A New Year Dawns- Cool, Dry and Sunny in SW Florida

The heck with snow- the place to be in SW FL during the Christmas/New Year holidays is the BEACH! Since I live just across the street from the beach this can lead to considerable traffic jams and a less than ideal situation for enjoying nature. Contrast the view of Blind Pass beach on Christmas day with hundreds of people with the peace and serenity of the view from the overlook at Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve. Nature trails are relatively quiet this time of year and it is a great time to enjoy a daily hike.

One of my favorite flowers is the moonvine, a type of morning glory with huge white flowers that open only at night. They have a very long corolla tube making the nectar only available to an insect that flies/hovers at night and possesses a very long tongue- the banded sphinx moth is one such insect. These vines are common in disturbed habitats and indeed are not always appreciated as a native plant due to their widespread growth habits. A plant that is definitely on the bad list is the castor bean- here is a large specimen that has escaped being uprooted or sprayed- this plant is the source of castor oil and the extremely dangerous chemical ricin. Natural toxins protecting seeds are among the most toxic substances known belying the idea that “natural” means beneficial. A good code to follow is never to eat any seed that you do not know is edible since many are highly toxic as the plant seeks to protect its progeny.

You would not of course come to FL to look for Fall leaf color but the sea grape indeed has very beautiful leaves as they senesce in winter. Sea grapes are extraordinary for many reasons- they are very tolerant of salt water, have enormous leaves in S FL where most tree leaves are small, and are in a family (buckwheats- Polygonaceae) which do not superficially resemble sea grapes at all. They are exceptionally beneficial for animals as cover, food from fruits, and spring flowers that attract insects and migrating warblers. I have planted quite a few down in the “death zone” of my yard where the sea water tidal surge killed most plants. Strangely enough the white stopper was another plant that resisted salt water inundation.

Butterflies are not abundant in winter but I have been enjoying watching the tiny blue butterflies that are attracted primarily to scorpion tail or Heliotrope that have become abundant after the tidal surge. They are so small that to enjoy them you must enlarge them considerably. The Cassius blue is the most common in my yard and shows a distinct eye spot on the posterior wings. This is believed to be a device to deflect strikes of predators away from the head and body. In larger butterflies the primary predators are likely to be birds but in such a small butterfly one major predator is likely the jumping spider. The somewhat similarly appearing gray hairstreak has fine extensions of the posterior wing in addition to the bright eye spots. This likely provides an even more convincing simulation of a false “head” to attack in a less vulnerable location. This hairstreak also has a very different coloration inside the wings which is rarely seen.

Monarchs are still very common in my yard most likely due to the presence of numerous flowers with nectar and milkweeds of two types, the tropical and giant. Both milkweeds provide larval food for the local populations of Caribbean genetic origin. It is now known that a small number of northern monarchs are passing through during their migration to Mexico and likely do not breed with the resident populations. This monarch is feeding on flowers of a firebush which normally does not bloom in winter. A Gulf fritillary is also shown feeding on firebush- the caterpillar of this species feeds only on passionvines and is toxic as is the monarch. It seems likely that its bright colors resembling the monarch represent a Muellerian mimicry complex along with the viceroy whose larvae feed on toxic willows.

I have chosen not to hate the Mexican ctenosaur iguanas which have colonized my yard in some numbers. One unanticipated result has been that these large lizards occasionally get into the house. A bathroom surprise was the discovery of this iguana trapped in a slippery bathtub. On being picked up it showed its tiny herbivore teeth but I was not scared!

Birds are always a source of amusement. I was even excited to see a blue jay at the dripping water bath. They are actually relatively rare on this barrier island and are not the bullies that the mockingbirds are. They are famous for their bright blue color which is a structural prism like refractive color not a pigment. My grand daughter graduated from Johns Hopkins University whose mascot is a “fierce” blue jay. Well that is not so bad as the Delaware blue hens! Many unusual sights occur at the three water baths I have which are very attractive to birds on a barrier island lacking surface fresh water. This “odd couple” was a pair of a mourning dove and a red bellied woodpecker. One of the strangest bird sights I had recently was this wood stork sitting on a tree facing the sun holding its wings in a strange position. This has been called the “pterodactyl” position for no really good reason and I have only seen it before with great blue herons. It may be a method of thermoregulation or possibly even a means of controlling ecto-parasites. Brown pelicans are common flying overhead and it always seems to me that these heavy and ungainly birds should not be able to fly at all. But their unusual beak pouches and kamikaze feeding dives somehow work to catch them sufficient fish meals. A very different method of fishing is illustrated by this double crested cormorant which chases fish to exhaustion underwater. It achieves neutral buoyancy by allowing its body feathers to hold water- which must be dried later so that flight is possible.

A very different hunter/prey relation is found with the bobcat and the rabbit, both of which occur in my yard. Bobcats pass though on a regular basis and rabbits live here permanently. This young cottontail has very large eyes, the better to watch for predators such as the bobcat! It stays close to its retreat under my shed and is quick to flee any disturbance.

Winter is one of my favorite times in Florida since the days are typically cool and clear with few biting insects. It is a great time to observe wildlife and plants when biodiversity is a bit lower and it is easier to master names. There is even a reason to get up a bit later since insects will only be active as it gets warmer outside. It is also a great time to loiter on the back porch and observe the passing scene.