J
ug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
Reptiles & Amphibians
Birds
Mammals
Fish
Invertebrates
The tidal wetland species found at Jug Bay include arrow arum, arrowhead, cattails, pickerel weed, spatterdock, rose mallow, and phragmites. One of the most important plants in the tidal wetlands is wild rice that provides food for thousands of waterfowl, game birds, and songbirds.
In the non-tidal wetlands we would find a shrub layer of buttonbush, swamp rose, common elder, mountain laurel, southern arrowwood, blueberry, strawberry bush, sweet pepperbush, smooth alder, red maple, poison ivy, silky dogwood and winterberry. Herbaceous plants include skunk cabbage, jack-in-the-pulpit, groundnut, dodder, and halbeard-leaved tearthumb. Cinnamon, royal, netted chain, New York, hay-scented, and Christmas ferns cover should be prevalent.
Once into the upland forest we find hardwoods such as oaks, hickory, sweet gum, American beech, tuliptree and other poplars, red maple, sassafras, and Virginia pine. The subcanopy contains American holly, sweet bay, musclewood, flowering dogwood, witch hazel, black gum. Groundcovers include partridge-berry, spotted wintergreen, spring beauty, and mayapple.
Jug Bay also contains several rare, threatened and endangered plants. These may include the endangered smooth tick trefoil, downy bushclover, downy milk pea, and rynchosia and turtlehead. There may also be Desmodium viridiflorum and anglepod, which are rare in Maryland. Other important species found just south of the site include the large flowering partridge pea and the awned mountain mint.
Jug Bay is on the Atlantic Migratory Flyway and hosts several hundred species of birds. Twenty-two species of wintering waterfowl have been tallied in the vicinity, including tundra swans and green winged teal. The wetlands are also prime feeding areas for sora rails and red winged blackbirds. Canoers will frequently encounter great blue herons, ospreys and bald eagles.
Red tailed hawks, great horned owls, and northern harriers in search of prey also patrol the area. Peregrine falcons and merlins have been sighted in the area and at least one pair of American bald eagles nest around Jug Bay.
Breeding birds include the resident Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, and seven woodpeckers including the pileated and red-bellied. Neo-tropical migrants that nest in Jug Bay's hbaitats include the wood thrush, Eastern wood pewee, Acadian flycatcher, Phoebe, blue-gray gnatcatcher, and many warblers including the prothonotary, yellow and common yellowthroat.
In the waters one can find shiners, sunfish, and catfish. Yellow and white perch, and Rockfish travel up to the wetlands to spawn. The wetlands also thrive with killifish, mummichogs, grass shrimp, snails, freshwater clams, mussels, and the occasional blue crab.
Reptiles in the area include the eastern painted turtle, red-bellied turtle, and the occasional snapping turtle. Non-poisonous northern water snakes, queen snakes and black snakes are also common. The wetlands are also home to river otters, muskrats, and beavers.
References: This page includes information from the University of South Carolina. It also cites a USDA Natural History Field Studies effort led by Jeff Swinebroad (Summer Birding) in July 19, 1997. Data were also extracted from the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary Volunteer Canoe Guide prepared by Marcy Damon and Chris Swarth.
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