Bobcat vs. Gator

Here at the flyingmullet I keep it real and even when photos are a little graphic in nature, I think it's important to show nature at work.  On election day this year we had an alligator attack one of the baby Bobcats.  Needless to say, it never stood a chance against the spectacular power of an alligator.  If you ever wonder how you would stack up against a predator like this then these photos will show you what it's like to be on the receiving end of an the jaws of a huge reptile.  

I apologize if you find the image upsetting but remember, alligators need to eat too.  It's all part of the big food chain.

I know my updates have been few and far between.  I hope to remedy this soon.  Until then, I will have a post up next week about the best outdoor/birding/etc gifts since we're in that time of year again.  Also a little update from South Carolina since that's where I will be spending my Thanksgiving holiday.

Osprey Young

Look at that stare from the parent as the young Osprey looks on.  I caught up with this little family at the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge this past weekend.  Andy, Rosana, and Em were great travel partners and we had a nice weekend of sun and fun with a little birding on the side.  The best was wading across the channel at Bunche Beach to see the shorebirds.  We had a nice adventure and enjoyed the swimming afterwards

Baby Bobcats

We have our fair share of Bobcats at Green Cay but recently we have had a little mini-explosion.  Our resident female has had FOUR babies!  It's been a treat to watch the little ones eat and play.  Of course with the score of photographers around these photos don't do the little ones justice but I had to share with you the cute little fluff balls. 

They Bobcat family was first spotted two weeks ago at the "alligator hole" where one of our female alligators had a huge nest this summer.  For the whole day and into the next one, the family entertained our visitors while they kittens feasted on American Coot.  The photo above shows one of the babies picking the coot up and dragging it around.  The following photo shows you one of the kittens eating.

Next time you're out at Green Cay for a visit don't forget to check all the understory for this great little family.  The mother is pretty protective so it's best to keep a distance.  I hope that the hordes of people visiting don't scare them away to more inaccesibile areas of the park.  Here's one last digibinned shot of a little Bobcat baby tail. 

Mother Gator Protects Her Young

This was taken by a visitor to my nature center last week. You can watch the mother gator helping babies hatch out of the nest at the beginning then see the drama that unfolds as a Green Heron tries to make a hathling gator a snack.

Don't miss the little baby turtle hatching in the middle of the video. A Red-bellied Slider laid her eggs in the alligator nest and they hatched on the same day!

Alligator Babies!

I counted 28 baby gators in all but I'll be out later today to see if I spy a few more. This video shows you the bank of the alligator hole hours after the babies all hatched.

Mother Alligator Excavates the Nest

As the sound of little baby alligator grunts came from the nest the mother climbed into the pile and starting digging out the young hatchlings. Eggs littered the pond and the sizable nest started to crumble.

Baby Alligators Hatch at Green Cay

Tuesday morning brought us the birth of over 28 baby alligators at Green Cay.  We've been watching the young mother all summer keep diligent watch over her nest.  I guessed that the nest would hatch on August 15th but the date slowly crept by and the visitors of Green Cay starting keeping nest watch.  Each morning people would walk by to inspect the nest and wait for the arrival of the new babies.  Now we don't have to wait any longer because it looks like all the newborns have found their way to the water.

With each baby alligator grunt the mother gator would climb up into the nest and scoop out handfuls of dirt and debris.  Little gators climbed out beneath the surface.  The process must have started in the night because dozens of baby alligators were already lining the bank of the water.

The babies seem to be more in the water today but staying close to mom.  A Green Heron already came in for an inspection but was met with the mother leaping out of the water 4 times to shoo the heron away.  I am looking forward to watch the events unfold as the mother is strained to keep all her young alive.  Mother alligators stay with their young up to 2 years to protect the babies from predators such as birds, raccoons, and other larger alligators.  Tomorrow I'll have a video or two of the alligator hatching process! 

South Florida Sightings

The water levels at Green Cay are on the rise with more reclaimed water pumped in this week.  I must admit I was a bit disappointed about how quickly they released the water in but it was a nice change for part of the wetland cell to be deeper.  The lower levels have created some interesting feeding opportunities including a flock of 20 Roseate Spoonbills over the weekend.  This week just a few were seen each day but sometimes they were quite close to the boardwalk.

On Tuesday I did a bird count with Andy and we had 39 species within one mile.  The highlights were a juvenile Snail Kite, 2 newly fledged Brown Thrashers, 2 spoonbills, and 3 American Coot that must be over-summering with us.  We had all the waders but dipped on Least Bittern (though it was seen later in the day).  So far, Green Cay has proved to be pretty productive this summer.

Tuesday afternoon also proved to be giving.  I went swimming with Emily at Delray Beach and we were luckily provided with my FOS Gull-billed Tern.  The beach also had a nice pair of Yellow-crowned Night Herons playing in the runnel. 

Purple Gallinules and Green Cay updates

We have Purple Gallinule babies at Green Cay!  I saw two chicks yesterday being fed by the parents and they are at least a week or two old.  As I was watching one of the adults babysitting the other adult started building a new nest.  I guess they waste no time on the second clutch!

The water levels are very low at the wetlands these days but as you know Florida is in a drought.  We have treated wastewater being pumped in each day or we would be bone dry.  Of course now that Palm Beach County is on water restrictions more golf courses and housing developments are buying the treated wastewater for irrigation which leaves us with dry shores.  But you won't find me complaining, the birds are having a grand time feeding in the shallow areas and nesting on the dry shore.  We even had our first White-rumped Sandpipers show up last week! 

