THE SACRED IBIS AND THE AMERICAN WHITE IBIS!!!!!

The Sacred Ibis was an object of religious honor in ancient Egypt. In the town of Hermopolis, ibises were reared specifically for sacrificial purposes and in the Serapeum (a temple dedicated to the Hellenistic-Egyptian god, Serapis) at Saqqara, archaeologists found the mummies of one and a half million ibises and hundreds of falcons. 


According to legend in the Birecik area, the Northern Bald Ibis was one of the first birds that Noah released from the ark as a symbol of fertility. A lingering religious sentiment in Turkey helped the colonies to survive long after the demise of the species in Europe.
(Please remember you can click on each image to see a larger version)

Here in the state of Florida in the USA, the mascot of the University of Miami is an American White Ibis. The ibis was selected as the school's mascot because of its legendary bravery during hurricanes. The ibis is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane hits and the first to reappear once the storm has passed. (We do not have any images of the Sacred Ibis but we do have some of the American White Ibis. If we ever get to visit Egypt, I would really love to see the Sacred Ibis).


In the short time we have lived here, we have gotten use to seeing many beautiful birds right in our own neighborhood; herons, cranes, egrets and spoonbills. The one bird we see the most, pretty much everyday, is the ibis. We will see them in ponds, the sides of roads, in strip malls and in just about any canal. They are really cute birds and from what I can see, not a problem to have around. 


They are a mid-sized bird with an overall white plumage, bright red orange down-curved bill and long legs. Their black wing tips are usually only visible during flight. The males are larger than the females. The breeding range of the American Ibis spans along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts and also along the coasts of Mexico and Central America.


Their diet consists mainly of small aquatic prey such as insects and small fish. Depending on the habitat and the prey abundance, the White Ibis will adjust its diet although studies have found crayfish to be its preferred source of food in most regions.


Being monogamous, the White Ibis has only one mate during the breeding season and both parents care for the young. Ladies, before you give them too much credit, males do tend to engage in extra- pair copulation with other females to increase the reproductive success. I would suspect that is not an excuse that would work really well with humans but I am sure it has been used!!! Males have also been found to pirate food away from unmated females and juveniles during the breeding season. Kind of like human males during the football season!!  


What is the biggest threat to the ibis?? You should not be surprised to read it is, wait for it.... humans!!! Have you noticed that seems to a be a recurring theme in nature??? With the increase of methyl mercury being released from untreated waste into various habitats and the ibises consumption of food from those habitats, their hormones are affected. This disrupts their mating and nesting behaviors, leading to lower reproduction rates.

 One last interesting fact concerns whether size matters !!!!!!!  Guys, it is what we always thought.....it does!!!! At least with ibises and their bills!! A larger bill is important for intraesexual fighting during courtships of females. In addition, a larger bill also allows the males to probe deeper while foraging, thereby increasing foraging effectiveness.  God knows we all want to probe deeper!!!


Many times we see them in large groups, all foraging for food in a river, pond or other body of water.

If anyone knows what this large grey bird is, please let me know!! I would be grateful! I am guessing some type of heron?

     This guy seems like he is well equipped to be a good forager.

   If you click on this image to make it larger you can see a piece of food in his bill!!!

KITESURFING/KITEBOARDING - WHAT A RUSH!!!

This is part two of our trip to the Florida Keys. In these images, I was able to capture some amazing actions by Aaron, a kitesurfer who was determined to perfect his craft. From the preparation to the event, kiteboarding is a labor intensive activity. Surfers, like Aaron prepare the lines, adjust the control bar, straighten the harness and check the wind strength, all for a chance to turn, grab, jump and fly with the wind at their backs. 


Sharing some info about kitesurfing may be helpful to readers: Kitesurfing or kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or kiteboard similar to a wakeboard. The terms kiteboarding and kitesurfing are interchangeable.


There are a number of different styles of kiteboarding including freestyle (most common and utilizes a standard kite and board), wake-style (flatter water using board with bindings) and wave riding which is focused on big waves using a board designed specifically for wave riding.


