 Great Blue Herons can sometimes be overlooked simply because they are not as conspicuous as the whites 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.  My photo of a White Morph Blue in mating plumage (with ruby red legs and green lore) was taken as the bird stood upright, with its beak pointing straight, staring into the water. 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.  Blue and white forms overlap in Florida with this morph.  Wurdemann’s Morph and White Morph Blue side by side comparison  These "nesters" were on an offshore small island very close to Big Pine Key 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
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In the late 1880s and early 1900s, crocodiles were hunted to near extinction for their hides to satisfy the demand for purses, wallets, shoes, and belts. There were sportsmen drawn to the excitement of the chase, A live crocodile captured in the coastal mangrove forests of the Upper Keys. would be strapped to an open boat, and transported to Planter, where the reptile could be shipped to Key West to connect with a steamer to New York, and would end up on exhibit in the New York Zoo.  In the late 1880s and early 1900s, the species was hunted for its hide and for sport. In 1901 Florida passed a bird protection act and Dade County passed a wildlife protection act, prohibiting the killing, capturing or shooting of deer, crocodile, and any wild bird. The camera became the only method for legally capturing these creatures. A photograph taken in 1900 depicts a crocodile or an alligator enjoying the primarily fresh water of the Miami Rapids. This was a popular spot for family picnics at the turn of the 20th century. In 1909, the Everglades Drainage District dynamited the rapids to make way for draining the Everglades.  Shown here a crocodile or an alligator enjoying the primarily fresh water Miami Rapids. In the late 1930s as people moved into South Florida, the croc’s coastal mangrove habitat was further reduced by development and roadkills due to increased motor vehicle traffic. My parents were transplanted New Yorkers who discovered Ft. Lauderdale in the 1950s. Our family was typical mid-century modern adventurers; on weekends we’d pile in the family car, and take a “safari” to the nearby "lands" and “jungles,” the so called wildlife theme parks, housing monkeys, and parrots, reptiles and sea creatures… lions, tigers and bears oh my! A Miami “Jungle Cruise” brochure circa 1950, describes “after leaving the Musa Isle Seminole Indian Village, we view the State Drainage Canal, one of the five great waterways that drain the Everglades.” If you ever took an airboat ride in the Everglades, chances are at some point you would have been in the ditch, one of the man-made canals intended for draining the swamp.  Large numbers of the crocodiles were collected for exhibition. By the 1960’s, developers began buying up the coastal mangrove and adjacent uplands in North Key Largo. They dredged the mangroves and piled the spoils to create waterfront homesites and marinas. In 1975, with numbers reduced to only two or three hundred individuals, the crocodile was placed on the endangered species list. Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Preserve was established in 1980. Ironically development, responsible for destroying historical crocodile nesting sites, in some ways made it more hospitable for them. The crocodile has adapted, Several hundred crocodiles are thriving in the 168-miles of man-made canals surrounding the Turkey Point nuclear plant. They look for areas to lay nests that are adjacent to the waters edge, but also high enough in elevation they don't flood. They don’t spend much time on land; only to nest or to bask in the sun.  This postcard shows a crocodile nesting in its natural habitat. Their coastal habitat was reduced due to development. The Keys attract those who come in search of a new beginning or perhaps a meaningful overnight relationship. Northerners come to escape the harsh winters, and find themselves in paradise, lounging under a tiki, on their perfect man-made beach, margarita in hand… or some other “Croc-tail”? Can you blame the crocodile for wanting to try to nest in someone's perfect beach they've created?   There were many wildlife experiences close by the growing populations of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. There is tremendous turnover of population in our area, Landmark birthdays cause some to ponder life, and what’s been missing, so many come to the Keys to go fishing. Unfortunately this newbie angler catches his limit of mahi every day, cleans them and throws the scraps into the canal, and all of a sudden a crocodile shows up. The croc’s diet consists of primarily seafood. The scraps from the fishing station, which drains directly into the water, eventually disperses throughout the canal, to the vicinity of a neighbor who likes to swim in the canal, who gets upset and calls the FWC to have the crocodile removed. The crocodile, who is territorial, is relocated, only to eventually return to the same spot a short time later.   There are now about 2,000 American Crocodiles living in South Florida, perhaps more than ever existed here prior to their discovery. The amount of wild lands is shrinking ever so much every year, so there is not as much wild land out there for these crocodiles to live on. The clear message is we share this neighborhood. So if you are doing an action that upsets your neighbors, both humans and wildlife, maybe you shouldn't do it.  