Wetland Plants and Dragonfly Fever

Seasons change in due time, and I am not one to push them. Each one has something special to offer- winter: snow skiing, spring: wildflowers and warblers, summer: dragonflies!

Oh man, I miss those dragonflies and the lovely wetland plants.

Gorman Nature Center has a pond edged in Pickerel-weed, Pontederia cordata. This is one of my favorite spots to watch the wild-winged dragons in pursuit for food, mating and fighting. That pretty much sums up a dragonfly's lifestyle. It is just like an aquatic Las Vegas- without the gambling.

A river edge dragonfly, the American Rubyspot is commonly found hiding amongst Water- willow, Justicia americana. This beaut was photographed along the Batelle-Darby, which will be the location of the upcoming Great Lakes Odonata Meeting- July 9-11, 2010.

Keep an eye on the Ohio Odes website for details.

Ah, a once in a lifer: Carolina Saddlebags (on a sedge, possibly Carex lacustris?), this is one worth longing to see. Maybe 2010 will be my lucky year again.

Least Clubtail is a bit of a rarity, found along the edge of the Black Fork in the Ashland park of the same name. This will be one of the field trip locations for the Managing Wetlands for Biodiversity Workshop- Ashland April 10, 2010, hosted by GMAS and FOWL.


And the coolest ever, Mr. Dragonfly himself (don't tell him I said that... ;) Dr. Dennis Paulson (shown here with Mary Jo White) who was infinitely patient with beginners at the Ohio Dragonfly Conference in 2007.

So if you like dragonflies and wetland plants... high-tail it over to the Friends of Wetlands (FOWL) website and sign up for the workshop on Saturday April 10. John Mack and Jim Bissell will be on hand to teach us the ins and outs of wetland plants (can't have dragonflies without them.) And the added kicker: Greg Lipps, the salamander king!

Hope to see you there!

Oh, Blackwater...

As Bill Thompson III occasionally says, "The song in my head is ..."

Catfish are jumpin'

That paddle wheel pumping

Black water keep rollin' on past just the same...




The Doobie Brother's anthem to the Mississippi is just as appropriate to the black waters of the St. Johns river cypress swamp in Florida. Dark and dank hardly begins to describe it. Even with the fresh emerald carpet of spring, a offering to January's sun, the swamp projected haunting chill. It felt as there was nothing for miles but 'gator teeth and snakes for company.

The bald cypress, Taxodium distichum bore witness to previous black waters, the tannins permanently etch the high water lines onto the trunks.

As we exit the swamp, an island of cabbage palms sported the highly recognizable Red-faced Mullet Bird, sometimes known as the Crested Caracara. This species is endangered in Florida and generally known only to small portion of central Florida, Texas and Mexico.

............................Crested Caracara photo by Greg Cornett

A member of the Falcon family, these nearly two foot high birds with a 4 ft. wingspan are easily recognized at any speed or distance. Often found feeding on carrion in open savanna or grassland habitat, you'll not mistake this guy for a vulture.

Which brings to mind another tune: Oh, carrion my wayward son...

Florida's Gentle Giants

Florida's living legacy is a gentle giant of a fresh-water leviathan. The manatee, locally called "sea cows" are struggling for survival due to habitat destruction, boat-impeller injuries, and dredging. And if life wasn't tough enough for these already endangered animals, the extended cold snap in Florida has contributed to over 70 deaths in the last month alone.

We scoured the regular locations in the coastal regions but the manatees were no longer there due to the water temperatures. Manatee historically ride out cold weather snaps in warmer- fresh water fed springs. Fellow birder and RRI Energy rep, Bill Baker had generously opened tours for Space Coast birders to witness manatees gathered at the warm-water out-flows of their power plants (just like the winter gulls in Cleveland!)

Unfortunately, that did not fit within our schedule, so we were forced to travel an hour north of Orlando to witness the gathering at Blue Springs.


