New Resource Intern

My name is Amanda, and I am the new Resource Intern here at Corkscrew. I have lived most of my life in the small town of Granville, Ohio, which is about 30 minutes east of Columbus.

About a year ago, I graduated with honors in Biology from Grinnell College, a small school in central Iowa. I have been interested in wildlife and the outdoors for as long as I can remember, and I did my best to take advantage of the opportunities my school presented me for gaining new experiences in those areas. During my junior year, I was able to study abroad in the beautiful rainforests of Queensland, Australia, where I first became really interested in conservation. I also, under the direction of my advisor, conducted research on monarch butterflies and milkweed at Grinnell’s environmental research station. Following graduation, I interned at The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center in southeastern Ohio located on reclaimed strip mine land, where I conducted bird surveys and vegetation surveys, as well as helping out with other projects, like American Burying Beetle releases and Hellbender research.

 

Until now, most of my experiences have been more research focused. Therefore, I am very excited to participate in the Land Stewardship Internship here at Corkscrew Swamp. It is also exciting to me to get to know a new ecosystem that is so different from what I'm used to in the Midwest. In the short time I have been here, I have already learned how to identify and treat several species of invasive plants. I hope that this internship will be an opportunity for me to learn more about resource management, and help me to gain a broader perspective on what conservation and management entails.  

 

Shelby's farewell

It is hard to imagine that six months have gone by since I've been at Corkscrew. I've watched the swamp go from very high water levels after hurricane Irma, to now almost dry as a bone, and I can't help but think of all the changes in my own life since being here.

When I first started, I thought that half a year would be such a long time. Now I see how quickly the time can go, especially when you don't want it to be over quite yet.

It's teacher appreciation week, making this an appropriate time to reflect on what it means to be an educator. I think there is a misconception about teachers and how they are the authorities on everything, but this is simply not true. As an educator, I am always learning. Each and every day I am exposed to something completely brand new and exciting that I can take with me and pass along to someone else.


I can honestly say that before going into this internship, I never thought I would be introduced to so many new concepts and ideas, incredible connections, different flora and fauna, and then come out a better person and professional in the end.

Because my supervisor understands the importance of learning all that I could, I was lucky enough to cross-train in different departments here. I got to assist our resource team with prescribed fire, and the research team with their fish sampling and aquatic fauna surveys. Both projects gave me a completely new understanding of how all the different departments at Corkscrew work together towards the same goal - conserving this beautiful place for future generations.


I thought that I was a pretty good birder before coming here, but Corkscrew has seriously upped my birding game. Conducting monthly bird surveys, and being a team captain for Corkscrew and Marco Island during the annual Christmas Bird Count was not only an absolute honor, but it's mind-blowing how many new birds and their calls I have learned in my time here.

Even getting to monitor our bald eagle pair on Corkscrew's property for the last six months, and watching the chicks grow up since the week they were born until the week they fledged the nest was also such a beautiful experience that I will never forget.

Other noteworthy highlights were of course seeing a Florida panther for the first time, taking my first Florida Master Naturalist class, writing my first published article, volunteering with sparrow banding with Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW), helping on a bat project with FWC, getting to view the most beautiful sunsets from the beach, and even some personal achievements like learning to cook with my roommates and developing a regular yoga practice outside with the Wood Storks flying over us.

And last but certainly not least, I have made some amazing friends and wonderful new connections between staff, volunteers, and visitors on my tours.

 To my roommates at the Gator Hole, the one's that have come and gone, and the one that I'm leaving here- it's been wonderful getting to know each and every one of you. Keep up those sparkling personalities, and keep doing great work

-Intern Shelby

The Feeding Frenzy

What is the feeding frenzy you might be asking? The feeding frenzy at Corkscrew is when there is an overwhelming amount of prey that attract a high amount of predators. Several species of wading birds, snakes, alligators, and mammals show up to eat the plentiful fish in the ponds. To understand why the feeding frenzy occurs, you need to understand the hydrology behind the phenomenon. 

