Green Cay update

Things at work have been busy. It's closing into the end of the school year and we have field trips every day. Somehow I'm still managing to squeeze in my weekly bird walks. This week has been great for warblers. We have quite a few Strangler Figs that attract the migrant songbirds but only one of them is fruiting right now and it is LOADED with life. The Black-throated Blue Warblers and Cape May Warblers have taken it over. Mixed in you will also find Gray Catbirds, American Redstarts, Black and white Warblers and Blackpoll Warblers. Some of the other habitat islands are also supporting Prairie Warblers and Palm Warblers in good numbers. The one fruiting ficus is on the Chickee Hut island on the north side. The boardwalk gives you about 5 feet upwards so the warblers are at eye level. Who said you had to get warbler neck during migration?

Other noticeable happenings in the marsh include an explosion of Mottled Ducks. The Moorhens came first, now the Mottled Ducks, and hopefully soon the Black-necked Stilts and Purple Gallinules get on their way in nest building. I've seen a few of them paired up already and displaying some nest building. The birds aren't the only ones displaying these days. Our Alligators are also becoming quite frisky. Most of our alligators are still juveniles but we have at least one that is ready to mate. There's been some growling and water dancing displays right outside the nature center doors in the water. And the alligators definitely seem to be on the move. Yesterday I saw two of them cruising after each other in an open pond. Of course they disappeared under the Duckweed leaving you to wonder where they go. With the light fading I had to leave them to find a few more birds before the gates closed but they are always a pleasure to see. When I lived on the Chesapeake Bay the Alligators were on my top 10 things I missed about living in the South.

All photos were taken at Green Cay on April 23, 2008.