A View of Bird Rookery Swamp- Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

black Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

Bird Rookery Swamp observations
Saturday, October 24 ~ 7:10 am-1:20 pm

“Nice day with 36 species of birds and 13 species of butterflies. Top birds were a flock of 9
black Black-bellied Whistling Ducks foraging in the Pickerelweed to the east of the gravel path leading to the boardwalk. A photo with one adult and three of the juveniles in the family is attached. Also had two Pied-billed Grebes in one of the large open water areas between markers 6 & 3.

Lots of night herons were back — 15 Black crowned combinations of adult and juvenile. I didn’t see any gators the first three and a half
hours, but it was cooler then. Once the sun warmed things up, they came out. A photo of a seven-eight footer is attached; it was acting as “greeter” between the end of the boardwalk and Ida’s pond (no Ida, though).” – Dick Brewer Gator on the BRS trail

BIRDS
Pied-billed Grebe – 2
Black-bellied Whistling Duck – 9
Anhinga – 18
Great Blue Heron – 8
Great Egret – 6
Snowy Egret – 2
Little Blue Heron – 7
Tri-colored Heron – 7
Green Heron – 16
Black-crowned Night Heron – 15
Yellow-crowned Night Heron – 3
White Ibis – 91
Black Vulture – 39
Turkey Vulture – 29
Red-shouldered Hawk – 12
American Kestrel – 1
Limpkin – 1
Barred Owl – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 15
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 20
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Pileated Woodpecker – 6
Great-crested Flycatcher – 6
Eastern Phoebe – 15
American Crow – 4
Tufted Titmouse – 4
Carolina Wren – 3
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 19
Northern Mockingbird – 3
Gray Catbird – 35
White-eyed Vireo – 2
Northern Parula – 1
Palm Warbler – 9
Common Yellowthroat – 4
Northern Cardinal – 9
Common Grackle – 46

BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 15
Spicebush Swallowtail – 1
Tiger Swallowtail – 4
Ruddy Daggerwing – 1
White Peacock – 46
Viceroy – 1
Phaon Crescent – 2
Fiery Skipper – 1
Least Skipper – 1
Brazilian Skipper – 12
Long-tailed Skipper – 1
Dorantes Longtail – 3
Tropical Checker – 7

DRAGONFLIES/DAMSELFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 28
Needham’s Skimmer – 1
Eastern Amberwing – 2
Blue Dasher – 3
Citrine Forktail – 1

MAMMALS
Raccoon – 2

REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Alligator – 42
Brown Anole – 5
Red-bellied Turtle – 2
Green Treefrog – 3

By Dick Brewer

http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html

A View of Bird Rookery Swamp: Ruby-throated Hummingbird & Limpkins

Limpkin

Bird Rookery Swamp observations

Saturday, October 17 ~ 7:20 am1:35 pmLimpkin

Below are observations at Bird Rookery Swamp for Saturday, October 17. It was a great day including lower humidity and a nice breeze. I had 36 species of birds and 17 species of butterflies. Among the nicest of the birds was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird getting nectar from Alligator Flag blooms just north of marker 2 and the vulture roost and two Limpkins. One Limpkin was in the trees near marker 6 but the other was very cooperative walking across the tram between markers 2 and 3. There were also five warbler species including a pair of female American Redstarts, lots of Palm Warblers, and a Lousiana Waterthrush. A photo below of the waterthrush  is one of a small Green Treefrog peeping over the top of a leaf.
gtf151017
BIRDS
Anhinga – 7
Great Blue Heron – 3
Great Egret – 7
Little Blue Heron – 14
Tri-colored Heron – 1
Green Heron – 3
Black-crowned Night Heron – 4
White Ibis – 81
unknown ducks – 2 (possibly Wood Ducks)
Black Vulture – 8
Turkey Vulture – 27
Red-shouldered Hawk – 10
Limpkin – 2
Mourning Dove – 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 14
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 24
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Pileated Woodpecker – 3
Great-crested Flycatcher – 5
Eastern Phoebe – 15
Blue Jay – 1
Tufted Titmouse – 2
Carolina Wren – 6
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 2
Northern Mockingbird – 1
Gray Catbird – 30
Loggerhead Shrike – 1
White-eyed Vireo – 9
American Redstart – 2
Black-and-white Warber – 1
Palm Warbler – 13
Common Yellowthroat – 3
Louisiana Waterthrush – 1lowa_1017
Northern Cardinal – 9
Common Grackle – 10

BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 11
Tiger Swallowtail – 1
Ruddy Daggerwing – 1
White Peacock – 44
Queen – 1
Viceroy – 4
Cloudless Sulphur – 1
Pearl Crescent – 1
Barred Yellow – 2
Fiery Skipper – 1
Least Skipper – 1
Twin-spot Skipper – 1
Whirlabout – 1
Delaware Skipper – 2
Brazilian Skipper – 7
Dorantes Longtail – 3
Tropical Checker – 11

DRAGONFLIES/DAMSELFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 23
Needham’s Skimmer – 4
Carolina Saddlebags – 1
Eastern Amberwing – 3
Citrine Forktail – 1

MAMMALS
River Otter – 1
Raccoon – 1

REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Alligator – 54
Brown Anole – 8
Red-bellied Turtle – 2
Florida Soft-shelled Turtle – 1
Banded Water Snake – 1
Green Treefrog – 3
Cuban Treefrog – 1

 

By Dick Brewer

http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html

Guided Hikes at CREW Trails Starting in November

guided hike

Join our excellent volunteers for an entertaining and informative 2.5-hour guided walk on a portion of the Bird Rookery Swamp trails near Naples, FL. Learn the history, see wildlife and enjoy the view.BRS eventbrite pic

 

  • Wednesdays (9:00 – 11:30 AM) – November through April
  • 1st Sundays (1:30 – 4 PM) – November through April
  • 4th Saturdays (9 – 11:30 AM) – November through August

The Bird Rookery Swamp Trail is part of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (owned by the South Florida Water Management District). It includes a 1500 ft. boardwalk and nearly 12 miles of raised trails on old railroad trams. The cypress/maple swamp is home to wading birds, owls, deer, bear, panther, bobcat, limpkins, and much more.

Register ahead at: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/bird-rookery-swamp-guided-walks-tickets-17327245257


 

Join CREW Land & Water Trust volunteer and FL Master Naturalist, Dr. David Cooper, for a humorous and informative 2.5 to 3-hour guided walk at the CREW Marsh Hiking Trails. Learn about the watershed as a whole, view wildflowers, animal signs, birds, butterflies, and more.marsh trails for eventbrite

  • 1st and 3rd Tuesday (9:00-12:00) November-April
  • 2nd Saturday  (9:00-12:00) November-April

 

The CREW Marsh Trails are part of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (owned by the South Florida Water Management District). These trails meander through pine flatwoods, along the edge of the marsh, to oak hammock and popash slough. The Marsh Trails are home to FL black bears, FL panthers, bobcats, limpkins, many songbirds, and more.

Register ahead at: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/crew-marsh-trails-guided-walks-registration-17800793653

 

 

Come see CREW at the annual “Ding” Darling Days this Sunday Oct. 18

ding darling days icon

Free Family Fun Day kicks off ‘Ding’ Darling Days

ding darling days icon

“Ding” Darling Days weeklong birding and eco-festival kicks off at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island on Sunday Oct. 18, 2015 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. Value is $75 for a family of four. Back for a third year, Heather Henson’s Ibex Puppetry out of Orlando will perform Wild Puppets with life-sized puppets portraying endangered and other refuge animals. CREW Land & Water Trust will have an outreach table and a fun track ID activity. Enjoy a day outside with the whole family.

 

Schedule for Sunday, Oct. 18, 2015

10:45am FREE Flag-raising ceremony, EC entrance

11am FREE All A-Flutter about Native Butterflies program with Gary & Alice Lavimoniere, followed by free bags giveaway, EC Auditorium

ALL DAY: 10% off all butterfly & bee gifts in the Refuge Nature Store

12noon FREE “Wild Puppets!” presentation by Heather Henson’s Ibex Puppetry, EC parking lot

1pm FREE Live Florida Animals program with Ranger Becky & CROW, EC parking lot

2pm FREE Snakes Alive! programwith Calusa Herpetological Society, EC parking lot

3pm FREE Live Florida Animals program with Ranger Becky & CROW, EC parking lot

– See more at: http://dingdarlingsociety.org/ddd-events#sthash.DdFM49mj.dpuf

For a full “Ding” Darling Days schedule, visit www.dingdarlingdays.com, or call 239-472-1100. To see the full Press Release, visit http://dingdarlingsociety.org/admin/media_upload/FREEFAMILYDAY15.pdf

