NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
WILDLIFE DIVERSITY PROGRAM ANNUAL REPORT 2024
2024 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
Table of Contents Program Updates - 2024 ....................................................................................................................4 BIRDS .............................................................................................................................................8 Eastern Black Rail Surveys Begin in Spring 2024 ................................................................................ 8 Year 4 of 5 for the NC Bird Atlas! .....................................................................................................9 Motus Noise Tests by the American Bird Conservancy ....................................................................... 10 NC Bird Atlas Update ...................................................................................................................11 Spring Bioacoustics–Flying Squirrels, Owls, and Warblers! ............................................................. 12 Creative New Signs Protect Nesting Areas .....................................................................................14 Restoring Waterbird Habitat .......................................................................................................... 15 NC Bird Atlas 2024 Third Quarter Update ....................................................................................... 17 Where is Wayne’s World? Continued Efforts to Detect the Wayne’s Black-throated Green Warbler in North Carolina’s Coastal Region ................................................................................................ 18 You Are What You Eat – New Collaborative Project to Assess Tern and Skimmer Diets ........................ 19 Hurricane Recovery in the Roan Highlands ..................................................................................... 20 Growing Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, One Cluster at a Time .......................................................... 21 Resighting Bird Bands Provides Valuable Data on Black Skimmers ................................................... 22 REPTILES ......................................................................................................................................23 Response to Sea Turtle Cold-stun Events Along the North Carolina Coast in Winter 2024 .................23 Investigating Head-start Bog Turtle Movements and Habitat Use ....................................................24 Identifying Sea Turtle Crawls on NC Beaches .................................................................................25 WANTED: Softshell Turtle Sightings ...............................................................................................26 Using Predator-Exclusion Cages to Monitor and Protect Bog Turtle Eggs ........................................... 27 Alligator Marking and Data Collection in NC .................................................................................... 28 Field Days with Foresters, Rattlesnakes, and Hellbenders ................................................................ 29 A Light Bulb Moment – Successful Solutions to Impacts of Artificial Coastal Lighting on Sea Turtles .... 30 Monitoring Species of Greatest Conservation Need ......................................................................... 31 Initial Assessments of Hurricane Helene on Bog Turtle Habitat and Wetlands in Western NC ............... 32 Cold Winter Temperatures Lead to Major Cold-Stunning Season ....................................................... 33 AMPHIBIANS .................................................................................................................................34 Sandhills Winter-breeding Amphibian Monitoring ..........................................................................34 Biologists Conduct Species Status Assessment for Hellbenders ......................................................36 Pine Barrens Treefrog Surveys ......................................................................................................37 Releasing Gopher Frogs ...............................................................................................................38 Saving Hellbenders is All in a Dam Day’s Work ...............................................................................39 Wetland Restoration Partnership ..................................................................................................40 Breeding Gopher Frogs: Then and Now .........................................................................................41 Data Collection for an Eastern Hellbender Nesting Ecology Study ...................................................42
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2024 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
NCPARC ........................................................................................................................................43 MAMMALS .....................................................................................................................................48 Tricolored Bats Continue to Be Found in Winter on Coastal Plain Bridges ........................................48 Bat-friendly Cave Gate Installed at Boone’s Cave .............................................................................. 50 Capture of Northern Long-eared Bat at Historic Net Site ................................................................51 Assessing Impacts to Gray Bat Roosts from Hurricane Helene .......................................................52 FISHES ..........................................................................................................................................53 Cape Fear Shiner Broodstock Collection ........................................................................................53 Robust Redhorse Sampling and Propagation .................................................................................54 Rare Coastal Fishes Surveys .........................................................................................................55 Broadtail Madtom Surveys ...........................................................................................................56 Sicklefin Redhorse Conservation .................................................................................................... 57 Rare Coastal Fishes Surveys .......................................................................................................... 58 Lake Waccamaw Fish and Mussel Monitoring Surveys ..................................................................... 59 Carolina Pygmy Sunfish Monitoring ................................................................................................ 60 Broadtail Madtom Collections ........................................................................................................ 61 Uwharrie Mussel and Host Fish Collections ..................................................................................... 62 Roanoke Logperch Stocking .......................................................................................................... 63 Hurricane Helene Updates ............................................................................................................ 64 Initial Assessments from Hurricane Helene Flood Damage in Portions of Western North Carolina .....65 MOLLUSKS ....................................................................................................................................66 Magnificent Ramshorn Snail Project .............................................................................................66 Biologists Work to Learn Impacts of Lyngbya on Native Mussels ......................................................67 Deep River Mussel Monitoring ......................................................................................................68 Haw River Land Acquisition Parcel Surveys ...................................................................................69 Pee Dee River Mussel Surveys .....................................................................................................70 HABITAT MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................71 Design Features of NCWRC’s Motus Stations in Western North Carolina ..........................................71 Road to Recovery .........................................................................................................................73 Training Opportunities to Enhance Bog Conservation .....................................................................74 Partners for Green Growth ............................................................................................................75 Training for Partner Agencies ........................................................................................................76 Hurricane Helene Recovery–Stream Impacts ................................................................................77
Cover photos from top left clockwise: The NCWRC reintroduces the Roanoke Logperch, an endangered species, to the upper Mayo River in Rockingham County, photo by Jonathon Gruenke; Wildlife Technician Kabryn Mattison holds an adult Tiger Salamander found during winter amphibian surveys, photo by Jeff Hall; A Black-throated Green Warbler in Dare County, photo by Gerry Lebing; A northern long-eared bat caught in a 2024 mist-net survey in Haywood County, photo by Katherine Etchison.
