The Keys are a sub-tropical mecca, for those seeking a life that is easy and breezy. At least that is the Tourist Development Council vision. In reality, competition for increasingly scarce resources, including housing, is a reality in the Keys… for humans and for the critters that live amongst us. It’s a dog-eat dog world out there, and you better not be wearing milk bone shorts. Not long ago the Green anoles were the majority of lizards found in my yard. Some had tails, and others not, thanks to my cats, but they were plentiful. They were great with camouflage, it’s body green when perched on a leaf, or turning brown when resting on a tree trunk. They did their job taking care of bugs in the yard, and provided a good source of entertainment. But then came the Cuban brown anole, a slightly larger lizard, easily identified by the mating male’s conspicuous bright orange dew-lap, and push-up behavior. They eat bugs and spiders… and other lizards. These Cuban cousins have more offspring than the Green anole; outcompeted and displaced, our native Green anole had to retreat to high in the tree canopy. Head for the hills, my Green anole buddy! See you on the ground someday. While cruising the islands of the Bahamas, I was introduced to lizards that had curly tails. I’d lived my entire life in Florida, but the Bahamas were the only place I’d seen these curious creatures. As it turns out, the Northern curly-tailed lizard was brought to Florida both as pets, and in the 1940’s sugar cane growers released them in their fields to control the insect population. These lizards can reach 11 inches, though most are around 7 inches in total length; they eat bugs and flowers, especially railroad vine, but also other lizards, particularly Cuban brown anoles. Hold your position in the trees, my Green anole buddy! I’ve got your six. Another lizard, the Peter’s Rock agama, began showing up in my yard around the end of 2020. Though first introduced by the pet trade in 1976, this lizard’s population really took off in the Keys, coincidentally during the pandemic, when the Keys were also “discovered” by an influx of new human residents, whose demand for second homes sent prices up, and the local workforce out. During mating season, Peter’s Rock agamas are pretty boys with boldly colored red heads, a black body, with more orange and ending with a black tip. Shy, they quickly retreat from humans, seeking cover under rocks or into the foliage. Both the agama and the curly-tail are sit-and-wait predators, who watch for crawling insects and butterflies. It’s no coincidence their favorite hangout in my yard is a coral rock covered by Corky-stemmed passion flower, the larval host plant for a variety of butterflies, including Gulf Fritillary, Julia Heliconian and Zebra Heliconian butterflies. The Peter’s Rock agama also preys on the Cuban brown anole. Whisky Tango Foxtrot! Take cover, my Green anole buddy. There is a large predator heading your way. It’s an invasion! The Green iguana was introduced to Florida via the pet trade; somehow they got loose and now are found in the Keys, to as far north as Tampa Bay, and all parts in-between. They feed on foliage, flowers and fruit, and will eat insects, lizards, small animals, nesting birds and eggs. The males grow to six foot long including the tail, that can whip you and transmit salmonella; alligators, dogs and raccoons are their only natural predators. They dig nesting burrows that contain an average of 40 eggs. These destructive burrows cause erosion and undermine seawalls, and can cause you to twist an ankle while walking near one. It is hard to calculate how many iguanas there are. A friend hunkered down in his home during hurricane Irma was amazed at how many iguanas were in the trees; as the storm raged on, soon revealed were dozens of iguanas, clinging to the defoliated branches. Cold blooded, they fall from the trees when temperatures go below 45 degrees, an opportune time to reduce their population. Green iguanas are here through no fault of their own, but I’m all for the death penalty due to their destructive behavior; call a Nuisance and Wildlife Management Pro, to do it humanely. There is one reptile in my yard, who can be heard during May at dawn and at dusk, but rarely seen. It’s diet includes insects, baby birds, and small mammals such as nesting mice. It lives in tree crevices, and even inside structures, behind suspended ceilings or within walls. A native of Southeast Asia, the Tokay gecko’s call is described as “tuck-too”, too-kay; it was this sound that prompted U.S. troops in Vietnam to informally dub it the "F*ck You Lizard…” an informal “reception committee,” and the only ones there telling you the truth.