A View of Bird Rookery Swamp- Water on the Trails

Black and White Warbler
Bird Rookery Swamp observations
Saturday, September 5 ~ 7:15 am1:15 pm
“Below are my observations from today at Bird Rookery Swamp (BRS). Not a bad day for birding, especially with more Barn Swallows over the meadow opposite the start of the boardwalk and a small “flock” of Eastern Kingbirds between markers 6 & 3. Attached is a photo of a Black-and-white Warbler that was prying little insects from bark crevices in a cypress near Ida’s Pond; it has one in its bill. Ida wasn’t visible while either going out or coming back. Several pairs of hikers armed with cameras were on the trails plus two bicyclers; the bikers turned back a little past marker 3 toward marker 6 when the mud got slippery and the water was flowing over the trail. Other than that, a nice day!

Black and White Warbler
Black and White Warbler

BIRDS
Anhinga – 1
Great Blue Heron – 2
Great Egret – 4
Snowy Egret – 9
Little Blue Heron – 11
Tri-colored Heron – 10
Green Heron – 8
White Ibis – 6
Black Vulture – 71
Turkey Vulture – 12
Red-shouldered Hawk – 7
Mourning Dove – 2
Common Ground Dove – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 13
Pileated Woodpecker – 5
Great-crested Flycatcher – 2
Eastern Kingbird – 7
Barn Swallow – 46
Blue Jay – 5
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 3
Tufted Titmouse – 10
Carolina Wren – 12
Northern Mockingbird – 1
White-eyed Vireo – 13
Prothonotary Warbler – 1
Northern Parula – 1
Black-and-white Warbler – 1
Ovenbird – 1
Louisiana Waterthrush – 1
Northern Cardinal – 12
Common Grackle – 7

BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 11
Spicebush Swallowtail – 4
Ruddy Daggerwing – 8
Zebra Longwing – 1
White Peacock – 15
Gulf Fritillary – 1
Viceroy – 1
Common Buckeye – 1
Pearl Crescent – 1
Cloudless Sulphur – 3
Brazilian Skipper – 7
Silver-spotted Skipper – 1
Tropical Checker – 2

DRAGONFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 34
Eastern Amberwing – 2
Blue Dasher – 3

MAMMALS
Raccoon – 2
Cottontail Rabbit – 1

REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Alligator – 39
Brown Anole – 13
Red-bellied Turtle – 1
Pig Frog – 17
Greenhouse Frog – 2
Green Treefrog – 1
Cuban Treefrog – 1 “

A View of Bird Rookery Swamp-“Great day for butterflies”

Below are first hand observations from our volunteer Dick Brewer. Who does weekly visits to Bird Rookery Swamp and very week sends us incredible stories of the magical 12 mile loop. If you would like to see more of his observations visit: http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html

By Dick Brewer
By Dick Brewer

 

“Below are observations from BRS on June 6. Great day for butterflies with 19 species identified, plus three more skippers that I don’t know and haven’t identified. The attached photo shows two Silver-spotted Skippers, one Dun Skipper, and one Ruddy Daggerwing all feeding on the same Buttonbush plant.

The juvenile Barred Owl was on a limb over the pond at marker 6. It flew down into the grass one time where it caught and ate something very small; then, it flew back up to its limb and began hissing for an adult to bring it more food.

The otter family was in a water hold blanketed with Duckweed but each otter was quite successful at catching fish. The second photo shows one of the otters really chewing a fish it caught, first on one side of its mouth, then the other, and finally chomping with both sides.
The tail of the fish is still hanging out of the right side of its mouth in the fourth panel.