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2024 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
T he North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) Wildlife Diversity (WD) Program is housed within the agency’s Wildlife Management and Inland Fisheries (Aquatic Wildlife Diversity) divisions. Program responsibilities principally include surveys and monitoring, research, and other projects for nongame and endangered wildlife species. Nongame species are animals without an open hunting, fishing or trapping season. Program Updates - 2024 The Wildlife Diversity Program experienced staff changes and much progress for Species of Greatest Conservation Need in 2024. Allison Medford, special projects biologist, stepped down from her position to pursue new opportunities with her community and family. We hope to fill the vacated position in 2026. The Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program welcomed two new staff members, Langston Rimmer and Amber Olson, to the program as the Eastern Listed Species Biologists. T.R. Russ promoted from the Foothills AWD Coordinator to a newly created AWD Survey and Monitoring Supervisor position which supervises the AWD biologists.
Two Species Conservation Plans were approved in 2024 — the Virginia Big-eared Bat Conservation Plan and the Sea Turtles Conservation Plan. Proposed changes to NCAC 10I rules by staff within NCWRC and the Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee’s Scientific Council were finalized and published on October 1, 2024. Wildlife Diver- sity staff were busy disseminating their work through webinars, interviews, and pub-
CONSERVATION PLAN for NORTH CAROLINA VIRGINIA BIG-EARED BAT APRIL 18, 2024
lications (see the list at the end of this publication). Dr. Sara Schweitzer, Assistant Chief, Wildlife Diversity, received the 2024 Leadership Award from the Interna- tional Partners in Flight initiative. The details of our work with various taxa are outlined in this annual report.
LOGGERHEAD, GREEN, KEMP’S RIDLEY, LEATHERBACK, AND HAWKSBILL SEA TURTLE
CONSERVATION PLAN for NORTH CAROLINA
JUNE 6, 2024
NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
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2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report 2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
Dr. Sara Schweitzer , Assistant C Wildlife Diversity Program sara.schweitzer@ncwildlife.org, W
2024 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report Wildlife Diversity Program Staff Wildlife Diversity Program Staff Wildlife Diversity Program Staff Wildlife Diversity Program Staff Wildlife Diversity Program Staff
Dr. Sara Schweitzer , Assistant Chief, Wildlife Management Division, Wildlife Diversity Program sara.schweitzer@ncwildlife.org, Wake County Dr. Sara Schweitzer , Assistant Chief, Wildlife Management Division, Wildlife Diversity Program sara.schweitzer@ncwildlife.org, Wake County Dr. Sara Schweitzer , Assistant Chief, Wildlife Management Division, Wildlife Diversity Program sara.schweitzer@ncwildlife.org, Wake County Dr. Sara Schweitzer , Assistant Chief, Wildlife Management Division, Wildlife Diversity Program sara.schweitzer@ncwildlife.org, Wake County
Rachael Hoch , Assistant Chief, I Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Progra rachael.hoch@ncwildlife.org , Wak
Rachael Hoch , Assistant Chief, Inland Fisheries Division, Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program rachael.hoch@ncwildlife.org , Wake County Rachael Hoch , Assistant Chief, Inland Fisheries Division, Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program rachael.hoch@ncwildlife.org , Wake County Rachael Hoch , Assistant Chief, Inland Fisheries Division, Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program rachael.hoch@ncwildlife.org , Wake County Rachael Hoch , Assistant Chief, Inland Fisheries Division, Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program rachael.hoch@ncwildlife.org , Wake County
GARY PEEPLES/USFWS
Scott Anderson, Science Support Coord scott.anderson@ncwildlife.org, Wake Cou 2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report 2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report Rachael Hoch Assistant Chief, Inland Fisheries Division Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Program rachael.hoch@ncwildlife.gov Wake County
Dr. Sara Schweitzer Assistant Chief, Wildlife Management Division Wildlife Diversity Program sara.schweitzer@ncwildlife.gov Wake County
Scott Anderson, Science Support Coordinator scott.anderson@ncwildlife.org, Wake County John P. Carpenter, Eastern Landbird Biologist john.carpenter@ncwildlife.org; New Hanover County John P. Carpenter Eastern Landbird Biologist john.carpenter@ncwildlife.gov New Hanover County John P. Carpenter, Eastern Landbird Biologist john.carpenter@ncwildlife.org; New Hanover County Scott Anderson, Science Support Coordinator scott.anderson@ncwildlife.org, Wake County Scott Anderson, Science Support Coordinator scott.anderson@ncwildlife.org, Wake County Scott Anderson, Science Support Coordinator scott.anderson@ncwildlife.org, Wake County Scott Anderson Science Support Coordinator scott.anderson@ncwildlife.gov Wake County John P. Carpenter, Eastern Landbird Biologist john.carpenter@ncwildlife.org; New Hanover County John P. Carpenter, Eastern Landbird Biologist john.carpenter@ncwildlife.org; New Hanover County
John P. Carpenter, Eastern Landbird Bio john.carpenter@ncwildlife.org; New Hano Kacy Cook, Waterbird Biologist kacy.cook@ncwildlife.org ; Wake County Kacy Cook, Waterbird Biologist kacy.cook@ncwildlife.org ; Wake County Kacy Cook Waterbird Biologist kacy.cook@ncwildlife.gov Wake County
Karen Clark, Science Support Specialist karen.clark@ncwildlife.org, Coastal Regio Katherine Etchison, Mammalogist katherine.etchison@ncwildlife.org ; Bunco Katherine Etchison, Mammalogist katherine.etchison@ncwildlife.org ; Bunco Katherine Etchison Mammalogist katherine.etchison@ncwildlife.gov Buncombe County
