The past couple of weeks have found me assisting with field work in the Central Marsh Transect (CMT), including throw trapping, minnow trapping, and bird surveys.
The first time we tried throw trapping back in June, the CMT was still dry and had little to no water in it, making it impossible to throw trap and catch anything. Moreover, we waited to do throw trapping and minnow trapping for the next month in July, in which the water level ranged from knee-high to waist-high. After catching some Mosquito Fish and Freshwater Shrimp, we set up our minnow traps to be checked up on the next day. The next day came and we had caught tons of Peninsular Newts, as well as African Jewelfish, crayfish, and a baby Mud Turtle. While checking on one of the traps, I brushed away some alligator flag and felt a sudden stinging sensation. Wouldn't you know it that I had just been stung by a Saddleback Caterpillar! The pain was worse than a wasp sting and lingered for a few hours, but it was super cool to see the little guy.
This week I assisted with a CMT bird survey, in which we observed 30 species of birds for July. The water on the CMT was around the same level as the weeks before, and it was really fun to explore through the swamp with a great group of people. Birds that we saw included Pileated Woodpeckers, Chimney Swifts, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Brown-headed Nuthatches, a Tufted Titmouse, and more. We saw an Okefenokee Fishing Spider that was about the size of my hand!
All in all, I've had some memorable experiences on the CMT and I'm happy that I could tag along and help with the field work.
-Brian, Research Intern
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