River otter
By Dick Brewer

Bird Rookery Swamp observations
Saturday, June 6 ~ 7:35 am1:05 pm

BIRDS
Anhinga – 2
Great Egret – 8
Snowy Egret – 2
Little Blue Heron – 1
Tri-colored Heron – 1
Green Heron – 1
Black-crowned Night Heron – 5
Yellow-crowned Night Heron – 1
Black Vulture – 67
Turkey Vulture – 6
Swallow-tailed Kite – 3
Red-shouldered Hawk – 20
Mourning Dove – 1
Common Ground Dove – 2
Barred Owl – 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 22
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Pileated Woodpecker – 2
Great-crested Flycatcher – 3
Blue Jay – 2
Tufted Titmouse – 10
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher – 2
Carolina Wren – 18
White-eyed Vireo – 17
Northern Parula – 3
Northern Cardinal – 22

BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 13
Spicebush Swallowtail – 4
Ruddy Daggerwing – 23
Zebra Longwing – 4
Queen – 1
White Peacock – 36
Viceroy – 3
Red Admiral – 1
Great Southern White – 10
Gray Hairstreak – 1
Cloudless Sulphur – 1
Dorantes Longtail – 1
Brazilian Skipper – 5
Dun Skipper – 7
Fiery Skipper – 2
Least Skipper – 6
Silver-spotted Skipper – 6
Southern Brokendash – 3
Tropical Checker – 3

DRAGONFLIES
Eastern Pondhawk – 33
Needham’s Skimmer – 4
Halloween Pennant – 3

MAMMALS
River Otter – 4
Raccoon – 3
Gray Squirrel – 1

REPTILES/AMPHIBIANS
Alligator – 148
Brown Anole – 7
Green Anole – 1
Water Moccasin – 2
Green Treefrog – 18
Squirrel Treefrog – 4
Greenhouse Frog – 6

FISH
Brown Bullhead – 227″

-By Dick Brewer

http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html

Wildfile Q& A: Do all spiders bite, and are they poisonous?

shoreline spider
shoreline spider
Shoreline Fishing Spider (Dolomedes triton) By Dick Brewer

 

Q: Do all spiders bite, and are they poisonous?

A: There are two problems with this question: a technicality, and a set of false assumptions.

First, the technicality. “Poisonous” and “venomous” are two different things. No spider is poisonous — harmful to eat, breathe, or touch. Mushrooms are sometimes poisonous, but spiders are not. Spiders are venomous; their toxins are proteins which only work when injected.

Second, all spiders do bite, but most local spiders are harmless because they are not aggressive and will not bite indiscriminately, or their fangs are simply too small to nip through our comparatively thick skin. Just because they are venomous does not mean they are
dangerous to people.

Spider venom does not exist to harm creatures which are too large for spiders to eat, like humans. The purpose of spider venom is to subdue the spider’s prey, almost always insects. In brief, it’s an insecticide.

Nevertheless, all larger spiders with a body length of a half inch or more should be treated with caution. Avoid flicking them away from your body. People allergic to bee stings may react more strongly to the bite of a spider than an ordinary person.

Bees and wasps kill more people in the United States in one year than spiders and snakes combined kill in ten years, and dogs and cats kill or injure more people each year than bees and wasps. Yet most people like dogs and cats and fear spiders and snakes.

For More Information: http://www.iflscience.com/brain/why-are-we-afraid-spiders

 

By Dick Brewer

http://www.dickbrewer.org/

A View of CREW by Dick Brewer

Map of CREW

Below are first hand observations from our volunteer Dick Brewer.  This is a special week as we are luck to get Dick’s observations from all three trail systems. If you would like to see more of his observations visit: http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html

Red Rat Snake By Dick Brewer
Red Rat Snake By Dick Brewer

 

Monday, May 11                           Marsh Trails-  6:45 am-8:30                        Cypress Dome 8:35am-10:30

 

Great Egret………………………………………………… 6………………………………………………………………

Black Vulture……………………………………………… 3………………………………………………………….. 25

Turkey Vulture……………………………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 2

Swallow-tailed Kite………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. 5

Red-shouldered Hawk………………………………… 3……………………………………………………………. 5

Barred Owl………………………………….. …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1

Limpkin………………………………………… …………… 1………………………………………………………………

Sand Hill Crane…………………………………………… 2………………………………………………………………

Mourning Dove…………………………………………. 11………………………………………………………….. 10

Red-bellied Woodpecker……………………………… 5……………………………………………………………. 5

Great-crested Flycatcher………………. …………… 1……………………………………………………………. 4

Blue Jay………………………………………. …………… 3……………………………………………………………. 2

Tufted Titmouse……………………………. …………… 1………………………………………………………………

Carolina Wren………………………………. …………… 4……………………………………………………………. 1

White-eyed Vireo……………………………………….. 5………………………………………………………………

Northern Cardinal……………………………………… 24………………………………………………………….. 10

Common Grackle………………………………………… 4………………………………………………………………

BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS

Common Buckeye…………………………. …………… 1……………………………………………………………. 1

Great Southern White……………………. …………… 2……………………………………………………………. 8

White Peacock……………………………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 2

Viceroy……………………………………….. …………… 2………………………………………………………………

Zebra Longwing…………………………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1

Giant Swallowtail…………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. 2

Pearl Crescent……………………………… …………… 1………………………………………………………………

Tropical Checker………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1

Bella Moth (Utetheisa bella)…………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 3

DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES

Halloween Pennant………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. 1

Regal Darner……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1

Blue Dasher…………………………………. …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 3

Needham’s Skimmer……………………………………… ……………………………………………………………. 7

Eastern Pondhawk……………………………………….. ………………………………………………………….. 13

Citrine Forktail………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. 1

Carolina Saddlebags…………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 2

OTHER

White-tailed Deer………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1

Squirrel Treefrog………………………………………. 14………………………………………………………….. 14

Pinewoods Treefrog…………………………………. 10……………………………………………………………. 3

Green Greefrog……………………………. …………. 33……………………………………………………………. 4

Cuban Treefrog………………………………………….. 3……………………………………………………………. 4

Greenhouse Frog……………………………………….. 2………………………………………………………………

Red Rat Snake……………………………… …………….. ……………………………………………………………. 1

Brown Anole……………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………. 6

Grass Pink and Pine Pink Orchids by Dick Brewer
Grass Pink and Pine Pink Orchids by Dick Brewer

 

 


Red Shouldered Hawk By Dick Brewer
Red Shouldered Hawk By Dick Brewer

Bird Rookery Swamp observations
Saturday, May 16 ~ 7:30 am-1:15 pm

BIRDS
Anhinga – 1
Great Egret – 6
Tri-colored Heron – 1
Black-crowned Night Heron – 1
White Ibis – 1
Black Vulture – 22
Turkey Vulture – 23
Red-shouldered Hawk – 18
Common Ground Dove – 11
Yellow-billed Cuckoo – 3
Barred Owl – 3
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 22
Pileated Woodpecker – 2
Great-crested Flycatcher – 3
Blue Jay – 2
Tufted Titmouse – 11
Carolina Wren – 23
White-eyed Vireo – 9
Northern Parula – 5
Northern Cardinal – 28
Common Grackle – 2

BUTTERFLIES
Palamedes Swallowtail – 6
Spicebush Swallowtail – 1
Ruddy Daggerwing – 16
White Peacock – 55
Viceroy – 5
Great Southern White – 5
Tropical Checker – 1

DRAGONFLIES

Barred Owls By Dick Brewer
Barred Owls By Dick Brewe

Eastern Pondhawk – 46
Needham’s Skimmer – 3
Roseate Skimmer – 11
Halloween Pennant – 2
Eastern Amberwing – 2
Carolina Saddlebags – 1

OTHER
White-tailed Deer – 2
Alligator – 87
Brown Anole – 7
Soft-shelled Turtle – 1
Water Moccasin – 1
Green Treefrog – 56
Squirrel Treefrog – 4
Cuban Treefrog – 3
Greenhouse Frog – 8

Wildflie Q&A: Florida Black Bears

A Florida Black Bear looks, listens, and sniffs the air. By Dick Brewer

Q: What should people do if they see a black bear on one of the trails?

A Florida Black Bear looks, listens, and sniffs the air. By Dick Brewer
A Florida Black Bear looks, listens, and sniffs the air. By Dick Brewer

A: Florida Black Bears are the only bear species that inhabit Florida. Safety tips are different with different species of bears due to their varying life histories. The following safety tips refer to black bears and not necessarily brown bears, Grizzly bears, or other bear species.

Think of a black bear as a large, stray dog in your neighborhood. Precautions you’d take with a stray dog apply to black bears too. Don’t make direct eye contact (a threat gesture), don’t run, and don’t turn your back to it.

First, make some noise (clapping hands, bell, whistle) so the bear knows that you are there. Surprising any wild animal is not a good thing.

Stand tall and make yourself look larger by raising your hands above your head. Adults should pick up and hold small children.

