It is still dark, not even a glimmer of light, but I hear my pair flying over the house. Leaving the rockery behind and heading for my lake. How do they know? It must be an internal clock and I hear the raucous ‘kraak’ call or perhaps it is part of the discussion as this is a pair that fly together each morning to the lake and start wading in for breakfast.
I luckily live in a coastal habitat on the Gulf of Mexico. I love driving into my area as there is a sign saying, “Bird Sanctuary, No shooting.” We have a very healthy population of birds, lots of Osprey, a pair of eagles, pelicans, spoonbills, and ibis that dig for grubs on the lawn. I have a little screech owl, just the size of my hand who comes around frequently to keep me company by sitting on my pool cage in the evening, when I have music on and always makes me smile when I hear his trills. Plus, I have multiple redheaded pileated woodpeckers that love my southern Live Oaks. And my fountain serves as both a bath and water supply for cardinals and very cheeky bluebirds.
But back to my alarm clock, my great egrets, they are impressively large wading birds that are closely related to herons. Beautifully white with long necks, legs and bills and short tails. They have large wingspans which seem to have them fly soundlessly. You’ll find that egrets have s-shaped necks that can bend vertically. And the male egrets get dressed up in breeding season by having wispy, lace-like long plume feathers extend down his back, almost like a peacock tail showing off for the ladies. These are called aigrettes. Also, during breeding season, they develop a lime green patch just above the base of their yellow bills to make sure there is no confusion about their intentions.
These birds were on the verge of extinction in the late 19th century as they were extensively hunted for their gorgeous white feathers they grew for mating season. These feathers were sold for astronomical prices to the fashion industry. As an example, in 1886 these feathers had a going price of $32 per ounce. This was twice the price of gold back then! Actually, many birds around the world were losing a battle for ladies' hats. Luckily a strong conservation movement helped to protect their numbers. In fact, in the nineteenth century, the situation resulted in the great egret becoming the symbol of the National Audubon Society. This society was founded to protect birds from being hunted for their feathers.
My pair roost on a mangrove island not far between Siesta Key and myself, this is one of many rookeries in the bay that has many different birds who gather near sundown. Here they’re safe from animal predators and are happy to share suitable nesting sites with other herons, as well as pelicans and spoonbills. I have watched them gather as our boat quietly has slipped by coming home. With such a wonderful, healthy eco-system there is no need for them to migrate. They actually play a vital role in the coastal ecosystem.
They seem to have an affinity to have breakfast at my freshwater lake. As wading birds, they mainly hunt for little fish, frogs and a range of other small aquatic animals. They have a habit of just standing still and waiting for unsuspecting prey to swim by. Then, they use their bill like a dagger and spear their prey quickly and efficiently. By controlling the populations of these creatures, the great egret ensures a healthy and thriving ecosystem.
Safari experiences have taught me that you can observe animal behavior pretty much anywhere, if you slowdown and focus. Where I live, we have plenty of exotic animals surrounding us. Even at my coastline we have dolphins and manatees, I just need to sit on the dock and they come to see me.
Catching a glimpse of a Florida Panther was more than lucky – looking out an office window in Naples I saw a sleek adult panther walking along a fence line by a canal, I had to pinch myself. Some people that study them in the wild have rarely ever see them, so I was truly lucky. Once, all of Florida and beyond provided panther habitat. But a state bounty in the late nineteenth century, largely to protect livestock, paid out five dollars per pelt, and by the 1950s, the cat’s numbers had sunk perilously low. At one point there were only 30 known. Up against the state’s rapid development, the panthers edged toward extinction before a last-ditch introduction of eight of them from Texas in the mid-1990s pulled them back. Since then, the resilient cat has clawed its way upward to two hundred or so individuals, concentrated in Southwest Florida. Now they have actually are moving slowly north to expand their range.
And I have the opportunity to drive a short 30 minutes from my front door to see our infamous reptiles, our big boys that live at Myakka State Park where rangers have seen 120 gathered at one time…especially during mating season. They are a common sight at any body of fresh water – and they also seem to love our golf courses. We in Florida are known for our gators with a population of one and a half million, but truth be told Louisiana has more, two million. Careful in those bayous. So, you see you can go on Safari where you live, just open yourself up and focus.
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