The Loggerhead Sea Turtle

I loved creating this painting.  It pulled me into incredible memories and even closer to an ancient vertebrate that has always stirred my intrigue.  

While visiting Brevard County, FL in June, I had the very special privilege of participating in two guided turtle walks to witness female loggerheads laying their eggs at the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.  On one of these occasions I joined scout and Master Naturalist, Vince Lamb, as his 'assistant' in the search for nesting turtles coming ashore, an endeavor that was exceptionally beautiful in the light of a full moon. The roll of scout, in this case, is to spot turtles, alert leaders, and signal when it is safe for the group to observe.  While a female turtle is easily disturbed and may abandon her nesting efforts prior to egg-laying, once this activity begins, she is driven by biological influences that compel her to complete the task.

My good fortune also included pre-dawn beach walks with nature photographer, Jim Angy, who has lived on these Brevard County beaches and followed the lives of turtles all his life.  These walks enabled Jim to show me fresh tracks and nests of both Loggerhead and Green turtles before they were disturbed by daily activities, as well as, introduce me to a number of other wildlife that inhabit these sandy shores.

Loggerhead Sea Turtle tracks, leading to the nest and back to the ocean.

On one of these mornings we found a place where both a Loggerhead and a Green Sea Turtle had nested during the night, with one turtle's nest dig overlapping and disturbing the nest of the other.  The result was several dislodged eggs, some of which had broken and were already being fed upon by crabs.  

Female Loggerheads reach sexual maturity at approximately 30 years of age and return to their natal beaches to breed and nest once every two to four years.  Nests contain from 70-150 ping-pong ball sized eggs, and an average of four nests are made divided by two-week intervals.  Hatchlings emerge from the nests in July-October, 45-60 days after the eggs are laid, with both nesting and hatching occurring mostly at night.

Jim Angy at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, sharing some of his knowledge about sea turtle nesting behavior evidenced by the tracks and sand disturbance they leave behind.

To give you an even deeper sense of wonder about these ancient creatures, imagine the hatchling's journey from nest to sea--a tiny being with a walnut-sized shell scrambling upward, among hundreds of other thrashing flippers, to reach the sand's surface and find the ocean, guided only by the light of an unobstructed sky for orientation.  This directional decision is the difference between life or certain death. Blair Witherington's fascinating book, Sea Turtles, An Extraordinary Natural History of Some Uncommon Turtles, gives a poetic description of this journey along with many intriguing facts and observations about our world's sea turtles.

Loggerhead Sea Turtles have been steadily declining and were federally listed as Threatened in 1978.  Within the United States, they nest principally in Florida and 25% of these nests are found within the 20.5 miles of the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.  The good news is Loggerhead nests increased during the 2010 nesting season, numbering 13,357 at the refuge, an increase of over 3000 from last year. Given the oceanic events of the past season, it is truly gratifying to hear some good news for a change.

Links and Resources:
A special "thank you" to Marge Bell of Space Coast Beach Buzz for arranging my turtle walks and the many outings I enjoyed with her talented naturalist friends
For more details about how this painting was created visit Painting a Loggerhead Sea Turtle--Part II
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and Sea Turtle Nesting Update
Blair Witherington's Sea Turtles, An Extraordinary Natural History of Some Uncommon Turtles
Jim Angy Photography
Vince Lamb

A Great Blue Heron at the Beach!

...good for a smile.

I so enjoyed this encounter with a Great Blue Heron during my Florida Space Coast visit in June as a guest of friend, Marge Bell of Space Coast Beach Buzz.  Along with me on this early morning beach walk was photographer Jim Angy, a playful, interactive and spontaneous nature enthusiast who has packed a life-time of experience and knowledge into his explorations of Brevard County's natural world.

For me, finding a Great Blue Heron on the beach came as a bit of a surprise.  I am accustomed to seeing them around the banks of rivers and lakes and hunting in wetlands.  But this heron was relatively desensitized to people and using his opportunistic instincts and innate patience, hoped to take advantage of a fisherman's activities.  I loved these images.  Herons have such expressive bodies and faces, comical at times.  But doesn't he/she look stunning against the ocean waves?  

