Corkscrew What do you say if…

Swamp Sanctuary …visitors complain that they

have traveled a long way and
Along the haven’t seen one alligator?
Boardwalk Acknowledge their disappointment
January, 2007 www.corkscrew.audubon.org and explain why they may not have
seen any alligators: (1) the Sanctuary
Storks wired for satellite tracking to is 12,000 acres and unlike a zoo, alli-
gators can go anywhere they want,
preserve nesting colony feeding areas which is not necessarily where we
want; (2) in the summer and fall, water
In order for Wood Storks to have a levels are high so the alligators are more
successful nesting season, they must spread out, and they stay in the water
not only have a safe place for the nest- to stay cool; (3) on cold winter morn-
ing colony but they must have enough ings, water holds temperature better
accessible feeding areas to support the than air and the alligators stay under
colony. water to stay warmer.
Information about nesting at Cork- Additionally, radio other volunteers
screw is documented, but not enough to see if there are any gators visible
is known about the areas where the elsewhere.
storks feed outside the sanctuary to Try and show them some other
make accurate, informed decisions unique animals or plant life (have a
about protecting those essential areas. common plant in mind like a strangler
To address that situation, a program fig or resurrection fern so you are not
of satellite tracking began last year. A dependent on trying to find another
small, cell phone-size transmitter is at- animal that might not be there and dis-
tached to the back of the stork between appointing him/her again).
the wings using a silicone strap harness Lastly, refer them to Lake Trafford
which loops beneath the wings and for an airboat ride where there are hun-
under the belly. The birds preen the dreds of gators in a more confined area.
feathers over the device effectively con- We refer visitors to Lake Trafford be-
cealing it, except for a thin antenna cause they are sure to see a gator and it
which remains protruding from the Photographs by Will Wellman is part of Corkscrew’s watershed.
feathers. Visible plastic leg bands are
also attached to each tagged stork. Quick ID Guide
Five new satellite tags have been How can you distinguish between immature Yellow-crowned
purchased to deploy on storks nesting
at Corkscrew this year.
Night Herons and immature Black-crowned Night Herons?
Jason Lauritsen, leader of the track- Field guides say the immature Yel- can be made, but that situation rarely
ing project, said, “Hydrologic condi- low-crowned has smaller white spots occurs in real life.
tions cause me to believe they will nest on the upper wing, darker gray flight Here’s the easier way. Look at the
before mid-January. If this occurs, I feathers, a little longer neck, a more lower mandibles of the bills and think
hope to have a rocket-netting team in finely streaked breast, and a slightly OPPOSITE COLOR OF THE NAME.
place right away so we can track their stouter bill. The Yellow-
foraging movements.” That works crowned’s lower
Less than a dozen transmitters will if the two are bill is black.
be in use, and while satellite tracking roosting side by The Black-
identifies patterns and feeding areas, it side so those crowned’s lower
is a very limited picture. Observations comparisons bill is yellow.
of volunteers reporting feeding areas to
Jason will be essential to the overall Yellow-crowned Black-crowned
success of the preservation program. Night Heron Night Heron
 In Case a Visitor Asks
Why do Anhingas spread their wings?
…and the answer is NOT that they need to dry them off
The structure of Anhinga feathers Anhingas have unusually low
decreases buoyancy and facilitates un- metabolic rates and unusually high rates
derwater pursuit of fish. Hence, their of heat loss from their bodies. Whether
plumage is not water-repellent like wet or dry, they exhibit spread-wing
ducks, but “wettable.” postures mostly under conditions of
It was once suggested that the func- bright sunlight and cool ambient tem-
tions of the spread-wing posture was peratures, and they characteristically
to dry the wings after wetting. Biolo- orient themselves with their backs to
gists thought that deficient production the sun.
of oils from the preen gland required Thus, it appears that Anhingas
the wings to be dried. adopt a spread-wing posture primarily
We now know that the degree of for thermoregulation – to absorb solar
waterproofing of their feathers is pri- energy to supplement their low meta-
marily due to the microscopic structure bolic heat production and to partly off-
of the feathers, and not to being oiled. set their inordinately high rate of heat
Some birds do use a spread-wing loss due to convection and (when wet)
posture for wing drying. Not Anhingas. evaporation from their plumage. Reference: The Birder’s Handbook, pp. 25-27

