Revival of Pond Plants and Ecosystem Post-Hurricane Ian – Part Two

The plants of pond #47 are slowly recovering after hurricane Ian. This is part two of a three part series describing the slow recovery of the artificial pond that was created as part of a community wide system. Be sure to read part one of this series. The ten foot high storm surge from hurricane Ian brought seawater with its salt content and fish and other marine life. Because salt water is heavier than fresh water it sank to the bottom of the pond displacing a substantial portion of the fresh water. The ocean water is toxic to the fresh water species because it dehydrates the cells of salt intolerant plants and animals. This has been recovered by the inflow of fresh ground water and water filtered by community supplier. Now the water has a very low percentage of salt. My refractometric test for salinity tested on 5/1/2024 shows a near normal specific density of 1.002. We will discuss this in the next posting describing pond geochemistry.

The pond is surrounded by grassy lawns which are tended by the gardeners and home owners. At the water’s edge soil retaining mesh and plants have been added to prevent erosion. Most of these plants were thought to have been lost from toxic levels of salt. In the intervening two years they have begun to make a strong come back. They hold the soil, provide shelter for the marine animals and a feeding ground for the wading birds. Look at the previous post to see the birds feeding in grass and reed areas of the pond.

Pond plants

Net casting in pond to capture fish sample. This photo also shows round bright areas where Tilapia fish made nests

Soil retaining mesh submerged can be seen here. This was placed before the storm as part of the pond remediation.

Aquatic plant species used to reduce soil erosion.

Long view of pond looking from southeast to northwest.

Lance leaf Arrowhead, (*Sagittaria lancifolia*), Native, AKA Duck Potato.

Needle rush (*Juncus roemerianus*), Native

Horsetail spike rush *(Eleocharis equisetoides*) Native

Lawn, grass, Live Oak trees with marsh rushes and tubers surround the pond. They stabilize the soil and provide shelter and food as the basis of the ecosystem pyramid. It is only recently that the survivability of this plants was confirmed. Presence of these plants supports the concept of corner stone species. Without these plants the insects would not lay eggs. The fish would not feed on the insect larvae. The birds would not feed on the fish. This is further reflection of the eutrophic quality of the pond system.

Perhaps you have seen similar recoveries. Recall the experiences of the recovery of the Fulda river in Germany. Let’s hear about your experience! If you wish to contribute to the discussion please use the comment box.

The third of the three related postings on this pond will appear soon. It will describe the hydrochemistry and the micro aquatic inhabitants. Be sure to subscribe to follow along.

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#Pond recovery #ocean water #Lance leaf Arrowhead #Needle rush #Horsetail spike rush #cornerstone species #

June 10, 2024

Cooperation of Wildlife and People: Bonita Bay Pond #47’s Ecological Success – Part #1

This is a story of cooperation among people and wildlife in the Bonita Bay community. This description is divided into three postings including the macro biology, micro biology and geochemistry. Pond #47 is in my backyard. The freshwater pond was inundated by sea water to a depth of 10.3 feet above MSL. The flood was a climatic challenge to the entire four square mile community property including all 64 retention ponds. The good news is that recovery is well on the way to near normal conditions.

This first of three postings shows the macro biologic content of the pond. This small body of water is in the Bonita Bay residential community in the city of Bonita Springs, Florida. It was artificially constructed nearly 40 years ago as part of a larger hydraulic system intended to manage the surface water of the community property. The property is bounded by Spring Creek to the north, Imperial River to the south, Bonita Bay to the west and highway 41 to the east. There are five animal phyla represented here and they are all thriving. There are also four plant phyla.

The featured picture is one of hundreds of halloween pennant dragonflies that were so full of beautiful color. I had to share it with all of you.

Fish:

Net casting was done to collect fish samples and to check the varieties. It shows the net hitting the water, the clarity and depth, and the light-colored ring patterns in the water are spawning nests created by resident tilapia in the sandy bottom. Other techniques included fly casting and spin casting with artificial bait. Six fish species were caught from the Anchorage Pond #47. They included Mayan Cichlid, Blue Gill, Tilapia, Largemouth Bass, and Snook. Numerous minnows were seen but not caught. Neighbors who regularly fish the pond suggest that there are more Tilapia and fewer Snook since the Ian hurricane.

Mayan Cichlid (*Mayaheros urophthalmus*) (invasive)

Snook (*Centropomus undecimalis*) (Non-native)

Reptiles:

Alligators and turtles live easily in the pond. The alligator population is variable and although it usually has one. During mating season there were at least two. The turtle population is greater than the alligators and from observation there are always at least four swimming near the surface. During the day these reptiles and crawl out of the ponds to lie on the banks.

Marine Crustaceans:

One marine crustacean type was found. Three Blue crabs were found in the water along the shore. These were probably brought in by the hurricane.

Blue crab (female), *(Callinectes sapidus*)

Birds:

The number and species of wading birds is highly dependent upon season and weather. The birds may select those areas of the shoreline which are favorable to their food and which may be protected from predators by alligators. Here are some of the birds in the shore line vegetation hunting and eating with the alligator in their midst. The osprey was standing quietly watching from the close by tree. These birds were seen in March/April. The birds included Great Blue Herron, white and tricolored Herron, Ibis, ducks, Wood Stories, Anhinga, and Osprey.