To see a sampling of my Florida experiences in June, visit A June Slice of Florida's Space Coast and I hope to show you more of the detail soon.  To see my posts about my January Florida birding experiences visit Space Coast Birding. (The earliest posts will be found by clicking 'older posts' at the bottom of the series with most recent posts appearing first.)  You may also enjoy seeing my sketch of Great Blue Herons at the Rookery.

Also visit these related links:
Space Coast Beach Buzz
Jim Angy Photography

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #112 to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

Bird Parents and a Killdeer Ball of Fluff

I was headed out of my office tonight to go home.  As I was locking the door, a Northern Mockingbird flew toward me, squawked and landed on the step railing near me.  I said, "What?  Do you have a youngster out here somewhere?" (Yes, I do talk to birds.)

I looked around without moving and discovered a pristine juvenile sitting on the sidewalk, two feet away.  

Killdeer chick above.

The white edging of the juvenile's plumage was brilliant against pale gray feathers and when she looked up at me, her yellow gape was SO yellow.  I wondered if she had just fledged.  I stood without moving and coaxed, "You need to fly."   A few beats later, she flew to the holly with parent close behind.

Bird parents.  They are loyal, hard working, vigilant.

And that brings me to killdeer. Along with mockingbirds, this is a bird I have known and loved since childhood.  I first became acquainted with them in farm pastures, their loud cries on the wing unmistakable.  My latest encounter was last week in the grocery parking lot.  But it was not until my June visit to Brevard County, FL, on my way to the Pelican Island Overlook at Sebastian Inlet, that I actually witnessed the famous broken wing display.  Immediately, I was on the alert for young.  

And what we found (I was with Marge Bell and Jim Angy of Brevard County) was this little fluff ball, busily foraging on long legs.  If you enlarge the image below, you can see the webs on the chick's feet.  Though killdeer, a plover species, are found in many dry open places frequented by people, such as ball parks, gravel roads, abandoned fields and parking lots, they are also wetland birds.  And both the adults and juveniles are proficient swimmers.

But our visit with the juvenile was cut short by an unhappy parent who let out an ear-piercing alarm call.

She got our attention and the attention of the juvenile who immediately adopted a crouched, motionless posture and blended with the dead debris on the ground.

Nature at her best.

To see my previous posts on the Space Coast, Brevard County, FL click here

For more Brevard County Links visit:
Space Coast Beach Buzz
Jim Angy Photography
Space Coast Wildflowers

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #99 at Birdfreak.com to promote the conservation of our world's birds.

And don't miss your chance to win a free copy of the 8th Edition of Simpson and Day's Field Guide to the Birds of Australia. Visit my book review and leave your comment before midnight (EDT) July 31st.  The Winner will be announced August 1st and receive their free copy directly from Penguin Australia.  Good luck!

A June Slice of Florida's Space Coast

I've just spent a week with Marge Bell of Space Coast Beach Buzz in South Brevard County, Florida, exploring beaches, summer wetlands and inland meadows with naturalists in the area.  Among my activities, wildflower walks, exploring sunrise beaches, and guided moonlight walks to witness Loggerhead sea turtle nesting.   

White Ibis foraging at sunrise along a barrier island beach in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge   

Loblolly Bay blossom with assassin bugs at Wickham Park

Ghost crab blending with the sand at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge.

Cricket on Pitcher Plant blossom in an inland meadow

A Limpkin among the Indian Blankets at Viera Wetlands

Sea Oats at sunrise

And this is just a preview.  More details on the nature I enjoyed during my visit coming up.    

Links and resources:

Space Coast Beach Buzz
Space Coast Eco
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
Wayne Matchett - Space Coast Wildflowers
Jim Angy Photography
Charlie Corbeil Photography
Vince Lamb Photography

To see posts from my January visit to Brevard County's Space Coast click here.

Delightful Limpkin--Part II

What is it that is so captivating about this bird?

