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Posts tagged ‘Florida’

A Melange of Feathered Friends

This is the final post of a three part series of a Florida field trip that this photographer co-coordinated for the South Jersey Camera Club members for the purpose of photographing birds and their behavior. The field trip was conducted over a five-day period in the beginning of March. The first post entitled, ‘Spring Has Sprung: Busy, Busy Birds’, visited the Venice Rookery with an amazing diversity of birds courting, mating and raising offspring. The second post entitled, ‘Spring Has Sprung: Birds of Prey’, traveled to various locations in southwest Florida to photograph birds of prey nesting and caring for their offspring. This post provides a melange of birds captured when visiting the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

The Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge consists of 6,400 acres of mangrove forest, submerged seagrass beds, cordgrass marshes, and hardwood hammocks located on Sanibel Island. This refuge provides an important habitat to over 220 species of birds.

Here is just a sampling of birds photographed at Ding Darling starting with the ‘Reddish Egret’. The ‘Reddish Egret’ is considered the least common heron in Florida. The population of this heron was almost eradicated due to plume hunting during the 19^th century. The species has never fully recovered with the current population in the United States of only about 2,000 pairs primarily residing in southern Florida, along the Gulf of Mexico, and Texas.

‘Reddish Egret- Breakfast Time’ © Larry A Lyons

The feeding behavior of the ‘Reddish Egret’ is captivating to watch. It leaps sideways and quickly changes directions in shallow waters searching for small schools of fish to feed upon.

‘Reddish Egret- Down the Hatch’ © Larry A Lyons

White Pelicans only spend part of their year in Florida. They migrate to their wintering grounds to coastal areas of Florida, Gulf of Mexico and southern California. In March and April they migrate to inland lakes in flocks to their breeding grounds as far north as Utah, Idaho, Minnesota and Canada.

‘Pelican Gathering’ © Larry A Lyons

The ‘White Pelican’ is considered one of the largest birds in the United States with a 9-foot (2.7 meter) wingspan.

‘Landing Gear Down’ © Larry A Lyons

This pelican was rigorously fluffing its wings and having a bath.

‘Bath Time’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Blue-winged Teal’ are long distance migrants with their territory throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and northern South America. The can be found wintering in Florida and will migrate northward in the spring to breeding grounds.

‘Blue-Winged Teal’ © Larry A Lyons

This ‘Tricolored Heron’ is standing absolutely still, not necessarily to get photographed, but waiting for prey to approach it. Its’ prey consist of small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. It is a remarkably slender bird with long beak, neck and legs.

‘Tricolored Heron’ © Larry A Lyons

The ‘Tricolored Heron’ is common along the coastal habitats of the Southeastern United States.

The ‘White Ibis’ is a wading bird residing in the deep South. It is one of the most numerous wading birds in Florida although the population has been declining in recent decades due to the loss of feeding and nesting habitats.

‘White Ibis’ © Larry A Lyons

The ‘Little Blue Heron’ is another bird that resides mostly in the deep southern United States and Mexico. It looks much like a Snowy Egret when it is young, but molts to the dark slate-blue plumage as an adult.

‘Little Blue Heron’ © Larry A Lyons

This ‘Juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron’ was stalking prey along the bank. These birds are often active at night. It is interesting that this species shows up several times in fossil records with the earliest fossil record being 2 to 2.5 million years old from Sarasota, Florida.

‘Juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron’ © Larry A Lyons

The ‘Wood Stork’ is considered one of Florida’s ‘signature’ wading birds. It is classified as ‘threatened’ by the State of Florida and federal government due to the destruction and degradation of the wetlands.

‘Wood Stork’ © Larry A Lyons

This alligator is a resident of the Ding Darling Refuge. Here this gator was basking in the sun to control its body heat. Adult gators enjoy a diet of fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds.

‘Alligator With It’s U-Shaped Snout’ © Larry A Lyons

Perhaps we should let this gator know which birds are protected. And perhaps this gator provides some protection benefits for the birds from predatory mammals.