American Osprey (*Pandion haliaetus*) waiting in tree

Insects:

The most obvious insect which could be attributed to the pond were standing or feeding on the pound shore line. The dragonflies observed were exclusively the Halloween Pennants and were in the hundreds. The White Peacock butterflies were flying about in small groups or pairs just on shore near the grass.

Halloween Pennant Dragonfly, (*Celithemis eponina*)

White Peacock butterfly (*Anartia jatrophae*)

The diversity of the wild life supports the eutrophic designation of the pond. Further examples of this follow in the next two presentations. They include the plants and the microflora with geochemistry. Be sure to see them too!

This story is similar to the previous posting on a river restoration project found in Fulda, Germany.

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#Pond #Recovery #fish #insects #crustaceans # dragonfly # butterfly # turtle # Herron # Mayan Cichlid #Snook # Blue gill #bass #Osprey #White Peacock #alligator

June 8, 2024

Raptors Observed While Exploring SW Florida Preserves

While exploring six SW Florida preserved areas, the osprey, forest hawks, eagles, vultures, and owls were readily observed.

The featured image is a vulture. Bcause of its scavenging behavior most people don’t think of it as a raptor. I saw this one in full pursuit flight along the shoreline hummock of the Delnor Wiggins-pass park.

Most birds are generally carnivores. They prey on animals. As insectivores they feed on soft, small insects in their various developmental stages. Some feed on small non insect animals. Raptors however are exceptional, carnivorous predatory, hunters. Their target prey are other vertebrates. Powerful, skillful, and relentlessly hunting, they are specifically designed for their task. All raptors have hooked beaks, sharp talons, large acutely sensitive eyes and bodies aerodynamically designed for power and speed. Some specialize in aquatic species such as fish and others can feed on other birds and mammals which can be equal or greater than their size and weight.

EAGLES:

This mated pair of eagles were attending to their two chicks high in a slash pine nest. in the CREW preserve near the northern entrance

They are highly regarded by many people as exemplified by the US and Florida whose legislatures selected the Eagle as their State bird; athletic teams such as the falcons, eagles; hawks military equipment such as eagles, osprey, hawks, raptors.

HAWK:

This hawk was readily available and posed perfectly perched on the branch. Its nest was high in a Cyprus tree about 150 meters away from my location. It is predictably found in the same area of corkscrew swamp in the spring. It hunts readily flying through the forested area where it is difficult to follow with a camera and difficult to separate from the foliage.

Owl:

These two owls were such a surprise to find. The Great Horned owl was perched in a tree in the twilight and difficult to see however as it called out I wandered through the brush until I spotted it. it was quite dark. With auto focusing on the camera and photoshop used to brighten the exposure you can see what I found.

The screech owl was sitting in a bird box someone had thoughtfully placed along a trail. It was in full daylight that I saw its head in the opening of the shelter. As I moved side to side it watched me despite its nearly closes eyes.

Eastern Screech owl in nest box (*Megascops asio*)

These birds are always on the hunt for anything edible. They are opportunistic feeders on small animals and roadkill.

OSPREY:

One of my favorite birds, the osprey is endlessly fascinating to watch. This nest was in a high tree adjacent to the stream on the southern edge of the Estero Bay State Preserve. It was the only bird which I saw during the hours spent in the southern end of the preserve. It was working the river for fish. After it catches its prey, it sits in a tree with the catch pinned under one foot and munches through its meal

Fresh catch in its talons this osprey was flying on the way from the stream to its perch for a mid day lunch.

The raptors were the most constant species of birds found in all the sites. Perhaps this is because they are large, have a wide range territory for hunting, and were seasonally present during daylight hours. Regardless of these parameters they were thrilling to see. One could spend hours simply watching and studying their behavior. They inspire streams of contrary images; graceful but powerful, swift but accurate, savage but caring, camouflaged but beautiful, rapacious but selective. Hopefully we will capture videos of each of the species and present them later. We will spend more time on these birds in later posts.

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#eagle #owl #hawk #osprey # raptor

March 25, 2024

Feathered Friends Found on Our Tour of SWFL Preserves

We had an opportunity to explore three distinctly different areas in Southwest Florida. Discussion of these focused on upland systems that ranged from the interior of the Everglades to the Gulf of Mexico costal planes. The earlier posts described the geography and associated plants. Animals were also found. Here are some of the feathered vertebrate species: Avians. The animal classification will follow the previously posted bird Clades. The important lesson learned here is animals predate on each other and share the environment by mutual specialization. We will discuss the significance of this concept after we have a chance to see the animals. There are some general observations which may be time or seasonal related conditions. During exploration of the various locations the song birds were less frequently found in the flatwoods. Additionally, the waterfowl were never found in the pine or scrubby flatwoods. The raptors were found in all explored areas.

The featured image is a nesting American Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) with chick. This very large nest is in a hardwood, upland Slash pine near a creek.