December Sightings

Orange-crowned Warbler at the south lake Painted Bunting near the feeder by the Bunting Common Grackle, aberrant coloration on tail
(December 1). House (December 5). feathers, near Bunting House (December 18).

Christmas Bird Count

Corkscrew Area Count sets records for 18 species, tallies almost 28,000 birds
In spite of rain and overcast skies, Immokalee, south to 18th Avenue and Record highs for individual species
41 volunteers were in the field for the west almost to Twin Eagles. included Green-winged Teal, Wild Tur-
107th Christmas Bird Count on Satur- A grand total of 27,907 birds was key, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered
day, December 16. counted during the day. The most of- Hawk, Least Sandpiper, Eurasian Col-
Volunteers met in the Corkscrew ten seen bird was the American Robin lared Dove, Mourning Dove, Rock
parking lot between 6:15 and 7:30 AM with a total of 7,137 individuals, fol- Dove, Red-bellied Woodpecker, East-
where they divided into small groups. lowed by Tree Swallows (5,320), Com- ern Phoebe, Loggerhead Shrike, Blue-
Most of the groups completed their mon Grackles (2,229), Yellow-rumped headed Vireo, Blue Jay, Gray Catbird,
counts by 5:00 PM. Warblers (1,767), and Mourning Doves Northern Mockingbird, Summer Tana-
The territories counted in the Cork- (1,727). ger, and American Robin.
screw Circle stretched from the Sanc- Numbers for eighteen species were Less common birds observed in-
tuary property (including the fish farm, all-time highs in the 26 years of the cluded Bufflehead, Peregrine Falcon,
central marsh and washout trail), north Corkscrew Circle Christmas Bird Scrub Jay, Wood Thrush, Sora, and
and east to Lake Trafford and Counts. Solitary Sandpiper.
 Profile
Cypress are in the redwood family Cypress can regenerate after wind
Taxodiaceae, which includes the red- Bald Cypress or lightning damage as long as the root
woods and giant sequoias in the west- Taxodium distichum system and some of the living trunk is
ern United States. intact. Trees up to 60 years of age
Although cypress are coni- send up healthy sprouts; trees up
fers, they are unique because they to 200 years of age may also
are deciduous. This indicates that sprout but not very vigorously.
although Corkscrew is in a sub- Adventitious branching (sprout-
tropical area, cypress originated ing from unusual or unexpected
as temperate plants where being places) may occur after storm or
deciduous was an advantage, and fire damage.
they spread south rather than The thin bark of cypress trees
originating as tropical plants and offers little protection against fire,
spreading north. but the trees are usually protected
The oldest trees at Corkscrew because fire burns out in the moist
are around 600 years old. The age soils where cypress grow. During
was based on a core peat sample drought years when the soil is dry,
from the central marsh which in- a fire will usually kill the trees.
dicated that approximately 600 years long and are usually near the Cypress roots are widespread,
ago, a massive fire occurred. The car- tops of the cypress trees. shallow, and horizontal. Young
bon deposit was thick enough that the Female cones are trees send a tap root down, but be-
fire must have destroyed everything. mostly round and are usu- cause of the limestone base be-
Cypress was and is heavily har- ally in the lower portions of the cypress neath the sand and peat in Corkscrew,
vested because of its qualities: it is re- trees. They appear from March to April the tap roots never develop. Cypress
sistant to decay but it is soft, light, very after pollination and reach maturity be- knees grow up from the roots and tend
durable, and doesn’t warp easily. These tween October and December. Each to be one to two feet above the highest
qualities have made it useful as railroad cone contains from 18-30 seeds and water mark. Knees growing up through
ties, docks, bridges, silos, caskets, gar- usually breaks apart on the tree to dis- a dense matt of horizontal roots give
den mulch, and in boat building. The perse the seeds. the trees stability to withstand wind
U.S. Navy used cypress for hulls of its At maturity, parts of cones with storms.
mine sweepers and P.T. boats in the their resin-coated seeds clinging to
1940’s and 1950’s because metal hulls them, or sometimes entire cones, drop
set off water mines while wood hulls to the water or ground. The seeds are Cypress Trivia
did not. dispersed by water flow.
Almost every swamp in Florida Seeds cannot germinate in water • DNA testing has confirmed that bald
was logged between the 1800’s and but can remain viable for up to 30 cypress and pond cypress are two
1950’s. Heavy logging began in the months under water. They need satu- distinct trees rather than one being a
1930’s. Corkscrew was saved and is rated but unflooded soil for a period of variation of the other; however, they
now the largest and oldest virgin bald one to three months after seedfall for can hybridize.
cypress forest in North America. Other germination, so a dry-down is essen- • The largest bald cypress by volume
unlogged areas of cypress trees in South tial for their successful reproduction. is in Cat Island National Wildlife
Carolina are older, but they are in what When you see cypress growing in Refuge near Baton Rouge. Its
is a cypress-tupelo forest rather standing water, the ground had trunk is 17 feet in diameter and it has
than a bald cypress forest. to be dry at the time the seed ger- a crown spread of 85 feet.
Bald cypress produces seed minated. • Taxodium is derived from a Greek
every year, and good seed pro- After germination, seedlings word meaning “yew-like” and
duction occurs at intervals of must grow fast enough to keep distichum means “two -ranked” re-
about three to five years. Male at least part of the crown above ferring to the way the needles are ar-
cones appear on trees from De- water level for most of the grow- ranged in two ranks (exactly two
cember to March and give off ing season. Growth stops when rows on each side of the stem).
pollen to fertilize the female a seedling is completely sub- Reference: www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/
cone. Male cones occur in tas- merged and prolonged submerg- silvics_manual/Vllume_1/taxodium/
sel-like structures several inches ing kills the seedling. distichum.htm
 January Calendar
For more informaton, including times, go to www.corkscrew.audubon.org/calendar/01_Jan.html

