch a glimpse of this intriguing marsh inhabitant that I consider to have the most stunning coloration of all the turtles.

Yes, the giant sea turtles are the media hogs with their cute little hatchlings dancing down to the ocean, but the diamondback terrapin is just as cool to me.  The terrapins love the brackish coastal marshes. They don’t venture out into the super salty ocean and they don’t swim too far up river where the water is fresh. 

The top of their grey to brown shell is covered with scale-like scutes that contain the hieroglyphic looking namesake diamond pattern.  Their shell is excellent body armor, but they are unable to completely seek refuge inside their shell like the terrestrial box turtle.  The light grey skin of their exposed body parts looks as if it has been stained with henna in a tortuous pattern of Mehndi.   These patterns have the uniqueness of a fingerprint to each individual.

Along the Atlantic Coast from Cape Cod to Florida and along the Gulf Coast to Texas, terrapins cruise about the estuaries feeding on fiddler crabs, worms and a favorite food, the periwinkle. Diamondback terrapins don’t grow anywhere near as big as their sea turtle relatives.  The shell of a male will be around five inches while the female is a bit larger at seven inches; one of the largest shells ever recorded was nine inches.  At the end of all four legs are webbed feet with exposed claws.  The rear feet are quite a bit larger, flattened out and well adapted for pushing their streamlined shell through the water. 

As a cold blooded reptile they sometimes will crawl ashore to bask in the sun during cooler weather.  When the temperatures dip too low they will dig into the muddy marsh bottom and hibernate for a few months.

The females will also come ashore during high tide in search of a sandy shoreline that will offer easy digging for a nest.  She will deposit eight to 10 leathery eggs, and in about two months the tiny terrapins will make their way into the marsh waters.  If a nest is laid in late summer, chilly temperatures at hatching time may persuade the hatchlings to ride out the winter in the nest and crawl out the following spring.  It’s a good thing that they are cautious about escaping from the nest until conditions are optimal since only one to three percent of the eggs develop a hatchling.

The name terrapin is derived from the Native America Algonquian word “torope,” meaning edible turtles that live in brackish waters.  During the American Revolution, General George Washington fed the hungry bellies of his troops with terrapin meat.  In the late 1800s through the 1920s, terrapin stew and soup was the haute cuisine in the upscale restaurants of big cities along the East Coast.  Demand for terrapin meat was high and the little reptile was almost hunted to extinction. 

Salvation from the stew pot came from an unlikely event.  Terrapin soup and stew was rich in essential ingredients, sherry and cream.  The teetotaling ban of sherry during the Prohibition in 1920s caused the consumption of turtle stew to decline and thus a lull in hunting the terrapin.  The high class trend of eating terrapin began to wane and their populations rebounded even though modest harvesting continued.

The culinary popularity of terrapin meat demonstrated the potential for a cash fishery.  In 1900, the federal government established the U.S.  Fish Commission Marine Laboratory in Beaufort.  During the next 40 years, one of the primary activities at the Beaufort Lab on Pivers Island was to study and raise diamondback terrapins.  More than 250,000 terrapins were raised and released along the east coast to help enhance and reestablish the native populations.

Today, almost all coastal states have put an end to the terrapin fishery and have listed the reptile as endangered, threatened or as a species of concern.   Essential nesting habitat has been lost to development.  Females in search of nesting sites have actually shut down JFK International Airport in New York when they crawled out of the bay and onto the runway. 

But the greatest threat to terrapins isn’t airplanes; its crab pots.  Lured by bait into the pot and unable to escape, the turtle will drown if it cannot reach the surface. Close to a million crab pots are dropped into North Carolina waters each year and of those, around 17 percent become abandoned “ghost pots.”   Unless found and removed, these ghost pots continue to kill until the pot deteriorates years later.    

