I arrived in SE Alabama last Thursday, after two grueling days in the car, Addie and I were glad to be free! I'm living in a 24' camper, and it's very comfortable, right on the National Wildlife Refuge! I am currently without a personal computer, an internet connection, and I'm not even allowed on the computers at work yet... so my access to blogging will be limited. I'm currently sitting in the town library, trying to get some things done...and thought I'd try to upload a few pictures!
American alligator, ~2 feet in length
Unknown species...probably a Sora or a Rail? I don't have a book in front of me. And those massive plants! What are they?!
Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge Wildlife Drive
Eastern Screech Owl in a Wood Duck nest box
The Owl's view, and my truck
My first sighting of a venomous snake. Although it was dead, it was a little disconcerting. I'm guessing a rattlesnake, even though the rattles are gone. This guy was AS THICK AS MY ARM, and about 2-3 feet in length. Impressive!
Sunset at ENWR
Red-winged Black Birds feeding on a grass of some sort.
And my favorite sighting so far! I heard a scuffling around under my camper, and of course all I had available was my phone, so the image isn't great...but this is my first Nine-banded armadillo! Such an interesting critter...
On September 14th, I went to the Dry Tortugas National Park which is
found 70 miles west of Key West. It was a beautiful trip (albeit a bit
rough going out there). After I walked Fort Jefferson, ate lunch,
snorkeled, and walked down Bush Key (see previous entry for pictures), I
wanted to check out a large flock of gulls and terns I saw when the
boat pulled up. If you’re into birding, and want to see some rare birds,
Garden Key is the place to visit, which is the Key that the Fort is
built on. Within close proximity are several rookeries, including Brown
Boobies, Sooty Terns, and Brown Noddies. I luckily saw all 3 of those
(no pics though, it all happened so fast!), and all 3 were new species
for me! In total I added 6 new species to my life list, all in one day.
Pictures to follow!
I’m not sure what this was, maybe a dock? All that’s left are the iron pilons, and the birds were covering it!
Fort Jefferson on Garden Key in the Dry Tortugas National Park
Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus)
A group of Sandwich Terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis) A new bird for me!
A Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) and a
Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii)… and the Roseate was a new bird for me,
and considered “rare” in the Dry Tortugas!
Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)in the foreground, and a Willet in the background. The Whimbrel was a new bird for me as well!
With a total of 6 new species for the day, this bird nerd was very
happy! I’m so glad my aunt and I braved the seas and the 3 hour trip out
to the Dry Tortugas National Park!
Over the weekend my Aunt Theresa visited me in the Keys. We spent the weekend partaking in Key West culture, being tourists, and eating great food. I have been living in the Keys since the beginning of June, but I had yet to visit one of the most famous places down here, Fort Jefferson and the Dry Tortugas National Park. As you can see on the map, it’s quite the haul to get out there. It’s located approximately 70 miles west of Key West as we know it, in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s expensive to get out there ($170 for adults which includes: breakfast, lunch, passage aboard the Yankee Freedom catamaran, National Park fee, snorkeling gear, and a 45 minute tour of the Fort), but well worth the money. It’s a long day as well, starting and ending with a 3 hour boat ride. All summer we’ve had great weather. No hurricanes, no tropical depressions, just normal tropical rainstorms that are over within in minutes, then back to sun. Of course, the weekend my aunt chose to fly down here from Michigan, we had some sort of tropical system sitting on top of us dumping wind and rain. We suffered through it by eating and drinking indoors at beautiful, delicious restaurants (poor us), but I REALLY wanted to go out to the Dry Tortugas! We waited until the very last moment, late Saturday night, to book our trip. The radar was showing an OK day for Sunday. We booked it, set the alarm for 6:00 am.
Looking from bow to stern while we
were still docked. Notice the bank of
black clouds in the direction we would be
going…
We arrived at the Yankee Freedom III terminal, and boarded the boat with 100 other passengers, hoping and praying that we would have smooth sailing. As we pushed off, the sun was still shining, and we sat on the top deck soaking in the rays, and enjoying the breeze. Within minutes though, it started drizzling, and the water started rolling, and we were only 10 minutes into a 3 our trip. It was rough, to say the least. Pouring raining and whipping winds made for a very rocky trip, and people all around us were heaving. It wasn’t exactly the calm, relaxing, tropical tour I had hoped for. My aunt and I were strong though, and made it through without getting seasick. As we approached Fort Jefferson, the clouds did part and the sun did shine. Approaching the Fort, all I could think was that we were going back in time. I thought about how long construction projects take in 2014, and this Fort was built between 1846 and 1875, with something like 16 million handmade bricks from Pensacola, Florida! There were no high-speed ferries, or freshwater, or electricity out there then. Even now, freshwater and electricity is limited. This feat of construction is impressive. Click here for more information about the history and culture of Fort Jefferson.