Karen Clark, Science Support Specialist karen.clark@ncwildlife.org, Coastal Region Karen Clark, Science Support Specialist karen.clark@ncwildlife.org, Coastal Region Karen Clark, Science Support Specialist karen.clark@ncwildlife.org, Coastal Region Karen Clark, Science Support Specialist karen.clark@ncwildlife.org, Coastal Region Karen Clark Science Support Specialist karen.clark@ncwildlife.gov Coastal Region
Dr. Luke Etchison, Western Region Aqua luke.etchison@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood C Dr. Luke Etchison, Western Region Aqua luke.etchison@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood C Dr. Luke Etchison Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator luke.etchison@ncwildlife.gov Haywood County
Michael Fisk, Eastern Region Aquatic W michael.fisk@ncwildlife.org ; Lee County Michael Fisk, Eastern Region Aquatic W michael.fisk@ncwildlife.org ; Lee County
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luke.etchison@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood County Dr. Luke Etchison, Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator luke.etchison@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood County Dr. Luke Etchison, Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator
Jeff Hall, Partners in Amphibian and Rep jeff.hall@ncwildlife.org ; Pitt County jeff.hall@ncwildlife.org ; Pitt County Jeff Hall, Partners in Amphibian and Rep jeff.hall@ncwildlife.org ; Pitt County
2024 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
Michael Fisk, Eastern Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator michael.fisk@ncwildlife.org ; Lee County Michael Fisk, Eastern Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator michael.fisk@ncwildlife.org ; Lee County Michael Fisk Eastern Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator michael.fisk@ncwildlife.gov Lee County
Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist carmen.johnson@ncwildlife.org ; Craven C Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist carmen.johnson@ncwildlife.org ; Craven C Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist carmen.johnson@ncwildlife.org ; Craven C Carmen Johnson Waterbird Biologist carmen.johnson@ncwildlife.gov Craven County
Sarah Finn, Coastal Wildlife Diversity Biologist sarah.finn@ncwildlife.org ; New Hanover County Sarah Finn, Coastal Wildlife Diversity Biologist sarah.finn@ncwildlife.org ; New Hanover County Sarah Finn Coastal Wildlife Diversity Biologist sarah.finn@ncwildlife.gov New Hanover County
Brena Jones, Central Region Aquatic W brena.jones@ncwildlife.org ; Granville Co Brena Jones, Central Region Aquatic W brena.jones@ncwildlife.org ; Granville Co Brena Jones, Central Region Aquatic W brena.jones@ncwildlife.org ; Granville Co Brena Jones Central Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator brena.jones@ncwildlife.gov Granville County
Chris Kelly, Western Bird and Carolina N christine.kelly@ncwildlife.org ; Buncombe Chris Kelly, Western Bird and Carolina N christine.kelly@ncwildlife.org ; Buncombe Chris Kelly, Western Bird and Carolina N christine.kelly@ncwildlife.org ; Buncombe Chris Kelly Western Bird and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel Biologist christine.kelly@ncwildlife.gov Buncombe County
Gabrielle Graeter Conservation Biologist/ Herpetologist gabrielle.graeter@ncwildlife.gov Buncombe County 2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
Gabrielle Graeter, Conservation Biologist/Herpetologist gabrielle.graeter@ncwildlife.org ; Buncombe County Gabrielle Graeter, Conservation Biologist/Herpetologist gabrielle.graeter@ncwildlife.org ; Buncombe County
CC King, Science Support Specialist cc.king@ncwildlife.org , Piedmont Region CC King, Science Support Specialist cc.king@ncwildlife.org , Piedmont Region CC King, Science Support Specialist cc.king@ncwildlife.org , Piedmont Region CC King Science Support Specialist cc.king@ncwildlife.gov Piedmont Region 2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
Dr. Matthew Godfrey, Sea Turtle Biologist matt.godfrey@ncwildlife.org ; Carteret County Dr. Matthew Godfrey Sea Turtle Biologist matt.godfrey@ncwildlife.gov Carteret County
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2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
Jeff Hall, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Biologist jeff.hall@ncwildlife.org ; Pitt County Dr. Matthew Godfrey, Sea Turtle Biologist matt.godfrey@ncwildlife.org ; Carteret County Aubrey Greene Wildlife Diversity Biologist, Herpetologist aubrey.greene@ncwildlife.gov Moore County
Allison Medford, Wildlife Diversity Biolo allison.medford@ncwildlife.org ; Montgom Allison Medford Wildlife Diversity Biologist allison.medford@ncwildlife.gov Montgomery County
Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist carmen.johnson@ncwildlife.org ; Craven County Jeff Hall, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Biologist jeff.hall@ncwildlife.org ; Pitt County Jeff Hall Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Biologist jeff.hall@ncwildlife.gov Pitt County
Dylan Owensby, Western Region Aqua dylan.owensby@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood Emilia Omerberg Central Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist emilia.omerberg@ncwildlife.gov Granville County
Brena Jones, Central Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator brena.jones@ncwildlife.org ; Granville County Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist carmen.johnson@ncwildlife.org ; Craven County
Michael Perkins, Foothills Region Aqua michael.perkins@ncwildlife.org ; McDow
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Allison Medford, Wildlife Diversity Biologist allison.medford@ncwildlife.org ; Montgomery County Allison Medford, Wildlife Diversity Biologist allison.medford@ncwildlife.org allison.medford@ncwildlife.org ; Montgomery County
andrea.shipley@ncwildlife.org ; Nash Co andrea.shipley@ncwildlife.org ; Nash Cou Andrea Shipley, Mammalogist (shared st andrea.shipley@ncwildlife.org ; Nash Cou Andrea Shipley, Mammalogist (shared st andrea.shipley@ncwildlife.org ; Nash Cou
2024 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
