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Wildlife on Florida’s East Coast – Part 1

Wildlife on Florida’s East Coast – Part 1

Florida Sandhill Cranes at Orlando Wetlands

This is Part 1 of a report on the photography along Florida’s East Coast.

The last two weeks of February I flew to the East Coast of Florida to scout for a future photo workshop in March of 2021 or 2022.  In the past, I have conducted several workshops in Florida but on the west coast and in the Florida Everglades.  This time, I spent 12 days visiting 18 locations along the east coast from St. Augustine to Boca Raton.  Sites included wildlife refuges, state parks, zoos, gardens, and wastewater reclamation wetlands.  I spent the majority of time at locations where wildlife was abundant and accessible.  At other sites, I limited my visit to just enough time to evaluate the area for inclusion in a workshop.
 
Because of my busy lecture schedule, my visit was limited to late February.  Even though it is a month earlier than I plan to offer a workshop, wintering birds were present and nesting was beginning. Breeding birds were carrying sticks, constructing nests, fighting over territory, mating, and displaying.  Many wading birds displayed nuptial plumes and the color changes that come with breeding.  In a few nests, chicks were present. In late March and early April, heron rookeries are much more active with screeching, hungry chicks and parents busy feeding in order to care for their young.

Sandhill Crane Feeding in field. Orlando Wetlands.

Snowy egret photographed at Orlando Wetlands

Snowy egret photographed at Orlando Wetlands

Two sites covered by this newsletter are Orlando Wetlands and Blue Heron Water Reclamation Facility and Wetland Area.  These are natural and man-made wetlands fed by reclaimed wastewater, creating an environment beneficial to wildlife.  Both are within a short drive from Titusville. Florida has a number of these sites with some open to visitation by birders and photographers and others are closed to the public.  Some encourage visitation with boardwalks for easy access and viewing of wildlife.  Several have bird rookeries within their boundaries. 

Limpkin with snail at Orlando Wetlands.

 
What is reclaimed waste water?  It is raw wastewater that has passed through a sewage treatment plant to remove solids, toxic contaminants, and some nutrients.  To kill pathogens, the waste is treated with chorine which dissipates before entering the wetlands.  This “reclaimed,” non-potable water is sometimes discharged into waterways or dedicated to uses like watering lawns and other purposes, but not as drinking water.    However, in some cases when discharged to waterways, the nutrient loading may be high enough to create choking algal blooms which can lower oxygen levels as the algae dies and is decomposed by bacteria.   Low dissolved oxygen in waterways can produce “dead zones” where aquatic animals cannot live.  On the other hand, when discharged into man-made or natural wetlands, the marsh plants take up the phosphorous and nitrogen and flourish, creating environments suitable for wildlife.  For sites using wetland treatment of waste, they are proactively managed and the water tested.  Their condition is monitored to benefit flora, fauna, and biochemical processes.  In simple terms, at both Orlando and Blue Heron Wetlands, sections of natural or man-made marsh populated with native aquatic plants are impounded and surrounded by dikes with provisions for adjusting the water level as needed.  Wetland plants support large populations of tiny aquatic organisms that form the basis of a food chain that supports higher organisms.  This rich supply of food acts as a magnet attracting wildlife. In addition, wetlands provide shelter and nesting habitat for birds and serve as a nursery for aquatic organisms.  

Double-crested Cormorant at Blue Heron Wetlands Facility

In the case of Orlando Wetlands, you can walk along the extensive series of dike roads. At certain times, you can take a tram tour of the facility. In the case of Blue Heron Water Reclamation Wetland Area, you must sign-in & out at their administrative office on site. When I was there, you could drive selected dike roads that provided great opportunities for photography with animals at close range and use to human presence. However, for all locations that I mention in this and the following newsletter, you must check current conditions and regulations. 
 
A number of images in this newsletter are labeled with the location where they were taken.  I first visited Orlando Wetlands about a half hour from Titusville.  I walked along the dike roads expecting wildlife to be far away and intolerant of my presences.  I was pleasantly surprised that many animals just ignored me and went about their normal activities. Alligators, limpkins, ibis, egrets, gallinules, and sandhill cranes were within easy camera range for photography.  After conducting several December photo workshops at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge where thousands of sandhill cranes spend their time from mid-November to mid-February, I was surprised to see several cranes feeding in the first field I encountered. These Florida Sandhill Cranes are resident birds that nest in Florida and don’t migrate. They are omnivorous eating seeds, insects, frogs, mice and other organisms abundant in the marsh.  Near Viera Wetlands, I actually saw a crane feeding in someone’s front lawn in the middle of a development. Later I discovered that they can be found on golf courses, parks, and in other public places. 

Wood Stork sitting on branch at Orlando Wetland.

To visit Blue Heron Wetlands on weekends, you must make prior arrangements.  In general many of the locations I visited were closed on certain days of the week.  Those providing early entry for photographers who have purchased photo passes, such as St. Augustine’s Alligator Farm and Gator World’s rookery near Orlando, limit this privilege to certain days of the week or particular months, unfortunate for me February was not included.  It is critical to check each location before visiting for rules, open dates, and conditions.  For example, a favorite of many photographers, Green Cay Wetlands was closed to visitation due to renovations starting in November 2019.  I had visited it several years ago and was impressed with its long boardwalk and large population of nesting birds.