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The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a very tranquil sanctuary with an extensive boardwalk to transverse though this wetland. It is not to be missed. This sanctuary is part of the Western Everglades in Southwest Florida. It consists of approximately 13,000 acres and is primarily composed of wetlands and includes the largest remaining virgin bald cypress forest in the world. The National Audubon Society has been ultimately responsible for acquiring, protecting and maintaining this sanctuary.

Not only is the sanctuary important for a variety of endangered or federal or state listed birds including the Wood Storks, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, Tricolored Heron, but also for protecting a variety of other species including the Florida panther, American Alligator, and Florida Black Bear. Several rare plants are also found at this sanctuary including the Ghost Orchid.

Crocodiles also inhabit this sanctuary. The primary physical difference between crocodiles and alligators is the shape of their snout. Crocodiles have long and pointed, V-shaped snouts and alligators have rounded, U-shaped snouts.

‘Crocodile With It’s V-Shaped Snout’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Anhinguas’ primary habitats are cypress swamps, rivers and wooded ponds. This pair of ‘Anhingua’ was attending to their nest.

‘Anhinguas’ © Larry A Lyons

There were a number of songbirds to view including some very common ones. The lighting on these birds is a photographer’s dream.

‘Cardinal’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Gray Catbird’ © Larry A Lyons

Then there was the exquisite ‘Painted Bunting’ in full display. The ‘Painted Bunting’ breeds in the coastal Southeast and south-central United States.

‘Painted Bunting’ © Larry A Lyons

Florida is a very seductive place to visit for a number of reasons and that would include another seductive sunset at a beach in Naples. So, here we are being seduced again, as the brown pelicans roost for the evening.

‘Another Seductive Sunset’ © Larry A Lyons

Spring Has Sprung: Birds of Prey

This is the second post of a three part series of a Florida field trip that this photographer co-coordinated for the South Jersey Camera Club members for the purpose of photographing birds and their behavior. The field trip was conducted over a five-day period in the beginning of March. The first post entitled, ‘Spring Has Sprung: Busy, Busy Birds’, visited the Venice Rookery with an amazing diversity of birds courting, mating and raising offspring. This post travels to various locations in southwest Florida to photograph birds of prey nesting and caring for their offspring.

‘Bald Eagle’ © Larry A Lyons

The Bald Eagle is another success story on the importance of banning harmful chemicals, such as the pesticide known as DDT; enacting laws such as the federal ‘Endangered Species Act’; and providing appropriate measures of wildlife management. In Florida there were only 88 active nests in 1973. Now there are more than 1,300 nests documented as a result of all of these initiatives.

One of these nests is situated high up in a tree in the northern section of Fort Meyers, Florida. Adult ‘Bald Eagles’, known as Ozzie and Harriet, have been coming to this nest since 2006 residing in the nest between the months of October and May. This eaglet was stretching its wings waiting its turn to be fed.

‘Can I Fly Yet?’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Feeding The Eaglets’ © Larry A Lyons

‘Burrowing Owls’, no bigger than 10 inches (25 cm) in height, live underground in burrows. They dig out tunnels in sandy soils often within residential communities, particularly vacant lots preferring areas with low ground cover. Burrows extend for 4 to 8 feet (1.2 to 2.4 m) underground. This pair of owls was guarding its burrow.

‘No Trespassing’ © Larry A Lyons

The Florida burrowing owl is classified as a “species of special concern”. This means burrows, owls, and their eggs are protected from harassment and/or disturbance by state law.

‘Burrowing Owl On Watch’ © Larry A Lyons

The installation of T-perches near the owl burrows is often provided. These perches provide the owls with an elevated view that aids in looking out for predators. The T-perches also make the burrows visible for operators of lawn mowers.

‘Watching Over Burrow’ © Larry A Lyons

Unlike other owls, Burrowing Owls are active during the day. They have a diversified diet feeding on small mammals (moles and mice), insects, birds, amphibians and reptiles.

