Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Secrets of the James - Meet the mink

by Judith Warrington, JRA's Communications Coordinator

One of the memorable moments for students on the recent James River Expedition was the sighting of a riverside life-or-death battle between a mink and a muskrat. A mink? On the James River?


Many people are surprised to learn that mink do indeed live along the James River and its tributaries. In his History of Virginia (1626), Captain John Smith mentioned seeing “Martins, Powelcats, Weesels and Minkes.” The American mink’s (Mustela vison) habitat ranges across most of North America with the exception of the desert southwest and the Arctic shores of Canada. So it’s very possible that you’ve seen a mink and mistaken it for another of its relatives, a weasel or an otter. In general, the nocturnal, semi-aquatic mink is larger than a weasel but smaller than an otter. An aggressive predator, it feeds mainly on fish, frogs, and crayfish.

Mink have slim bodies, short legs, partially webbed feet and sleek, dark fur. They prefer to live in dens near rivers, swamps and lakes, and sometimes take over the burrows of other ground dwellers. A property dispute could have been the cause of the battle the Expedition saw, because the mink is the most important natural enemy of the muskrat. The mink, on the other hand, has few natural enemies.

Commercial mink breeders have developed a range of colors for the fur trade. The mink you might see along the James River is naturally dark brown, sometimes with a white patch under its chin or on its chest.

In the 1920s, the American mink was introduced in the United Kingdom to stock fur-farms, where they escaped or were released into the wild. Having no natural enemies there, they flourished and have become a nuisance species. In parts of Scotland, the mink is threatening ground-breeding bird populations and is the subject of controversial removal programs. But here on the James, a mink is a fairly rare and welcome sight.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Exciting Underwater Grass News!

By Chuck Frederickson, JRA's Lower James RIVERKEEPER

Last Friday we received a report from our good friends and underwater grass experts at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Dr. Ken Moore and Dr. Bob Orth, that some underwater grass beds on the main stem tidal James had shown up on their most recent aerial photographs of the area. Most of the tidal creeks had grass beds but we had not found any in the river. Grass beds are important because they provide food for waterfowl, anchor bottom sediments, provide nursery habitat and in general help clean up our waters. We have been looking for this for a number of years so I could hardly wait to get out yesterday to see for myself.


At the Queens Creek site I found a huge bed of mostly hydrilla near the mouth of the creek and some smaller patches near the river shoreline. We had previously found grass beds further up the creek but nothing like this. As amazing as this site was, it was nothing compared to the Tyler Creek area. There I found grass beds extending out approximately 150 feet for three-quarters of a mile of shoreline. These grasses were mostly a form of niad. Both beds were full of crabs, fish and many of aquatic organisms.

As good as aerial photos are at identifying underwater grass beds, nothing beats human eyes on the water. If you see or know of any underwater grass beds in the tidal James, please let me know. You can reach me at keeper@jrava.org.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Conservation Tips - A Greener Way to Clean Your Home

by Amber Ellis, JRA's Watershed Restoration Associate/Volunteer Coordinator

Did you know that what you are using to clean your home may actually be harmful to your health as well as to our local waterways? Our household cabinets hold a plethora of cleaning supplies that may contain volatile organic compounds that wash down the drain as pollutants. This is one type of non-point source pollution, but can easily be avoided.


One option is to buy green cleaning products that are certified by the EPA. There are several brands out there now that use safe and fully biodegradable substances that will not harm our families or our waters. Some of the most popular brands are Clorox Green Works, Sun & Earth, Seventh Generation, Simple Green, Mrs. Meyers, and several others.

Even better, there are cheap and readily available items that you may already have in your home to create homemade cleaners. The major ingredients are baking soda, white vinegar, and lemons. Some other ingredients that are helpful to have around are borax, hydrogen peroxide, and liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap). Take an extra green step and reuse your old spray bottles, old t-shirts and towels, and worn out toothbrushes as cleaning tools! By making your own cleaners you will save money, reduce waste, and do your part in conserving the health of our local waterways.

