Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve (Wake County, NC)

Overview: Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, a 23-acre Triangle Land Conservancy property with a 1-mile trail that connects to the Birkhaven Greenway, conserves a floodplain forest community that is teeming with life. In spring, visitors to the nature preserve can discover a variety of ephemeral wildflowers, herps and birds hiding in the hardwood bottomlands.


Directions: Please visit the Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) website for complete directions.


Observations & Ponderings: The TLC brochure at the entrance to this delightful urban oasis boldly proclaimed that visitors could encounter "a medley of wildflowers" in spring, territorial green anoles that bob their heads and inflate their red throat sacks, and a host of birds including the tiny ruby-crowned kinglet that is featured in a gorgeous photograph. To be honest, I had my doubts; but after spending a few hours hiking the 1-mile trail system, I was a believer!

From Triangle Naturalist

Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette Cagle)

The first thing that impresses a spring visitor to Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve is the startling density of spring ephemerals. The fertile floodplain was covered by a carpet of spring beauties (Claytonia virginica), interspersed with trout lilies (Erythronium umbillicatum), cutleaf toothworts (Cardamine concatenata) and delicate, trembling bloodroots (Sanguinaria canadensis). Yes, a veritable "medley of wildflowers" thriving on high north facing bluffs and in rich floodplain soil.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Mark W. Cagle)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Mark W. Cagle)

Trout lily (Erythronium umbillicatum), Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Mark W. Cagle)

From Triangle Naturalist

Viola spp, Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette Cagle)

From Triangle Naturalist

Spring beauty (Claytonia virginica), Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette Cagle)

From Triangle Naturalist

Cutleaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata), Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette Cagle)

With my senses overwhelmed by this ephemeral display, at first I hardly noticed the auditory assault of southeastern chorus frogs, vireos and woodpeckers. Then I heard a red-tailed hawk overhead, next a red-shouldered hawk -- I looked up and high above the preserve both of these magnificent buteos soared, goading eachother to go higher and higher. Then a tiny flash of olive-yellow flitted past, it stopped for a moment in the greenbriers (Smilax spp.): a ruby crowned kinglet! Again, the brochure lived up to its promise.

The trail along Swift Creek continued, with every bend yielding more colorful flowers and birds. Eventually, we made our way back toward the parking lot, taking the trail through the "overcup oak swamp." This area of the preserve was truly enchanted, with overcup oaks towering above. Here, we even found the first snake of the season, a small northern brown snake (Storeria dekayi). And the surprises weren't over: on the log, right before we reached the gravel parking lot, was a male green anole bobbing his head and inflating his red sack. Again, Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve kept its word!

From Triangle Naturalist

Overcup oak (Quercus lyrata) leaves, Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette Cagle)

From Triangle Naturalist

Northern brown snake (Storeria deyaki), Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette Cagle)

From Triangle Naturalist

Northern brown snake (Storeria deyaki), Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette Cagle)

From Triangle Naturalist

Green anole (Anolis caroliniensis), Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve, Wake County, NC, 22 Mar 2009 (© Nicolette Cagle)