Can't explain it.  Those kind eyes?  Maybe the deliberate way they move their legs as they walk.  The coarse, matter-of-fact squawk in their voice?  Or maybe the special nature of their habitat and diet.  Who knows what really tugs the heart.  Visually, I think it is the eyes and the simple, yet stunning beauty of her feathers, white spade tips on taupe.

I think my sketch is a bit too dark.  There is a reason, however.  I kept forgetting that half of this page spread wasn't watercolor paper and the half she's on is also light blue.   When I get deep into painting, these technical details go away.  So I'm looking forward to creating another sketch on sturdy paper.

I also wanted to share a few more images and show you the reason my sketched Limpkin's head feathers are all ruffled instead of slicked back.

After all that underwater foraging, some head slinging was in order.

And some feather ruffling.

I also wanted you to see those feet and get a sense of their huge long stride, similar to that of sandhill cranes.  I didn't see the limping gait that is referenced as the source of their name.  But this Limpkin didn't do much walking.  She foraged in a small shallow area, preened and then flew.

I also didn't see a snail extraction, but I got a fun look at how a bird with a beak of this size preens.  And that's no small undertaking.  It requires an elastic neck!

To see my first post with more details on the Limpkin's lifestyle, visit The Delightful Limpkin.
And if you're interested in seeing more about the creation of the sketch, visit Sketching A Limpkin at Vickie's Sketchbook.
To view all my posts about Brevard County's Space Coast Birds and the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, click here.  The first post will be at the bottom.

The above images were taken at the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Brevard County, Florida, with guide, photographer and Master Naturalist, Charlie Corbeil. Click the link and visit Charlie's beautiful photography.

Also visit Space Coast Eco for informative descriptions of key natural areas and field trips for your visit to Brevard County. These excellent field trip posts are created by my Brevard County hostess, Marge Bell.
You may also enjoy visiting Space Coast Beach Buzz and FloridaBeachBasics for more visitor and wildlife information.

Visit Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival and mark the 2011 dates on your calendar.  And for fun reports on this year's festival visit David McCree's Blog the Beach.

The Delightful Limpkin

"Wait. What's that bird?" was all I could whisper, as my heart picked up a beat and the car came to a stop.   I suspected the answer before I heard it from Charlie Corbeil, local naturalist and my volunteer guide to the Viera Wetlands, Brevard County, FL.  "That's a Limpkin."

A brand new bird for me, I had seen my first one through binoculars two days earlier from far across the wetland.  Not expecting to get another opportunity, I was thrilled to find this one foraging near the road.

A wetland specialist that feeds almost entirely on Apple Snails and their eggs, Limpkin bills are especially adapted for this type of feeding.  Their beaks are not only long and curved, but they twist at the tip making them especially adept at extracting snails from their shells.  In fact, they are so adept, that they can extract a snail from its shell in less than 20 seconds!

Encasing of a Florida Apple Snail.

Here's how Sibley's Guide to Bird Life and Behavior describes this bill adaptation:  "About half an inch (1 cm) from the tip there is a distinct curve to the right, allowing it to fit into the right-hand curve of the snail's shell; the tip of the lower bill is twisted 90 degrees, with the sharpened edge fitting against the upper bill and used to cut the snail's operculum from its body.  In addition, the long tongue has a stiff, barbed tip that the bird presumably uses to extract the snail."

Limpkins forage both by sight and touch.  This one probed the mud in the shallows and sometimes submerged his/her entire head to reach prey, which may consist of mussels, other aquatic species and small reptiles when snails aren't prevalent.  

Designated as a Species of Special Concern in Florida, largely due to the decline of the Apple Snail, Limpkins were nearly extirpated in Florida in the 1930's due to hunting and the massive draining of wetlands.  Hunting, land development, poor water quality, human management of water levels and invasive species continue to pose threats to the Apple Snail and bird species, such as the Snail Kite and the Limpkin, who depend upon this snail for survival.

More images of this fun-to-know bird coming up and a finished sketchbook page.