For those following the news you probably understand that we may face harsh budget cuts this year.  It shouldn't come to any surprise that I am applying for a new job.  If you have any leads, throw them my way!  I have 8 years experience with environmental education, 4 years experience as a volunteer coordinator, and management experience as well working as a nature center manager and education coordinator.  Also, I'm willing to move almost anywhere!  You can reach me via the comments if you know any likely income sources. 

Red-winged Blackbird Nest

In honor of the new book Avian Architecture I bring you some nest shots of our local Red-winged Blackbirds.  As you can see they keep a rather deep cup formation and it does provide plenty of shade on a hot South Florida day.  This little family is growing right along and the parents are very diligent in providing plenty of food. 

Red-bellied Woodpecker Babe

The Red-bellied Woodpeckers at Green Cay have finally had a successful nesting season. Last year they were plagued by the starlings time and time again. I was really happy to see the first young of the year poking its head out of the cavity this week.

To see our new addition just stop at the bench near the alligator hole and look back towards the building. The woodpeckers nested in the closest snag.

Purple Martin Nestwatch 2011

These photos were taken by my high school students at Green Cay Nature Center. They are having a great time studying the lives of our Purple Martins. I can't believe that this coming week that our babies will be potentially fledging. Come out to Green Cay to see the families emerge!

Mottled Duck babes

With springtime comes new life and new growth. At Green Cay we already have multiple clutches of moorhens and Mottled Ducks. Soon the adults will be having their second clutches. I found this little family off the boardwalk. I like how they feed in the duckweed. The sky was overcast so everything is darkened and the colors of the chicks camoflauge is easily seen. The mother duck gave me one quick look and upon inspection she deemed me safe. So I watched the family lazily until other birds beckoned. Get out there now if you want to see the first hatchlings of the year.

Moorhen Babes

Little black puff balls of feathers are being found all about the wetlands. Common Moorhens are finally getting into reproduction gear and now that the water levels are back up we are finding families scattered around Green Cay. I love watching the family dynamics. Babies begging for food, parents feeding, adults fighting, everything is a show for moorhen and also loud. These birds really like to cackle.

The other day I was digiscoping a family feeding and I noticed that two of the flock had taken a rest on a nearby plant. I loved how these bald wonders sat there all gangly with large feet. Moorhens are really the ugliest of all the baby birds but they are amusing on a slow summer day.

Baby Mottled Ducks

Summer to me is baby Mottled Ducks swimming across the wetlands. Summer to me is 80 degrees outside before 8AM. Summer to me is warm breezes off the ocean. Summer to me is sunburnt skin, the smell of sunscreen, and the taste of salt water in my mouth. Summer to me is the relentless sun beating down on us, the fortunate that live in these sub-tropical climes. Summer to me is an escape from the crowds of snow birds and a quicker commute to work. Summer to me is happiness in all its sweaty glory. Summer to me is is a time to look at butterflies. Mostly though, summer to me is a time to appreciate the small things and enjoy the solitude.

Sandhill Cranes at Riverbend

Riverbend Park has ten miles of trails and 5 miles of kayak/canoe trails available. It's by far one my favorite places in Palm Beach County. This summer the Okeeheelee Nature Center's summer camp is going to visit Riverbend and run an adventure race. Mo and I decided to scope the place out and plan our obstacle course. There will be everything from solving puzzles to flying kites involved in the all day adventure. While mapping out our routes we also ran into some really nice natural encounters including this little family of Sandhill Cranes.

Sandhill Cranes breed throughout the state of Florida. Some birds are migratory but there is a stable population of year-around birds here in the state. Sandhill Cranes can live very long lives, up to 20 years and they don't reproduce until they are at least 2 years old.

Sandhill Cranes either have one or two offspring called colts. This pair had two healthy colts. I've heard of people in Florida referring to two offspring as twins. Most of the time only one young will survive but good parents can successfully raise both colts if given the resources.

If you're ever in the north part of Palm Beach County you should bike the trails of Riverbend. You never know what you may run across. I've seen everything from Wood Ducks to Wild Turkeys to groups of White-tail Deer there. My favorite of course are the woodpeckers and on this trip we had Red-bellied, Downy, and Pileated Woodpeckers. So no matter if you're looking for a day on the scenic Loxahatchee River that runs through the park or if you plan to hike a portion of the Florida Trail, I am sure your time at Riverbend will be more than rewarding.

Purple Martin Video

Black-necked Stilts

Who doesn't love a slender black and white bird with hot pink legs? I absolutely adore Black-necked Stilts. The only thing I like more are baby Black-necked Stilts. We have so many young stilts at Green Cay right now in all stages of development. Some are have long legs and others still have very fuzzy down bodies. And the way they camoflauge is amazing. Look at the young below that look just like the muddy ground.

Wherever you see the young you are guaranteed to see the parents nearby. I've found that Black-necked Stilts are very attentive parents. They are never more than a few feet away and they do an excellent job of protecting their young. It's rare to see a baby stilt taken and often I see the parents chasing off predator or even harmless birds like moorhens.

The Black-necked Stilt show will only be going on for another month or so at the wetlands. Once the young fledge they all seem to disappear. By August you will find the stilts closer to Lake Okeechobee with all the other shorebirds. Until then, I plan on enjoying every second of them nesting and raising their young at Green Cay.

Baby Stilt Video

Great Horned Owl Baby

A month ago I ventured out the Loxahatchee Wildlife Center to see the nesting Great Horned Owls. I saw the female sitting quietly on the nest. And then I saw another owl on a different trail near another nest. Well I'm happy to report that at least one of the babies hatched and is doing well. My friend Bill Kominsky sent me these photos of the cute little babe.