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Colm ^ Director's WilliamL. Woodfin,Jr ture; Bureau ofPlantIndustry; During its 86-year history, the Pennsylvania Department of VirginiaDepartmentofGameand Forests and Water; U.S. Park InlandFisherieshas been directed Service, attheYorktownColo- by a number of innovative and nial National Park, and Vir- dedicatedleaders,andduringthat ginia Cooperative Research time, the agency has continually UnitatVPI. advanceditsprogramsandactivi- Hebecame the first chiefof ties to meet the changing times. VDGIF's Wildlife Division in One individual with afar-reach- 1942. He served during World ing vision steered the agencyfor War II in the U.S. Air Force twodecades. Today,all Virginians from August 1942 until Janu- benefit from the work ofMr. ary 1946, and was discharged ChesterF.Phelps. with the rank of captain. He then returned to VDGIF as On April 26, 2002, Mr. chiefoftheWildlifeDivision. Chester F. Phelps, 92, for- Among Mr. Phelps' most mer Director of the Virginia notable accomplishments ment ofthe wild turkey in Vir- Commission of Game and In- while at VDGIF was the inau- ginia. land Fisheries, now the Vir- guration of the biologists pro- On July 30, 1977, VDGIF ginia Department of Game gram,wherebygamemanage- dedicatedtheChesterF.Phelps and Inland Fisheries, passed ment was established on a sci- Wildlife Management Area in awayquietly.Heheldtheposi- entificbasis in Virginia. He in- Fauquier and Culpeper Coun- tion of Executive Director for stituted the development of ties in his honor. Mr. Phelps 20yearsfromJuly 1, 1958until thedistrictbiologistsystem, in commented at that occasion 1978,stillarecordforlongevity whichbiologistsworkedclose- that "there could never be any in that position. His entire ca- ly with law enforcement per- higherhonor thanthis, a living reer with the agency spanned sonnel. This program became perpetual recognition that will some40years. a model formanyotherstates. last longer and be of greater Mr. Phelps had a back- Hebegantherestorationofthe value than anything cast in ground in forestry as well as deer herds west of the Blue metalorcarvedinstone." wildlife management. He Ridge, which often has been He concluded his remarks graduated from North Caroli- heralded asoneofthebestbig that day by saying, "far and naStateCollegein 1931 with a game restoration projects in away,thegreatestprizethatlife Bachelor'sofSciencedegreein thecountry. has to offer is a chance towork forestry, and later received his Mr.Phelpsinitiatedtheland hard at work worth doing. I Master's degree in wildlife purchase program, which en- have had that opportunity... conservation from Virginia abled VDGIF to acquire such and I am humbly proud to ac- PolytechnicInstitute and State strategicwildlifemanagement cept this great honor in behalf University(VPI). areas as Hog Island, Saxis ofallthosewhomadeitandall In the 1930s he worked in Marsh, the Gathright Tract, oftheotherprogramspossible. variouspositionswiththeU.S. and the James River Wildlife Iwillgoonforawhile,butmay Forest Service; Southeastern ManagementArea.Anotherof our programs, as symboUzed Forest Experimental Station; his notable accomplishments by this wildlife management U.S. Department of Agricul- washisworkforthereplenish- area,goonandonforever." CommonwealthofVirginia MarkR.Warner,Governor LHUNTING & FISHING f^ b ICENSE FEE Subsidized thispublication SecretaryofNatural Resources W.TayloeMurphy,Jr. DepartmentofGameand InlandFisheries WilliamL.Woodfin,Jr.,Director MembersoftheBoard CarsonQuarles, Roanoke, Chairman 'ecilT. Campbell,Warrenton lichardL. Corrigan,Arlington ;huckCunningham, Fairfax immyDean,Varina pages )anR. McCoy,BigStoneGap