Hickory Top WMA Clean-up 20-May-2026

          I had a family member ask me to take them along on one of these trips and they wish to not be in the blog, so my photos for this post are going to be limited. We set out early and got to the launch around 7:30. There we found a nice couple with their truck with boat in tow stuck on the ramp. I talked to them for a short time, but with only a car, there wasn't anything I could do to help. If you do go to put a boat in a Hickory Top currently, know that the concrete ramp is broken at least on the right side when you are facing the ramp. The water is low now and I think typically you wouldn't have to back that far down. Out on the water I set out with the goal of finding some neat birds to show to my family member and stop and remove one bag of trash. 

        Like the previous trip a White Ibis was the first bird on the water and right around the same spot as last time too.

       As soon as we got out onto the open water this Yellow-crowned Night Heron went flying by. It would be one of many, most of which would have come in since my last visit. There would be another big change in wildlife on this trip that we would soon see and feel...

       Out on the main lake some of the Cypress were just covered in Mayflies. When you paddle too close the trees erupt in movement and Mayflies disperse out. So many they do land on you or hit you as they fly by. If you are not familiar with Mayfly emergences this can be disturbing and it can feel like they are swarming you, but they are absolutely harmless. Some Mayfly species do not even have mouthparts as adults, so they can't bite and can't sting either. They do not need mouthparts because most Mayflies are only adults for a few days. They mate, they lay eggs, they die, often consumed by something larger. These emergences can be great for both fish and birds. Imagine being a warbler that just flew in from Central America, then right in front of you is an all-you-can-eat buffet. It can really help some individuals build back up the reserves they lost on their long journey and help them prepare for nesting.

        A Yellow-throated Warbler foraging higher up in a Cypress. I think it was finding Mayflies, but they were in much greater abundance on the lower branches. Yellow-throated Warblers are one of the migrating species that will winter in South Carolina. I have found in winter that you really have to search the swampy areas, but they are there. The individuals that winter here likely go north to nest. This individual, here now, will potentially nest in this area. 

        If you ever decide to paddle these areas on your own, know that there are hazards. Often you can find these Paper Wasps in low hanging branches. You can even find them without seeing them, if you bump the wrong branch. I have had multiple instances of being stung while paddling, the best thing to do is to keep calm and paddle away as quickly as possible.

        After finding a suitable spot to park the canoe, I got out and started working on trash. The lake is low enough now that even typically submerged areas like this are solid ground. Pretty good conditions for this type of clean-up.

       A hole in the corner of this allowed it to fill up with water. I drained what I could before throwing it in the bag. 

        The trash was pretty typical compared to the other clean-ups so far with mild variation. This basketball was a mini one.

       It was also still colorful on the side facing the ground. 

         Now here was an oddity. I had seen this floating on my first canoe clean-up here and thought it might be a trap marker, so I just paddled right by it. I have come up with two ideas of what it could be. The first and probably most likely is a home made fishing apparatus and bait would attach to the red thing. Second would be some kind of instrument carrying device. Whatever it was it was well put together. 

         This wooden object was left where I found it. Being wood, it will biodegrade and there is no reason for me to haul it out. I have no clue as to what it would have been a part of.

Plastic castle part.

         I really wonder how long some things have been back here. This tractor tire must have floated in many years ago. It is something I couldn't even lift to get it upright and it would have no chance fitting in the canoe. 

      Bottles and a sole.

       I did have someone waiting on me. So with this much of a bag I decided to call it an end, but I did see one more thing I thought I could get...

  

     This giant piece of foam needed to go! It was large, but really light. I wasn't sure how well it was going to fit in the canoe. 

       Trash packed in and ready to get back on the water. Had there been any wind I wouldn't have been able to take out the foam block. It was large enough to push the canoe like a sail. Luckily it was a calm and beautiful day. We ended up just going a little further up the lake, but didn't make any other stops. 

The turn-around point.

  A Little Blue Heron stalking prey between the cypress knees.

 Another Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

      

        Getting close to the take out two Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flew in. During the paddle at least two pairs flew over. The historic native range of this species only included Texas in the US. The first nesting pair in Florida was reported in 1990 and now they seem to be continuously spreading. I have doubts that this species got to our specific area naturally, but it is possible. They will likely become a common fixture around our wetland areas and is something you can regularly see now in the Bluff Unit of the NWR and in Hickory Top.

         Back at the launch. I could not fit the foam block in the car and it had to be strapped on top of the car and on top of the canoe. I later had to strap just the block on the car to take it to the dump.

It isn't much, but trash collection wasn't the main goal of this trip.

It made it to the dump!

This was from the past 3 clean-ups. It filled my entire car.

I hope you enjoyed the post!