Green Treefrog - Murray County

Thursday, November 25, 2010

2010 GA Dainty Sulphur Summary


The report that there were as many as fifty Dainty Sulphurs (Nathalis iole) present at a north Georgia location was big news.  There were no previous documented records for that species in the Ridge & Valley prior to 2010. In fact, there were only nine Georgia counties that sported documented records. To have such a large number concentrated at one site was a surprise. The discovery was made on November 1st, 2010 along Fite Bend Rd. in Gordon County. This road cuts through large crop fields which are rotated between corn, sunflower, soybean, etc. from year to year. There were two main groups found along the road. Darlene Moore and Roy Brown located the first of at least thirty individuals and Max Medley located another group about half of a mile further south. This last group numbered at least twenty individuals. Photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbinv/5137519954/in/set-72157624310847802/
None were observed nectaring on the blooms present. One male was observed making an effort to copulate with a female. The female's wings possibly suggest that she had recently emerged. It would be assumed that there is a thriving colony in this area, but this assumption may be premature due to this butterfly's nature to migrate. Consequently, the migration is usually limited to spring and summer.  The high number is so impressive that one must consider the possibility that these were Gordon County residents.  Lucien Harris (1972) describes his experience with colonies: "It (Nathalis iole) is very local, but when a colony is found, it usually contains a number of adults, often flying actively about over a rather limited area." This is similar to the experience that Darlene Moore, Roy Brown, and Max Medley had on Fite Bend Rd. To determine if a permanent colony was established here, further evidence would need to be observed in the years to come. A compilation of plants was made here and is being reviewed to determine if any would act as host species for the Dainty Sulphur. 

Interestingly, there was some suspicion that there possibly could have been an increase/shift with this species over the last few months. I personally had observed it on four other occasions, three of which were new county records for Gordon, Cobb, and Troup counties.
The first was an individual spotted by Max Medley on 9/12/10 in eastern Gordon County(along the Coosawattee River).
 


The second was an individual I photographed on 10/18/10 in Cobb County(along the Chattahoochee River).
The third was an incidental sighting in Gordon County on 10/26/10.

The fourth was an individual I photographed in Troup County(also along the Chattahoochee River) on 10/28/10.

Photographed specimens will be added to the other nine documented records which include: Bibb, Fulton, DeKalb, Clarke, and Monroe in the Piedmont and Chatham, Glynn, and Camden on the coast.  I have no information on whether the record from Crawford County was above or below the fall-line. There are also some sight records from around the state, but these are few.

Other 2010 observations of this species include:
8/7/10 - 16 individuals (Some were nectaring on Helenium armarum (Bitterweed)-  Rockdale County -  Panola Mtn State Park  - Jerry Payne, Alice Jordon, Charlie Seabrook, Phil Delestrez, Rose Payne
9/14/10 - DeKalb County -  Stone Mountain Memorial Park - Jerry Payne, Naomi Thompson and Martha Delestrez (Lucien Harris discovered a colony here on August 2nd, 1952)
10/9/10 - 3 individuals (One was nectaring on Aster dumosus) - Bibb County - near Montpelier Station Rd. -  Jerry Payne   
10/9/10 - Gwinnett County - McDaniel Farm - Karen & Luke Theodorou - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lukethrush/5064754627/

10/17/10 - One nectaring on Polypremum procumbens (Rustweed)  - Bibb County - near Montpelier Station Rd. - Jerry & Rose Payne  Photographed by Rose. 
10/22/10 - 6 adults (some copulating) - Rockdale County - Monastery of the Holy Spirit - F.M. Stiteler, Jim Allison, Jerry Payne, Rose Payne
10/30/10 - 2 individuals (nectaring on Chrysopsis mariana (Maryland Golden Aster), Ageratina sp. (White Snakeroot) and Aster sp.) - Monroe County - Rum Creek WMA - Jerry & Rose Payne
10/31/10 - 2 individuals -  Jones County - Piedmont Wildlife Refuge -  Jerry & Rose Payne

11/01/10 -  Jones County -  Piedmont Wildlife Refuge -  Jerry & Rose Payne

11/04/10 - Gordon County - Fite Bend Rd - Joshua Spence

11/10/10 - Jones County - Piedmont Wildlife Refuge -  Jerry & Rose Payne

11/10/10 - Murray County - Davis Jones Rd - Joshua Spence

11/10/10 - Gordon County - Covington Bridge Rd - Joshua Spence
11/10/10 - 3 individuals - Gordon County - Fite Bend Rd - Joshua Spence

11/11/10 - 5 individuals - Stewart County - Bradley Unit - Roy Brown & Darlene Moore
11/11/10 - Clay County - Walter F. George - Eric & Michael Beohm - http://eaglecreek4.tripod.com/georgiabirdingandnature/id142.html

