White Oak Creek Wildlife Managment Area

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Mill Spring, NC
White Oak Creek Wildlife Managment Area

Focusing on habitat restorations, native grasses, regenerative ranching practices & bio monitoring. Bridging the gap between wildlife conservation & farming.

Head to our website for more info about us & our farm, Caitlyn Farms Sustainably Raised Beef.

05/27/2026

2026 MAPS Season has Begun!!!
The first week of our 2026 MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) bird banding season officially began this past wednesday. As just a reminder, we have a grid of multiple large fine mesh nets strategically placed throughout the woods of our station. Songbirds will fly into these nets and get gently caught. After retrieving the birds, we will collect data such as weight, age, wing-size, feather molt, etc. from them. We will give them a metal band for future identification (think of it as a bracelet ID for birds), and we will release the birds back into the forest unharmed.

Here are a few birds and other critters seen while banding last week.

1.) Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens)
2.) Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)
3.) Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
4.) Black Ratsnake (Complex Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
5.) Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
6.) Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)
7.) Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis)

*All birds are handled and banded with the proper state and federal permits and permissions*

05/13/2026

Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis rhombomaculata)
Easily one of the most secretive snake species here at White Oak Creek Wildlife Management Area, mole kingnakes spend most of their time underground. These snakes live in a variety of habitats, but they seem to have a preference for open areas such as abandoned fields, old pastures, savannas, open woodlands, and forest edges. Mole kingsnakes primarily eat small rodents, lizards, and other snakes. They are harmless to humans and are actually quite docile when handled. Although rarely seen above ground, these snakes can sometimes be found under tin or crossing roads after a rain.

04/29/2026

Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
These two turtles were seen crossing one of the roads on the perimeter of the WMA property earlier this week. Now that we are well into spring, turtles crossing roads will be a more common sight. Box Turtles can most often be seen crossing roads in the morning and during or right after a rain. However, they are certainly not restricted to only moving during these times. Remember to stay vigilant while driving during any time of day. And always move turtles off of the road in the direction that they were originally headed.

04/22/2026

Black Racer (Coluber constrictor)
This young black racer was encountered last month by flipping a piece of tin. Various pieces of tin were placed both individually and in stacks in one of our clearcuts a little over a year ago. Scattered tin stacks can be a useful biomonitoring tool. By looking beneath them occasionally, we can get an idea of some of the reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates that reside in the clearcut.

04/16/2026

Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Here is a young snapping turtle that was seen soaking in a spring-fed mucky seep while doing soil samples yesterday. With it being an abnormally hot and dry April, any body of water is a welcomed relief for the humble snapping turtle. These turtles will live in more than just large bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, and rivers. Small streams, springs, mud holes, and ditches are all used as well. Although fish may be absent from these smaller bodies of water, frogs, tadpoles, aquatic insects, and other food may still be abundant.

04/08/2026

Eastern Eyed Click Beetle (Alaus oculatus)
One of the more recognizable beetles native to North Carolina, Eastern Eyed Click Beetles can be found living in and around hardwood forests. Most noticeable are the large false-eye spots on the beetles prothorax. These eye spots may offer a small bit of protection from potential predators who may find themselves startled by the sudden presence of large eyes. If the eye spots don't do the job, these beetles have another trick up their sleeves. Like all members of the click beetle family Elateridae, these insects have a hingelike tool on the underside of their thorax that essentially stores energy in a sort of spring and latch mechanism. When they release this energy, it throws their head and thorax back, which produces a sharp click sound and causes them to launch several inches into the air. Such a commotion could surely startle a bird or, at the very least, help right itself if the beetle is stranded on its back. Although it may click in your hand if caught, these click beetles are harmless to humans and prefer to eat nectar from flowers.

03/25/2026

Nantahala Black-bellied Salamander (Desmognathus amphileucus)
An apex predator of our springs and streams, these salamanders are the largest salamander species here at White Oak Creek Wildlife Management Area. They reside in and alongside all of our forested spring-fed streams on the wma property, sheltering in burrows and under rocks and logs. Also known as Southern Black-bellied Salamanders, these amphibians are ambush predators. When night falls, they peek out of their burrows and other hiding places and wait for unsuspecting prey. Worms, ants, beetles, flies, moths, and larval and adult stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies are all on the menu. These salamanders are known to feast on most anything that they can fit in their mouths, which often includes other salamanders.

03/11/2026

Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)
This past week of warmer weather here at White Oak Creek Wildlife Management Area has revitalized many of the reptiles from their winter brumations. Turtles have been seen basking on logs at a couple of our ponds, and the first snakes have been seen slithering about. It's time to start being extra vigilant when driving as many of these reptiles will start wandering across roads in search of food and mates.

02/26/2026

Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
A bit of a throwback to last summer, our resident Grasshopper Sparrows won't be returning to nest at White Oak Creek Wildlife Management Area until this upcoming April. It won't be much longer until we hear their insect-like buzzing call from whence they get their name. Grasshopper Sparrows are declining across much of their range. The prairies and grasslands they require are becoming more degraded and fragmented due to intensive agricultural practices. Luckily, the pastures, hay fields, and wet meadows here at on the WMA property offer some refuge for these birds in Western NC. We are fortunate to see many of them singing perched from our fence posts every summer.

01/21/2026

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)
Today is Wildlife Wednesday! Food can prove to be more difficult to find for wildlife during midwinter. Insects and other invertebrates are scarce, so many birds and mammals will be relying more on seeds and tree buds. Some native fruits, however, will persist long into the winter, and Partridgeberry is an excellent example of this. Partridgeberry is an evergreen vine that creeps along the forest floor, sometimes growing on rotten logs and mossy stones as well. This plant can be found in moist forests throughout most of the Eastern United States and Southeastern Canada. It can be seen growing in a variety of forest types, from high elevation Spruce-Fir Forests to maritime forests of Palmetto and Live Oak. Being a forest floor denizen, Partridgeberry prefers sites with shade or partial shade.

Since its bright red berries persist long into winter after ripening in midsummer, many animals will take advantage of its fruit when other food is more scarce. Hence, its common name, Wild Turkeys, Ruffed Grouse, and Bobwhite Quail, will readily eat partridgeberries when available. Squirrels, other small rodents, songbirds, raccoons, and foxes have also been known to consume them. The fruits are also edible to humans, although they are rather tasteless.

Address

1507 Toney Road
Mill Spring, NC

Telephone

+18288940648

Website

https://beefandbobwhites.com/white-oak-creek-wma

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