Fox Squirrel

During my career as a park ranger with North Carolina state parks I often received crazy reports of unusual and exotic animals in or near the park.  There have been accounts of mountain lions, wolves and even a kangaroo prowling around. The report of an African black mamba snake turned out to actually be a harmless native hognose snake. I have a faint glimmer of understanding for this misidentification since both snakes are well known for their impersonations of the feared cobra snake. I always welcomed the opportunity to investigate these reports since they offered the chance of seeing something out of the ordinary.

One morning I received a call from a resident who lived near Hammocks Beach State Park in Swansboro screaming excitedly that a badger had just waddled across their yard and climbed into one of their trees. A weasel-like badger in the coastal plain of North Carolina? This I had to see.

Since most unusual sightings like this usually occur late at night after the bars close, I wanted to confirm or bust this daytime sighting. Even though I knew the closest badger was probably hanging out among the patches of native prairie in Ohio, I couldn’t have made it any quicker to the house if I had the ability to teleport myself. Upon arriving at the house, the homeowner was out in the yard keeping an eye on the creature and gesturing wildly at a dark object high up in a large oak tree.  The animal squirmed about while doing its best to hide in the crook of a big branch. It then stretched out, lying as flat as possible along the branch and remained motionless for about 10 minutes. Finally, the furry creature craned its neck and a black and white face looked straight down at me. For a quick second I was flooded with excitement. It was a badger!  Then reality kicked in and I realized that this guy was way too small for a badger.  A chattering bark-like sound filled the air and, with an irritated whip-like flick of its long fluffy tail, it revealed itself to be a fox squirrel.  Still pretty exciting stuff since fox squirrels had never been documented in or near the park. 

Fox squirrels are noticeably bigger than gray squirrels and can have a variety of fur colors depending on their location. In our area they can be mainly grayish, reddish brown or black. They can have a white belly and a face with black and white patches. In some areas they are also called the monkey-faced squirrel or raccoon squirrel due to their facial markings.  

Even though it is the largest tree squirrel in North America, it prefers to spend a great deal of time on the ground. They like forests with an open understory that contain nut and seed producing trees such as oak, pine and hickory. There, they can scamper about feasting on the nuts or saving some for later.  Fox squirrels are known as scatter-hoarders due to their practice of burying a supply of nuts at numerous locations. During the lean winter months their great sense of smell will guide them to these underground cupboards. Some of these caches are inevitably lost, however, and the fox squirrel becomes an unwitting Johnny Appleseed when these seeds sprout and grow into trees. But they are also opportunistic and will eat perishable items such as plant buds, insects, fungi and even bird eggs.

The fox squirrel uses that bushy tail as a blanket and parachute.When not searching for food, the fox squirrel will spend a lot of energy on home repairs.  The honey-do list is long since they maintain up to six separate nests made up of twigs, leaves and pine needles. Some nests, called dreys, are actively used and some are vacant, keeping predators guessing and eliminating the buildup of nest parasites. They will build weather-tight nests for the winter and simple stick nests for the summer.

When threatened by a hawk or bobcat, they will run, similar to a fox, to the safety of the trees. It is here that they demonstrate their gymnastic agility to outmaneuver even the most persistent adversary. With their razor sharp claws, adapted digits, Popeye forearms and strong abdominals, these powerful rodents will race from tree to tree jumping over 15 feet and free-falling over 20 feet to escape predators. During these scampers, their bushy long tail acts as a stabilizer and is used like a parachute during those free falls.  The tail is also an important communication tool with other squirrels and is used as a blanket wrap during cold weather.  Their scientific name, Sciurus niger, even refers to this important appendage.  Sciurus is Greek for “shade tail” and niger is Latin for “dark.”

Fox squirrel populations are in decline, and it’s the same old story -- loss of and fragmentation of habitat. Many of the open forests of mature longleaf pine and oak that the squirrel prefers has been converted to loblolly pine farms. The N.C. Natural Heritage Program has listed the fox squirrel as significantly rare and vulnerable to extinction in North Carolina.  However, it is not protected and is still considered a game animal and can be hunted.