From these images, I hope you will be able to join Aaron and me on this incredible and magical ride. SURF'S UP!!

  
      

   As I was leaving the beach, I caught one  
   more image of a jumper!! AMAZING!!!!

EVERGLADES AND ITS ENEMIES: PART 2

As we took off in the tram, our ranger informed us that Florida and in particular, the Everglades was in a major drought. The Everglades were the driest they have been in 35 years. This is causing many problems including the threat of fire, set off by lightning strikes or the biggest threat, human carelessness.  Driving off marked roads, smoking and campfires could all be a lethal mix for the natural and cultural resources. If one was to start, it would almost be impossible to quickly get under control. The loss of animal life would be particularly devastating. 


Fire was the the Everglades natural way of getting rid of dead and dying trees and plants. They would be replaced with new fresh growth. But for the animals, it could be devastating. In the past animals could sense the fire and move to a different area to escape it. Now all the new construction has prevented them from getting from one area to another.  Much of the Everglades are covered in peat moss. In a fire the flames could travel underground burning the moss and traveling great distances. 

Another problem caused by the drought is water levels are way down. We traveled on roads that would normally be under two feet of water but are now dry. This causes major problems with the animals. The alligators mate in deep water. The males hold the females below the water and mate (not exactly romantic for the female) but with the water levels being so low, mating is not happening at the same rate, so less alligators are being born. They are endangered already. If this was to keep up, who knows what would happen to them.


This is a list of endangered species in the Everglades;

• American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus)
• Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
• Atlantic Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempi)
• Atlantic hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
• Atlantic leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
• Cape Sable seaside sparrow (Ammodramus maritima mirabilis)
• Snail (Everglades) kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus)
• Wood stork (Mycteria americana)
• West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus)
• Florida panther (Felis concolor coryi)
• Key Largo wood rat (Neotoma floridana smalli)
• Key Largo cotton mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus allapaticola)
• Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis)
• Schaus swallowtail butterfly (Papilio aristodemus ponceanus)
• Garber's Spurge (Chamaesyce garberi)

Some of you might be thinking, so what??  A few less alligators, would that really be a problem?  To quote an old TV commercial; Don't fool with mother nature!!!  We have found time and time again that when we do, it causes problems for all species including humans.

Alligators, as top predators, play an important role in Florida's ecosystem. Alligators build nests and dig large holes ("gator holes") that create habitats for a wide variety of wildlife, especially during droughts. Alligators have complex social behaviors, including elaborate courtship displays. You can hear the bellowing of courting alligators in swamps in the spring. Alligators communicate vocally and visually through body postures. Female alligators are very protectice of their nests, and baby alligators will stay with their mothers for as long as two years. Alligators can live to be more than 35 years old in the wild.

These unique animals have existed for millions of years. Yet alligators have much to fear when they encounter human beings who have left them with dwindling habitats. To make matters worse, alligators are tormented and killed for amusement and profit.

  

This is a young gator 

in a small culvert we could see from our van. It was possibly the lone survivor of a hatching that produced up to

40 baby alligators. They are in danger from all kinds of predators including Great Blue Herons. We saw more of the blues in the Everglades than any other wading birds. They are there because the baby alligators provide a great food source for them. Again nature has a plan. It may sound cruel but if most of the 40 babies lived, Florida and surrounding states would be overrun by them.

Alligators serve an important role in the balance of nature. We need only look to Gatorland in Orlando to witness one of the many important contributions alligators provide. Thousands of indigenous aquatic birds have made Gatorland their home. Why? Because alligators protect their nests from such natural predators as raccoons and opossums. Thousands of herons and egrets, along with many threatened and endangered birds nest virtually on top of each other, because the alligators make it safer to hatch their eggs and raise their young.

This image shows a family of Sandhill Cranes. We were told that the two adults visit the Everglades each year to have their babies. 