Dylan Owensby, Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist dylan.owensby@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood County Dylan Owensby, Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist dylan.owensby@ncwildlife.org Dylan Owensby, Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist dylan.owensby@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood County Dylan Owensby Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist dylan.owensby@ncwildlife.gov Haywood County
Hope Sutton, Eastern Wildlife Diversity hope.sutton@ncwildlife.org ; New Hanov Hope Sutton, Eastern Wildlife Diversity S hope.sutton@ncwildlife.org ; New Hanove Hope Sutton Eastern Wildlife Diversity Supervisor hope.sutton@ncwildlife.gov New Hanover County Hope Sutton, Eastern Wildlife Diversity S hope.sutton@ncwildlife.org ; New Hanove Hope Sutton, Eastern Wildlife Diversity S hope.sutton@ncwildlife.org ; New Hanove
Mike Walter, Eastern Region Aquatic W michael.walter@ncwildlife.org; Alamanc Mike Walter, Eastern Region Aquatic Wil michael.walter@ncwildlife.org; Alamance Mike Walter, Eastern Region Aquatic Wild michael.walter@ncwildlife.org; Alamance Mike Walter, Eastern Region Aquatic Wil michael.walter@ncwildlife.org; Alamance Mike Walter, Eastern Region Aquatic Wild Mike Walter Eastern Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist michael.walter@ncwildlife.gov Alamance County
Michael Perkins, Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist michael.perkins@ncwildlife.org ; McDowell County Michael Perkins, Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist michael.perkins@ncwildlife.org Michael Perkins Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist michael.perkins@ncwildlife.gov McDowell County Michael Perkins, Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist michael.perkins@ncwildlife.org ; McDowell County
Alicia Davis Wassmer, Alligator Biologis alicia.wassmer@ncwildlife.org ; Wake Co Alicia Davis Wassmer, Alligator Biologist alicia.wassmer@ncwildlife.org ; Wake Cou Alicia Davis Wassmer, Alligator Biologist alicia.wassmer@ncwildlife.org ; Wake Cou Alicia Davis Wassmer, Alligator Biologist alicia.wassmer@ncwildlife.org ; Wake Cou Alicia Davis Wassmer Alligator Biologist alicia.wassmer@ncwildlife.gov Wake County
Chantelle Rondel, Western Aquatic Listed Species Biologist chantelle.rondel@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood County Chantelle Rondel, Western Aquatic Listed Species Biologist chantelle.rondel@ncwildlife.org Chantelle Rondel Western Aquatic Listed Species Biologist chantelle.rondel@ncwildlife.gov Haywood County Chantelle Rondel, Western Aquatic Listed Species Biologist chantelle.rondel@ncwildlife.org ; Haywood County
GARY PEEPLES/USFWS
Kendrick Weeks, Western Wildlife Dive kendrick.weeks@ncwildlife.org ; Hende Kendrick Weeks, Western Wildlife Diver kendrick.weeks@ncwildlife.org ; Henders Kendrick Weeks, Western Wildlife Diver kendrick.weeks@ncwildlife.org ; Henders Kendrick Weeks, Western Wildlife Diver kendrick.weeks@ncwildlife.org ; Henders Kendrick Weeks Western Wildlife Diversity Supervisor kendrick.weeks@ncwildlife.gov Henderson County Lori Williams, Western Amphibian Biolo lori.williams@ncwildlife.org ; Henderson Lori Williams, Western Amphibian Biolo lori.williams@ncwildlife.org ; Henderson C Lori Williams, Western Amphibian Biolog lori.williams@ncwildlife.org ; Henderson C Lori Williams, Western Amphibian Biolog lori.williams@ncwildlife.org ; Henderson C Lori Williams Western Amphibian Biologist lori.williams@ncwildlife.gov Henderson County
TR Russ, Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator thomas.russ@ncwildlife.org ; McDowell County TR Russ, Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator thomas.russ@ncwildlife.org TR Russ Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator thomas.russ@ncwildlife.gov McDowell County TR Russ, Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator thomas.russ@ncwildlife.org ; McDowell County
Lee Sherrill, Science Support Specialist lee.sherrill@ncwildlife.org , Mountain Region Lee Sherrill, Science Support Specialist lee.sherrill@ncwildlife.org Lee Sherrill Science Support Specialist lee.sherrill@ncwildlife.gov Mountain Region Lee Sherrill, Science Support Specialist lee.sherrill@ncwildlife.org , Mountain Region
2023 Wildlife Diversity Program Annual Report
Andrea Shipley, Mammalogist (shared staff with Surveys & Research) andrea.shipley@ncwildlife.org ; Nash County Andrea Shipley Mammalogist (shared staff with Surveys & Research) andrea.shipley@ncwildlife.gov Nash County
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Hope Sutton, Eastern Wildlife Diversity Supervisor hope.sutton@ncwildlife.org ; New Hanover County
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BIRDS
BIRDS Eastern Black Rail Surveys Begin in Spring 2024 by Kacy Cook, Waterbird Biologist, and Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist T he Waterbird Investigations and Management Project of the
Rails and other marsh birds. Water level moni- toring is important to identify potential Black Rail high salt marsh habitat because Black Rails, which have a tar- sus length of less than 3 cm, cannot tolerate water levels above 3 cm. Staff are employing game cam-
NCWRC Wildlife Diversity Program embarked on a new project to moni- tor and conserve the federally threat- ened Eastern Black Rail (right photo). The Black Rail monitoring project will also allow staff to collect data rel- evant to the conservation of other marsh bird species. This monitoring is one action within the draft Eastern Black Rail Conservation Plan that will be reviewed during the next quarter. Staff began field work on the Salters Creek and Turnagain Bay tracts of the Carteret County Game Lands to mon- itor water levels and to detect Black
eras to monitor water levels and take photos of wildlife by motion-sensors. One of the game cameras detected a Sora from March 20th to 31st, 2024. Sora use the same habitats as Black Rail. Staff are also deploying Autonomous
Recording Units in potential Black Rail habitat to detect their calls. Black Rail and marsh bird callback moni- toring surveys in high salt marsh will begin May 1st, at the start of the nest- ing season.