Here’s a simple DIY All-Purpose Cleaner recipe that you can start with:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Baking Soda or ½ Cup White Vinegar
1 Quart of Warm Water
1 Spray Bottle

 Directions: Dissolve baking soda or vinegar with the water in a spray bottle. It’s that easy!


For More Information:

Guidelines to Green Cleaning
Green Cleaning Products (video)
Top 10 Environmentally Friendly Home Cleaning Product Companies
EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Zukowski, Shea. Salt, Lemons, Vinegar, and Baking Soda. (book)
Logan, Karen. Clean House, Clean Planet. (book)

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Wildlife of the James - The Bald Eagle


Photo By John Bragg
 by Angie Williams, JRA's Events & Development Assistant

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is so named for its dynamic looks. Both the mature male and female have dark brown plumage with white feathers on their head, neck and tail, yellow feet and a large yellow beak. The term “bald” is derived from an older meaning of the word, "white headed".

Bald eagles are usually found near large bodies of water, so it is natural that their diet consists mainly of fish. However, they are opportunistic hunters and will feast on carrion when found. When hunting fish, the eagle swoops down over the water and grabs the fish with its talons. If the fish is too large for the eagle to carry there is a chance that the eagle may drown. Bald eagles can swim (a modified butterfly stroke), but they must reach land before they are able to fly again. This can put them at risk for hypothermia!

The bald eagle is the largest bird in North America. The female, which is slightly larger than the male, averages a body length of 36 inches and an impressive wingspan of between 79 and 90 inches. Eagles reach maturity between 4 and 5 years of age and usually mate for life. They generally lay between 2 and 3 eggs per year, although it is rare that all of the chicks will survive. Eagle nests are reused each year and new materials are added with each use. The largest eagle nest on record is in Florida and was measured to be 13 feet deep and 8 feet across.


Photo by John Bragg
 The bald eagle officially became the national emblem of the United States of America on June 20, 1782 and was chosen because of its long life, great strength, majestic looks, and because it was native to North America. Author Maude M. Grant tells this story of America’s symbolic bird:

It is said the eagle was used as a national emblem because, at one of the first battles of the Revolution the noise of the struggle awoke the sleeping eagles on the heights and they flew from their nests and circled about over the heads of the fighting men, all the while giving vent to their raucous cries. "They are shrieking for Freedom," said the patriots.

Thus the eagle, full of the boundless spirit of freedom, living above the valleys, strong and powerful in his might, has become the national emblem of a country that offers freedom in word and thought and an opportunity for a full and free expansion into the boundless space of the future.

When Europeans first arrived to the North American continent bald eagles were common. But as the human population increased, the eagle population decreased. Between 1917 and 1953, more than 100,000 bald eagles were killed in Alaska by salmon fisherman who feared they were endangering the salmon population. In the 1930s people became more aware of the constantly decreasing eagle population and in 1940 the Bald Eagle Protection Act was passed. This prohibited people from the taking of, possession and commerce of such birds as the bald eagle and the golden eagle.


Photo by John Bragg
 Following World War II, DDT and other pesticides became widely used. These chemicals found their way into the food chain where they were ingested by plant-eating animals, which were then consumed by birds of prey, like the eagle. These pesticides were detrimental to both adult birds and to their eggs. High levels of DDT made the eggs’ shells thin and as a result they were often crushed during incubation.

In the 1960s and 70s many states placed the bald eagle on their endangered species list. In 1967 the bald eagle was officially declared an endangered species in all areas of the U.S. below the 40th parallel. This action predated The Endangered Species Act that President Richard Nixon signed into law in 1973. This was considered one of the most comprehensive and important wildlife conservation laws in the world. But by that time, the bald eagle population on the James River had been decimated.