Our dry season at Corkscrew is December-May where water levels decrease rapidly. However, our bodies of water don't actually start drying up until March. In March and April, water levels at Corkscrew decrease to the point that most of the water completely dries out. As the water continue to dry down, it traps high amounts of fish in small pockets of water with nowhere to go. 

With the decreasing water levels in these ponds and the high density of fish, this is the perfect opportunity for the wildlife at Corkscrew to feast on the bountiful amounts of fish, invertebrates, and other aquatic species before the rainy season starts. The wading birds especially take this opportunity to feast, and aggregate in large numbers. 

In the two-mile boardwalk at Corkscrew, we have the south lettuce lake and north lettuce lake. The picture below is what the north lettuce lake looks like when it is filled with water. This was taken on March 25, 2018 almost 3 weeks before the biggest feeding frenzy we have seen this year. 

Photo Credit: Lee Martin 3/25/2018

As you can see in this photo on the left there is still plenty of water in the north lettuce lake, however, in the following weeks the water will dramatically decrease and possibly even completely dry out. Usually throughout the year you see a handful of wading birds in the north lettuce lake like Anhingas, Little Blue Herons, and Great Egrets. You also see alligators, turtles, and snakes in the north lettuce lake. The following photos you are going to see from our feeding frenzy is quite the opposite from this first photo. 

                       April 19, 2018 FEEDING FRENZY!

Photo Credit: Melissa Gonzalez 4/19/2018

Feeding Frenzy video

 

Photo Credit: Melissa Gonzalez 4/19/2018

At 9am on April 19th, Kelsie and I did a Facebook Live on the Corkscrew page from the north lettuce lake to show our followers an update on what the lettuce lake looked like, and to educate about the feeding frenzy and hydrology. As Kelsie and I were walking towards the north lettuce lake, we could hear the loud calls of many wading birds coming from the direction of the north lettuce lake. We could feel the high energy coming from that direction and we knew it was going to be a great morning. As we got to the north lettuce lake the amount of wading birds we saw completely blew our minds. I never imagined that many wading birds at Corkscrew, and this completely exceeded my expectations. There were literally hundreds of birds in this lake! I counted over 50 Wood Storks, and over 50 Great Egrets all in close proximity of each other. Other species found in large amounts were the White Ibis, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Anhinga, Tri-Colored Heron, and Great Blue Heron. The wildlife present at the north lettuce lake that day were eating high amounts of fish. I saw some Great Egrets catch decent sized fish one after the other. I could not believe that they could eat that much fish consecutively. With the amount of fish that each bird was catching I was sure that they would have eaten the majority of the fish by the end of that weekend and the wading birds would move on to the next hot spot. 



As I was staring out into the lake, I noticed that multiple birds continued flying in and adding to the large amount of birds. I looked up at the sky and saw an impressive amount of Wood Storks and Great Egrets circling, trying to search for the perfect spot to land. Just like little airplanes, intricately trying to find an open spot to land into the lettuce lake airport. I saw many Wood Storks, Great Egrets, Anhingas, and White Ibis circling the lake, and one by one they touched down. It was like they made their own Facebook event and one by one all the wading birds were flying in from different places to attend this massive feast. Check out the video below on the wading birds flying in.

To give you some perspective on how dramatic the change was overnight this is what the lettuce lake looked like the night before on April/18/2018 at 6pm. Kelsie and I were at the north lettuce lake and there were a couple of wading birds out that night. We saw Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, Snowy Egrets, White Ibis, and Little Blue Herons, but not even close to the amount we saw the next morning. 

Photo Credit: Melissa Gonzalez 4/18/2018

You might be wondering why there is not a feeding frenzy year round. If you think about it, usually the bodies of water at Corkscrew can get fairly deep especially after the rainy season (June-September). With the water levels being deeper, the fish are more spread out throughout the water and have more hiding spots therefore making it difficult for certain birds to catch fish. Wading birds with short legs tend to stick around shallow water and use their long beaks to forage along the bottom of the ponds as they do not want to be in deep water. Wading birds with long legs and necks such as Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons are able to get into deeper water to find their food but have the option to forage in shallow water as well. Therefore, the dry season is the perfect time for wading birds of all sizes. Because the water is shallow enough and the small bodies of water are stocked with high amounts of fish, the birds can easily catch them since there is less water and less room for hiding.

