As the water dries down at CREW’s Flint Pen Strand trails, an abundance of wading birds have become regular visitors to the lakes. You can access the lakes two different ways: by hiking from the Main Parking lot or parking in the smaller Lakes Parking lot adjacent to the lakes. If you want to see these birds arrive early for sunrise or later for sunset. Take your time approaching these flighty hunters and you will be rewarded with views perfect for unbelievable photographs. For some inspiration, take a look through this collection from CREW Trust volunteer, Bill Zaino’s recent photos capturing White Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Woodstorks, Tricolored Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Limpkins and Greater Yellowlegs .
We actually look forward to the arrival of the Swallow-tailed Kites with something akin to the anticipation of a birthday or holiday.
And when the first birds arrive, the flurry of emails start as people brag about who saw the very first STK of the season.
A swallow-tailed kite soars with a frog in its talons.
We’re crazy about kites at the CREW Project and we know some of you are, too. Here are 10 reasons we love Swallow-Tailed Kites.
1 – Aerodynamics
We could watch kites soar all day long. As one of our volunteers pointed out, the entire design of the bird is aerodynamic and sleek, as if their body is made to slide right through the air. They swoop effortlessly and gracefully to grab prey and it’s while soaring that we are able to easily identify them by their long, forked tail.
2 – Migration patterns
Swallow-tailed kites migrate to Southwest Florida each year from South America to breed. We are their first stop on their winter migration and they normally arrive here in the third or fourth week of February, then gradually later through the rest of Florida, according to the Birds of North America website. Once the adults arrive, they begin gathering nesting material and prepare nests often in the same spot or vicinity as they nested the previous year. Swallow-tailed kites will stay in our area until June or July, and then the adults leave several weeks prior to the juveniles’ departure.
3- Nesting
Swallow-tailed kites are raptors, but they do not have particular strong feet or talons. That’s why they use Spanish moss as nesting material! They have been seen carrying very small, lightweight sticks, but their primary nesting material is Spanish moss. They also nest very high in the “V” of pine trees which make the nests challenging to spot. And, once they chicks hatch, the adults continue to add nesting materials. So, a nest that starts out convex to hold an egg, will eventually become concave as the chick grows!
(Thank you, Kathleen Smith, CREW biologist, for that fun fact)
Swallow-tailed kite carrying Spanish moss for nesting.
4 – Challenge
Everything about the Swallow-tailed kite is challenging! Have you ever tried to get a GOOD PHOTO? Especially of one flying? It’s extremely difficult and we’ve watched plenty of wildlife photographers on the trail gasp in frustration as the birds soar past. And it’s not just capturing the birds on film that is tough – finding the nests is also hard! Because the nests are so high in the trees, and only made sparsely with Spanish moss, they are difficult to find. But, once you have found the nest, you can go back each year and check for activity. For our biologists and volunteer citizen scientists, that challenge is part of the fun of monitoring the kites.
5- Coloration
From the beautiful snow-white head and underbody to the sleek inky wings and back, the kite is a study in contrasting colors. It makes them easily recognizable in the raptor family – for their color and for their forked tail.
6 – The Tail
That gorgeous, v-shaped tail is how all of us easily identify the Swallow-tailed Kite. And, as we inch towards summer, we can tell the juvenilles in flight from the adults because the adults will have longer forked tails than the juvenilles.
7- Feeding time fun
Part of loving raptors is loving the fat that they do raptor stuff – meaning we aren’t upset when we see a bird of prey carrying home dinner. The kites are no exception. They will eat large insects, but remember, they do not have strong feet so they don’t pick up heavy prey. Instead, they mainly eat herps – frogs, anoles and snakes. As a hiker and birder, it can be quite fun to try and puzzle out what they are carrying home to feed their chicks.