CharlesG. McDaniel, Fredericksburg VillMcNeely Charlottesville lickieL. Richards, VirginiaBeach ackT.Shoosmith, Chester RobertK. Wheeler,Crewe RGINIA VI /lagazine Staff ,eeWalker, Editor Ae\White,RonMessina,JuliaDixonSmith, WILDLIFE ContributingEditors ImilyPels,ArtDirector pikeKnuth, Illustrator,StaffWriter CarolKushlak, ProductionAssistant Cover: ThankstoVirginiasstatefishhatcheriesandthe /larikaByrd,CPS,OfficeManager DepartmentofGameandInlandFisheries'stockingprogram, taffContributors:DeanFowler, Carol catchingfishlikethiswalleyeontheClinchRiver,inScottCounty, leiser isjustoneofthemanyexcellentanglingopportunitiesintheOld Dominion.Photo©DwightDyke. Color separations and printing by Nittany 'alleyOffset,StateCollege,PA. Features 'irpma Wildlife (ISSN 0042 6792) is published lonthlybytheVirginiaDepartmentofGameand TiandFisheries.Sendallsubscriptionordersand 4 BansheeReeks byKingMontgomery ddresschangestoVirginiaWildlife,P.O.Box7477, NorthernVirginiasnewestnaturepreserveandpark. ledOak,Iowa51591-0477.Addressallothercom- l/uiXnii/ciawtWiiolndslifec,oPn.cOe.rnBionxg111th0i4s, 40pu1b0lWiceasttioBnroatdo page 13 8 WildLife,NightLife byCarolHeiser treet, Richmond, Virginia 23230-1104. Sub- Join WiUintheWoodsasweshedalitdelightonthenocmrnal ription rate is $10.00 for one year, $24.00 for nee years; $2.00 per eachback issue, subject to worldofwildlife. ailability.Out-of-countryratesarethesamebut lustbepaidinLJ.S.funds.Tosubscribe,calltoll- 13 VirginiasStateFishHatcheries byDeanFowler cdedere(s8s00c)ha7n1g0e-s93t6o9.VirPgoisntimaaWsitledrli:feP,lPe.aOs.eBsoexn7d47a7l,l Anin-depthlookintotheimportantroleofmaintainingand ledOak,Iowa51591-0477.Postageforperiodicals restoringfishpopulationsthroughtheVDGIFstockingprogram. aid at Richmond, Virginia and additional entry ffices. 23 FamilyFishingVacations by BobGooch — CioapmyeriagnhdtI2n0l0a2ndbFyishtehreieVsi.rAglilniraighDtesparerstemrevnedt.of Virginiasstateparks alitdesomediingforeveryone. he Department of Game and Inland Fisheries hall afford to all persons an equal access to July Journal )epartment programs and facilities without j;ardtorace,color,religion,nationalorigin,dis- 28 Journal 33 Recipes Li'ielintyd,issecxr,imoirnaatgeed.aIgfayinosutbienlainevyeptrhoagtraymo,uahctaivve- 31 WhatisThat? EmergencyFoods 't\'f,Gfoiacremrf,aec4ial0in1tdy0,IpWnlelesaatnsdeBwFrriosiahtederitSoet:sr,VeeiAtrT.gTiPnNiO:a.DCeoBpmoapxrlti1ma11en0nc4te, page 25 32 OBonivfTihneWater 34 ABcacecpktyiangrdCaWteirplidllars ichmond,Virginia23230-1104. MusclePoweredBoats 35 NaturallyWild Black-crownedNightHeron Virginia Wildlife Magazine subscriptioncalls only ' 1-800-710-9369 Dedicatedto the Conservation ofVirginia's WildlifeandNaturalResources 12 issues for $10.00! VOLUME NUMBER? 36 issues for $24.00 63 Reeks Preserving a slice of paradise for future generations is inspiring concerned citizens of Nortiiern Virginia to band together for a greater cause. & written photographed byKingMontgomery ^\^r t is said the owner of a ^"^ farm in the wilds of 18th f_^^ century Loudoun County was a gentleman of Scottish/Irish extraction. IntheGaeliclanguageof his ancestors, a "banshee" is a fe- male spirit whose wailing is a por- tendofdeath;and"reeks" referstoa landscapeofgentlyrollinghills. One evening, as the story goes, the farmer went to the nearby vil- lageofLeesburgtotakecareofsome business£indtovisithisfavoritetav- ern.Uponhisreturntothefarmlater that night, the wind was howling and the night creatures were particularly loud and ominous-sounding. From then on, the farmer pro- BansheeReeks Parkislocatedafew hcleahiamdedhetaoradllawbhaonswhoeuelodnltihseterneetkhsa.t vmeilresseseocuotshysotfeLme.esburg. Itoffersa di- genbearnaslhpeueblRieceykest—is