Don't you wonder who discovers all these wonderful tidbits about the species we research?  They deserve our thanks and credit!  The author of the Limpkin section of The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, pp 251-252, is George L. Armistead.  And, by the way, if you don't already have it, I highly recommend this fun and informative reference.

The above images were taken at the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Brevard County, Florida, with guide, photographer and Master Naturalist, Charlie Corbeil. Click the link and visit Charlie's beautiful photography.
Also visit the website of Master Naturalist, and photographer, Vince Lamb. Vince and Charlie were two of my guides while visiting Brevard County's beautiful places and wildlife during my January visit.
Also visit Space Coast Eco for informative descriptions of key natural areas and field trips for your visit to Brevard County. These excellent field trip posts are created by my Brevard County hostess, Marge Bell. You will also want to visit Space Coast Beach Buzz and FloridaBeachBasics for more visitor and wildlife information.

Visit Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival and mark the 2011 dates on your calendar.
And David McCree's festival reports at Blog the Beach will give you interesting information about the 2010 festival activities.
To view all my posts about Brevard County's Space Coast Birds and the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, click here.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #83, at Birdfreak.com to celebrate the conservation of our world's birds.

The Secret Lives of Ducks

Head-bobbing is a delightful nuptial display to witness. Two Blue-winged Teals are pictured below, the female on the left with her neck contracted, the male on the right with his neck stretched, alternating these movements in perfect rhythm. (Click images to enlarge).An instant later, the male stepped onto the female's back and she disappeared. It doesn't take a rocket-scientist to figure out what's happening here. "She's going to drown!" I heard myself say. Then came the quiet response from local naturalist, Charlie Corbeil, "Maybe she can hold her breath." Hummm. "Maybe...." I had to laugh at myself. The whole sequence spanned less than 60 seconds and was followed by the female's energetic bathing, wing-flapping and preening.Thus began my not-so-subtle introduction to the secret lives of ducks, one of several close-up encounters at Viera Wetlands with Charlie Corbeil, Master Naturalist and photographer. Then followed my field workshop with the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival two days later. Other than general recognition, I knew zero about ducks prior to my experiences in Brevard County, making it a special treat to view them along side experts.

Here we are, below, in the Space Coast Festival's field workshop, the "Secret Life of Ducks", on Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, ready to see some ducks.
And below is what we found--thousands of ducks along with an enormous collection of foraging wading birds (only partially represented in the photo), among them, an Eurasian Wigeon, Roseate Spoonbills, and my first look at American Avocets.
Our patient and knowledgeable instructors on this field adventure are pictured below, Bruce Anderson, front scope, and Murray Gardler, just behind and slightly forward, both delightful in their leadership, their enthusiasm and their patience.
Seeing a duck through a scope is not always easy. They move. And sometimes they disappear before you have a chance to spot them. And when they're resting and preening they are often in groups, meaning you have to sort through ducks to find the field marks for the one you're searching for. But what a triumph when you succeed. Not only is the 'whole world' waiting, but they celebrate with you--you, your duck-spotting buddies and two genuinely enthusiastic instructors, all of which made for a warm and gratifying experience.
Blue-winged Teal sketch in progress

I learned tons of interesting facts about ducks, too many to absorb all at once. But I will share one duck life secret with you. Have you ever considered how all those ducklings in a brood happen to hatch out at the same time so they can swim along with mom? The female lays her eggs over a period of days, but she doesn't begin incubation until every egg is laid. Hatch timing is determined by the number of days incubated rather than the date the egg is laid. Smart ducks!The top series of images were taken at the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Brevard County, Florida, with guide, photographer and Master Naturalist, Charlie Corbeil. Click the link and visit Charlie's beautiful photography.
Also visit the website of Master Naturalist, and photographer, Vince Lamb. Vince and Charlie were two of my guides while visiting Brevard County's beautiful places and wildlife during my January visit.
Visit Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival and mark the 2011 dates on your calendar.
And David McCree's festival reports at Blog the Beach will give you interesting information about the 2010 festival activities.
Also visit Space Coast Eco for informative descriptions of key natural areas and field trips for your visit to Brevard County. These excellent field trip posts are created by my Brevard County hostess, Marge Bell. You will also want to visit Space Coast Beach Buzz and FloridaBeachBasics for more visitor and wildlife information.
To view all my posts about Brevard County's Space Coast Birds and the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, click here.