You can imagine a crocodile sitting on the bottom, with their mouth open, and snapping at mullet going by.  Never smile at a crocodile. No, you can’t get friendly with a crocodile. Don’t be taken in by his welcome grin. He’s imagining how well you’d fit within his skin. Captain Hook from Peter Pan.  A natural honeybee hive, nestled on a sturdy limb thirty feet up in a gumbo limbo tree. It was a beginning to a wonderful day, as I looked up and discovered a natural honeybee hive, nestled on a sturdy limb thirty feet up in a gumbo limbo tree. Hundreds of honeybees were thriving on the abundant resources of nectar, pollen, water and sunlight found in my Florida friendly yard. Upon sharing the news with my husband Ted, as he sat sipping his honey sweetened cappuccino, he urged me to get the bees out of the tree so they’ll be safe, as the limb supporting their growing nest may break. If you were the proverbial “fly” or “bee” on the wall, this is how the conversation went: Make the bees safe? How would that would work? He replied, "You put a box on the ground and the bees go in it." “Really… to get bees, you need a queen... where would you get the queen? "From the hive in the tree," he says.  Bees are important ... it goes without saying. Without bees there are no flowers to grace your dining table, no plants to eat. Silly me. I thought, how could it be that bees, who have survived in the wild for millions of years, all of a sudden need my assistance to live? I thought this was capitalizing on the bees rather than saving them, so I rejected that idea, and the bees continued to grow their hive. Then one clear September morning, I awoke to the sound of the mosquito control helicopter. Outside I found the honeybees were dying from the spray. I cried as I watched with awe as the bees were slowly dying due to the ignorance of people who should be preventing this type of carelessness. There must be a better way to control the mosquito population without indiscriminately blanketing everything with poison.  Their hive rebounded after mosquito spraying, only to get whacked by hurricane Ian’s winds, which caused several “chambers” to fall to the ground.  Somehow I had an easier time reconciling the loss of bees from this natural disaster, than to the pesticide spraying event weeks earlier.  More bees died and the larvae contained within perished soon after. That’s when I learned that the only way you can protect a hive is by covering it in advance of the spray with a wet sheet. The bees encounter the wet sheet, think it is raining, and stay inside. But since the hive was high up, the sheet method was not practical. I devised a plan for saving the bees by creating a little artificial rain shower over their hive by using my garden hose. The next spraying event we had better results. Rather than a hundred plus bees dying, the casualties were reduced to a couple dozen dead bees. Bees are important ... it goes without saying. Without bees there are no flowers to grace your dining table, no plants to eat. What is happening here? If I called a beekeeper to move the bees, who would pollinate the vegetables and flowers in my garden? Crazy mixed up world where you have some “men” protecting nature from the actions of other “men”. The bees do need our help to survive. Beekeepers, "keep" the bees for their honey, pollen and wax and in return, cover the beehives during spray events.  I suited up with beekeepers hat, dense head and shoulder mesh, long sleeves and jeans, I was advised to walk very slowly and make no sudden movements, and the bees would pay no attention to me, all the while we were stealing their honey. Life is Tough. I found this out in 1988 when I spent a day with beekeepers Lois and Sid Tough who kept their hives behind the thick green walls of foliage lining old Card Sound Road in N. Key Largo. Tough kept his hives locally year round, at sites with names like “The Refrigerator” or “Broken Tree”, referring to landmarks in the area. He followed the blooms of the Keys mangroves, the Everglades palmetto, Florida holly and the Homestead farm crops and avocado groves. Tough moved his bees to different locations on Mondays, removed honey filled hives on Saturdays, and extracted the honey on Sundays, all while working five days a week at a Miami boat yard.  Lois and Sid Tough who kept their hives behind the thick green walls of foliage lining old Card Sound Road in N. Key Largo Taking life in stride is part of “Tough’s Law”, which states that some days working is hard and other days it’s even harder. Tell that to the bees in my yard. Their hive rebounded after mosquito spraying, only to get whacked by hurricane Ian’s winds, which caused several “chambers” to fall to the ground. More bees died and the larvae contained within perished soon after. Somehow I had an easier time reconciling the loss of bees from this natural disaster, than to the pesticide spraying event weeks earlier.  Taking life in stride is part of “Tough’s Law”, which states that some days working is hard and other days it’s even harder. The Queen Lives!! At least in my bee hive in the Northernmost Territory of the Conch Republic. Thanks to Nelson Gordy whose passion for bees and the hobby of beekeeping is helping the likes of me and others who find themselves “keepers” of bees with great education and removal services.
Though I probably will not become an official “beekeeper”, I do hope the queen and her hive remain happy and thriving in my Florida friendly yard. |
CAROL ELLIS
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March 2023
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