nitowtilolpebne itno tthhee Today Banshee Reeks is a 700- near future after more prepara- — acre nature preserve and park Banshee Reeks, a volunteer, not-for- tion but special guided walking formed in April 1999, and operated profit organization of citizens con- trips can be arranged for Scout by the Loudoun County Depart- cerned about preserving and enjoy- groups, schools, conservation and mentofParks, RecreationandCom- ing a small slice of the few remain- other community organizations. munity Service. The preserve is ing wilder places in Northern Vir- These walkabouts are tailored to avidly supported by the Friends of ginia. specificgroupneeds. VIRGINIA WILDLIFE* www.dgif.state.va.us ' i f 1 kr: '*> i'^^.- V^&A\]^H^H r /*''- 'iP'^sl iim! *^^ -v-4 A Piedmont Naturalist Society, the Loudoun System Wildlife Conservancy, the Virginia Native PlantSociety, and other conservation organizations host bird, BansheeReeksispartofthepied- montecosystembetweenthemoun- butterfly, and other nature walks at tainsandsea,anditsfloraandfauna the preservebecause it is one of the few relatively wild, diverse exam- reflectthediversityfoundintheVir- ginia piedmont regions; at least plesofthehabitatthatusedtobe. those that haven't been developed Facilities and paved. Home to two miles of GooseCreek, aVirginiaScenicRiver Thereareseveralbuildingsonthe forming the southern park bound- property, some new, some old. The ary, and three wetland ponds, the farmhouse or manor house holds park is rich in riparian and aquatic thefacilitystaffofficesand servesas plantsandanimals. the temporary Visitor and Educa- Its successional fields, hedge- tionCenter.Theparkstaffconsistsof rows, andforestshostaprofusionof manager Ron Circe and his part- wildflowers and mixed hardwood Top:Theold manorhouseservesas time assistant Spring Ewald. They forests of mostly hickory and oak. theparkheadquartersandvisitors are augmented by the enthusiastic The flowersdrawsquadronsofbut- centerAbove: Pari<managerRon volunteersoftheFriendsofBanshee taenrfdlicesomabnidnea hwoistthotfheotshherruibnsseactnsd, Cbierlcoewpoainftressthodaeerracprcionot.ntraci<just Rseheokwse,dsumceh aasroJiullndRaasnmduswsheon,swhehpo- trees to persuade birds of many herds volunteers through various feathers to flock to the sanctuary of duties. BansheeReeksyearround. RonCirce,aformerengineerwith VariouschaptersoftheAudubon theU.S. GeologicalSurvey, isa man JULY 2002 Theparkhasaprimitivecamping area for use by Scout and other re- sponsible groups. This "leave no trace" campsitemustbelefttheway it was found, or better. Everything carried in is taken out, and the grounds restored to the way they were. Those wanting to experience thewaythingswerebeforepicnicta- bles, groomed tent pads, running water, and toilets, can do so here. Reservationsarerequired. Volunteers Volunteers are the life-blood of Banshee Reeks. The Friends, the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, Afewyearsagofiredamagedthis Scout groups, and others build old logcabinbuiltoriginallyinthe The park's unofficial motto is "take marked trails and do other projects 1830s. Itisstillasoundstructureand onlypictures,leaveonlyfootprints." in the preserve to accommodate the mightbereconstructedtoshowhow Thereareseveral oldbams and a increased visitation when the park homeswerebuiltyearsago. log cabin that dates back to the opens to the public. The Spring- — 1830s perhaps thebansheeherself house Run Trail, which opened late livedthere.Nowhometoswallows. lastyear, has 10 stations where \isi- Left: BoyScoutsfromAshburn campedattheprimitivecampsiteand owls, and other creatures, these torscanpause, observe, andread an workedonprojectsinthepark. Right: structuresrepresentold