Approaching Fort Jefferson within the Dry Tortugas National Park
My Aunt Theresa in front of Fort Jefferson. Sadly, my version of this picture got lost somehow!
The architecture was beautiful throughout the Fort.
From the second level looking towards the Harbor Lighthouse.
From the top of the Fort looking towards Bush Key, which is attached by a land bridge.
Bush Key
While the history is interesting, and the Fort itself is beautiful to walk through, and learn about, I was really interested in birding while I was visiting. Bush Key, as shown in the last picture, is home to two species of birds that almost exclusively nest here! Both the Brown Noddy and Sooty Terns call Bush Key home, and I was very fortunate to come at just the right time, the tail end of their breeding season. Bush Key has been closed off to visitors all summer, but the day before I visited, the beach reopened for visitors to walk. My aunt wasn’t interested in birding, so she went to tan on the beach, while I got out my camera and headed down the shore.
Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the Noddies or Sooties. There were just a few, and they were kind of soaring on the wind high above. I wasted 5 minutes trying to focus my camera to have *proof* that I saw them, but gave up. Who do I need to prove it to, right? Here are some other critters I saw while walking.
I believe this to be a house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), unless someone else can suggest something else!
I’ve been scarce this summer, I know. I’ve been super busy running
around the Florida Keys working, educating, learning, playing, and
soaking in the sunshine.
Sunset as seen from the Port Pine Heights neighborhood, July 2014
Sunset as seen from the Port Pine Heights neighborhood, July 2014
Highlights of my summer have included watching a pair of Anhingas court,
build a nest, lay eggs, incubate, and now care for their 2 chicks.
Anhingas on the nest, Blue Hole, Big Pine Key, FL
Exploring Long Beach
I developed and help run a 6 week guided nature walk series throughout
the summer. It ran Wednesday evenings, which quickly became my favorite
time of day to be outside. The temps are lower, the sunsets are
beautiful, and the bugs aren’t that bad! We’re finished now, as the kids
here are back in school, which has surprised me! In NY I didn’t go back
to high school until after Labor Day Weekend.
Our 6 weeks of walks had a different theme. Week #1 brought the group
to the Long Beach part of the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge. This
is an ocean-side (as opposed to bay-side, this is Keys lingo) beach.
It’s not very pleasant for us humans, as there is a lot of vegetation,
coral, rocks, and sea grasses. It’s fun to explore the intertidal zones,
watch for birds, and run into Key deer along the way. We scooped up
handfuls of sand, and realized that it’s not born from granite and
quartz, like on the East Coast beaches, but it’s biological in nature.
We could pick out tiny shells and bits of corals, which was really neat.
Gambusia sp. or more commonly known as
Mosquito-fish,
are dumped in the freshwater wetlands by a mosquito
control company. These fish are used as a biological control
for
mosquitoes, which eat the larvae, and therefore help make
the Keys
liveable.
On our second guided walk, we ventured off the beaten path and explored a
hidden freshwater wetland. People are surprised to hear that we have an
abundance of available, fresh water. But, that’s a reason why we have
wildlife like Key deer, marsh rabbits, wading birds, and amphibians.
Personally, I wanted to find frogs during this trip. I spent a lot of
time online the day before, looking up documented NATIVE species of
frogs found on Big Pine Key. I even spoke with a herpetologist who had
done work in the Keys, and was familiar with local critters.
Unfortunately, we were skunked, and did not catch any frogs. We saw a
couple, but they were much too quick! The kids thoroughly enjoyed it
though, getting wet, catching fish with little nets, and I think just
being outside!
Green Heron seen at the Blue Hole during the photo safari!
Week #3 brought us to a popular place on the Refuge, the Blue Hole. This
is an old limestone quarry, and has filled in naturally with
freshwater. Alligators, fish, turtles, birds, deer, lizards all spend a
lot of time in and around Blue Hole. There’s a nice gravel patch that
walks you through the trees, and out onto a wooden observation deck to
view the pond. We encouraged our guests during this trip to take
pictures. We called it a “photo safari”, and when we were finished, we
returned to the visitor center to view everyone’s pictures and to print a
couple of the best ones out.
