Fall migrations in full swing Chad Gillis, cgillis@news-press October 31, The Germans call it zugunruhe — the insatiable urge to travel with seasonal changes. The word is typically used to describe birds, particularly those that fly in search of warmer conditions, better food sources or breeding grounds. Changing seasons in South Florida causes quite a bit of zugunruhe — from female loggerhead sea turtles leaving the Gulf of Mexico to the 25,000 sandhill cranes arriving from the Great Lakes. More seasonal visitors also means more chances of a wildlife encounter with alligators or panthers. Traffic is always a concern with panthers, and this year is no different as 18 have died from vehicle accidents — one shy of the state record. Throw in the fall mullet run, manatee migration, wood stork nesting season and the arrival of various songbirds and you get a plethora of wildlife viewing opportunities that even National Geographic photographers covet especially with the cooler temperatures and less humidity this weekend. A sandhill crane sits on a nest amongst native spikerush A sandhill crane sits on a nest amongst native spikerush and pickerel weed on Lake Trafford, Monday April, 22, 2013. The lake died in the mid 1990s due to invasive algal blooms. Restoration and water quality monitoring is ongoing.(Photo: Andrew West/news-press) Sandhill crane Cranes are some of the most majestic birds in North America. Two subspecies are found in Florida starting in late October or early November. Year-round, or common sandhill cranes, number 4,000 to 5,000, and they are joined each year by 25,000 or so great sandhill cranes, which nest in the Great Lakes during the summer. One thing that really stands out is the prehistoric-sounding call they have, said Craig Faulhaber with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Youll often hear that call when theyre feeding or flying over. Faulhaber said the greater sandhill crane is the subspecies most often seen during the winter, due mostly to the sheer volume of Great Lakes cranes that winter here. Year-round cranes also nest starting in winter, but the greater subspecies nests near lakes of the Midwest in the summer. American alligator Alligators become nearly catatonic at times because of their metabolism, which is regulated by the sun. Active, spirited and hungry during the summer, alligators feed heavy in the fall. The mating season is over with, and the young ones have hatched, said Jesse Kennon, owner of Coopertown airboats. Theyll try and lay up in the sun as much as possible. He said alligators are still more active during the night than during day hours, even during the winter. Right now theyre moving quite a bit because its cooling down, and they realize that so theyre trying to feed more, Kennon said. But they still move at night time (during the winter), and theyll move to the shallows — where the water will be warmer. Winter also coincides with the dry season, and shrinking water levels will force alligators to congregate in shrinking lakes and ponds — which makes for easier alligator observing. A pair of male painted buntings feed on bird seed that A pair of male painted buntings feed on bird seed that has fallen from a bird feeder at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Andrew West/The News-Press A pair of male painted buntings feed on bird seed that has fallen from a bird feeder at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Friday 2/3/2012.(Photo: Andrew West/News-Press) Migratory birds South Florida is home to hundreds of bird species — from tiny piping plovers nesting on local beaches to the magnificent wood stork. Biologists have documented about 350 species just inside Everglades National Park. Some species come here for the winter, while others are moving further south. Some migratory birds arent all that pretty either — like the red-headed turkey vulture. Fall migration is often slow, late and builds up over time, said Jerry Jackson, a bird expert and Florida Gulf Coast University professor. Migrant turkey vultures are slowly arriving right now, but will continue to show up over the next few weeks. Birds like the American robin and killdeer arrive later in the year, Jackson said. Those species, he said, can often be tracked by watching snow patterns and levels in northern states. As the snow blankets the food sources, these birds head south for the winter. The same kind of pattern is typical of American goldfinches and fruiting eating birds — they will stay farther north as long as food is available and often slowly make their way here, Jackson said. Species leaving the region include, among others, swallow-tailed kites and some purple martins. A Florida panther A Florida panther(Photo: news-press file photo) Florida panther Panthers were almost lost to extinction in the 1990s but now there about 180 roaming South Florida. They dont pack on pounds like black bears, but they do tend to hunt for longer hours in the morning during winter, said Mark Lotz, a panther biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They tend to be active for longer periods after sunrise, when its cool out, Lotz said. In the summer time its so hot, they lay down quickly. They sneak away to the hammocks and shady areas and settle down pretty early. The big cats breed year-round, although most kittens are born in late spring, according to FWC records. Kittens will stay with their mothers for about two years before searching out their own territories. A manatee A manatee(Photo: news-press file photo) Manatee Gulf of Mexico water temperatures have been hovering around 75 degrees. Cold fronts will cause water temperatures to drop to 60 degrees or lower — which is too cold for sub-tropical animals like manatees. When water drops to upper 60s, they need to be close to warm water for periods so they can warm up, said Scott Calleson with FWC. When it gets cold they stay in those areas for days and wont feed. But they still have to go out feed at some point. And that varies with the individual and how long theyve been holed up in a particular area. Manatees roam coastal areas across the state during the summer. Cold spells in the winter send them inland, to warm-water refuges like the Florida Power & Light plant on the Orange River east of Fort Myers. Callesson said some manatees are more tolerant of cold than others. Eventually, though, all will have to seek out warm water or face health issues that stem from cold-stress, including death. Were probably still on the warm end of things, Calleson said. We havent yet seen a change to winter behaviors yet. PLACES TO GO • Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest: 6265 County Road 832. Information: 863-612-0776. • Everglades National Park: Everglades City, Flamingo and Shark River Valley entrance along Tamiami Trail. Information: 305-242-7700. • Harnes Marsh Preserve: Near Veterans Park in Lehigh Acres. Information: 239-386-0044. • Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park: 137 Coastline Drive, Copeland. Information: 239-695-4593 • Manatee Park: 3410 Palm Beach Blvd., Fort Myers. Information: 239-690-5030 news-press/story/life/outdoors/2014/10/31/fall-migrations-full-swing/18284339/
Posted on: Sat, 01 Nov 2014 10:39:49 +0000
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