Sora captured on a game camera in high salt marsh area
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BIRDS
Year 4 of 5 for the NC Bird Atlas! by John Carpenter, Eastern Landbird Biologist and Scott Anderson, Science Support Coordinator
data and assist atlasers during the 2024 breeding season. We are closely monitoring the status of all 937 blocks using the Block Explorer (https:// blockexplorer.ncbirdatlas.org) ; see also Wildlife Diversity Program Fourth Quarter Report , p. 7). Once all the data have been col- lected, we will continue a rigorous process to validate records and develop range maps for each bird species. These data will be crucial to monitor- ing changes in bird populations and distributions into the future.
MELISSA MCGAW/NCWRC
Bachman’s Sparrow carrying food (CF), one of the many behaviors that can confirm breed- ing in a location. W ildlife Diversity staff continue work on the 5-year Bird Atlas
In addition to volunteers, each year we hire skilled staff to canvass hard- to-reach corners of the state. These data will be critical to gaining a com- prehensive map of distribution and habitat preferences for ~200 bird spe- cies at the end of the project. Because North Carolina is posi- tioned squarely in the mid-Atlantic region, many bird species only occur here in winter. Departing from most other Atlases, volunteers and staff col- lect observations during both the breeding and wintering seasons. In just the past winter (Nov-Feb), atla- sers, staff, and other birders recorded 1,169,772 species observations. In the coming months, we’ll wel- come more temporary staff to collect
Project. From Hiwassee to Hatteras, volunteers (atlasers) and staff have been scouring fields, forests, and city parks - identifying birds and record- ing behaviors. Observations of behav- iors help confirm breeding in each of the 937 survey blocks spread across the state. Our goal is to adequately survey each of these blocks by the end of the project. To date, atlasers have contributed 197,739 checklists, confirming breeding for 203 species spread over 820 blocks. Collectively, these 2,584 atlasers and other birders have made a staggering 11,276,863 species observations since the project started in 2021!
STAY UP TO DATE! If you want to stay up to date on the progress of this project, visit ncbirdatlas.org or subscribe to our monthly newsletter at news.ncbirdatlas.org
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BIRDS
Motus Noise Tests by the American Bird Conservancy by Chris Kelly, Western Bird and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel Biologist
I n June, Garrett Rhyne, Southeast Motus Station Coordinator for the American Bird Conservancy, visited western NC to conduct noise tests and design installation plans at sev- eral sites under consideration for Motus stations. Before his visit, NCWRC staff had tentatively selected these sites based on prominent topog- raphy and clear viewsheds, which are a proxy for maximizing potential antenna range. Our first task was to assess background noise. The noise in question is local noise close to the Motus station that could interfere with detection of a coded radio tag (nanotag) worn by a passing bird or bat. Typical sources of noise are pow- erline distribution transformers, sometimes other communications equipment, and even the hum of a fan or lightbulb. Nanotags produce a quiet signal that is drowned out against a noisy background. Analo- gous to trying to hear one raindrop in a downpour. Next, we evaluated options for the station base. This is where Motus installation requires some creativity because each site is unique, ranging from lattice towers to fire towers, wood utility poles, or buildings. Likewise, power and con- nectivity vary at each site. Motus sta- tions at several U.S. Forest Service sites may tie into A/C power and/or
wifi for data transmission, while some sites will require battery power with a solar panel recharge and GSM cellular data transmission. Finally, we evalu- ated the needs for grounding each installation from lightning strikes.
CHRIS KELLY/NCWRC
CHRIS KELLY/NCWRC
Above: The distribution transformer on the small powerline pole to the left of the fire tower at Cowee Bald (Macon County) produced some noise interference, leading us to slightly shift the aim of our antennas. Top right: Anthony Squitieri (left) Regional Coordinator of Southern Appalachians for Wild Bird Research Group discusses the Mount Mitchell Motus station with Garrett Rhyne. This station will support WBRG’s future tagging projects in the Black Mountains.