8 – Nice Neighbors
One thing that makes them different from other raptors is that the kites will nest near other kites, forming loose neighborhoods (thanks for that name, Kathleen!). That makes it a bit easier for our citizen scientists and the CREW biologists when locating nests. It also makes for easy playdate scheduling (just kidding, birds don’t have playdates).
A kite and chick within the CREW Project.
9 – The CREW Trust Logo
The Swallow-tailed Kite is the bird featured on our logo! We are very proud of the kites, and the fact that the 60,000-acre Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed is land preserved for water and wildlife and provides habitat for these migratory raptors.
10 – Bringing Friends
The nest monitoring done each year by CREW FWC biologists and volunteers has shown that the numbers of swallow-tailed kites nesting within the 60,000-acres is growing! That’s exciting for us and great news for the birds. You have a really good chance of seeing Swallow-tailed Kites at all four of the CREW Project Trails. They roost around the lake at Bird Rookery Swamp (hike out to the lake, under two miles); they swoop over the red trail at Flint Pen Strand; they have a LOT of nests around the Cypress Dome Trails; and we spot them in the pine flatwoods areas of the CREW Marsh Trails. We hope you’ll celebrate the return of the kites – and their growing population within CREW – by coming out with your friends and exploring the trails in hopes of spotting a kite or two.
special thanks to CREW FWC staff and CREW Trust Volunteers for sharing the photos used in this blogpost.
Too cold to head to the trails? Thinking the animals will be huddling somewhere for warmth?
That is true for many of our reptile friends, but the weekend’s heavy rain combined with the cool temperatures made for a lot of wading birds out and about Monday morning at Bird Rookery Swamp!
CREW Trust volunteer naturalist Dick Brewer braved the elements and sent in his wildlife count from yesterday’s chilly excursion.
Volunteer George Luther mowed the trail to marker #2 (mile 1.3) and noted that the ground is soft but not muddy. Volunteer naturalist Dick Brewer hiked a portion of the loop and has shared his wildlife count from the day.
Wondering who is out there on the trails when we aren’t? Check out this gallery from the many game cameras within the CREW Project, donated and monitored by CREW Trust volunteer Tom Mortenson.
On Wednesday, March 22, volunteer Dick Brewer walked the trails at Bird Rookery Swamp and sent us his wildlife observations.
If you are planning on visiting Bird Rookery Swamp this weekend, trail conditions are very dry and water levels are low. Below are Dick’s observations along with photos by Dick and another volunteer, Bill Zaino.
Please note that there are no guarantees that you will see the same animals that were seen on March 22.
Hikers at Bird Rookery Swamp by Bill Zaino
Bird Rookery Swamp observations
Wednesday, March 22
7:15 a.m. 3:25 p.m.
BIRDS
Anhinga – 23
Great Blue Heron – 4
Great Egret – 38
Little Blue Heron – 11
Tri-Colored Heron – 2
Green Heron by Bill Zaino
Green Heron – 5
Black-crowned Night Heron – 14
White Ibis – 31
Roseate Spoonbill – 4
Roseate Spoonbill by Dick Brewer
Wood Stork – 17
Black Vulture – 117
Turkey Vulture – 33
Red-shouldered Hawk – 25
Common Ground Dove – 4
Mourning Dove – 4
Barred Owl – 3
Belted Kingfisher – 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 30
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
Downy Woodpecker – 3
Pileated Woodpecker – 7
Eastern Phoebe – 4
Great-crested Flycatcher – 6
Carolina Wren – 23
House Wren – 1
Blue Jay – 1
American Crow – 3
Tufted Titmouse – 16
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 12
Gray Catbird – 34
White-eyed Vireo – 24
Blue-headed Vireo – 1
Ovenbird – 1
Northern Waterthrush – 1
Black-and-white Warbler – 7
Common Yellowthroat – 6
Northern Parula – 10
Black-throated Green Warbler – 2
Black-throated Green Warbler by Dick Brewer
Palm Warbler – 15
Northern Cardinal – 13
Common Grackle – 2
BUTTERFLIES
Spicebush Swallowtail – 3
Palamedes Swallowtail – 18
Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Zebra Longwing – 42
Julia – 3
White Peacock – 62
Gulf Fritillary – 3
Viceroy – 2
Phaon Crescent – 10
Pearl Crescent – 1
Great Southern White – 1
Cassius Blue – 5
Tropical Checker – 3
Red-Waisted Florella Moth – 3
DRAGONFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 26
Needham’s Skimmer – 4
Blue Dasher – 8
REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Alligator and turtle at Bird Rookery Swamp by Bill Zaino
In a few weeks, the CREW Marsh Trails will get more exciting. Winter is the CREW Trust’s premier time for guided walks and this includes field trips of all kind. So, don’t be alarmed if you drive out to the Marsh Trails and see a group for a guided hike, 120 third graders or a class of college students.