Photo Credit: Lee Martin 4/22/2018

The amount of wading birds had dramatically decreased two days later, but there were still more birds than you would regularly see in the year. Even though the amount of birds had decreased, these birds were still feasting on the fish still available. 

The rainy season will be here if not by the end of May, then in June, and these wading birds will move somewhere else. I feel very lucky that I was able to be at Corkscrew during this huge feeding frenzy. It was definitely one of the coolest wildlife experiences I have ever had, and I will come back to Corkscrew annually just to witness this amazing event. 

Thank you for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed it!

-Melissa Gonzalez

If you are interested in watcing the Feeding Frenzy FB Live on the Corkscrew Page follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/CSS1954/videos/1935604939814679/

If you want to see a 1 minute video of the Feeding Frenzy follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/CSS1954/videos/1936402853068221/

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I am now in my third month at Corkscrew. Before I know it, it will be my time to leave this magical swamp at the end of the summer. The past 3 months have been incredible, and I truly love my internship here. I have seen what the swamp has to offer, and believe me when I say that the swamp is truly a special and important place that we must protect at all costs.

Kelsie left Corkscrew 2 weeks ago after an 8 month internship. I am really happy that I not only got to learn so much from her, but also that I was able to gain a great friendship. Good luck in your future endeavors Kelsie, the swamp will miss you!

Audubon EagleWatch Monitoring

One of my favorite things about being an intern at Corkscrew is participating in Audubon's EagleWatch with our director of public programs, Sally. EagleWatch is a citizen science program that anyone can participate in if they have a love and appreciation for eagles. The purpose of EagleWatch is to monitor Florida's Bald Eagles throughout their nesting season. As an EagleWatch volunteer, we are the lookouts for our eagles, ensuring the safety of a particular nesting pair and eventually, their chicks. The reports that are done by volunteers are beneficial to biologists, as well as law enforcement such as FWC and US Fish and Wildlife. Based on the information we provide Audubon, environmental protection leaders can determine the best way to conserve this species for the future.

I started observing our eagle's nest in November 2017 when I first started at Corkscrew. This particular nest that sits on Audubon's property is not located near the boardwalk, so unfortunately, if you are visiting the sanctuary you will not be able to see it. At this time in late November, the eagles were still building their nest back up after hurricane Irma damaged their old one. Eagles tend to return to the same nest year after year, and they weren't going to let the hurricane's damage stop them! Building the nest is a lengthy process and can take months, but both the male and the female participate in nest building. Working together reinforces their bond, and also speeds up the process!

By January, the eagles were observed sitting on their nest. We are unsure of when the eggs were actually laid, as it is impossible to see inside the nest, but we can assume it was around the first few weeks into the new year. Eagles will sit on and incubate their eggs for roughly 35 days before they hatch.

Finally, on Valentines Day, we observed that there was an eaglet! This was such an exciting moment for all who were invested in observing this nest.

This one, fluffy, dinosaur-like head popped out of the nest and we all squealed with joy. This eaglet was our first evidence of a hatchling, but we weren't sure of how many would appear since we weren't aware of how many eggs were in the nest. After another week or two of observations, we were overjoyed to see that there were actually three eaglets in the nest!

This picture was taken at the end of February, and you can see all three eaglets with their parent on the nest.

Today, our eaglets are just about two months old, and they will start branching any day now. This past week, one of the eaglets has demonstrated the beginning stages of branching. Branching is when they start flapping their wings to build muscle, and jump from branch to branch.

This picture is my most recent, and it shows all three eaglets (one is laying on the bottom of the nest, resting). They grow up so fast!