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BIRDS
NC Bird Atlas Update by John Carpenter, Scott Anderson, Lee Sherrill, CC King, Karen Clark, Wildlife Conservation Biologists
F rom the saltmarshes of the Outer Banks to the tallest peaks scattered across our rugged mountains, the 2024 NC Bird Atlas (NCBA) summer field staff—consisting of 18 temporary technicians—has been very busy this quarter! Along the coast, our team has braved hordes of hungry horse flies and sweltering heat to find as many bird species as possible. Swainson's Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Prairie Warbler and Chuck-will's-Widow were found in good num- bers across the forests, swamps, and scrubby thickets. In the agricultural fields, we were often serenaded by singing East- ern Meadowlarks and Horned Larks. Even rare birds—a pair of roosting Barn Owls, a Black-billed Cuckoo, and a Scis- sor-tailed Flycatcher—revealed themselves. With the help of Law Enforcement officers from the WRC and the Environ- mental Affairs Department of MCAS Cherry Point, we Atlased remote marshes in Pamlico County that were accessible only by boat. As the end of June drew near, our whole team relo- cated to the Outer Banks to search hard-to-reach spots for species like Seaside Sparrow, Marsh Wren, and Clapper Rail. We conducted over 3,500 survey checklists this quarter and still have one more month of Atlasing to go! The Piedmont team has spent the first half of the summer collecting data across many of the unique habitat types that make up this ecoregion and confirmed breeding by over 100
species, such as Swainson’s Warblers, Loggerhead Shrikes, Bachman’s Sparrows, Barn Owl, and Green Heron. Many mornings were spent paddling kayaks through swamps and creeks, and with the help of WRC Law Enforcement yet again, staff hitched a boat ride to cruise the shores of Lake Gaston. Across the region, the team efficiently distributed effort and increased recognition of our agency by coordinating closely with dedicated volunteer Atlasers. The mountain team has been tearing through their region this summer! Many days have been spent traveling long dis- tances on sketchy mountain roads to survey isolated sites. Our reward has been confirmation of breeding by species such as Worm-eating Warbler and Ovenbird, and even the first nesting record of the Black-capped Chickadee. One technician hiked 14 miles in a single day to cover an entire trail system in the Smokies and added 19 new species that had not been detected from the public road system. The entire mountain team wrapped up the month of June by camping in the remote Nantahala Wilderness, where we con- firmed Canada Warbler, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Rose- breasted Grosbeak. By reaching the places few volunteers can or are willing to go, our summer technicians are continuing to help move the NCBA towards completion!
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BIRDS
Spring Bioacoustics–Flying Squirrels, Owls, and Warblers! by Chris Kelly, Western Bird and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel Biologist
O nce a project’s objectives have been clearly defined, bioacous- tics work boils down to three main steps: deploying equipment, retriev- ing equipment, and processing data. This quarter, we tackled all three. In April we retrieved AudioMoths from the March 2024 saw-whet owl survey. In May, Virginia Tech researchers deployed ultrasonic detectors for the launch of NCWRC’s long-term Caro- lina northern flying squirrel bioacous- tic monitoring program. Also in April and May, partners, such as Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and USFS, deployed AudioMoths to listen for golden-winged warblers. Bioacoustics effectively allowed us to blitz more locations for this declining warbler even if we couldn’t be there in person during the peak May survey window. Deployment and retrieval of autonomous recording units are argu- ably the easiest and most enjoyable phases of a bioacoustics survey. Equipment miniaturization allows for easier deployment into even more remote, un-surveyed areas. Plus, vol- unteers and partner organizations like the U.S. Forest Service and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy love to assist with equipment deploy- ment. Now for the tough part: data processing. Bioacoustics surveys gen- erate terabytes of .wav files. For flying squirrels and saw-whet owls, call clas- sifiers filter out the junk, producing a
spreadsheet of possible detections that require post-processing by a biologist. Our owl research partners in the Kitzes lab at University of Pittsburgh scrubbed the 2022 saw- whet owl dataset for us. NCWRC technicians spent rainy days this spring completing the review of
possible saw-whet owl “hits” from the 2022 dataset. The 2022 results alone will vastly increase the number of records for this species in the NC Natural Heritage Program database. Now on to the 2023 and 2024 owl data and the new batch of golden- winged warbler data.
NCWRC sampled five massifs for Northern saw-whet owl in 2022. Results from the Black Mountains show a gradient of percent of sample periods with detections of owl toots. Darker purple = more toots! A saw-whet(s) was particularly active around the Mt. Mitchell State Park office.
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CHRIS KELLY/NCWRC
CHRIS KELLY/NCWRC
Above left: NCWRC staff prepared a fleet of Pettersson D500 ultrasonic detectors for Virginia Tech researchers to deploy for the Carolina northern flying squirrel occupancy monitoring program. Autonomous recording units have been shrinking from the hefty Petterssons housed in 50 caliber ammo boxes to deter bear damage to tiny AudioMoths, above right (they’re even wearable!). Miniaturization of equip- ment makes it feasible to haul more ARUs farther into the backcountry. Regardless, staff and partners make it happen (below).