THE BIRDS:

There were three types of birds which I photographed. All of them are wonderous in their appearance, behavior, songs, and interactions with their surroundings. To really appreciate them you must go into the field, be patient, watch and listen. I could not photograph all I saw and this is not an encyclopedia of all that are present. The following posts are an opportunity to show what to expect to see when you are there. They will have more selected photographs of some of these magnificent animals.

Waterfowl:

Including: Spoonbill, Storks, Egret, Herron, Anhinga, Duck and others

This pair of Wood Storks were feeding deep in a swamp

Raptors:

Including: Hawk, Eagle, Falcon, Osprey, Owl and others

Red Shouldered Hawk has a nest in a hard wood upland portion of Corkscrew Swamp.

Songbirds:

Including: Cat bird, Cardinal, Blue Jay, Finch, Warbler and others.

Black and White Warbler eating insects found under Cyprus bark in Corkscrew Swamp

Some birds were out of range of the telephoto lens, some were covered by foliage, some were too fast or not in focus and some were not to be found because of seasonal changes. I did my best but we are not done. Further exploration will provide an opportunity to see more, enjoy the spectacle and photograph the events.

References:

Wood Stork

Red shouldered hawk

Black and White Striped Warbler

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#Florida birds #birds

March 16, 2024

Costal Wetlands Ecosystems of SWFL. Part 3, Shore Birds

In a two-hour walk along the southern coast of Fort Myers Beach hundreds of birds were readily observed. The photos show just a few of the birds present and this posting doesn’t really capture a full catalogue of all of the possible birds in this group. These observations were made from 8:15 to 9:30 AM. The area is not restored after the Hurricane Ian floods. The shore was relatively flat with the sea and as I was leaving the waters were rising with the tide. Except for the Osprey, the birds in this posting belong to the Aequornitornathes as discussed in our post on Calling Birds by Clades. Shore birds seem to be a frequently undervalued group. This is somewhat understandable because they are relatively small, fast flying, limited in chroma, difficult to access and seasonal.

26.405637, -81.896622

The GPS location for these observations.

Some of the birds found in this area are at risk and some are endangered. This is a State and the Audubon Society designated sanctuary. Others birds are routinely found throughout the shore area. This is nesting, mating and hatching time for these birds and large areas are marked off-limits to all to prevent damage to the nests, eggs and mating behaviors of the birds. The photos were all made from outside of these restricted areas.

The title photo is a flock of Black Skimmers roosting on the 10 to 12 inch high dune about 200 meters from the shore line using the 400 mm lens. This is fairly representative of the terrain and accessibility for observation. All of the birds were very busy in their mating and nesting behaviors. Nearby there are numerous empty multistory condominium buildings ruined by the storm. Additionally there is considerable construction work on those damaged sites.

Black Skimmer *Rynchops niger,* scavenging along the shore

Ruddy Turnstone *Arenaria interpres* along the shore

American Oystercatcher at work along the shore

American Oystercatcher *Haematopus palliatus*

Osprey, carrying fish captured from the Gulf of Mexico, flying to its nest on a perch on Fort Meyers Beach tree line.

Summary:

Nine bird species were identified. Here are a few important lessons to be learned from this first trip. The area is a State protected site and you cannot approach the birds closer than 100 meters. Available birds are seasonal and their activity is somewhat predictable. The birds listed here usually flock in species. The food resource comes from the sea. They mate, nest, lay eggs and hatch on the beach during spring season. For better images some combination of extra effort should be applied. This includes: patience and better understanding of the bird behaviors, more stealth and closer approach if allowed by the Audubon Bird Naturalist who is on site daily. Use a lens with focal length greater than 400 mm and a tripod.

These small shore birds are generally at risk for flock survival. Some are endangered, some are threatened. As you would expect the usual culprits are warming, environmental squeeze*, loss of habitat, and a relatively new threat. The recent increased threat is an avian viral infection N1H1 which has globally decimated the poultry and wild bird population. This variant of H1N1 is highly contagious and the domesticated populations together with the wild populations have cross contaminated one another. This cross contamination makes the control of the disease extremely difficult because the wild group is an untreatable reservoir. The hope is that, in the wild population, the disease will burn itself out by killing the susceptible animals while the resistant survivors repopulate the species. With small populations such as the snowy plover, this may result in their extinction. The domesticated population must be kept highly quarantined and a vaccination needs to be developed and deployed. Bird flu may jump species to other farm animals and to humans.

* Environmental squeeze is the loss of beach habitat from human encroachment and rising water.

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#Osprey #Plover #Sand Piper #Tern #Turnstone #Skimmer #Oystercatcher #environmental squeeze #avian flu #H1N1

May 20, 2023

Category: birds

Revival of Pond Plants and Ecosystem Post-Hurricane Ian – Part Two

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Cooperation of Wildlife and People: Bonita Bay Pond #47’s Ecological Success – Part #1

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Raptors Observed While Exploring SW Florida Preserves

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Feathered Friends Found on Our Tour of SWFL Preserves

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Costal Wetlands Ecosystems of SWFL. Part 3, Shore Birds

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