With the Wild Things

If asked “What plant best symbolizes the winter season?”, most people might say “Christmas trees”, but a fair number might instead suggest holly. Several species of holly are native to North America. Most are evergreen, have thick, somewhat shiny leaves that are resistant to colder climates, and are bordered and tipped with sharp points that protect the leaves from winter plant “munchers”, and in winter bear small red fruits that add to their winter holiday appeal. The fruits are eaten by many bird species and the seeds inside the fruits are deposited with a bit of fertilizer to begin growth in the spring. Some holly species grow into large trees. Others remain shrub-sized. Many are sold and planted throughout North America – including in south Florida. But the only holly that is native to south Florida is dahoon holly – generally a small tree or shrub that is at home in shaded wetlands such as at Corkscrew Sanctuary and areas within the Everglades ecosystem. While dahoon holly has thick, heavy, evergreen leaves – characteristic of hollies, dahoon holly leaves have a pointed tip, but are relatively long and have no pointed barbs along the leaf blades as on the leaves of other holly species.

New World Warblers are often referred to as the “butterflies of the bird world” – a designation because of their small size and diverse colors and patterns. A few warblers nest in south Florida, but several -- including the Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Black-and-white Warbler are common winter residents. These three have distinctive plumage patterns and behaviors, making them a great trio to begin exploring the diversity of warblers that pass through on migration. Beware, however: watching warblers as they flit among the branches of tall trees in search of insects can be addictive – and lead to a temporary affliction commonly known among birders as “warbler neck”.

The Black Skimmer is a very unusual shorebird – in part because of its exceptionally long, knife-like lower bill and much shorter, slightly-curved upper bill. The knife-like lower bill isn’t for cutting, but for slicing through calm surface waters near shore and in shallow ponds and lakes. When the lower bill strikes a small fish, the fish slides up the bill and the upper bill clamps down on it.

Molt is defined as the routine loss and replacement of feathers. It can occur at any time of year, but in most birds a complete molt occurs in late summer and fall and a partial molt may occur in early spring. The timing of each molt is important. In late summer and fall, there is generally an abundance of insects, seeds, and fruit that provides the energy for molt. This molt provides birds with fresh plumage and often colors and patterns that help conceal it in winter environments.

Gray Squirrels are common in cities and towns across eastern North America and made their way across the Great Plains and all the way to California as a result of establishment of cities and towns built and planted with trees. Some squirrels no doubt made the move on their own – well-meaning humans who enjoyed their presence introduced others. The antics of squirrels just seemed to belong in the neighborhood.

Hurricanes can be disastrous and Florida sticks out like a sore thumb directly in the path of many hurricanes. It’s the heat of the sun and curvature and spinning of the Earth on its axis that initiate the movement of air over ocean and land. And its summer heat that warms surface water that creates the humid air and water-laden clouds that come with a hurricane. The juxtaposition of Florida’s land mass and the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico – the northern end of which is in a subtropical climate – makes us a target for hurricanes – many of which move north through the Gulf of Mexico, feeding on the warm waters there.

Rainy nights – especially night after night of rainy nights – are very busy times in nature – not so much because of a race for shelter by some animals, but because of a race to breeding frenzies and a race for food. Amphibians – with their moist skin typically race from moist shelter across areas that are dry most days to breeding frenzies at nearby ponds and roadside ditches that are swollen by rain. Rainy nights are also breeding times for crayfish, earthworms, flatworms, and other moist-skinned creatures that spend daylight hours in moist seclusion. High nighttime humidity allows some moist-skinned creatures like tree frogs to gather around lights to feed on insects also attracted by the light. Mass nocturnal movements to breeding areas also bring out nocturnal predators such as owls, bats, coyotes, snakes, and some lizards to feed on the moist-skinned crowd.

Muscovy Ducks are so used to humans that we can learn close at hand from their wild ways in our environment about behaviors and characteristics often shared with other duck species. For example, ducklings often follow behind their mother single file and close together. As shown in photos, each duckling usually has two white spots on its rump. Those may serve as false “eyes”. Predators normally attack from behind to avoid potential injury from prey. The false “eyes” on the rump of ducklings may thus reduce the potential for attack. Swimming single file and close to the parent likely also contributes to duckling safety. Viewed from behind, the group may initially appear to be a single, larger, potentially more dangerous animal such as an otter.

Wedelia is a yellow daisy-like flower that grows close to the ground and is native to Mexico, parts of the Caribbean, and parts of northern South America. It is easily identified by the “W” that occurs at the tip of each petal. At least by the 1930s Wedelia was being introduced to Florida as a ground cover. More recently it has been designated as an “invasive exotic” by the State of Florida – a plant that displaces native plants in the state, although its eradication is not at all likely and, indeed, it is still often deemed desirable because of the beauty of its flowers and its ability to provide vegetation to cover bare areas. What hasn’t been considered is the role this plant plays in the lives of many other species. That is often positive. Wedelia blooms year round and is a source of food for many species of native butterflies, at least one moth, and several bees and flies (including honeybees which are also exotic, having been introduced from Europe.The one moth that I have seen repeatedly on Wedelia – during the day – is the Orange-Spotted Flower Moth – a beautiful moth with orange-and-black wings that seems to blend in well when on a Wedelia flower.

The Cane Toad got that name because of a plague of insects that was ravaging sugar cane crops Australia. To stem that plague, “Giant Toads” (another common name given to this creature) were introduced from South America. This largest of all toads was also called the “Marine Toad” – perhaps in part because it was brought across the ocean to stem the plague – but no doubt the name marine toad name also came from the fact that it could be found in coastal wetlands. It can survive in water that is very slightly salty, but it can’t survive in oceans. News of success of the imported toad in stemming the pests in sugar cane spread rapidly – and so did the Cane Toad. Success of the introduction of Cane Toads to Puerto Rico was a major stimulus for their introduction to the U.S. – where they also became part of the pet trade. Little thought had been given as to what else the toad might eat or what impact this toad might have on other animals that ate it.