Linked to Bird Photography Weekly #78, at Birdfreak.com to celebrate the conservation of our world's birds.

The KINGfisher that Keeps on Impressing

This wasn't the first time I'd seen a Belted Kingfisher, but it was the first time I had observed one in action. I photographed this male at the Viera Wetlands, in Brevard County, Florida. (Click images to enlarge.)
What I lack in lens power, I can sometimes overcome with my focus and ability to track a subject even when I can't see what's happening. And this always lends itself to surprises. But before I tell you more about this particular kingfisher, let me fast forward to two days later and a well-timed classroom presentation, "Kingfishers and their Allies", at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival.
Meet Jeff Gordon, the presenter, bird tour leader, consultant, blogger and personable birding expert. As a fellow blogger, I know Jeff through the Nature Blog Network and have enjoyed his help with bird ID's on several occasions. It was a special treat for me to meet him in person at the festival, along with his wife, Liz.

Below is Jeff's photo of a female Belted Kingfisher, the more colorful gender in this species. The male lacks the rufous belly band.
Female Belted Kingfisher by Jeff Gordon

Besides introducing me to a whole class of beautiful kingfishers and related birds from around the world, Jeff's presentation was packed with fun facts and images of the Belted Kingfisher. As if burrowing in dirt banks to create a nest cavity for their young isn't curious enough, two more bits of information about these birds stood out for me--the interesting structure of their feet and their special style of preparing a meal.
Kingfishers have small, weak feet designed only for perching, similar in function to those of hummingbirds. In addition their toes have a curious syndactyl arrangement, a term meaning fused or webbed. A kingfisher's middle and outer toes are partially fused as shown in the sketch above in the lower right corner. Syndactyl toes, strong, coarse bills, and short, stocky necks are key body characteristics for this class of birds.The Belted Kingfisher is a specialized plunge diver whose primary food is fish. Spotting prey from a high perch, he dives and plunges to capture prey, sometimes hovering prior to the plunge. He then carries his prey to a perch. The size of the fish doesn't seem to matter. Besides having special enzymes in his throat to begin digestion as he swallows, the kingfisher pounds his prey against the perch, "Blam, blam, blam!", as Jeff so aptly put it, a behavior that both kills the prey and 'tenderizes' it for swallowing.Armed with all this new information, I returned to Tennessee and, for the first time, browsed through my kingfisher images. What a surprise. While following this male with my lens, hoping to capture some sort of sketchable image, I had no idea that I had witnessed a dive, nor that my subject had resurfaced with a fish. And look. There it is, just as Jeff described it. Blam, blam, blam!

And then it settled on me, the height of this kingfisher's perch, the speed with which he descended. To spot a fish moving underwater, dive with precision, plunge and come up with a fish, all in a matter of seconds--my awe of the Belted Kingfisher magnified in leaps.

One more fun tid bit--kingfishers teach their young to dive. When fledglings are ready to fish, parents drop dead fish in the water for their young to practice retrieving! Wouldn't that be a fun event to witness!

The Belted Kingfisher was one of the many species that I enjoyed while visiting the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands with guide, photographer and Master Naturalist, Charlie Corbeil during the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival.

Visit Jeff Gordon's blog and Flickr Albums to read more about Jeff's activities and view his excellent photography.

David McCree's festival reports at Blog the Beach will give you lots more news about the 2010 festival activities. Also visit Space Coast Eco for informative descriptions of key natural areas and field trips, and Space Coast Beach Buzz and FloridaBeachBasics for more Brevard County visitor and wildlife information.
To view all my posts about the fun I had while visiting Brevard County's Space Coast Birds and the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival, click here.
And if you aren't familiar with the Nature Blog Network, visit the link to find the Top List in nature blogging.