My Weekend on the Boardwalk

Spring seems to be in the air here at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. As the swamp is drying down for its annual cycle, things are alive as ever! Flowers are back in bloom, and the wildlife is abundant along the boardwalk. Every day presents something new, whether I discover a new plant I hadn’t noticed before, or an island of Cypress knees I hadn’t seen before, it is always exciting to walk the boardwalk. Since most of my work is done either in a lab setting, or in the backcountry, I spend my time on the boardwalk either after work or on the weekends.

This past weekend seemed eventful! While walking the boardwalk, I watched a Great Blue Heron stalk its’ prey for a while and finally catch and eat a huge fish! Through all my fish sampling days, I have not come across a fish that big in the swamp, and I thought there was no way the fish could fit down the herons’ throat. After a few attempts, moving the fish around to get the right angle, the fish was swallowed whole! That large fish was not enough for the Great Blue Heron. Immediately after the fish disappeared down its’ throat, the heron was at it again looking for its’ next meal.

As I stood watching the Great Blue Heron, a juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron flew into the scene. It stood next to an Anhinga who had its’ wings spread out enjoying the warm sun. A few steps further, there was an adult Yellow Crowned Night Heron perched in a tree. Their colors are so pure I am always delighted to see them. After rounding a bend, there was an Alligator sunning itself in a spot I had never seen one before, and a Limpkin preening itself on the other side of the boardwalk. I noticed something a bit unique about the Limpkin, it had only one wing! I was curious as to what happened to the other wing, then got to thinking about what this Limpkin has seen and gone through in its’ life. The Everglades ecosystem is a tough ecosystem to survive in, with many venomous snakes in the water and on land, and alligators that look so much like dinosaurs; however the swamp thrives with a diverse range of plants and animals that have evolved to adapt to this ecosystem.

In the North Lettuce Lake, I expected to see the three Anhinga chicks that hatched just over a month ago. Watching their growth and progress from the three of them being confined to this nest that was probably a bit too small for everyone, to stretching their legs, wobbling along the branches of the same tree. If nothing else in the swamp, I could always depend on the Anhingas being there. Since the last time I was there, they have learned to spread their wings, and were not near their nest anymore. There were Anhingas around, but I was not sure if they were the chicks, or the other resident birds in the area. Although I was sad not to see these chicks I watched grow up, I was excited to see a Little Blue Heron climbing along some fallen branches, feeding. In the distance, there was a Red-Bellied Slider resting in a funny position, almost looking like he was trying to fly.

Away from the lakes, Brown Anoles were running everywhere, one in front of the other! I am guessing it is close to mating season for them, with many males actively displaying their colorful dewlap and performing their territorial “push-ups”. Contrasting beautifully with the bright red or orange of the anole’s dewlap, is the flower of the blue flag. This native plant in the Iris family has started to bloom along the trail, providing some beautiful colors to your walk.

There are so many great things to be found along the 2.5 mile boardwalk, many of which can easily be overlooked. I encourage you to try to find these things, and more, through your walk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary; but don’t forget, nature doesn’t stop when the boardwalk does!

 Kelsie (Research Intern)