IBWOH's: Chris and Brian Carlisle.
Summary: Brian and I took our kayaks down to the Black Creek landing near the northern end of Red Swamp, where I had crossed into Big Swamp on March 31. The previous day's rain gave way to fair skies near dawn, with temperatures forecast to rise into the 80's (Fahrenheit), with more rain coming. It was very humid. After a short drive north from the landing, where the swamp forest gives way to a mixture of pine and magnolia on the WMA border, we drove back south towards the landing. Brian quickly spotted a big cypress from the road as we neared Black Creek again, a monolith I had somehow missed despite having been in the vicinity twice before. A large cavity could be seen almost halfway up its trunk. We attempted to reach the tree, wading through dark still water and a barrage of mosquitoes:
Defeated, we returned to the launch, and after a few minutes slipped across Black Creek, and found the trailhead into Big Swamp. The trail split soon enough, but instead of taking the north fork, we followed the other one. It ran roughly east-southeast, but split again after a hundred yards. We elected to take the east fork, leaving the southern trail (into Black Swamp, I imagine) for another day.
We quickly found ourselves in mature second-growth mixed bottomland. As with much of the WMA in the Pascagoula River basin, sweet gum, water oak, swamp chestnut oak, spruce pine, cypress, and water tupelo dominate. There is also a healthy understory of American holly. Red maple frequents the more sunlit edges near the trail. The going was fairly easy, though as with the trail to German Slough, there are many slick clay banks, and stream crossings are common. A heavy layer of DEET insect repellent helped keep the mosquitoes at bay, though their annoying hum was constantly in our ears.
The birds were out in force, mostly the more common species such as cardinals, blue jays, crows, white-eyed vireos, and the like. The booming calls of barred owls can be heard in the video above. I heard one pileated woodpecker near the boat launch, and I believe Brian spotted one and heard others later; but woodpecker activity on the whole seemed rather muted to me, though there was plenty of evidence to suggest their presence.
Some interesting bark scaling, possibly pileated or hairy woodpecker work, on a recently dead snag attached to a still living maple:
As the morning wore on, the sky became heavily overcast, and we began to hear thunder rumble in the distance. Around two miles in -- not far, I surmised, from where the trail intersects another trail that runs north-south the greater length of Big Swamp -- we reached a deep, wide moving body of water. I believe it is the same German Slough which barred my way on the other path two weeks before; but the slough before us was swollen much wider.
We were not able to positively identify the bird (likely a blue jay, or some kind of hawk), and so withdrew, moving forward along the trail again. A light rain began to fall, and presently we heard a noise of rushing water. We saw soon enough that German Slough barred our way further.
Summary: Brian and I took our kayaks down to the Black Creek landing near the northern end of Red Swamp, where I had crossed into Big Swamp on March 31. The previous day's rain gave way to fair skies near dawn, with temperatures forecast to rise into the 80's (Fahrenheit), with more rain coming. It was very humid. After a short drive north from the landing, where the swamp forest gives way to a mixture of pine and magnolia on the WMA border, we drove back south towards the landing. Brian quickly spotted a big cypress from the road as we neared Black Creek again, a monolith I had somehow missed despite having been in the vicinity twice before. A large cavity could be seen almost halfway up its trunk. We attempted to reach the tree, wading through dark still water and a barrage of mosquitoes:
Defeated, we returned to the launch, and after a few minutes slipped across Black Creek, and found the trailhead into Big Swamp. The trail split soon enough, but instead of taking the north fork, we followed the other one. It ran roughly east-southeast, but split again after a hundred yards. We elected to take the east fork, leaving the southern trail (into Black Swamp, I imagine) for another day.
We quickly found ourselves in mature second-growth mixed bottomland. As with much of the WMA in the Pascagoula River basin, sweet gum, water oak, swamp chestnut oak, spruce pine, cypress, and water tupelo dominate. There is also a healthy understory of American holly. Red maple frequents the more sunlit edges near the trail. The going was fairly easy, though as with the trail to German Slough, there are many slick clay banks, and stream crossings are common. A heavy layer of DEET insect repellent helped keep the mosquitoes at bay, though their annoying hum was constantly in our ears.
(Photo: Brian Carlisle)
(Photo: Brian Carlisle)
The birds were out in force, mostly the more common species such as cardinals, blue jays, crows, white-eyed vireos, and the like. The booming calls of barred owls can be heard in the video above. I heard one pileated woodpecker near the boat launch, and I believe Brian spotted one and heard others later; but woodpecker activity on the whole seemed rather muted to me, though there was plenty of evidence to suggest their presence.
Some interesting bark scaling, possibly pileated or hairy woodpecker work, on a recently dead snag attached to a still living maple:
We hiked at least two miles into Big Swamp, often leaving the trail to investigate trees or the area's many sloughs and small lakes.
(Photo: Brian Carlisle)
Fellow traveler in Big Swamp.
Brian investigates a second titan cypress we discovered that day. Those giants of the swamp never fail to intrigue, drawing us in, usually to remain yet untouched in their muddy homes.
Examples of scaling were not uncommon. Here, woodpeckers (likely pileated) have explored the recently-dead center section of a living tree:
Note the small wood chips at the tree base.
I look even skinnier than usual in the distortion of Brian's GoPro camera image. (Photo: Brian Carlisle.)
We heard a bird call we could not immediately identify, coming from the far bank. Brian and I attempted to catch a glimpse of the bird, calling from some tall trees:
We were not able to positively identify the bird (likely a blue jay, or some kind of hawk), and so withdrew, moving forward along the trail again. A light rain began to fall, and presently we heard a noise of rushing water. We saw soon enough that German Slough barred our way further.
(Photo: Brian Carlisle)
Discouraged, but fearing also a coming deluge, we made our way back down the trail to Black Creek.
Conclusions: Big Swamp is as vast as I imagined, and the swamp forest is as rich and healthy as I had hoped. Signs of human activity were minimal, and of recent activity there seemed to be none. We heard no kents or double-knocks, and saw no feeding sign that (to my mind) could be considered diagnostic of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. However, the area is so extensive that it could take many months for such a small team as ours to adequately explore it, from Sandy Wash Bend in its north to Black Swamp in the south. The romantic in me imagines such a remote, forbidding swamp fastness providing refuge for creatures ill-suited to the noise and machinations of modern man.
I agree with you about the scaling and appreciate the time and effort you've taken to understand my ideas on this subject. I just hope I haven't led you astray ;) If I saw a a great abundance of similar work, I might be intrigued. In image 13, it looks as though there's some excavation on the left side of the limb and that the wood might be punky, though it's hard to say for sure. If so, it also would lead me to think it unlikely for IBWO.
ReplyDeleteWell, I always have appreciated your insights, and will continue to follow your work. To my mind, any serious search for the ivorybill must include a good eye for feeding sign. The image 13 tree did not look punky to me, though the area was too high for me to physically examine it. I got the impression that it was pileated work, or maybe hairy woodpecker.
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