The next time we observe them, which will be by the end of this week, we expect to see at least one of the eaglets maybe in a nearby tree, branching. This has been such a beautiful process, and amazing that all three chicks have made it this far and all appear to be healthy.

Until next time,

Shelby

My day with The Croc Docs

Throughout the past few years, I have been exploring my newfound interest in reptiles and amphibians. One of the many projects we work on here at Corkscrew is the Everglades Invasive Reptile and Amphibian Monitoring Program in partnership with The Croc Docs. Unfortunately, the recent hurricane destroyed our survey route at Corkscrew, so our survey has been postponed until we can determine a new route.

My passion for amphibians and reptiles has been shared with many coworkers and guests here through my posts on Facebook and excitement when an individual is found. My boss, Dr. Shawn Clem, knew of my excitement for these species and helped set me up with The Croc Docs to go on one of their monitoring surveys! 

Last Thursday I started my morning in Davie checking tegu traps with a graduate student with The Croc Docs. The Argentine Black and White Tegu is a large, invasive lizard that has started a breeding colony in two counties in Florida. The first tegus found in the wild of Florida were believed to have been released or escaped pets. Efforts are currently in place to try to remove all individuals that are found in the wild.

During my day with The Croc Docs, 160 traps were checked and reset for another day of trapping. Two types of live animal traps are set with eggs to attract the tegu. During our sampling on Thursday, we had two individuals in the traps, and both were removed from the ecosystem. I had mixed feelings about the day - I was excited to see these huge lizards (an individual can reach up to 4 feet long!), but then I remembered that I was seeing them here because there is a large population of this invasive species. The tegu has the potential to impact threatened and endangered species such as the American Crocodile, sea turtle species, and ground nesting birds, by preying on their eggs. 

  

(Young Florida Water Snake (left) and Ring Necked Snake (right))

Later on that day, I went on a night survey with the crew for their Everglades Invasive Reptiles and Amphibian Monitoring Program. The excitement continued with sightings of many native species such as the Pig Frog, Florida Water Snake, Brahminy Blind Snake, and Ring Necked Snake, along with some native mammals such as the Marsh Rabbit, and Virginia Opossum. All these sightings are a great sign, as each of these species has the potential to be displaced by non-native species invading Florida. 

(Colorful underside of a Ring Necked Snake)

This day with The Croc Docs was fuel for my interest in reptiles and amphibians, and a small look into the grand scale of invasive species of Florida. Thank you Dr. Clem for presenting me with this opportunity, and thank you to The Croc Docs for teaching me so much! For more information on The Croc Docs and their programs, visit: http://crocdoc.ifas.ufl.edu/currentprojects/

-Kelsie  (Research Intern)

After Work Ritual

 In a couple of days it will be my two month anniversary here at Corkscrew, it's crazy how time flies! These two months at Corkscrew have been incredible, and I am enjoying my time being an intern here. I have been blessed with incredible roommates, and they have made my experience at the swamp delightful. Hayden left this past Saturday, we were all very sad at the gator hole, but he will definitely do great things in Hot Springs.

I have also realized how lucky I am to have the boardwalk in my back yard, and am taking full advantage by walking on the boardwalk every evening after work. At this time of the year we have a lot of lab work that needs to be done, thus our time in the field is limited. However, every day I am at work I look forward to my precious walks before sunset. What makes these evening walks through the swamp so eventful and special to me is that you never know what you will find when you are on the boardwalk, and that unknown excites me. When I go out on the boardwalk every evening it is usually after boardwalk check, this is when Corkscrew has closed for the day, and I am out there alone. In the silence I find that I have some incredible moments with the wildlife of the swamp. During my walks I find that there are some reoccurring events every evening like when I hear the first hoots of the barred owl which just echoes through the silent boardwalk, a reminder that night is coming. Another experience I am certain to have is as I am walking I will randomly start to hear loud pecks. I then follow the pecks to a tree, and look for the culprit which is always a woodpecker. I have noticed that the red-bellied woodpeckers become quite chatty at this time of day, and their chatter fills up the vicinity of that section of the boardwalk. The pileated woodpeckers also fill up the quiet air with their loud calls and hard pecking, however, I catch myself laughing every time I see them because they are so goofy.