The trip to Blue Springs did not disappoint! The crystal clear water and evergreen vegetation was a a stark contrast to the murky black waters oft the St. James cypress swamp. Manatees were lined up along the banks by the hundreds! Note the big gray masses in the water, it's our 1000 pound manatees at the winter spa! It must take a lot of leafy-greens to keep a herd this size fed. For more general West Indian Manatee info -click here-.

Occasionally, one would swim past the viewing deck where the manatee fans had gathered. This youngster, probably a mere 400-500 lbs, bore large white gashes on his tail- scars remaining from massive injuries this calf must have suffered. Power-boats and manatees do not mix... and the slow moving manatees are the big losers. "No wake" zones and speed reduction laws have been passed in an effort to protect this declining species, and all manatees seen in zoos and aquaria are on a rehab from some injury or other. When they heal and are deemed worthy of release- they are shipped back to Florida for release in the wild. Cincinnati Zoo has a manatee scheduled for release later this month (Lindsey, the zoo keeper, is a close family friend.)

Playful, gentle, sweet- the most apt words to describe these giants. Pictured rolling in the waters, it was fascinating to watch the interaction between the manatees and the plecostomus (algae eating fish) who seemed to enjoy catching a ride, and a snack, on the manatee's backs.

How about a big kiss? Easy to love, and yet in heart-breaking danger. Manatee studies have indicated they are headed towards extinction if any more than 17 manatee deaths occur in a given year. Last count I read, over 100 deaths had already occurred this year, and the cold-water pneumonia is likely to take its worst tolls in the coming week.

Daughter JJ has several rescue manatees at Seaquarium in Miami and I'll try to follow their progress. Let's hope they are able to be released to the wilds again.

Florida Wetlands by Air-boat

The Space Coast Birding event was a great excuse to visit Titusville, Florida and some relatives we have stashed down there- in case of inclement weather. It is always fun to be led about by the locals, and one never knows what you'll see or do.

Captain Mike adjusts the protective head-sets and speaker system before our take off.

With the wind in our faces, the air-boat screamed across the flood plains of the St. Johns river, which is more like a vast, slow-flowing artisan fed wetlands. This drainage basin of over 8,800 square miles flows north and is the only river in Florida to do so.



Seen from the bow of our boat, miles of channels flowing lazily through islands of wetlands and swamp. The predominate trees are Red Maple- Acer rubrum, Bald Cypress- Taxodium distichum and islands of Cabbage Palms- Sable palmetto. The grasses... I'll never know.

.......................................................(C(click to enlarge)

As we cruised to a halt at the base of a tree, we noticed the inhabitants of an old Blue Heron's nest. These masked bandits had burgled the joint and settled in for a snooze. It is not a good idea for these guys to sleep at ground level, and you soon see why.

Our guide claims this particular 16 mile stretch of the St Johns is known to have an estimated 14,000 alligators living within its waters- and the cooler weather Florida experienced in January had them all in basking mode. Every hummock and flat spot seemed to be sporting a sunbathing beauty, and the bigger one on the right was a good 8 to 9 foot long.

Hello big guy! He was just a little more up close and personal than the Weedpicker needed! Of all the habitats and locations I have ever ventured, this may be the first time where I DID NOT get out to take a closer look at some plant or tree.

I sure liked the air-boat. Just keeping in the air-boat, thanks!

Dance of the Reddish Egret

A little eye-candy from Florida for those stuck in the snow. A fascinating bird, the Reddish Egret has a rather elaborate dance.. which is guaranteed to make one chuckle. This is actually a foraging technique, not a mating dance.

Sibly's Guide to Bird Life and Behavior describes it as "the most active foraging technique of any ardeid, literally chasing small fish through shallow water." It is a hoot to watch!

Hello down there-


I can stand real tall!

(Now you should imagine the bird madly running about-)




Check out these wings... I am a big scary guy!

How did you like that? Wanna see some more?

The photos are mine, and in no way compare to the quality of those taken by my good friends who are serious bird photographers! I am just not "camera-ed up " for those type of shots. I do your basic botany shots, and just can't resist the urge to document something exciting if it is in close range.

If you would like to see a video of another Reddish Egret in action, just follow this link to you-tube and enjoy.

Stay warm! Weedpicker