This page is dedicated to tidbits relating to birds in Levy County and conservation issues. Please feel free to contribute by sending your items to our email.
Sitings from Captain Doug Maple
I have been on a couple of outings by boat over the last two weeks (Oct/Nov 2018). In general, birds are on schedule and healthy numbers except possibly the peeps, ie; western sandpipers, least sandpipers, semi-palmated plovers, etc. Numbers seem down. Early birds... picked up injured ruddy duck during festival weekend. That was unusual and early. Also, observed a loon on Nov 5th. That's a little early. ... White Pelicans arrived in good numbers , on schedule the weekend of Oct 20th. Noteworthy sightings, peregrine falcon Oct 6 and long billed curlew on Nov. 5. Good Stuff
I have been on a couple of outings by boat over the last two weeks (Oct/Nov 2018). In general, birds are on schedule and healthy numbers except possibly the peeps, ie; western sandpipers, least sandpipers, semi-palmated plovers, etc. Numbers seem down. Early birds... picked up injured ruddy duck during festival weekend. That was unusual and early. Also, observed a loon on Nov 5th. That's a little early. ... White Pelicans arrived in good numbers , on schedule the weekend of Oct 20th. Noteworthy sightings, peregrine falcon Oct 6 and long billed curlew on Nov. 5. Good Stuff
Snake Key Rookerie
A Status Update
June 26, 2017
By Doug Maple
As almost everyone knows, in April 2015, the thriving rookery located at Seahorse Key was mysteriously abandoned. This rookery, hosting as many as 20,000 colonial nesting birds had been regarded as the largest rookery on the west coast of Florida. Within a three-day period virtually all the birds, primarily herons, white ibis egrets, brown pelicans and cormorants, unexplainably left their nests and abandoned the island. A relatively small number of the birds moved to nearby Snake Key and resumed late Spring/early Summer nesting.
Snake Key:
By May of 2015, it was apparent that some nesting activity was occurring on Snake Key. Small numbers of brown pelicans could be seen nesting in mangroves along the shoreline. However, the herons, ibis, egrets and spoonbills tend to nest in the very dense vegetation and low trees of the interior. Periodic sunset flight line counts were initiated to better estimate the overall number of birds now using Snake Key as well as to determine the variety of species. This would also provide baseline numbers for future efforts.
Flight line counting:
While flight line counts do not attempt to determine the overall number of birds nesting on the island, they do offer a snapshot of the general health of the rookery as well as increases or decreases in the total number of birds and the variety of species.
Many colonial nesters, such as herons, ibis, egrets and spoonbills, choose coastal islands to establish their rookeries. These islands, such as Snake Key, offer some protection from predators such as racoons and human development. However, parent birds must fly to fresh water to forage for fish and other appropriate marine life. It is widely thought that fish gathered in high salinity sea water are unsuitable for the underdeveloped digestive systems of baby birds. Each morning parent birds leave the island in the direction of the mainland. It is common for these birds to fly fifteen miles each way in to find suitable freshwater foraging areas. They fill their crop with food and return to the nest where they regurgitate their catch to their babies. This process continues all day until the last birds return to the island shortly before sunset and soon after sunset.
Protocol for Snake Key Flight line counts:
Current flight line counts at Snake Key attempt to count white ibis, snowy egrets, great egrets, cattle egrets, reddish egrets, little blue herons, great blue herons, tri-colored herons, roseate spoonbills and night herons. Brown pelicans and double crested cormorants also nest on the island but are not counted in flight line counts as they do not follow the same island to mainland feeding patterns.
Counters position their boats a short distance from the island so that birds returning from the mainland must pass by in close enough proximity to determine identity. Usually two counters identify and call out numbers while a third marks a prepared tally sheet. The count begins one hour before sunset when incoming activity begins to increase. The count continues until twenty minutes after sunset. Counting and recording can become very intense during this period. During our March 1016, count we identified and recorded over two thousand incoming birds during the one hour and 20 minutes period.
NOTE: Both yellow and black crown night herons are known to nest on the island. However, unlike their counter parts, these birds typically fly off the island, toward the mainland, after sunset. They can be easily identified due to their unique stocky silhouette; however, individual markings are difficult to determine in the failing light. From past experience, probably 90 % of the night herons we have been counting, are black crowned night herons.
Analysis:
The flight line counts at Snake Key over the past three years period are indicative of a healthy and growing rookery. There has been a steady yearly increase in the total number of birds counted over the period. You may note a substantial decrease in the monthly count of white ibis between March 20, 2017, and June 1, 2017. The numbers dropped from a high of 1198 in March to 550 in June, a decrease of almost 650 birds. This is probably not a cause for alarm as ibis are extremely nomadic birds. It is probable that large numbers within the March count were short time visitors and moved on to other sites before attempting to nest.
Other smaller monthly fluctuations can be noted, but flight line counts are most useful when evaluated over a period of time.