Great Blue Heron at Blue Heron Reclamation Wetlands exposing underside of wings.

In following newsletters, I will cover Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Cape Canaveral National Seashore plus several other areas along Florida’s east coast. The pelican/spoonbill photo at the opening of this newsletter was shot on Merritt Island one morning during my recent visit.

Great Blue Heron resting at Blue Heron Reclamation Facility.

Great Blue Heron at Blue Heron Reclamation Facility.

Red-shouldered Hawk perched in tree on Blue Heron Reclamation Wetland.

Purple Gallinule Feeding ay Blue Heron Reclamation Wetlands walking on vegetation.

Purple Gallinule Feeding ay Blue Heron Reclamation Wetlands.

Tricolor Heron stretching on Merritt Island NWR Subject of next blog.

 

White Pelicans and Spoonbills at Merritt Island NWR.

Pebble Mine and Its Negative Environmental Impact

Pebble Mine and Its Negative Environmental Impact

Pebble Mine and Its Negative Environmental Impact

The following expresses my feelings and concerns about construction and operation of the Pebble Mine in Southeast Alaska and it negative impact on the environment and Bristol Bay ecosystem, spawning sockeye salmon, and the bears of Southeast Alaska.

Bald Eagle in Homer.

The construction of one of the world’s largest open-pit mines will require the building of significant amounts of supporting infrastructure, including roads, a power plant, pipelines, and a port, and the resulting development would have destructive environmental impacts for hundreds of square miles. The disturbance of this pristine area including Mc Neil River State Game Sanctuary and Katmai National Park where coastal brown bears gather each year to feed on salmon is distressing. The application submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers includes a deep-water port at Amakdedori beach and road that stretches across prime bear habitat from near Kokhanok, AK to the shoreline. This proposed road comes within a mile of the McNeil River State Game Refuge boundary and the port facility is within sight of a world class bear viewing destination.

The activity along the road and associated construction and operation of a deep-water port nearby and mine is bound to have a highly detrimental effect on the bears and other wildlife that live in the area. For years the government has exercised great care to protect the bears and provide safe bear-viewing for the public.  This includes minimizing negative interactions between the bears and humans by enforcing rules to avoid harmful encounters.  Activities around the mine and port will certainly undo these efforts.

Brown bear at lower falls of Mc Neil River

Brown bear chasing salmon.

People from all over the world are attracted to Alaska for the possibility of seeing bears and other wildlife roaming free. They spend millions of dollars in Alaska for the opportunity and contribute billions to the economy of Alaska – food, transportation, lodging, tour guides, park fees, etc.

Regarding Mc Neil River, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. I am now 70 and last year I had the privilege of visiting Mc Neil River, after a number of years trying to win the state lottery for the privilege.  It was one of the most incredible experiences I have had in my life.  I am a professional wildlife photographer and nature photo tour leader.  I have been to Africa, Argentina, Iceland, Chile, Newfoundland, the Falkland Islands, Northwest Territory, Churchill Manitoba, Nome, Australia, and New Zealand, so I have been to many premiere natural areas around the world.  But I never experienced a thrill like that of sitting quietly photographing and watching the bears feeding on salmon at the lower falls at Mc Neil, feeling unthreatened with some bears walked by only 12 feet away.

Brown bear standing

Brown Bear Standing in grasses near lower falls of Mc Neil River.

I was horrified when I found out that the Pebble Mine project may be approved.  The largest sockeye salmon run in the world will be disrupted along with the fishery industry in Southeast Alaska.  Equally important, bears and other wildlife (bald eagles, killer whales, other marine animals, etc.) will be adversely effected since they depend on the salmon for survival. Removal of groundwater in order to operate the mine will dry up streams, lakes, and wetlands necessary for salmon eggs, young salmon, and their food source to survive.  No amount of recycling the water supply after waste water cleanup will return the water and waterways to their original state.  The mine with its associated structures is located near a fault, in an area where earth quakes and severe storms with heavy rainfall are possible. Not only will the blasting involved in the mining process disturb wildlife but I question whether it could actually trigger earthquakes.  The acid waste from extracting copper and gold from pulverized ore contains cyanide, toxic metals such as lead, selenium, cadmium, and arsenic, and other contaminants can potentially leach into nearby waterways and lakes.  Efforts to permanently contain this poisonous waste are destined to fail.

 It is not worth damaging Alaska’s natural resources including the fragile Bristol Bay ecosystem and wildlife populations just to benefit developers and foreign investors.  Any perceived economic benefit will be offset by the cost of restoration if there is a mishap during the construction or operation of the mine, deep water port, and any associated activities. Remember the Exxon Valdes oil spill, a tragedy thought to be unimaginable. The damage to the environment was catastrophic and the cost of clean-up was in the billions of dollars. The benefit from the construction of the Pebble Mine is not worth the threat to human population nearby and the incredible ecosystem where salmon spawn and bears roam free.  This pristine region of Southeast Alaska is unique in the world. In addition, Issuing a permit for the construction of the Pebble Mine will open up other areas in the Bristol Bay region and southeast Alaska to mining which will result in farther degradation of the environment and more threats to wildlife.