The CREW Marsh Trails opened in 1994, and since then we have been expanding and enhancing our education programs for all ages.
Guided hikes:Dr. David Cooper will present his enjoyable and informative walk every second and fourth Tuesday and the second Saturday of each month at 9:00AM.
3rd Grade Field Trips:Collier County third graders come to CREW to take a “Walk through the Watershed” where they spend time dip-netting, getting to know where their water comes from, and the importance of protecting the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.
College Field Trips: Students take a walk through the five beautiful ecosystems that the Marsh Trails have to offer while exploring the concepts of sustainability, sense of place and interdisciplinary connections to our environment.
As part of our mission to protect the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, these educational programs are important to developing support for the watershed and engaging people in its protection.
So, the next time you go out to the CREW Marsh trails on a weekday, you might run into many people learning about the wonders of this 60,000-acre watershed. If you would like to join them, check out our programs and register in advance by clicking here.
The CREW Land & Water Trust will be at “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge for the “Ding” Darling Family Fun Day on Sunday, October 16th, 2016. Come visit our table. We will be handing out brochures, program fliers and information about CREW and the trails.
“Ding” Darling Days weeklong birding and eco-festival kicks off at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island on Sunday Oct. 16, 2016 with a free Family Fun Day. Family Fun Day features free activities such as narrated refuge tram tours, live wildlife presentations, kids nature crafts, a touch tank, a butterfly house, a photo-share kiosk, and archery lessons. CREW Land & Water Trust will have an outreach table and a fun track ID activity. Enjoy a day outside with the whole family.
For a full “Ding” Darling Days schedule, visit www.dingdarlingdays.com, or call 239-472-1100.
Want more opportunities to be guided through the beautiful Bird Rookery Swamp, then February and March are what you have been waiting for! During the months of February and March new programs will be introduced at the CREW Trust’s busiest trail.
In addition to the long standing Wednesday morning walks which will still be available at 9:00AM, the CREW Trust is adding walks on Wednesday afternoons and Thursday mornings. These walks not only offer more opportunities to enjoy the Bird Rookery Swamp but they also add four other guides to provide you with a variety of presentations.
So come on over to Bird Rookery Swamp and experience Old Florida!
All of these walks are FREE due to the generosity of CREW Members but we do appreciate donations at the time of registration or on the day of the walk.
Festival in the Woods at Picayune Strand State Forest
Saturday, January 23, 2016 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Sabal Palm Trail Trailhead
Please join us for the third annual Festival in the Woods! Event will be held at the Sabal Palm Trailhead located on Sabal Palm Road 3.3 miles east of Collier Boulevard (951). There will be guided hikes, wildlife presentations, guided bicycle tours, childrens activities, and environmental exhibitors & vendors. Admission & parking is free, and lunch is on us!
Come enjoy lectures from experts; exhibitions by wildlife and education-related organizations and businesses; activities, guided walks and discussions on various species of flora and fauna. Free for the whole family!
Saturday, January 23, 2016 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Sabal Palm Trail Trailhead