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My favorite times of day are near dusk and dawn. The time of day, when the shadows get longer and you can sit outside without a hat on, with coffee or cold drink in hand, and contemplate the wonders of nature. It’s the time of day full of chirping and songs, and the emergence of the critters. It’s the time before the sounds of daily human activities; the din of lawn mowers and leaf blowers, the constant chatter of workmen nearby. Think of how your morning walk would change if you pulled out the headphone plugs, and simply listened to the sounds of nature. Tune in not out. I will use my iPhone on nature walks; it has an app called “Merlin” that listens to and records bird sounds, and in real time suggests a possible identification. For me, a nature lover who basically knows nothing, it has opened up a world of knowledge, and has brought me even closer to nature. As the names of birds are popping up on the screen, you get an idea of what may be making the sound, and aiding you in visually identifying it. The app can also be used by someone with a hearing loss, someone who can hear, but the sounds may not be crisp enough. As areas are developed, and natural land is changed, birds lose their favorite trees and water sources. Several of my friends have installed screech owl nesting boxes, in their yards, within view of their windows or porches. In the wild, screech owls nest in abandoned holes created by woodpeckers for example. Before I get a nesting box, I need to use “Merlin” to see if I already have owls in my yard, or vicinity. There might just be a natural "house" in my wooded acreage. “Birders” are a pretty great bunch of people. A friend was invited for a cocktail at the home of a neighbor who had a “screech owl” nesting box in a palm tree outside the porch. Yes, lively Key Largo nightlife…sipping on a drink while listing to the “HOO”. She later found an appropriate spot in her own yard, where she could enjoy the owls, who came year after year thereafter, until hurricane Irma tore the house down. Have you ever heard someone say they never see any birds in their yards? Or maybe they do not know where to start looking for birds. The answer is, look in your backyard. Ask yourself, what does a migrating bird or even a local bird, have to eat in your yard? Do you have any native plants? With development and habitat loss, there are increasing pressures on wildlife. If everybody just planted one native plant, that's a start. In a suburban jungle one native tree may be fruiting, while in another there is pollen and nectar attracting bugs and caterpillars. That is what they need to eat. It's like you going to the store and there is only cat food there. What are you going to eat? Birds need fresh water, and cover too, so they may hide from predators. Owls can be a great source for natural pest control and it is free. No pesticide service or poison filled plastic boxes needed! Screech owls feed on all sorts of bugs, cockroaches, lizards, beetles, moths and rodents. Whatever they can see, catch in the air or pounce on is fair game. Spraying for bugs eliminates a food source. Owls can also be threatened by pest control of the another kind… rat traps containing poison are a huge problem. The rat entering the box does not just eat the poison and die there, they eat the poison, then leave the trap, to slowly die from the effects wherever they wander off to. Unfortunately for the birds of prey such as the owl, or the hawk, that same poison does not discriminate between the rat, and the bird that just ate the rat. For all of us, birds alert us to seasonal shifts like migration, teach us about communication, and the cycle of life through behaviors like predation, mating and nesting. Screech owls mate in late fall, and you can hear their noises. The baby owlets emerge from the nesting boxes in April or early May. Nature is the Law. It makes me want to get up early in the morning and keep going. The ecosystem is provided free of charge, no accessories required. And the benefits are lower rates of anxiety, depression and stress.
On the way to her boat in the marina, my friend Denise and I we were stopped in our tracks by a large white bird standing motionless on the dock as it scanned for prey. It seemed un-phased by our approach. Even my movements to remove my camera from the bag did not ruffle it's feathers. The bird was watching us, since its eyes are on the side of its head, but also far enough forward, to peer into the water. When Denise began singing I was sure the bird would depart; she defended her actions by declaring “Do you know of any singing predators?” Despite the glare, the surface motion, the mix of seagrass and plastic on the water's surface, the bird knew that two feet below it's perch on the floating dock there were fish. Herons have binocular vision that gives them excellent depth perception, and their eyesight is about three times more detailed than that of man. Their visual field covers 180 degrees in the vertical; a bird standing with its bill horizontal can see fish swimming near its feet. Their stealthy, quick reactions and spear-like bill rewards them with fish which are swallowed whole. This familiar “crane”, which I later identified as the white form of the Great Blue Heron, known as the Great White Heron, or as the “experts” say “White Morph Blue”, is America's largest heron, measuring 46”, and is found along the coasts of southern Florida, the Yucatan Peninsula, and in the Caribbean. The other large white wading bird we see in the Keys is the Great Egret. It has a slightly smaller bill and always has black legs compared to the typical yellow/greenish/pink legs on the white morph blue. At distance with a scope the legs are the best field mark. There are Great Blue Herons in the Keys, and their range extends from Canada south to Mexico and Florida, and even as far as the Galapagos Islands. They are sometimes overlooked simply because they are not as conspicuous as the whites. There is another even less common form of heron, the Wurdemann morph. It’s also known as the intermediate morph where the dark and white forms overlap in Florida, They have the body of a Great Blue Heron, but the white head and neck of the Great White Heron. Many Great Blue Herons have lost their fear of humans, walking on lawns and expecting castoffs from fishermen. Fisherman should make sure they stay clear of the heron’s piercing bill, as well as be responsible for securing their fishing gear, lines, hooks, and lead sinkers. Injuries due to fishing line entanglement are very common in wild bird populations. as birds can get tangled up in that junk while wading and foraging. Broken wings, poisoning, electrical wires, and bald eagles can also cause injuries or death to these birds. So much so, that wildlife rehabilitation emerged as a profession in the late 1980’s. These organizations are made up of professionals, but most rehabbers are volunteers. Laura Quinn, the “Bird Lady” who founded the Wild Bird Center in Tavernier, is seen in these photos taken in 2009, along with philanthropists Barbara and Bob Gintel, releasing a Great White Heron on the edge of the mangroves in N. Key Largo. According to their website, “Our past, present, and future are the direct result of one woman embracing her passion and caring for the environment and wildlife in the Florida Keys.” As human populations grow and more wild habitat is lost, it becomes increasingly difficult to find adequate release sites.
Singing predators? My friend Denise is correct in her theory that man is not a concern for a direct assault, unless in the rare case some idiot decides to shoot a bird. It is the unintended consequences of our actions that pose a threat, Consider the wedding event hosted on a spit of land, formerly mangrove habitat, surrounded by water on three sides. The sounds of singing, and music fill the air, drowning out the bird’s ability to hear a potential predator, and at the same time plastic utensils and wrappers, cups and party balloons are dancing into the sea. Reality check: the plastic junk floating in the water does not come from offshore; it comes directly from the island we live on. Wildlife rehabilitators know the health of our wildlife is a barometer on the health of the environment. Policy makers as well as merry makers, need to consider how their actions may impact wildlife, including pollution of the environment and habitat loss. If you need to report an injured bird in the Upper Keys, 24/7 BIRDGENCY-ONLY HOTLINE (305) 852 - 4486 ext. 1 |
CAROL ELLIS
This photographic website provides me the opportunity for self-expression, for sharing Archives
February 2024
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