My favorite woodpecker has been the downy woodpecker who is so quiet that I almost walked by it. I was walking one evening when I hear these really quiet pecks on a tree, and I thought to myself "what is that?". I was thinking that maybe it was a songbird or an anole messing about until I eventually found the small downy woodpecker quietly searching for food. I then spent about 30 minutes just watching the downy do its thing and I got some photos and videos of it. I do not have a professional camera, so I have been using my binoculars to take photos which I consider to be a skill of mine now.






Recently one of our volunteers Tom reported seeing a young panther by the observation deck so that has been one of my pit stops every evening just in case I will get lucky enough to see one some day. Once I hit the lettuce lakes I know I am bound to see some gems. Recently there has been a yellow-crowned night heron hanging out after the South Lettuce Lake, and he gave me quite the show one evening. I was walking towards the North Lettuce Lakes when I heard something get spooked underneath my feet. All of a sudden a yellow-crowned night heron flies up from underneath the boardwalk, and lands on the fallen cypress tree to my right, only about five feet away from me. It curiously stared at me while I did the same, I got to snap some photos of it too. Once it saw that I meant no harm, it flew to the ground to continue its foraging.

There has also been a little blue heron foraging by the boardwalk as well, and after seeing it multiple days in a row so close to the boardwalk, I have been able to study its foraging tactics. I noticed that when little blue herons stalk their prey, they start moving their neck side to side really quickly. Apparently little blue herons sway their necks when they focus on prey because it improves depth perception, and keeps their muscles moving so that they can have a quick reaction when striking their prey.



These are a few stories from my after work ritual, but I have plenty more. I still have 4 months here so I look forward to seeing what I find when I am out on the boardwalk for my after-work ritual.

Until next time,
Intern Melissa

A Reflection

This weekend as we shed some tears and said farewell to Hayden, our roommate and friend, I found myself reflecting on my time spent here so far. I am just about to hit my 4th month here at Corkscrew, and the time is flying - especially when there are adventures happening every day.

I was lucky enough to see my first wild Florida panther last Wednesday, along with one of our staff members and everyone on our swamp buggy tour. I always love doing guided tours on the swamp buggy through our backcountry because you never know what you are going to see, and this day was no exception. Within the first 20 minutes of the three-hour tour, I see something brown and large trotting through the cypress trees, only about 20-30 feet to the left of the buggy. My first thought was- bobcat? But as it continued to run, the long tail presented itself and then the entire body. Panther! We all cheered from the top of the buggy - what an amazing sight! I consider myself so lucky to be able to see one of our panthers finally. I have spent a considerable amount of time out in our backcountry and have never had such luck until now. We joked that we could just end the tour there, because how could we ever top that? But we continued on.

Later on, I found out that a guest had also seen a panther from the boardwalk, and even one of our volunteers saw a panther sitting on the boardwalk on the observation platform last week! Perhaps since we are seeing more wild boar movement, this could be why we are seeing more panthers. Panthers generally eat white-tailed deer, but additionally will eat boar as well. 

Seeing this panther was certainly a moment that I will take with me forever, As well as other beautiful moments that I have certainly blessed with such as: sitting on the porch of our home away from home, the "Gator Hole" listening to whip-poor-wills call in the evening with Hayden, seeing one lone firefly on the boardwalk with Kelsie (which was almost as exciting and magical to me as seeing the panther since I haven't seen a firefly since I was 11 years old in Washington D.C.), and finding out that I got into grad school, celebrating with my fellow teaching crew all around me in our office. 

My last two months will go fast, this I know. However, I am determined to soak in every minute that I can while I am here. I realize now that working a seasonal job is very exciting, but can also be very anxiety-inducing as you really don't know where you're going to end up in just a few short months. I am learning to take it slow, catch a wave, and ride it out over the next couple months. 

Until next time, 

Shelby