Then, back away slowly and get a safe distance away from the black bear. Just like dogs, black bears have a chase instinct and will go after something running from them even if they do not mean any harm. Once you are at a safe distance, you can snap a few photos and enjoy the moment.

Black bears in the wild are shy animals and generally not aggressive towards people. Exceptions would be a black bear that is strongly food conditioned and smells any food you are carrying, and a female black bear who is protecting her cubs. If you see a small cub seemingly by itself, back off immediately. The mother black bear is somewhere very close, and she is watching her cub and she is watching you.

A black bear is a large, powerful, wild animal. It pays to be cautious and to not provoke it, so know a little about black bear behavior before meeting one.

If a black bear stands on its hind legs, it’s not a threat; it just wants to get a better look and smell of the situation.

However, stamping its front legs, jaw popping (snapping its jaws together to make a popping noise), huffing (blowing air out of its nose and mouth quickly), or bluff charging (rushing toward a person but stopping before physically making contact) means it is nervous, and you need to back away from the black bear. Allow the black bear plenty of room to escape, which is all it really wants to do.

If a black bear does approach you and attack, hold your ground and fight back.

If camping at CREW, never store food or any heavily scented items (toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) in your tent. Always store it in a hard topped vehicle, hung from a tree at least 10 feet off the ground and 5 feet away from trees, or in a bear proof container that can be purchased at an outdoor recreation store. Food coolers are not bear proof containers. Click here to camp at CREW.
Online resource:
http://www.myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/black-bears

By: Dick Brewer

A View of Bird Rookery Swamp- ” A view around the 12.25-mile loop”

Below are first hand observations from our volunteer Dick Brewer. Who does weekly visits to Bird Rookery Swamp and very week sends us incredible stories of the magical 12 mile loop. If you would like to see more of his observations visit: http://www.dickbrewer.org/CREW.html

Deer at BRS

Saturday March 14th-  The numbers of species and individuals were larger than normal because I walked nearly eight hours and the hike was around the 12.25-mile loop.

The really large number for Glossy Ibis came when three V flights of about 22-24 each flew over at the same time — pretty awesome sight! The Barred Owl was an audio rather than visual observation, from between markers 4 and 5. The number of gators counted is not a typo; there were lots and lots of them including three clutches of six or seven month olds still staying close to their mothers. So much happening at Bird Rookery Swamp.

gator_mom-babies_0314[1]

BIRDS-

Anhinga – 12
Great Blue Heron – 11
Great Egret – 54
Snowy Egret – 10
Little Blue Heron – 15
Tri-colored Heron – 6
Green Heron – 4
Black-crowned Night Heron – 6
Yellow-crowned Night Heron – 1
White Ibis – 93
Glossy Ibis – 74
Wood Stork – 10
Black Vulture – 53
Turkey Vulture – 20
Swallow-tailed Kite – 1
Red-shouldered Hawk – 20
Common Gallinule – 1
Common Ground Dove – 3
Barred Owl – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 5
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 20
Downy Woodpecker – 3
Pileated Woodpecker – 4
Eastern Phoebe – 5
Great-crested Flycatcher – 13
American Crow – 3
Tufted Titmouse – 7
Carolina Wren – 33
Gray Catbird – 24
White-eyed Vireo – 28
Northern Waterthrush – 1
Black-and-white Warbler – 1
Pine Warbler – 1
Palm Warbler – 2
Northern Parula – 8
Common Yellowthroat – 2
Northern Cardinal – 20
Common Grackle – 9

BUTTERFLIES

Palamedes Swallowtail – 13
Spicebush Swallowtail – 9
Tiger Swallowtail – 4
Gulf Fritillary – 4
Zebra Longwing – 22
White Peacock – 13
Queen – 2
Soldier – 2
Pearl Crescent – 2
Tropical Checker – 6
Great Southern White – 4
Cloudless Sulphur – 1

OTHER

White-tailed Deer – 1
Gray Squirrel – 3
Red-bellied Turtle – 16
Florida Soft-shelled Turtle – 1
Banded Water Snake – 4
Water Moccasin – 1
Yellow Rat Snake – 1
Alligator – 273
Southeastern Five-lined Skink – 1
Green Anole – 1
Green Treefrog – 2
Cuban Treefrog – 3
Squirrel Treefrog – 2
Needham’s Skimmer – 8

Epondhawk_0314[1]