architecture informativebrochureaboutthewild ParkmanagerRonCirce (left) andJill andbuildingmethodsthatstoodthe thingsinfrontofthem.Thetrailand Rasmussen (right) showthefamilyof testsoftime. the brochure were an Eagle Scout CarlGiesyand HilaryQuinnsomeof Anold siloonthepropertyhous- project of Brett Berman, from Boy theworkthatneedstobedone es barred owls, now in their third ScoutTroop956inSterling. aroundthepark. yearofnestinginaboxbuilthighup ThethirdSaturdayofeachmonth inside thecylindricaledifice. Every- is Volunteer Work Day at Banshee with a mission;hewantstoturn the thing at Banshee Reeks, including Reeks sponsored by the Friends of oldfarmandwoodlandsbacktothe the few man-made structures, are Banshee Reeks. If you want to be- wild, and let people visit the land used as habitat by creatures that come familiar with the preserve, and its inhabitants to see the many must adapt in the face of our ever- and meet a lot of nice, like-minded wonders that nature has to offer. wideningencroachment. people, this is a good way to do it. VIRGINIAWILDLIFE* www.dgif.state.va.us " when I visited on a warm Novem- Trouble berday,RonandJillorchestratedthe Paradise in efforts of individuals, families, and Boy and Girl Scout groups who when the Loudoun County showed up to help. Particularly no- Board of Supervisors voted in 1999 table were the fine young ladies toestablishBansheeReeks asa "na- fromJuniorGirlScoutTroop4464in turepreserveandpublicparklandto SterUngwhoworkedlongandhard. beusedexclusivelyforconservation Itisencouragingtoseetheenthu- and related, non-intrusive educa- siasm among such diverse people tionpurposes," itwasassumed that for a common and worthy cause. areasetasidewouldbeprotected. "We need the tonic of wildness," There is little development said Thoreau over 150 years ago. aroundBansheeReeks, andtherela- Hiswordsarestill true, butnowwe tivelyunspoiledlandontheperiph- havefarfewerplacesleftinwhichto ery serves to protect the natural in- findthewildanditsmagicelixir. tegrityofthepark. Nowarealestate Several conservation groups, development company plans to sometimes aided by the Loudoun build over 275 houses on the 200 Soil and Water Conservation Dis- farmland acres that constitute the may be the one sounding the death trict, oftenjoin the Friends in spon- westernborder ofBanshee Reeks. If knellofa once quiet, free, and natu- soring/hosting activities that in- built, thehousing developmentwill ralplace. volve: adverselyimpactthesurvivalofthe • Birdwatchingandcounting preserve as a quiet place of wild King Montgomery is a zuriter/photographer • Springwildflowers beauty. from Burke, ami is afrequent contributor to VirginiaWildlife.Hefindsitincreasinglydif- ficult tofind places thatprovide "the tonic of wildness. Banshee Reeks Information • Banshee Reeks Park is off Route 15 southofLeesburg. For more information: go to www.bansheereeks.org or call (703)669-0316. • The Friends ofBanshee Reeks NaturePreserve,Inc. Formorein- formation call (540) 554-2542 or [email protected]. • The Loudoun County Wildlife Conservancy can be reached at (540) 554-2542 or go to www.Ioudounwildlife.org. Above:Averyenthusiasticgroupof • The Virginia Native Plant So- GirlScoutsfromAshburn, spentthe • Treeidentification dayhelpingtocleantheVolunteer ciety is into conserving wild- • Butterflywatching Center flowersandwildplaces.Contact • Aquaticcritters itat400BlandyFarmLane,Unit • Salamandersearch Hopefully, a coalition of conser- 2, Boyce, VA 22620 or go to • Sightsandsoundsofthenight vation groups and other concerned www.vnps.org. • Insectsandsnakes citizens who have banded together • TheAudubonNaturalist Soci- There is something for everyone at to save Banshee Reeks can