‘On The Prowl’ © Larry A Lyons

This wise old ‘Great Horned Owl’ was watching over an owlet living in this tree. Two nests of these owls were observed within a suburban community of Cape Coral that was no more than two blocks apart. It is one of the most common owls in North America. They live in a broad range of habitats from deserts, forests, tropical rainforests, cities, parks and suburbs. Like the burrowing owl, it has found a way of adapting to suburban sprawl.

‘The Wise One’ © Larry A Lyons

Great Horned Owls take life-long mates and will raise the young together. It does have a varied diet that can include small to medium sized mammals (foxes, rabbits, raccoons, rodents, etc.), amphibians, birds, fish and reptiles. This owlet is only a few weeks old and still covered with downy feathers.

‘Owlet’ © Larry A Lyons

The osprey has become the symbol of how nature can recover from environmental atrocities. Osprey populations were decimated from the 1950’s to the 1970’s because of the widespread use of an insecticide, known as DDT. Once DDT was finally banned in 1972, recovery of the osprey population began. A previous post entitled, ‘The Osprey Comeback’, provides more information about the how DDT caused the extermination of the osprey populations. The biology and reproduction cycle of the osprey is also provided in this previous post.

‘Osprey Portrait’ © Larry A Lyons

The ospreys were quite active in building their nest. This nest was situated on an osprey platform in the Ding Darling Refuge in Sanibel Island and nesting begins as early as March. The male ‘Osprey’ brought the remainder of a fish to the female who was attending to constructing the nest. Ospreys mate for life and often return to the same nest year after year.

‘Room Service’ © Larry A Lyons

Stay tuned for the final post of this series that will visit birds and other wildlife at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

Endangered Manatee – A Gentle Giant

The manatee is an endangered species living in coastal estuaries and freshwaters in Florida. It is currently estimated that the “minimum” current population stands at about 5,000 manatees within the state of Florida.

The endangered manatee is a large mammal also known as a sea cow. Manatees are believed to evolve from plant-eating and wading-like mammals with their closest relative being the elephant. In spite of their cuddly-like appearance and non-aggressive manner, manatees are as wild as free-ranging elephants.

Manatees are migratory animals and in the summer will migrate along the eastern and western coasts of Florida. Some individuals will migrate as far north as the Carolinas and as far west as Texas. However, during the winter calendar months manatees do tend to concentrate near warm water springs or near thermal discharges of power plants within Florida. When water temperatures go below 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Centigrade), the stress from the colder waters can be fatal. In the winter of 2010, more than 280 manatees died from an extended period of cold weather.

One of the longest-term threats to the manatees is the loss of habitat of warm water habitats. Residential development in Florida continues to encroach on these warm water spring habitats that are essential for their survival. Although power plant discharges do provide the essential warm water for a large portion of the manatee populations, the expectations of these power plants not shutting down because of equipment failure or even being decommissioned creates a high risk to the manatee populations. A means of conserving “natural” warm water habitats within Florida is absolutely critical.

The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge including the Kings Bay in Florida, which is also referred to as the manatee capital of the world, was established for the protection of the endangered manatees in 1983. The warm water springs originating from Crystal River provide a critical sanctuary for the manatee populations that migrate there each year from November to April. During the winter months it is estimated that up to 600 manatees migrate into this sanctuary.

All of these images were captured at the Crystal River sanctuary using a Nikonas V underwater film camera in January 1995. The Crystal River sanctuary has become a tourist attraction where it is estimated that 150,000 visitors come each year. Visitors are permitted to snorkel with the endangered manatees within designated areas following specific guidelines. Unfortunately there have been disturbing instances in which people have been harassing the manatees and swimming in areas that are strictly for manatees only. Of particular importance is that all watercraft travelling through manatee sanctuaries do so cautiously and at idle speed.

It really is a remarkable and unforgettable experience to be able to swim with these gentle giants. If you have the opportunity, be sure to abide to the specific guidelines defined by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Manatees are graceful swimmers powered by a strong tail. They generally swim along at three to five miles (5 to 8 kilometers) an hour, but they can swim up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) an hour on short bursts. Manatees are generally observed swimming close to the surface that creates a high level of risk of being injured or killed from outboard motors.