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Creative New Signs Protect Nesting Areas by Karen Clark, Community Science Specialist and Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist
T his year Wildlife Diversity staff and the North Carolina Waterbird Stewards at Emerald Isle, a volunteer group coordinated by NCWRC, joined forces with the Town of Emerald Isle and nearby Sand Ridge Elementary to promote sharing the shore with nesting waterbirds through new signage placed along paths leading to the beach. The west end of Emerald Isle, known locally as The Point, hosts a large number of nesting Least Terns, Wilson’s Plovers, and Willets each spring and summer. For nearly 20 years, NCWRC and the town have partnered to protect the nesting birds. The volunteer stewards group has grown in numbers and support of on-the-beach monitoring of nesting birds and mainte- nance of a posted area that protects nesting habitat. In January 2024, stewards, Carrie Lang, Kim Henry, and Adrienne Doughty visited Sand Ridge Elementary School in Onslow County to tell students about the birds and the work being done to protect them. Emily Rivers, Sand Ridge’s art teacher, asked her fourth grade students to draw pictures to illustrate ways that beachgo- ers can help the birds: remain outside posted areas, give space, don’t litter, keep dogs on a leash, and don’t feed gulls. The top
ten drawings were selected to be featured on the signs that would appear along walking paths in 2024. Signs were placed on the beach and a ribbon “busting” ceremony was held where students were able to visit The Point, meet town officials, and officially launch the new signage. The creative signs have proved popular, with locals and visitors alike stopping to admire the artwork and read the messages. We hope to continue the project next year with a new group of students.
Top: Sand Ridge Elementary students bust rather than cut the ribbon at the sign dedication in April. Below: Least Tern sitting on a nest.
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CARMEN JOHNSON /NCWRC
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NCWRC
NCWRC
NCWRC
Above: Students stand next to their signs, teaching beachgoers how to share the shore with nesting waterbirds.
Restoring Waterbird Habitat by Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist I f you build it, they will come—nesting water- birds that is. For more than a year, Commis- sion staff have coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other partners in the state on a project to restore an important water- bird nesting island near Cape Lookout National Seashore. The island, known as Sandbag Island, is owned and managed by NCWRC, and pro- vides greatly needed nesting habitat for several species of waterbirds. Unfortunately, recent storms led to rapid erosion, causing the island to shrink from roughly two acres in 2019 to under a 1/10 of an acre this winter. The Corps already had plans to dredge the neighboring channel that runs from Harkers
NEXT GENERATION LOGISTICS
Above: The hydraulic dredge pumping material from the channel to nearby Sandbag Island.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
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Island to the ocean, which had become challenging to nav- igate due to heavy shoaling. They needed a location to dis- pose of the dredged material and agreed that Sandbag Island was an excellent option - maintaining navigability of the channel and restoring nesting habitat had the potential to be a win-win situation. Plans were developed to remove material from the channel via a pipeline and pump it to what remained of Sandbag Island. Nearby submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), important for fisheries and as for- aging habitat for waterbirds, also needed to be protected, so Corps staff and the dredging contractor placed turbidity curtains in the water surrounding the work area, as well as developing a careful strategy for releasing the material on the island to protect the SAV. As development on the coast continues to increase, waterbirds, many of which need open sandy habitat to nest, have fewer places to raise their young. While dredged-ma- terial islands are not suitable habitat for all waterbirds, they provide excellent nesting habitat for many species includ- ing terns and skimmers. Staff were excited to find that within days of the project’s completion two pairs of Ameri- can Oystercatchers, a state species of special concern, had established territories on the island and soon laid eggs in shallow nests. National Park Service staff, whose office looks out on Sandbag Island, are helping NCWRC to mon- itor the nests and staff hope that even more birds will nest on the new, larger island next year. From top: Dean Hill with the US Army Corps of Engineers mon- itors the quality of sediment being pumped onto Sandbag Island as an excavator works in the background. Dr. Andrea Currylow and John Policarpo with the US Army Corps of Engi- neers celebrate the restoration of Sandbag Island with Carmen Johnson. A unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) image of Sandbag Island just before completion of the restoration project. One of the American Oystercatcher nests on Sandbag Island.
CARMEN JOHNSON /NCWRC
ANDREA CURRYLOW/US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
NEXT GENERATION LOGISTICS
NCWRC
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NC Bird Atlas 2024 Third Quarter Update by Scott Anderson, Science Support Coordinator
T he NC Bird Atlas has completed its fourth of five breeding seasons. We have two wintering seasons and one breeding season of data collection to complete. This volunteer-based effort to document breeding and wintering birds has mobilized 2,771 birders (Atlasers) and staff to collect 265,890 checklists with over 3.5 million observations since 2021. Key to this endeavor is spreading survey effort equally across the state, which means collecting data in evenly-distributed pri- ority blocks across the state. This map shows the extent to which “Atlasers” have prioritized these blocks.
But when do we know if we have enough data in a block? We have developed several guidelines to determine if a block is com- plete, but we will highlight one criterion as an indicator of prog- ress—minimum number of species recorded with observed breeding behaviors. To date, 664 (71%) of our priority blocks have met this criterion, almost doubling the number that met it in 2023, when only 336 priority blocks met this criterion. In the coming months, we will not only survey for wintering species, but we will also review the collected data to strategize our approach during the last breeding season of the project. In addition, we will start plans for developing a menu of products to come out of this unprecedented collection of data! We are on track to completing the most comprehensive dataset of breeding and wintering birds in North Carolina—a valu- able resource that will benefit conservation many years into the future.
