A Walk to the Jetty

 

Birdwatching on the jetty at 
Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina.

Huntington Beach State Park is a natural gem tucked among the beach houses, condos, t-shirt shops and golf courses (miniature and full-sized) on the South Carolina coast.  The park has salt marshes, freshwater ponds, maritime forest, the ruins of a grand house and a wide, wild beach.  The north end of the island is bounded by Murrells Inlet and the inlet is protected by two stone jetties.

Paved path on the jetty.
Photo courtesy of Ms. Malia Kline. 

We have been visiting Huntington Beach for many years and the highlight of any trip there is a walk to the jetty at Murrells Inlet. It is about a mile and a half to the jetty and there is so much to see along the way. The best time to do the jetty walk is early morning.  As the sun sneaks over the horizon, warm light bathes the beach. 

 

Birders on the beach at sunrise.

Walking toward the jetty.

The jetty is visible on the horizon at the right.

Birds are a major attraction when going to the jetty and we often go with a dedicated group of birders.  In fall and winter, ducks and loons are on the ocean and in the inlet.  Terns and gulls abound, wheeling overhead and taking their food from the sea or the beach. 

A male Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) bobbing in the surf next to the Jetty.
 

Common Loon (Gavia immer) in winter plumage.  

Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis).
 

Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) at the jetty. 

Large flocks of Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger) loaf on the sandbars inside the inlet.  These relatives of terns are black and white with a long bill.  That bill is a defining feature of Black Skimmers.  The lower mandible is longer than the upper mandible.   When feeding, Black Skimmers fly just above the  water, cutting the surface with their beaks.  If the lower mandible hits a small sea creature, the bill snaps closed and the Skimmer has a meal. 

Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger), Royal Terns (Thalasseus maximus),
Caspian Terns (Hydropogne caspia), and Sandwich Terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis)
 resting on a sandbar. 

 

Black Skimmers over Murrells Inlet. 

Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria intrepes) pick their way along the rocks of the jetty looking for invertebrate prey.  Their hunting strategy is to turn over small rocks and shells.  Ruddy Turnstones have a distinct black and white pattern on the face and breast, orange legs and the namesake ruddy feathers on the back.  The winter version of this plumage is a little less dramatic but there is no mistaking a Ruddy Turnstone.  

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria intrepes).

Sandpipers and plovers walk the sand probing for food. Black-bellied Plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) are large (for plovers) and in winter have lost their black belly feathers. Sanderlings (Calidris alba) are small sandpipers, that in winter are a dapper gray and white.  They tirelessly run up and down the beach like a windup toy, following the breaking waves seeking small crustaceans washed in by the surf.  

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola). 

Sanderlings (Calidris alba) at sunrise. 

Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus) and Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) are seen both on the beach and dunes on the way to jetty.  These two birds are not closely related but are of a similar size and they both have small webs between their toes, giving them their Semipalmated name.

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla). 

Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus).

A large sandpiper on this beach is the Willet (Tringa semiplamata).  Willets are gray and white in fall and winter.  When Willets fly, they say their name “Pee-will-willet” and show flashes of black and white on their wings. 

Willet (Tringa semipalmata).

At the base of the jetty there is a small saltmarsh and in winter Saltmarsh Sparrows (Ammospiza caudacuta) live there.  These elusive sparrows jump up on the stems of marsh grass and even on the rocks to give us short looks.  

Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta).

Brown Pelicans (Pelicanus occidentalis) fish the Atlantic and inlet while raptors, including Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) and Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), soar by on their hunting trips. Skeins of Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) cross from marsh to sea on their travels. 

Brown Pelican (Pelicanus occidentalis).

Ospery (Pandion hailaetus).

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) over the beach.

A walk to the Jetty at Huntington Beach is always rewarding.  The sun, the light, the sand, the water and the birds make this trek a wonderous experience.  

Walking the beach with masks during COVID.

Carolina Orchids

 

Pink Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium acaule). 
Blue Ridge Parkway, Watauga County, North Carolina.

The word orchid conjures up images of dazzling colors, exotic shapes, and tropical locales.  The greatest diversity of orchids is in the tropics but this large family of plants has a surprisingly wide distribution.  Orchids grow from the arctic to the equator and from sea level to above the tree line.  North and South Carolina host over fifty species of these fascinating plants. 

The word orchid comes from ancient Greek and means testicle.  The name was applied to these plants because the paired tubers of European orchids resemble testicles.  Even today, the surgical removal of testes is called an orchidectomy. 