When you look out into the Everglades from the tram, you see miles and miles of Sawgrass fields. Sawgrass is a tall plant (not really a grass) that if you looked at it closely, would reveal tiny ridges or teeth along the length of it sides. If you're not careful you could get tiny, paper like, cuts from touching it. Sawgrass is the most prominent plant in the Everglades. It can be a safe home for many species, preventing predators from reaching them easily. I think the fields are beautiful much like the fields of wheat that you see in other areas of the US. But when they are dry like they are now, it can become a fuel that feeds the fire!

                              A river still runs through it.

      This image shows one of the small water holes along the road    
      which are normally much larger.

An immature alligator was spotted on the left side of the tram. You can see why we recommend getting a seat on that side of the tram, unless you happen to like silhouettes of the people who wisely sat on the left!!

   This is a Great Blue and Phyllis' silhouette. You will    

   see a much better image of the heron when Phyllis 

   posts her images. (Remember sit on the left!!!!)

At one point the tram stopped and the ranger took people for a short walk out to a larger water hole. Bill (the ranger) was very informative and entertaining. We really recommend taking the tram ride and looking for Bill, if you can!

This is the tram's road between fields of sawgrass and the wonderfully blue Florida sky above.

About half way through the fifteen mile loop trip, we came to an observation tower built in 1984. It spiraled skyward about fifty feet. Once on top you can see the River of Sawgrass spreading out as far as you can see.

        Phyllis climbed to the top of the tower.

I really enjoyed our trip to the Everglades and will be visiting it many times. We hope that it is still there for generations to come, although we have our worries. Between the drought, threat of fire and man's encroachment on its land, the Everglades and the species that live there are in danger of surviving.

The danger even involves people taking their pet pythons and releasing them into the Everglades. I know this sounds like a really bad movie plot but it is true. These former pets grow too large and then the owners release them into the wild where they mate and now there are pythons overrunning the park. 

The Burmese python is one of the worlds largest snakes.

(I won't even go into what I think about these former owners! What were they thinking when they bought these snakes? Did they not understand what 20 feet was?? That's how long these snakes grow to.) 

People have witnessed, on a few occasions, major battles between these snakes and the alligators. So far it appears that the alligators are holding there own but how long that is true is anyone's guess.

This is just another danger to the park and the species already endangered who live there. 

WE REALLY ARE THE ENEMY!!!

THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES: "WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS US"!!!

Today's post is a photo tour of a trip we took to the Florida Everglades. But first let me answer a question that we see in the comments occasionally. I have people asking me to post our images without the water mark or to place it on the bottom out of the way. I really understand the request and  appreciate people wanting to see our images without words written across them. I have addressed this in the past but let me repeat why I do it this way. It is kind of sad and kind of simple. People steal images on the internet and use them for their own web sites or print them. We and other photographers work very hard to present our images, not even mentioning the expense. We do sell our art, it is available on the gadget you see on this blog or by contacting me about any image you see. If I put the copyright on the bottom it would be very easy to crop it out. It is pretty easy to clone it out using Photoshop, so we need to try and make it harder for people to do. The idea that someone would steal another person's creative property is amazing to me but it does happen much more then you would guess!! I do try and keep the opacity very low so as to not intrude too much and will lower it even more in the immediate future. Thank you for your understanding.


We took a day trip to the Florida Everglades a few weeks ago. To be factual, we went to the Shark Valley part of the Everglades. It's named so because it runs into Shark Lake which derived its name from the sharks that used to live in it; a form of shark that can live in either salt or fresh water (a Bull Shark). 


The Everglades is a National Park in the US state of Florida that protects the southern 25% of the original Everglades. It is the largest sub tropical wilderness in the US and is visited each year on average by one million people each year. It is the third largest national park in the lower 48 states after Death Valley and Yellowstone. Unlike most U.S. national parks, it was created to protect a fragile ecosystem instead of safe guarding a unique geographic feature. It is home to 36 species designated as endangered or protected, including the Florida Panther, the American Crocodile and the West Indian Manatee. It is also the most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America. More then 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals and 50 species of reptiles live within the Everglades.