Myself and a male fiddler crab!
You can tell it’s a male, because of that
one very large claw, used for defense and courting.
Week #4 wasn’t really a walk per se, but an adventure! We used seine
nets at a boat launch area, to try and catch some little fish, crabs, or
whatever else was present. The kids were really into it! We caught 2
different kinds of crabs (and these may not be 100% accurate names);
mangrove crab and fiddler crab. We also caught a few species of “bait”
fish which was awesome! We talked about the importance of mangroves, and
the ethics of handling live animals. The weather was “mild” (as mild as
it can be in the FL Keys in July… so, not SCORCHING), the sunset was
gorgeous, and the kids got soaked! All around a great night, one of my
favorites this summer.
These tree snails (Liguus fasciatus), are
listed as species
of special concern in the State of Florida, and were almost
completely wiped out due to over-collection.
We were lucky to
spot some on No Name Key!
Week #5 took us onto the No Name Key, and the goal was to learn
about and hopefully spot a White-crowned Pigeon. This is a very cool
bird that is elusive, and wary. In the United States, it’s only found in
South Florida, specifically the Keys. It is found through the Caribbean
and Bahamas as well. Of course along the way we saw other cool critters
like the tree snails, Key deer, spiders, and other birds! We had an
assortment of folks join us throughout the summer, but had 2 families
stick with us for the entire series. On this night, one of our youngest,
a 6 year old little boy, led the pack. He was outfitted with a
flashlight, binoculars, stainless steel forceps, and a “poker” stick.
This kid cracks me up, but I’m refreshed by a kid who LOVES the outdoors
and nature just as much as I do. His 3 year old sister as well was
really into it. She collected every little thing she found to show me,
and it was adorable.
Our final walk led us to find this rare Key
ringneck snake
presented itself to us. At first, I thought it was a juvenile,
but after some research, it may be an adult! Very small,
and
that ring as seen on other ring-necked snakes, is faint.
The final walk was my favorite. We had perfect weather, the humidity
seemed to slack off a little, and the sun was low. We took this walk to
get folks out into the pine rockland habitat, which Southern Florida
used to be in abundance of, especially the Keys. We saw birds a-plenty,
and hoped for Lower Keys marsh rabbits and Key deer, but I think our
group was a little too rambunctious!
The summer is winding down here. Even though this is the land of
perpetual summer it seems, I can feel a difference in the air, the water
looks different when I’m snorkeling, and the days are shortening. My
time here as well is dwindling. It’s bittersweet, as I’ve made some
great friends and contacts, and truly enjoyed the Keys lifestyle. But,
I’ve landed another temporary position within the National Wildlife
Refuge System, this time in Alabama! I’ll be journeying to NY the end of
next month to visit friends and family (including the Albany area!),
and to retrieve my dog Addie. Then Addie and Alyssa will make the
journey south, once again! Alabama, here I come!
Sunset over the pine rocklands on Big Pine Key, August 2014.
The “Lower Keys” consists of Big Pine Key to Key West.
When many people think of the Keys, they think sand and saltwater.
While there are both of those features here, you may be surprised to
learn that we don’t have the BEST sandy beaches here, and we have an
abundance of fresh water. The Lower Keys, where I live, is built on a
fossilized coral reef.
Because of this coral reef, the ground is very hard, beaches are not
that sandy, and there is coral EVERYWHERE. This also means that
freshwater is able to be held in what is referred to as a “lens” just
under the surface of the ground. Elevation on Big Pine is less than 5
feet above sea level, and it is probably more accurate to say its less
than 2 feet in elevation. This lens just hovers under the surface, and
has allowed animals and people to inhabit this island. There are many
freshwater wetlands on Big Pine Key, which is surprising to many,
including myself. While I’m out on the Refuge, I’ve noticed many
shallow, open water habitats, all of which is freshwater.
Many years ago, when these islands were really being developed, in an
attempt to raise roads, the railway and buildings, some of this
fossilized coral, now limestone, was quarried. Have you ever dug a hole
in the ground, and hit the water table? That’s what happens here, in the
quarries.
The Blue Hole at dusk.
One of my favorite spots on the National Key Deer Refuge, is the Blue
Hole, which is one of the abandoned quarries. It has since filled in
with freshwater, but also contains a layer at the bottom of denser
saltwater. This is primarily considered a “freshwater habitat” but,
after Hurricane Wilma in 2005, several saltwater species of fish (tarpon
and barracuda) washed in, and can still be seen today. I’ve witnessed
the tarpon breaching, and it’s pretty impressive!