2023–2024 CODED SPECIES COMPARISON MAP
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Where is Wayne’s World? Continued Efforts to Detect the Wayne’s Black-throated Green Warbler in North Carolina’s Coastal Region by John Carpenter,Coastal Region Landbird Biologist and Silas Hernandez, Landbird Technician
B uilding on our recent genetic study that validated the status of the Wayne’s Black-throated Green Warbler as a distinct subspecies breeding along the Atlantic Coastal Plain from South Carolina to Virginia, we dedicated effort this quarter to compiling results from spring 2024 surveys aimed at locating additional breeding sites for this rare Species of Greatest Conserva- tion Need in North Carolina. We developed a habitat suitability model based on relationships between known Wayne’s Warbler locations and various ecological spa- tial data, such as canopy height and land cover classifi- cation. We conducted nearly 150 standardized point count surveys in March and April within areas pre- dicted to contain habitat features most associated with Wayne’s Warbler presence. Four singing males were found: two in Hyde County (New Lake on 10 April) and one in Tyrrell County (Alli- gator River Game Land on 9 April). The fourth individ- ual was detected opportunistically on 27 March at Petti- grew State Park while traveling between survey points. We attribute our low number of detections to the
GERRY LEBING
Above: A Black-throated Green Warbler.
assumption that this is truly a rare, declining species, but also acknowledge that our habitat models may be based on spatial data that are too broad or outdated to accurately predict or understand the species’ habitat selection at various scales. Looking forward, we plan to revise our models using additional spatial data, including sub-canopy structure LiDAR and NC Natural Heritage Program’s natural community themes. We will resume our surveys in spring 2025 with renewed con- fidence and hope that more Wayne’s Warblers are out there waiting to be observed and counted.
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You Are What You Eat – New Collaborative Project to Assess Tern and Skimmer Diets by Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist and Claire Reilly, Waterbird Technician
Top: Black Skimmer chicks are monitored in a holding area waiting for them poop. Bottom: Community science specialist, Karen Clark, returns a Common Tern chick to its nest. Common Tern chicks are easily distinguished from other tern species by a dark brown throat patch. With the help of volunteers, WRC staff collected fecal samples from chicks multiple times between hatching and fledging. To collect the samples, chicks were carefully picked up either from their nest or nearby beach and placed in a holding area where they were monitored until they pooped. Once the sample was deposited, chicks were returned to their original location. The fecal sample was then scooped and placed in a vial to preserve it for processing. Careful records were kept of location, date, and chick age to see how diets may vary by site, time of year, and chick age. At the end of the field season, the samples were sent to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for analysis by Dr. Gemma Clucas, who will use a DNA metabarcoding technique she developed to determine what forage species the birds have been eating. The results from North Caro- lina will be compared with those from other states to see how the diet of chicks varies across the region. This research will continue in the 2025 breeding season. D uring summer 2024, Wildlife Diversity staff took part in a study to learn about the diets of Common Terns and Black Skimmers (state endangered and state threatened species, respectively). The study, humor- ously referred to as Project Poop, is a multistate effort to learn about the availability of forage fishes, monitor changes in the birds’ diets throughout the nesting sea- son, and better understand a potential factor affecting chicks’ survival to fledgling age.
CARMEN JOHNSON /NCWRC
CARMEN JOHNSON /NCWRC
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Hurricane Recovery in the Roan Highlands by Chris Kelly, Western Region Bird and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel Biologist
R oan Mountain and its unique inhabitants took a direct hit from Hurricane Helene, and natural resource managers are worried. In early December 2024, forest managers, wildlife biol- ogists, and botanists from the U.S. Forest Service, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Southern Appalachian High- lands Conservancy, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy visited Roan Mountain to assess the damage. Winds of up to 100 miles per hour had leveled patches of forest, especially on ridge tops and east and south-facing slopes. Unfortunately, high quality older Fraser fir stands toppled in the storm, while younger firs sustained less damage. Numerous federally and state listed ani- mal and plant species inhabit the cool, moist, dark conifer forests at Roan Mountain. The extensive canopy loss could change the face of Roan for centuries. Blowdown areas will be prone to soil desiccation and wildfire. Shaded, mossy rock outcrops inhabited by the endangered spruce-fir moss spider now sit under direct sunlight. Carolina northern flying squirrels lost den trees as well as a reliable food source: the truffles that grow symbiotically with the roots of Roan’s conifer trees. Just how much is too much for an already imperiled species? It is hard to measure, but biologists can conduct bioacoustic or radio-telemetry surveys of the flying squirrels, bioacoustic sur- veys for northern saw-whet owls, and rock outcrop surveys for the spiders. Initially, the team is focused on abating short-term risk of intense wildfire in this ecosystem. Unlike oak forests, spruce-fir forests are not adapted to fire. In fact, intense fires can inhibit germination of conifer seeds. Managers may enact burn bans around developed and undeveloped camp sites and the Appalachian Trail, construct fire control lines, and manually remove some of the fallen timber. The local land trust, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, is looking into wildfire risk reduction options on its land holdings and on private lands situ- ated downslope of Roan’s conifer forests. Where possible, some fallen trees may be limbed to bring tree trunks into contact with the forest floor, creating coarse woody debris and moist micro- habitat for salamanders, small mammals, and invertebrates. Biol- ogists will post artificial dens (wood boxes) for flying squirrels and eventually plant conifer seedlings. Recovery from Helene will be the primary topic of the annual Roan Mountain Steward- ship Committee meeting in Asheville in January 2025. Though it will take an enormous amount of work and require novel solu- tions, partners are committed to the recovery of Roan Mountain’s unique forests.
CHRIS KELLY/NCWRC
GOOGLE EARTH
GOOGLE EARTH
Top: Extensive blowdown in the spruce-fir forest along the trail to Roan High Bluff. Middle: Satellite imagery of Roan Mountain, October 2023. Note extensive conifer forest south/southwest of the “loop road”, this image is oriented north. Bottom: Satellite imagery of Roan Mountain, October 2024, post-Helene. Note the patchwork pattern of blow- downs in the conifer forest south/southwest of the “loop road”.
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