Our local office of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been monitoring bird populations at Seahorse Key and now Snake Key for over 30 years. They use flight line counts, high resolution aerial photography and other techniques to determine overall bird counts. Currently, they estimate that Snake Key is hosting approximately eight to nine thousand birds with thirty-five hundred nests.
It is doubtful that the Snake Key Rookery will ever grow to the size of the Seahorse Key Rookery. The island is much smaller in land area. It is nevertheless, comforting to know that we have a significant and growing rookery in our back yard. Perhaps the birds will one day return to Seahorse Key. Then we can enjoy two rookeries.
When evaluating the status of the rookery it should also be noted that brown pelicans are nesting in significant numbers.
Also, over 200 magnificent frigate birds can often be seen while visiting Snake Key. Frigates are extremely nomadic wandering birds, most commonly associated with very tropical climates, such as the Caribbean and Central and South America. They spend most of their lives in flight and out to sea. That is why it is so extremely special to have hundreds of them gather around our rookery during the summer months. They do not nest here. They return south to nest during our fall and winter. Even though they have never nested here they roosted in trees at Seahorse Key and glided in the thermal air currents overhead. Curiously, when the nesting birds moved to Snake Key, the frigates followed them.
Hopefully in the near future I will compose a
By May of 2015, it was apparent that some nesting activity was occurring on Snake Key. Small numbers of brown pelicans could be seen nesting in mangroves along the shoreline. However, the herons, ibis, egrets and spoonbills tend to nest in the very dense vegetation and low trees of the interior. Periodic sunset flight line counts were initiated to better estimate the overall number of birds now using Snake Key as well as to determine the variety of species. This would also provide baseline numbers for future efforts.
Flight line counting:
While flight line counts do not attempt to determine the overall number of birds nesting on the island, they do offer a snapshot of the general health of the rookery as well as increases or decreases in the total number of birds and the variety of species.
Many colonial nesters, such as herons, ibis, egrets and spoonbills, choose coastal islands to establish their rookeries. These islands, such as Snake Key, offer some protection from predators such as racoons and human development. However, parent birds must fly to fresh water to forage for fish and other appropriate marine life. It is widely thought that fish gathered in high salinity sea water are unsuitable for the underdeveloped digestive systems of baby birds. Each morning parent birds leave the island in the direction of the mainland. It is common for these birds to fly fifteen miles each way in to find suitable freshwater foraging areas. They fill their crop with food and return to the nest where they regurgitate their catch to their babies. This process continues all day until the last birds return to the island shortly before sunset and soon after sunset.
Protocol for Snake Key Flight line counts:
Current flight line counts at Snake Key attempt to count white ibis, snowy egrets, great egrets, cattle egrets, reddish egrets, little blue herons, great blue herons, tri-colored herons, roseate spoonbills and night herons. Brown pelicans and double crested cormorants also nest on the island but are not counted in flight line counts as they do not follow the same island to mainland feeding patterns.
Counters position their boats a short distance from the island so that birds returning from the mainland must pass by in close enough proximity to determine identity. Usually two counters identify and call out numbers while a third marks a prepared tally sheet. The count begins one hour before sunset when incoming activity begins to increase. The count continues until twenty minutes after sunset. Counting and recording can become very intense during this period. During our March 1016, count we identified and recorded over two thousand incoming birds during the one hour and 20 minutes period.
NOTE: Both yellow and black crown night herons are known to nest on the island. However, unlike their counter parts, these birds typically fly off the island, toward the mainland, after sunset. They can be easily identified due to their unique stocky silhouette; however, individual markings are difficult to determine in the failing light. From past experience, probably 90 % of the night herons we have been counting, are black crowned night herons.
Analysis:
The flight line counts at Snake Key over the past three years period are indicative of a healthy and growing rookery. There has been a steady yearly increase in the total number of birds counted over the period. You may note a substantial decrease in the monthly count of white ibis between March 20, 2017, and June 1, 2017. The numbers dropped from a high of 1198 in March to 550 in June, a decrease of almost 650 birds. This is probably not a cause for alarm as ibis are extremely nomadic birds. It is probable that large numbers within the March count were short time visitors and moved on to other sites before attempting to nest.
Other smaller monthly fluctuations can be noted, but flight line counts are most useful when evaluated over a period of time.
Our local office of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been monitoring bird populations at Seahorse Key and now Snake Key for over 30 years. They use flight line counts, high resolution aerial photography and other techniques to determine overall bird counts. Currently, they estimate that Snake Key is hosting approximately eight to nine thousand birds with thirty-five hundred nests.
It is doubtful that the Snake Key Rookery will ever grow to the size of the Seahorse Key Rookery. The island is much smaller in land area. It is nevertheless, comforting to know that we have a significant and growing rookery in our back yard. Perhaps the birds will one day return to Seahorse Key. Then we can enjoy two rookeries.