The Blue Hole is probably most famously home to several alligators (Alligator mississippiensis).
These ‘gators can be seen often sunning themselves, from the safety of a
wooden observation deck overlooking the pond. Of course these are wild
animals, and there is no fence keeping them contained, so visitors
should keep their distance, and refrain from feeding them.
One of the 'gators seen at Blue Hole.
The Blue Hole also has many species of birds that frequent the area,
that may not be seen elsewhere because of the abundance of freshwater
here. My favorites so far this summer are a nesting pair of Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga)
(+1). There is clearly a male and a female that are attentive to the
nest, but there is also what I’ve deemed to be a juvenile, unsure of
sex. This bird has been observed plucking dead sticks as well as green
sticks, and passing them off to the pair, as well as swimming and
roosting near the pair. I haven’t been able to figure their situation
out, but the nest is close to the observation deck, and I’ve been
getting some great pictures!
Male (standing) and female on nest.
Here the juvenile Anhinga was observed about
30 feet from the nest, and both adults, gathering nesting material?
Apparently you can’t determine sex of an Anhinga until after it’s 3rd
winter, so I don’t know if this is male or female yet.
This night, I was fortunate to watch the female take over the nest from
the male. The video quality isn’t the best (sorry), my camera was
constantly trying to focus, and I was without a tripod! Still, it was
awesome to watch.
Mom is now on the nest, and dad tends to her and the nest.
A White-crowned Pigeon
seen feeding amongst poisonwood.
The next bird I finally got a picture of at Blue Hole, but found all over Big Pine Key, is the White-crowned Pigeon (Patagioenas leucophela).
These birds are unlike other pigeons or doves that we’re all familiar
with. They are uncommon in the Keys, except for this time of year, and
they are very timid and wary. They’re seen flying in small groups, and
feeding in poisonwood, which is a nasty cousin of poison ivy. They eat
the fruit, and nest on the more remotes islands of the Keys. It’s been
difficult to catch one close enough, and sitting still to get a picture.
I’m pleased with the one at left!
These birds are at their northernmost range in Florida, but are
common throughout the Caribbean island. They are even hunted and eaten
in those islands. Here in Florida though, they are protected. I am glad
to add another member of this Pigeon/Dove family to my bird list, to
expand past the Rock Dove and Mourning Dove!
While I was trying to photograph the above Pigeon, I kept hearing a
musical song and frenetic movement in the canopy over me. I couldn’t get
a good look at it, as it was moving quickly and it was reaching dusk. I
finally was able to pinpoint it, and get a good look at it. The picture
below is the best I could do given the lighting and the bird’s
behavior. Before I left Blue Hole for the night, I was guessing that I
had photographed a warbler or vireo, just based on it’s location in the
canopy, and I saw it feeding on insects (both warblers and vireos are
insectivorous).
White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)
After getting home, and sending my picture to my ornithology
professor from SUNY Cobleksill, I confirmed that it was a White-eyed
Vireo. Check it out at All About Birds: White-eyed Vireo, and give it’s song a listen.
The last bird I got the chance to see, was an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). He was quite a distance away, sitting on a snag. But the sky was beautiful behind him, so he’s included!
Osprey at Blue Hole
The FINAL cool critter I saw over at Blue Hole the other night was a Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox).
We had a soft shell in our herpetology lab at Cobleskill, which could
fit in the palm of my hand. It was so different than any other turtle or
tortoise I had seen. Their shell is leathery and soft, and they have a
little snout on them, which they can use as a snorkel!
I saw this Florida softshell at Blue Hole, right next to an
alligator. They were totally unconcerned with each other. This turtle
was probably 12-14″ from end to end of his carapace (top shell). Really
cool animal.
Florida softshell turtle
More to come soon, as I get the time and inclination to post! Happy summer!
I arrived in SE Alabama last Thursday, after two grueling days in the car, Addie and I were glad to be free! I'm living in a 24' camper, and it's very comfortable, right on the National Wildlife Refuge! I am currently without a personal computer, an internet connection, and I'm not even allowed on the computers at work yet... so my access to blogging will be limited. I'm currently sitting in the town library, trying to get some things done...and thought I'd try to upload a few pictures!
Here are some other critters I saw while walking.