All orchids have a symbiotic association with soil fungi.  During orchid germination the fungus provides the seedling with organic nutrients.  This association continues throughout the life of the orchid and both organisms benefit. Orchid flowers are distinctive with highly modified sepals and petals.  The flowers are bilaterally symmetrical and one petal is often modified to form a landing platform (the lip) for pollinating insects. Many orchid species are epiphytes, growing on trees and shrubs particularly in the tropics.  The orchids of the Carolinas however, are terrestrial growing in forests and fields.  

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens).
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) is a small orchid of the forest understory.  The leaves of this orchid are dark green with white veins making it easy to identify even when not in flower.  During summer, Downy Rattlesnake Plantain sends up a stalk with many small white flowers.  

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain with
its compact white flowers.
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain in fall
with old flowers
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis) is showy indeed.  In spring this orchid produces a pair of leaves and a flowering stalk with numerous, two-toned flowers.  The hood of the flower is purple and the lip white. These flowers attract the bumblebees that act as pollinators. Showy Orchis is mainly a plant of the mountains and piedmont.  

Showy Orchis (Galearis spectabilis).
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Close up of Showy Orchis flowers.
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Crane-fly Orchid (Tipularia discolor) is another forest orchid with a striking leaf pattern.  The top of the leaf is green, but flip it over and the bottom is bright purple.  Crane-fly Orchid produces a single leaf in the fall.  This leaf carries out photosynthesis through the colder months but dies and decays by the time of flowering during late summer. 

Crane-fly Orchid (Tipularia discolor) leaf. The upper surface is green.
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

The lower, purple surface of a Crane-fly Orchid leaf.
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Crane-fly orchid plant in winter with last years
dried flower stalk.
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Putty Root (Aplectrum hyemale) is a dull name for an interesting plant.  The name refers to a sticky, putty-like substance made by the underground stem, but only a barbarian would dig up such a great plant to see the name-sake putty.  Putty Root grows on the forest floor and makes a single green leaf.  It lacks the purple underside of Crane-fly Orchid but does have parallel while stripes.  The leaf lasts through the winter but fades away in spring when the flowering stalk emerges.   The flowering stalk bears numerous small, green and purple blossoms.  Putty Root often grows beneath forest trees, particularly beech and maple.  

Putty Root (Aplectrum hyemale) in flower.
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Putty Root flowers as they open in spring.
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Putty Root leaf in winter.
Rowan County, North Carolina. 

Lady’s Tresses (Spiranthes sp) are delicate orchids with white flowers that spiral their way up the stalk.  A number of species occur in our area.  On an October visit to Congaree National Park, South Carolina we found acres of Spiranthes odorata flowering in the flood plain forest of the Congaree River. 

 

Nodding Lady's Tresses (Spiranthes cernua) in flower.
Rowan County, North Carolina.

Fragrant Lady's Tresses (Spiranthes odorata)
Congaree National Park, South Carolina. 

Perhaps the most spectacular orchid in the Carolinas is Pink Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium acaule).  Pink Lady’s Slipper produces a single flower with green and brown petals and sepals.  The lip is modified into a large, hollow, “slipper” that is bright pink.  The flower that towers over the paired, strap-like leaves seems to glow in the woods.  Pink Lady’s Slipper is pollinated by bees attracted to the color and scent of the flower.  When the pollinator enters the pink slipper, it has to crawl past the pollen to exit the flower and carries the pollen to the next flower.  Pink Lady’s Slipper grows mainly in the mountains of the Carolinas but small populations can be found on the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. 

Pink Lady's Slipper.
Blue Ridge Parkway, Watauga County, North Carolina. 

The Orchidaceae (Orchid family) is one of the largest plant families with over 28,000 species worldwide and more than 200 in North America.  Many of these species are endangered or threatened.  One of the threats to orchids in the southeast is White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus).  The deer browse on many forest plants and as deer populations have grown, orchid populations have declined.  Orchids have obligate symbioses with fungi, complex relationships with insect pollinators and an amazing variety of shapes, sizes, scents and colors.  It is always a treat to find the increasingly rare orchids in the wild. 

We would like to thank our good friend Dr. Bethany Sinnott who shares her forest and shows us many wonderful plants, including orchids.  

Fragrant Lady's Tresses.
Congaree National Park, South Carolina.