In a testament to the species’ resiliency, in July 2007, decades after banning DDT, and passing laws to protect the bald eagle and their nests, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service changed their listing from “endangered” to “threatened.” The bald eagle is one of the few species that have come back from the endangered species list and today, a record number of 165 breeding pairs of bald eagles have been recorded on the James River.

Top 5 Places to spot a Bald Eagle

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Top 5 Places to Spot a Bald Eagle


Photo by John Bragg
 By Amber Ellis, JRA Watershed Restoration Associate/Volunteer Coordinator

Next time you go out on the James River, try to keep your head in the clouds and your eyes open to spot a Bald eagle. The best way to spot them is to understand where they hang out and what they look like. Mature eagles, both male and female, have a distinctive white head with a brown body with a very large wingspan. They nest in tall trees, usually near bodies of water. The James River now has 165 breeding pairs that were documented in March 2011 by the Center for Conservation Biology and The College of William and Mary. Below are some of the best places to see one of these majestic birds.


1. The James River Wildlife Refuge is a favorite spot for many eagles. It is not open to the public, but you can take your boat out on the James from Hopewell to Westover and you are sure to spot one.

2. The stretch of the James River near Jamestown and the mouth of the Chickahominy River is a great place to see an eagle. If you don’t have your own boat, take a ride on the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry.

3. The Balcony Falls area of the James River offers a beautiful backdrop for spotting a bald eagle. The large boulders offer them a great place from which to hunt. If you are planning on taking your kayak, be careful as there is a Class III rapid through this stretch.

4. There are several nesting pairs along the Nansemond River in Suffolk. This river offers an alternative to those in the Hampton Roads areas that find the tidal James a little intimidating for their canoes or kayaks.

5. The shores of Lake Moomaw are home to several pairs of eagles. This is a great open area for those in the upper part of the James River watershed to spot an eagle.

For more information:
http://www.discoverthejames.com/?q=Eagle-Tour
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/birds/bald-eagles.asp
http://www.ccb-wm.org/virginiaeagles/index.htm

Monday, August 1, 2011

Wildlife of the James- The Barred Owl

By Judith Warrington, JRA's Communications Coordinator

If you are near a wooded area on one of these warm summer nights, listen to what’s going on in the darkness. The denizens of the night are out there. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear a Barred owl.


Deep moist forests or woodlands near rivers or lakes is the preferred home to one of eastern North America’s great predators. The Barred owl (Strix varia), so named because of his striped chest, is known for his distinctive call of Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all. Commonly called a hoot owl, this large, approximately 16 to 26-inch tall owl has an impressive 38 to 50-inch wingspan, a flat face, dark eyes (not the usual golden eyes of many owls), beautiful mottled plumage and is lacking ear tufts. The Barred owl’s soft brown/gray bark-like coloring allows him to virtually disappear into the trees where he roosts during the daytime.

Pairs mate for life and are territorial. Fortunately for owl-watchers, the Barred owl calls year round. Two broods of 2 to 4 chicks are raised each year and the young are in their parents’ care for about months. After this, the young owl’s stake out their own territory, which is usually not too far away? This is one owl that isn’t picky about what it eats. Insects, small mammals, frogs, snakes, lizards, roosting birds, even fish are on the menu.

Owls are so silent in their flight that even a large Barred owl can swoop past you in the darkness without making a sound, You’ll only be aware of a dark shape passing by and perhaps a rush of air. Because of their stealthy flight, Native Americans thought owls must be spirits. The owl’s silent flight is due to the comb-like structure of the leading edge of its primary wing feathers. This breaks down the turbulence and muffles the sound of the air rushing across the surface of the owl’s wings. Regardless of the physics, having an owl strafe you in the darkness is a chilling, almost supernatural experience.

Supposedly, Barred owls are attracted to campfires. Test this theory on your next camping trip in the woods and let us know if you had company.

You can hear the many sounds of the Barred owl here.