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
DC-Day Walk
Blair Center Art Exhibit
Christine Reichow watercolors
all month

8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Training: Training: Training: Training (2): VFT: North DC-Bird Volunteer
New FGCU New FGCU end by truck Banding picnic at
volunteers Colloq. guide volunteers Colloq. guide (limit: 7) Delnor
& Truck trip Wiggins Park
DC-Night guide Training:
Walk New
DC-Day Walk volunteers

15 16 17 18 19 20 21
DC-Early DC-Sunset Training: DC-Bird
Bird Walk Walk Adult board- Banding
*CCAS prog. walk guide
Wood Storks **Southwest Florida Birding Festival
DC-Day Walk
VFT: Sunset
truck trip
MLK Day (limit: 17)
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
VFT: canoe DC-Night Training:
trip,Fisheating Walk Insect
Creek (min. Adventure
needed: 7) workshop

DC-Deep DC-Day Walk

Sky

29 30 31 * Collier County Audubon Society program (Jan. 16): “Wood

DC-Sunset Storks” presented by Corkscrew’s Jason Lauritsen. Information and
Walk directions at www.collieraudubon.org/programs.html

** Southwest Florida Birding Festival (Jan. 19-21): Corkscrew

volunteers needed; fliers in the Bunting house and more information
at www.rookerybay.org/bird fest 2007.htm

DC = Discover Corkscrew program.

VFT = Volunteer field trip information and sign-up in the blue

notebook by the radios in the Bunting House