When evaluating the status of the rookery it should also be noted that brown pelicans are nesting in significant numbers.
Also, over 200 magnificent frigate birds can often be seen while visiting Snake Key. Frigates are extremely nomadic wandering birds, most commonly associated with very tropical climates, such as the Caribbean and Central and South America. They spend most of their lives in flight and out to sea. That is why it is so extremely special to have hundreds of them gather around our rookery during the summer months. They do not nest here. They return south to nest during our fall and winter. Even though they have never nested here they roosted in trees at Seahorse Key and glided in the thermal air currents overhead. Curiously, when the nesting birds moved to Snake Key, the frigates followed them.
Hopefully in the near future I will compose and post a more thorough account of these truly amazing summers visitors.
Cedar Key Birding News - a new pelican rookery
By Captain Doug Maple
On Mon. May 22, 2017, I discovered a small pelican rookery on a mangrove island near the confluence of the number 3 and the number 4 channels. I counted 9 adult birds and 8 babies. This same site has been used as a roosting site for numerous pelicans and even herons and egrets for approximately 2 years but this is the first time they have nested there. It is probably a result of the abandonment of the rookery at Sea Horse Key two years ago. This is the first time that I am aware of that pelicans have nested other than Sea Horse Key in the 20 years that I have been exploring our local waters.
Roseate Spoonbills- A note from Captain Doug Maple regarding roseate spoonbill nesting history in the Cedar Keys (May 2017)
I will be glad to fill you in on what I know about our spoon bill history. For over 40 years spoon bills,mostly juveniles have been summering in our Cedar Key marshes. They would often fly out to our islands, including Sea Horse during the day, returning to the marshes at night. The areas behind Old Fennimore and Nature's Landing have always been a favorite roosting area. A friend of mine once counted 76 spoon bills in one place during the summer. These summer visitors would always fly south for the winter months.
I believe it was about 2005 when a single juvenile spoon bill was seen a number of times in our marshes during the winter months. Juveniles (non breeding age birds) are easy to identify from their pale pink appearance. I think it was 2005 or 2006 that we were able to pick this bird up in our official Audubon Christmas bird count. I think it was in 2007 that we identified 7 spoon bills in our marsh during the Christmas count. The numbers continued to grow until about 5 years ago when a single pair was documented to have successfully nested on Sea Horse Key. That number has continued to grow over the last few years. We don't have an accurate count as to how many nests there currently are on Snake Key but my guess would be 10 to 15. All of these are on Snake Key. There has been no documented nesting in our Cedar Key mangrove areas. I have seen from 10 to 45 at Snake Key during sunset flight line counts over the past two years. Last week I was out with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a sunrise flight line count when we observed a flock of 32 spoon bills fly into the island just after sunrise. These had probably spent the night in the mangroves. Based on flight line counts and general observation I would guess that we currently have 100 or more Spoon bills in Cedar Key. Most of these current residents will return south next fall. Due to tides and adverse weather conditions we have been unable to get accurate spoon bill counts during the winter months for several years.
The emergence of nesting spoon bills are probably related to climate change. This co-insides with the appearance of red mangroves in our area and marine species such as snook becoming more and more common in our local waters.
I will be glad to fill you in on what I know about our spoon bill history. For over 40 years spoon bills,mostly juveniles have been summering in our Cedar Key marshes. They would often fly out to our islands, including Sea Horse during the day, returning to the marshes at night. The areas behind Old Fennimore and Nature's Landing have always been a favorite roosting area. A friend of mine once counted 76 spoon bills in one place during the summer. These summer visitors would always fly south for the winter months.
I believe it was about 2005 when a single juvenile spoon bill was seen a number of times in our marshes during the winter months. Juveniles (non breeding age birds) are easy to identify from their pale pink appearance. I think it was 2005 or 2006 that we were able to pick this bird up in our official Audubon Christmas bird count. I think it was in 2007 that we identified 7 spoon bills in our marsh during the Christmas count. The numbers continued to grow until about 5 years ago when a single pair was documented to have successfully nested on Sea Horse Key. That number has continued to grow over the last few years. We don't have an accurate count as to how many nests there currently are on Snake Key but my guess would be 10 to 15. All of these are on Snake Key. There has been no documented nesting in our Cedar Key mangrove areas. I have seen from 10 to 45 at Snake Key during sunset flight line counts over the past two years. Last week I was out with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a sunrise flight line count when we observed a flock of 32 spoon bills fly into the island just after sunrise. These had probably spent the night in the mangroves. Based on flight line counts and general observation I would guess that we currently have 100 or more Spoon bills in Cedar Key. Most of these current residents will return south next fall. Due to tides and adverse weather conditions we have been unable to get accurate spoon bill counts during the winter months for several years.
The emergence of nesting spoon bills are probably related to climate change. This co-insides with the appearance of red mangroves in our area and marine species such as snook becoming more and more common in our local waters.