Manatee mortalities are recorded each year by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. These mortality counts define whether mortalities are the result of watercraft accidents, cold stress, natural causes, perinatal causes, undetermined causes, and other causes. From 2007 through 2013 it is estimated on the average that at least 20 percent of the manatee mortalities resulted from being struck by watercraft. It is also important to note that this 20 percent mortality from watercraft does not include all of the mortalities that were undetermined or the mortalities that go unreported.

The manatee with their small eyes and no outer ears do have good sight and hearing. Manatees emit a variety of sounds used in communication. They can also communicate by smell, taste and touch. Their face contains over 600 vibrissae (whisker-like hairs), but the sensory function of the whiskers is unknown.

Manatees must resurface regularly to breathe air through their nostrils. When just resting, manatees may resurface every 20 minutes. However, when they are moving about and consuming energy, they may resurface for a breath every three to five minutes. Resurfacing to breathe or just resting in shallow waters creates a high level of vulnerability for their survival from being accidently hit by boats. In fact, researchers can often identify many surviving manatees by the scars that have resulted from being injured from outboard motors.

Manatees are herbivores grazing on algae, sea grass and a variety of other aquatic plants. They consume 10 to 15% of their body weight in vegetation each day. By far, sea grass beds would be the most important source of vegetation for the manatees. The manatee above is grazing on algae and stirring–up sediment in the process.

Manatees are gentle giants with an average length of ten feet (3 meters) and weighing up to 1,200 lbs. (540 kg). This manatee was attempting to remove any algae on this rope that was dangling in the water.

Red tides are another major threat to the manatees. Red tides are algal blooms of a specific algae that contain neurotoxins. Red tides are naturally occurring events that will occur offshore. If the blooms move inshore, an extended algal bloom can occur from nutrient loading by urban and agricultural runoff. Manatees are exposed to the neurotoxins when they come to the surface to breathe and when grazing on grasses coated with the algae. The neurotoxins cause seizures and subsequent drowning of manatees. In 2013 it was estimated that as a many as 276 mortalities may have resulted from red tidal events. It is also important to note that the total mortality count for 2013 was 829 manatees, which is more than twice the mortalities reported in 2012.

Female manatee is usually larger than the male and breeds only once every few years. It is believed that only one calf is born every two to five years. The gestation period is 12 months. The calf is dependent on its mother for a 12 to 18 month period. This low reproduction cycle creates a high level of risk for their long-term survival.

News Flash: A July 2^nd, 2014 news flash from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) stated that the agency is in the process of considering removing the manatee from the endangered species list to merely a species that is threatened. The USFWS is responding to a lawsuit originating from a citizens group, Save Crystal River, Inc. This citizens group is concerned about new idle-speed rules for watercraft and the expansion of manatee refuge areas in Kings Bay. It will be interesting to see how the USFWS decides on protecting the manatees.

So let’s recap on the vulnerability of manatee populations in Florida and why this gentle giant should remain as an endangered species for maximum protection. Manatees require warm water sanctuaries like the Crystal River for appropriate habitat during the winter months for their survival. Manatee dependence of thermal discharges from power plants for warm water habitat should be cautiously monitored. Conservation efforts to enhance and manage ‘natural’ warm water sanctuaries in Florida are critical.

Manatees have a low reproduction cycle with only one calf being born every two to five years. Manatees living, grazing and moving about in shallow waters causes a high level of risk from being killed or injured from the ever-increasing boat traffic in Floridian waters.

In addition to the high vulnerability from watercraft, manatees are vulnerable to the loss of turtle grass habitat, which is their main food staple. The population is quite vulnerable to any extended cold winters. In addition, the sudden appearance of red tides can decimate a large portion of the manatee population. The possibility of even sustaining the current manatee population should be one of grave concern.

References:

Save The Manatee Club

Defenders of Wildlife

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service