I live along the eastern side of Broward County (which, for those of you who don't know, is located between Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties) in sunny south Florida and the current population is estimated to be around 1.7 million. I work along the western side of Broward County, close to the edge of what we commonly refer to as "the Everglades."Yesterday I got into a conversation with a couple of my neighbors and they were asking me and my husband if we had noticed the ibis flocks flying over every evening at dusk, to we which we replied, "That's why we're sitting here on the bench ... waiting for them!"
It was a pleasure to tell my neighbors that the University of Miami has studied the wading bird populations (of which the ibis is just one) and recently reported that their numbers are at levels we haven't seen since the 1940s. Which explains why, for the first time in recent memory, we're observing large flocks of birds flying from the Everglades to the beach to roost for the night. I also told my neighbors that early in the morning, just after dawn breaks, you can also watch them flying back west to the Everglades for the day's foraging for food.
We've all noticed an increase in the presence of wading birds this past year, despite the rampant development and redevelopment that's going on around us. I've captured photos of great blue herons, wood storks, flocks of ibis and snowy egrets to name a few. And, during the school year the children delighted in their frequent proclamations about seeing these birds at the parks and in their back yards. For far too long we could only see them in pictures and photographs. What a joy to see them right before our eyes!
The postcard above is from my "historic photo file." It is a circa 1947 postcard, when Florida was beginning to emerge as a winter tourist destination. Before the paving of the Everglades, the wildlife was abundant in south Florida, and there are many of us (myself included) who are hoping, praying and working to make the Everglades restoration project a success.
For those of you reading this, whoever you are, wherever you might be, please know that this restoration project is as important to you as it is to those of us living here. The Everglades is an environmental treasure worthy of preservation. Without it, global warming will most assuredly change life as we know it!
Marjorie Stoneman Douglas writes in her now classic book, "River of Grass" the most beautiful description I've ever read:
"There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth, remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them: their vast glittering openness, wider than the enormous visible round of the horizon, the racing free saltness and sweetness of their massive winds, under the dazzling blue heights of space."
7 comments:
I am so happy that you are seeing an increase in the wading birds. I wonder why???? My son teaches at Scranton in Pennsylvania and his major focus is the migrating birds. I am going to tell him about this.
Your right about the increase and I am in Western Broward County against the Sawgrass expressway. I wake up sometimes to Ibis "working" my backyard. They work as a team rooting up bugs to eat in the grass as they work in unison. I have been noticing the increase for years and I am not so sure if its good. Theres also an increase in Wood Storks as well and I have always heard that if you are seeing them where they normally are not seen then they are not where they should be. Although I like seeing them I hope its in their best interest not just mine. By the way I don`t post much on any site and your`s is one I did.
"I have always heard that if you are seeing them where they normally are not seen then they are not where they should be."
Except in this case, you living out west there are where humans aren't normally seen --- at least not until this last hundred years or so. Ibis will help fight chinch bugs in the lawn and that's a good thing --- much better than chemicals. And, wood storks are on the endangered species list, so we want to see them as well. I hope you will consider your location a gift of Mother Nature. The Everglades is an amazing ecosystem and we can save it if we work together! Thanks for your comment!
Your absolutely right and although I know there are problems with natural habitat areas I love seeing them and thats why I like living out west. As a matter of fact last week for the first time I had a hawk in my tree right outside my front window. I have Ospreys all over but this hawk was a first (for my front yard).
nt said ... "As a matter of fact last week for the first time I had a hawk in my tree right outside my front window."
Do you know if it's an Everglades Snail Kite? They, too, are on the endangered species list, with a mere 500 or less remaining in the wild. Cut and paste into your browser to see a picture...
http://www.geometer.org/Brazil2006/images/SnailKite.jpg
You know my first thought was to say no but I didnt get a good enough look to say what kind of hawk it was. I think I heard it again yesterday morning but couldnt find it in the tree. All I know is that is was a hawk and it was not the osprey that I see quite frequently.
Actually from the picture in your link you sent it definitely was not a snail kite
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