In 1882 the region began to be drained for residential and agriculture use. In the 20th century the natural water flow from Lake Okeechobee was controlled and diverted to the explosive growth of the South Florida metropolitan area. The park was established in 1934 to protect the quickly vanishing Everglades and dedicated in 1947, the same year massive canal- building projects across South Florida began to divert water away from the park. The ecosystems in Everglades National Park have suffered significantly
from human activity and the repair and restoration of the Everglades is a politically charged issue in South Florida.

One example of man creating problems for himself is the Melaleuca tree which was imported from Australlia. This tree has the ability to soak up great amounts of water and was planted in the area to help soak up water and help with the establishing of land suitable for residential and agriculture purposes.  It was planted in the Everglades originally to drain water from was thought to be a river. 


Later it was realized that the Everglades is a large swamp. But it was too late. In fifty years the tree has grown to be a great nuisance in Florida especially in the Everglades. The tree grows to immense forests in the Everglades and its surrounding wetlands. Now there is a lack of water in the area and the trees keep growing and threatening the very existence of the Everglades. 


Scientists are trying to discover a way to control the growth of the trees. Herbicides are somewhat effective but fires that they are purposely starting are actually helping to spread the tree's seeds. Recently scientist have released biologically controlled insects to help in the fight against the tree. I don't know about you but this does not fill me with hope!!  We really are our the enemy!! The trees have consumed most of the Everglades Swamp and is threatening the existence of the swamp and its magnificent ecosystem. 


When we arrived at Shark Valley we parked our car and walked over to a few buildings. We purchased tickets for a tour of the area on a tram with a park ranger as a guide. We would highly recommend taking this tour if you visit. As we were waiting for the next tour we walked over to a small river. When we looked down into the river it was obvious that we were in the Everglades. In a very small stretch of water were alligators, wading birds and fish swimming around. We saw alligators swimming up and down the river while others were near the shore almost hidden in the vegetation.

I find these creatures amazing to observe; seemingly sleepy and unfazed by what is around them but if something they perceive as food gets anywhere near them, you see their large eyes open and lock on to the target. They seem like something left over from another period of time. It is believed there are over 1.3 million alligators in Florida. That census is derived by determining the amount of suitable habitat and the average density of alligators in that habitat. To try and actually count the alligators would be time consuming, expensive and relatively dangerous.  


One of the birds that live in the Everglades in the Anhinga, a water bird. It does not have oil glands for water proofing its feathers like most water birds. When it goes fishing its feathers get wet. This helps it dive and chase fish under water. However, when it is above water it must spread its wings to dry in the sun. It can fly with wet feathers but not as well. The Anhinga spears its prey with its pointed beak like an arrow. Sometimes the thrust is so powerful that it needs to swim to shore and pry the fish off its beak by rubbing the fish against a rock. 


As I walked up the river I saw something under the murky water. First all I saw was the fan tail and I had no idea what it was. Then in a matter of seconds I saw the rest of the Anhinga swimming around under water looking for food. In this image you can see it underwater swimming around. It is really amazing to see this large bird swimming under water. 

 After a short time it came closer to the top and stuck its head out of the water to breath.

About 10 minutes later it surfaced and went on shore spreading its wings to dry in the sun.

 About 25 feet from the Anhinga I spotted a Blue Heron in the river.

                                  A really beautiful bird!


Even in this river you could see part of the different ecosystems.

            But be careful, in this lush vegetation lurks danger!!

Soon it was time to get on the tram for our tour. Here's a tip if you're looking to take pictures. When you take your seat sit on the left (when looking to the front). There seemed to be more opportunities to photograph some on the inhabitants on that side. Phyllis sat there. I sat on the right!!!

Our next post will include images from our tram ride through the  Florida Everglades. 


( I need to give credit for part of the title of this post "we have met the enemy....... It is a line from an American cartoon. Pogo that ran for many years written by Walt Kelly. He penned the line many years ago and used it on a Earth Day Poster)