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The Versatile Bayberry

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Myrica gale, commonly known as bayberry, and also known as sweet gale, wax myrtle, bay-rum tree and candleberry can frequently be found along the shoreline of our Forested Wetlands as well as down on the left side of our launch site. Its scientific name is derived from “myrike” in Greek meaning “fragrant”. Bayberry is a pleasantly aromatic fruit-bearing shrub whose genus is widely distributed on every continent except Australia and Antartica, preferring sandy acidic soil and native to many coastal regions, such as our Eastern Coastal zone, which we reside in.

Its growth varies between 1meter tall shrubs and 20meter tall trees, but is on average 1.5 – 2 meters in height.  Leaves are dark green in color and leather like in texture, whose fruit is a bluish-grey color. Its simple shaped leaves are arranged with an oblanceolate leaf structure, meaning that the leaves are longer than wide, with the widest part being near the tip, with a fine tooth margin down the center of the leaf running laterally.  The roots of bayberry have nitrogen fixing bacteria which allow the plant to grow in soil with low nitrogen levels. The flowers on this plant are called catkins, meaning a slim cylindrical flower cluster with no petals and are mainly wind pollinated. Bayberry has a small stone fruit, or small indehiscent drupe. Indehiscence refers to the plant not naturally splitting open to release its contents, but rather relies on other mechanisms such as decomposition or predation. The wax coating on the leaves is typically unable to be digested by most birds, however tree swallows and yellow-rumped warblers have adapted to be able to digest the wax coating, which provides a high energy source for the birds. Bayberry serves several uses. The wax coating is used in candle making, foliage has been used as an insect repellant, and the aromatic branches have been used for residential decorations such as door wreaths and fire mantle displays. Due to the fact that this plant is nitrogen fixing, it is extremely helpful for re-vegetation efforts aiding in natural selection and conservation efforts. The powder form of the bark aids in medicinal use as well, being used such as an astringent, stimulant and emetic.

            Keep your eyes open for this fragrant shrub along our forested wetlands. You can also join in on one of our Guided Eco tours offered daily at 9am and 1pm, where one of our guides would be happy to point out this magnificent plant to you, along with many other wonderful flora and fauna we have residing in our quiet world of abundant natural beauty. Hope to see you out for a paddle soon!

Reporting by: Rebecca Hardy

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We have been treated with an interesting new visitor on the creek this summer, the Black Scoter.  We frequently see a male Black Scoter on our Salt Marsh paddle. We have also spotted a female Black Scoter near the confluence of Ayers and Trappe Creeks. While not uncommon to the area, the Black Scoter is more likely to be spotted along the coast or in the larger bays.  This large sea duck is characterized by its bulky shape and large bill. The all black male is easy to spot with its very bulbous yellow bill. The slightly smaller female is brown with pale cheeks.  We have been enjoying watching them swimming along near our kayaks, diving and feeding.

The Black Scoter is one of North America’s least known waterfowl, owing partly to its scattered breeding distribution in remote northern Quebec and Alaska. Major wintering areas include the coastal waters of Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington State in the west and those of Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island in the east. 

When we see an unexpected bird on the creek we often wonder why they are there.  The Black Scoters we have seen seem to be healthy, but we haven’t seen them flying. It is possible that one of the pair may be injured and they have chosen the serene waters of Ayers Creek to hang out until they recover.  We will be keeping an eye on them and suspect they will migrate along with the other Scoters during the fall migration

.Black Scoter

Some fun facts from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

  • The Black Scoter occasionally does a “Wing-flap” display while swimming, flapping its wings with its body held up out of the water. Unlike other scoters, it almost always punctuates a Wing-flap with a characteristic downward thrust of head, as if its neck were momentarily broken. Surf and White-winged scoters keep their heads and bills pointing more or less above the horizontal throughout a Wing-flap. 
  • The Black Scoter is among the most vocal of waterfowl. Groups of Black Scoters often can be located by the constant mellow, plaintive whistling sound of the males. 
  • The oldest recorded Black Scoter was a male, at least 10 years, 6 months old.
Come on out to the creek and see if you can spot the Black Scoter.

The Smart Little Heron

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The beautiful Green Heron has been a frequent visitor to Ayers Creek and is sighted regularly when paddling both the north and south routes. They are sometimes hard to spot, blending in with the marsh shrubs and grasses and standing statue still in search of their prey.  Adult green herons have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point. Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season.

The Green Heron typically eats small fish, frogs, or other aquatic species, but may also eat small animals such as leeches or mice.  Many consider the Green Heron to be one of the world’s most intelligent birds. This is primarily due to its feeding method of dropping food, insects, or small objects on the water’s surface to attract fish. The Green Heron is one of the few known tool using avian species.

Keep a look out and maybe you will catch a glimpse of the Green Heron the next time you paddle on Ayers Creek.

Happy Paddling!