11/20/10 - Stewart County - Bradley Unit - Roy Brown & Bruce Horn

11/25/10 - Bibb County - near Montpelier Station Rd. -  Jerry & Rose Payne

With all these observations combined, one has to wonder if this couldn't be a population explosion in comparison to its past status in Georgia.  There has been discussion of whether most of these sightings were a product of migrant colonization. Some of the earlier sulphurs observed were the summer form and it has been suggested that these could have been in transit throughout the state. Most of the sulphurs observed were the winter form and it has been suggested that some of these could be offspring of the earlier summer forms.  This is quite possible as there are no thriving GA interior disjunct populations known.  At the same time, it is difficult to make assessments based on the lack of historical data and the low number of field observers statewide. Therefore, many questions surrounding populations cannot be answered with certainty. In other words, only time will tell.
One thing is for certain, and that is this has been a great fall for observing Dainty Sulphurs in Georgia.
The Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) is a small butterfly that belongs to the Pieridae family. This species is quite common in the southwestern United States. Numbers seem to decrease east of the Mississippi River, except on the Florida peninsular where it has a year-round flight period. It is most often found in open, dry situations, such as coastal flats, meadows, grasslands, etc. This might explain their high occurrence status in states that are characterized by open habitat and likewise, their low occurrence status in the historically forested states of the east (see map: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1458&chosen_state=* ). This butterfly apparently is unable to survive the frigid winters that limit its range in the north. The populations found throughout the Great Plains to southeast Washington, southeast Idaho, Wyoming, and Minnesota are products of annual recolonization.
More info at the link below:





References

Harris, L., Jr.  (1972).  Butterflies of Georgia.  Norman, OK:  Univ. of Oklahoma Press.






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Monday, November 22, 2010

A History of North GA Christmas Bird Counts






The North Georgia mountains, like much of the state has a sketchy CBC history. This is mostly due to the lack of birders in this portion of the state. Apparently, one of the earliest North GA birding communities formed in Dalton. This is where the first CBC was conducted in this region in 1942, though the count was discontinued after three consecutive years. Since that first count, there have been ten other north georgia circles registered with the National Audubon Society. Some of these were conducted annually for many decades, while some endured only a few seasons. Methods for counting have changed over the years and participant numbers have increased, so the bird numbers are expected to be higher than in the early days. Though this is the case, it is still interesting to dig through these historical records for a better understanding of the count itself. The data collected throughout the years offers an opportunity to compare the present to days gone by.

1940s
Only six counts were conducted in the 1940s with 1949 being the first year that two were held during the same season. These were Cartersville and Demorest.

1950s
The 1950s had an increase to seventeen counts completed. This decade also saw the rebirth of the Dalton circle that continued on a forty-eight year stretch of consecutive counts. Dalton holds the record in north Georgia for the most counts completed.  It totaled fifty-eight in 2009. It is also one of the oldest counts in the state.

1960s
It wasn’t until 1960 that three counts were successfully conducted during the same season. These were at Dalton, Demorest, and Rome. This decade did see an increase to twenty-two counts completed between these three circles. Unfortunately, the counts were limited to the Ridge/Valley and Upper Piedmont leaving the true highlands uncovered for many more years.

1970s
The number of counts dropped to nineteen during the 1970s. 1978 was the last year for the Rome Count circle to be conducted. It began in 1955 and was conducted twenty-three years missing only 1974. A new count was registered in 1979 in the Cohutta Wilderness. This was the Chattahoochee National Forest/Birdsong Management Area. This circle has just celebrated its thirtieth count completed in 2009. It stands as the oldest true highland count in Georgia and offers some of the only historical CBC data from that mountainous region.

1980s
It wasn’t until 1989 that there were actually four counts conducted in a single year. This was due to the induction of  Amicalola Falls(1987) and Blairsville(1989), formerly the Blood Mountain circle.  There were twenty-four counts completed during this decade.

1990s
These same four counts continued until 1993. Amicalola Falls was not conducted between 1994-2001. Blairsville has not been conducted since 1995. There were thirty counts completed in the 1990s.

2000 & beyond
The first ten years of the millennial has seen forty individual counts completed, obviously the most within a decade. The Floyd County circle was registered in 2001. This circle actually includes portions of the old Rome circle that had not been conducted in over twenty years. The Amicalola Falls count was also restarted in 2002.  Two new counts were registered in 2007, these being the Blue Ridge and the Carter’s Lake circles.

For the last three years there have been six counts conducted annually. Three of which are all within the Great Valley District. These are Carter's Lake, Dalton, and Floyd County.

The Chattahoochee National Forest/Birdsong Management Area is split between the Great Valley and the Cohutta Mountain Districts. The Blue Ridge circle covers portions of the Cohutta Mountains, Cherokee Uplands, McCaysville Basin and the Blue Ridge Mountain Districts. The most easterly circle is the Amicalola Falls circle that is split between the Dahlonega Uplands and the Blue Ridge Mountains Districts.



Ridge & Valley Province

Dalton - 1942-1944; 1954-2001; 2003-present

Cartersville - 1949-1952

Rome - 1955 - 1973; 1975-1978

Floyd County - 2001-present

Carter’s Lake - 2007-present



Blue Ridge and Ridge & Valley Provinces 

Chattahoochee National Forest/Birdsong Management Area - 1979-2001; 2003-present



Blue Ridge Province


Blood Mountain - 1957

Blairsville - 1989-1995


 Blue Ridge and Upland Piedmont Provinces

Demorest - 1948-1950; 1952; 1960-1961

Amicalola Falls - 1987-1993; 2002-2005; 2007-present

Blue Ridge - 2007-present




To learn more about the CBC and to explore historical data go to the NAS website below:

http://birds.audubon.org/christmas-bird-count

I encourage birders to get involved in this valuable project this season. There are many counts to choose from. Georgia's entire CBC schedule can be viewed at the Georgia Ornithological Society's website.

http://www.gos.org/cbc/111schedule.html




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