stop the ety strives to inspire people to BansheeReeks.Someofthesessions house-building, pipe-laying, line- love and respect the gifts ofour cost a f—ew dollars to help defray ex- stringing, and road construction natural inheritance. Call (301) penses a fair price for a day of that could ultimately alter and 652-9188 or www.audubonnat- learningand funatabeautifulplace maybe destroy the park. Otherwise uralist.org. wherethe"tonic"abounds. the nextbansheeheard onthe reeks JULY 2002 sm 4 ST' Smmm 6 / I by CarolA. Heiser illustrations by Spike Knuth *r I ot long after the sun has melted owlstakeoverthisjobatnight. Songbirdsfor- underlowfightconditions. It's "whiskers" or f 1/ down over the horizon on a hot age on insects bysunhght; bats pick the bugs barbels are made up ofspeciafized skin that summer'sevening,anattentiveobserversitting outoftlieskvunderfliemoon'spaUor containchemicalreceptorswliichcan"smeU" quietlyon ascreenedporchwillgraduallybe- The or"taste"thewaterandlocatepreyfikefish,in- come aware of numerous sounds not man- sects, crayfish, and moUusks along a river or made. Insects chirp, whine, and buzz, leaves Challenge pondbottom. Beaversusuallyworkatnightby rustle, anowlcalls.Atniglitwestrainoureyes listening to the flow of water Bobcats use toseewhatwecannotsee,gazingintotheblack of Darkness stealth to keep prey from hearing them. andimaginingcuriousshapesinthetrees.Bed- Weasels rely on speed and agflit)' to hunt for timestoriesmayreassurechildrenthatnature miceandvoles,andtheirstreamfined,narrow goestosleepwhenwedo, butinreahtythere's Tosurviveinthegloom, nocUimalanimals bodvcanreachintoamouse'shole. anotherworld out there that's just reawaken- havever\'sharpsensestosee, hear andfeel ing.Althoughitmiglitappearthatthenightisan flieir way to a nourisliing dirmer or a safe empty, blank slate, we'd be surprised at how slumber Night animals often have more much wildhfe is shnking, crawUng, or other- sensitivenoses, becausetheairtendsto be wiseflyingabout,ifwecouldturnonabeacon stiUandscenLsh;mgintheairlongermaking intheskyandilluminateourworldatanygiven them easier to track. Raccoons have a keen moment. sense ofsmeU and also relyon touch to feel Animalsthatareactiveduringthe day {di- theirwaytopreyhidinginastreiim.Acatfishis urnal) use various strategies to avoid being mostactiveatniglitandisadaptedforfeeding seenandbecomingameal,suchasbrightcol- orationtodistractapredatorfromanest,cam- ouflagetoblendintosurroundingswhilefeed- ing,orloudvocalizationsthatwarnotherstobe Thecommon raccoon (Procy- on the lookout. Nocturnal animals, on the oniotorjpreferstohuntfor otherhand,havefoundwaystotakeadvantage foodduringthecoverofdark- ofthesafetythatdarknessaffords,andtheyeat, ness. Itskeensenseofsmell ' hunt,rest,andraisetheiryoungwithstrategies andtouch helpittocatch specifically adapted to low or no light condi- small insectsandanimals, like tions. This dichotomy between nighttime and frogs, thathideunderwateror insmall holes in theground. daytime activitv'servesto balanceoutthefood webbyaUowingonegroupofanimalstomin^or the function of another with counterparts at oppositeendsoftheclock.Forexample,hawks preyon small mammalsduringthe day while JULY 2002 — —— row under the soil during cold weather, and thisstageofitsMelastsfromonetotwoyears. Afterseveralmolts,theglowwormbecomes apupa,which fivesin anundergroundcham- berforseveralweekswhileitdevelopsintoan aduft. When it emerges as a firefly the adult fonn only fives for about three weeks. Males flashtheirsignalwliileflyingaboutinsearchof afemale;femalesrestinthegrassandonlyflash inresponsetoamale.Eachfireflyspecieshasa uniquepatternofflasliingwithvariouscombi- nations of colors and brightness, which can