Brown Bear raising fishing.

Coastal Brown Bear feeding in the waters at the lower falls of Mc Neil River.

What kind of world to you want to leave for your grandchildren?

What Makes America Great are places like Mc Neil River State Game Sanctuary where in July as many as 80 brown bears gather to feed on salmon, where millions of sockeye salmon spawn, and where wildlife thrives on the land and in the waters of Bristol Bay.

I believe that the Pebble Mine Draft Environmental Impact Statement should be resubmitted and replaced with one that is more comprehensive and backed by data that can validated.  This project is huge with many ramifications and the potential of having far-reaching negative on the environmental and the delicate ecosystem of Bristol Bay.  That which it will destroy, cannot be replaced.

See my previous blog on Mc Neil River State Game Sanctuary and Coastal Brown Bears.

Red fox hunting.

Young Red Fox in South East Alaska.

***********

For more info and links on the Pebble Mine  and where you can comment to the Corp of Engineers regarding the project.

Orvis.com/nopebblemine

 

Regarding the Army Corp of Engineers approval of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Pebble Mine you can go to their website.   https://www.pebbleprojecteis.com/  A quote from their web page reads as follows:  “The public comment period will run from March 1, 2019 through May 30, 2019. You can submit comments through testimony at public meetings, email to drafteis@comments.pebbleprojecteis.com or mail them to:

Program Manager
US Army Corps of Engineers
645 G St.
Suite 100-921
Anchorage, AK 99501

Bald Eagle flying

Bald Eagle flying over cliff at Mc Neil River State Game Sanctuary.

The Pantanal of Brazil

The Pantanal of Brazil

Hyacinth Macaw

Hyacinth Macaw

The Pantanal of Brazil is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Why is it unique?

The majority of the Pantanal is located in Brazil with smaller portions in Bolivia and Paraguay. It covers 81,000 square miles, with the Bazilian portion in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul

The Pantanal is huge gently sloping basin and the largest seasonally flooded tropical wetland. It is10 times the size of the Everglades and is a mosaic of habitats created by water with distinctive wet and dry seasons.  80% is submerged during the rainy season, the months November through March.  The nutrient rich floodwaters deposit sediments that enrich the soil and create a fertile environment capable of supporting highly diverse collection of plant and animal species.  It’s home to some of the rarest animals on earth–the jaguar, marsh deer, giant river otter, hyacinth macaw, crowned solitary eagle, maned wolf, giant anteater, South American tapir, yellow anaconda, and yacare caiman. They share the habitat with howler monkeys, capybara, toucans, parrots, iguanas, armadillo, tegu lizards and other wildlife. It is estimated that there are more than 3500 species of plants, thousands of invertebrates, and hundreds of bird, mammal and reptile species.

In addition to benefiting wildlife, the Pantanal is important for flood abatement, water purification, recharging ground water, climate stabilization, and serving as a nursery for aquatic life.

Wet Season: The rainfall is approximately 1,000–1,400 mm (39–55 in) per year. But the majority of the water comes from runoff from the surrounding upland areas including the Paraguay River and its tributaries flowing from the surrounding plateau. As water levels rise, these rivers inundate the Pantanal’s grasslands and gallery forest, creating a vast temporary wetland bounded by dry and humid forests, grasslands, & savannas. During the rainy season water level rises 2 to 5 meters.

Dry Season: May to late November is considered the dry season in Pantanal, and the water level drops dramatically. In November, very little of water persists except in some ponds and permanent rivers and streams. Tourists visit primarily June through Oct. The average temperature in the Pantanal is 25 °C (77 °F), but temperatures can fluctuate from 0 to 40 °C (32 to 104 °F).

Black Hawk trying to catch fish in the Pantanal.

Black Hawk

Access:

The main gateways into the Pantanal are the cities of Cuiabá (capital of the state of Mato Grosso) and Campo Grande (Capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul).

The Transpantaneira Highway is an elevated 160 km long dirt road. With dozens of bridges, many of them wooden, it crosses the Pantanal over savannahs, lakes, seasonal streams, rivers, lagoons, marshes and shrub wetlands until finally reaching the Cuiabá River where it ends at Porto Jofre. Along the way, there are many opportunities for roadside photography of wildlife.

Capybara are the largest rodents. Found in the Pantanal.

Capybara

 Economy: The economy of the area is based on cattle ranching, agriculture (rice, soy beans, corn, sugar cane, etc.), agroindustries, mining (gold, diamonds, iron, manganese), professional fishing, sportfishing and eco-tourism.

Concerns: Approximately 99 % of the Pantanal is privately owned with thousands of ranches (fazendas) and 8 million cattle. Current threats to the ecosystem include hunting, poaching (exotic species trade), pesticides from agricultural runoff, pollution from sewage and mining, and infrastructure development effecting hydrology. But compared to the Everglades, it is relatively untouched despite the lack government protection.

Giant River Otters are found in the rivers of the Pantanal.

Giant River Otter eating fish.