vary depending on the temperature and the numberofhoursaftersunset.Thefiglitofafire- flyiscold,asnoenergyisproducedorlostdur- ingthechemicalreaction. Did You Know? Using its "whisi<ers"orbarbels, cat- Ever wonderwhy bu-ds don't fall ofi'their fishareabletolocatefoodatnight perchatniglitwhilesl—eeping?Abird'stoesare and inmurkywaterconditions. attached to—tendons string-like strips of touglifissue ^wliichareconnectedtomuscles in the leg. Wlien the bird is standing, the leg muscles are extended so the tendons are re- Theadaptationsofsomenocturnaliuiinials tion.Moths,afavoredpreyofbats,compensate laxed iuid the toes are spread out. Wlien the arequiteastonisliing. Owls, forexample, have forthedivebombersbydirtingaboutwither- birdsitsorroostsanditslegisinabentposi- notonebutseveralspecializedfeaaires. Their ratic movements or fluttering to the ground tion,however,themusclestightenandpuUthe eyescontainmanymorerodcellsthandiumal whentheyheartheliigh-pitchedultrasounds. tendons taut. The tendons, in tuni, curi the species. Since rod cells are more sensitive to Ever wonderwhy a cat's eyes glow in the bird'stoesaroundtheperchinatightgrip. motion, owls can easily detect movement in dark?Inthebackofeacheyeisapatchofmir- very dim hght. Their eyes are front-facing, ror-likecells,calledthetapetumlucidum. The Fun on a which providesgooddepth perception, anda chemicalguanineintheceUscauseslightrays special ilng of stiff feathers around the face tobereflectedofftheirsurface.Themillionsof helpscatcli;uidamplilv'soundwaves,likecup- tinyreflectionsfilltheeyewithhglit,wliichen- Night Hil<e pingyour hand to your ear hi some species, ablesthecattoseeimagesinthedimmestcon- suchasthebamowl,theearscontainspecial- ditions. Introduceyourfamilytotheworldofnature ized feather tufts that catch and direct sound atnightwithashortwalkalongaforestedtrail waves,withtheriglitearopeningintoatuftthat Nature's at a Ciunpground or otiier safe park or rural points upward andthe leftearopeninginto a setting. Avoid the temptation to bring lots of tuftthatpointsdown.Tocompletethepackage, Night Lights flaslifiglits!Ifyouallowsometimeforyoureyes theedges ofan owl'sprimary (fliglit) feathers to become completelyadjustedtothedai'k areverysofttohelpmufflesoundasitswoops which can take between 30 to 45 minutes downonanunsuspectingratorpossum. Of course, a summer night would not be youwillfindthatit'sreallynotfliathardtosee Bats,too,areliiglilyskilledforcruisingthe completewithoutthetwinkhngdisplayoffire- afteriill,especiallyifthemoonisout.Designate niglitskies.Wliilehunting,abatcanemitupto flies. These beetles produce a form of hght onepersoninthegi'ouptoholdtheflashfiglit, 90cliirpsorsqueakspersecond,inaudibleto known asbioluminescence, madepossible by andonlvti.ini itonwhenabsolutelvnecessary, usbecauseofthesound'sliighrateofvibration. two chemicals called luciferase and luciferin, Tliesoundwavesscatterandliitvariousobjects named for Lucifer flie Roman god oflight. A in the environment, and when they do, the fireflybeginslifeasanegglaidontheground, sounds bounce back as an echo to the bat. and when they hatch into larvae theyglow Right: Relyingonhigh-pitched ultra- Sinceeachobjectscatterssounddifferentlyde- hencethename"glowworm."Glowwonnscan sound, orsoundwaves, a batcan pendingontheobject'sshape,size,density,and befoundunderdamp,fallenleaves,wherethey locateobjectsandhuntforprey, like distiince, a bat c;m detemiine where objects feed on cutworms, earthworms, snails, and moths, tofeedon. andpreyarebyheaiingandintei-pretingthese slugsbyusingtheirstrongcui^vedjawstoinject returning echoes: a process called echoloca- theirpreywiflivenom.Tlieglowwonnwillbur- 10 VIRGINIA WILDLIFE* www.dgif.stateva.us