The Significance of Lake Rousseau for Wading Birds and Difficulties Encountered During Nesting Season
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Comprehensive River Management Plan
September 2011 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT WEKIVA WILD AND SCENIC RIVER SYSTEM Florida __________________________________________________________________________ The Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System was designated by an act of Congress on October 13, 2000 (Public Law 106-299). The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 USC 1247) requires that each designated river or river segment must have a comprehensive river management plan developed. The Wekiva system has no approved plan in place. This document examines two alternatives for managing the Wekiva River System. It also analyzes the impacts of implementing each of the alternatives. Alternative A consists of the existing river management and trends and serves as a basis for comparison in evaluating the other alternative. It does not imply that no river management would occur. The concept for river management under alternative B would be an integrated program of goals, objectives, and actions for protecting and enhancing each outstandingly remarkable value. A coordinated effort among the many public agencies and entities would be needed to implement this alternative. Alternative B is the National Park Service’s and the Wekiva River System Advisory Management Committee’s preferred alternative. Implementing the preferred alternative (B) would result in coordinated multiagency actions that aid in the conservation or improvement of scenic values, recreation opportunities, wildlife and habitat, historic and cultural resources, and water quality and quantity. This would result in several long- term beneficial impacts on these outstandingly remarkable values. This Environmental Assessment was distributed to various agencies and interested organizations and individuals for their review and comment in August 2010, and has been revised as appropriate to address comments received. -
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge BIRD LIST
Merrritt Island National Wildlife Refuge U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service P.O. Box 2683 Titusville, FL 32781 http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Merritt_Island 321/861 0669 Visitor Center Merritt Island U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 1 800/344 WILD National Wildlife Refuge March 2019 Bird List photo: James Lyon Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, located just Seasonal Occurrences east of Titusville, shares a common boundary with the SP - Spring - March, April, May John F. Kennedy Space Center. Its coastal location, SU - Summer - June, July, August tropic-like climate, and wide variety of habitat types FA - Fall - September, October, November contribute to Merritt Island’s diverse bird population. WN - Winter - December, January, February The Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee lists 521 species of birds statewide. To date, 359 You may see some species outside the seasons indicated species have been identified on the refuge. on this checklist. This phenomenon is quite common for many birds. However, the checklist is designed to Of special interest are breeding populations of Bald indicate the general trend of migration and seasonal Eagles, Brown Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish abundance for each species and, therefore, does not Egrets, and Mottled Ducks. Spectacular migrations account for unusual occurrences. of passerine birds, especially warblers, occur during spring and fall. In winter tens of thousands of Abundance Designation waterfowl may be seen. Eight species of herons and C – Common - These birds are present in large egrets are commonly observed year-round. numbers, are widespread, and should be seen if you look in the correct habitat. Tips on Birding A good field guide and binoculars provide the basic U – Uncommon - These birds are present, but because tools useful in the observation and identification of of their low numbers, behavior, habitat, or distribution, birds. -
Silver Springs and Upper Silver River and Rainbow Spring Group and Rainbow River Basin BMAP
Silver Springs and Upper Silver River and Rainbow Spring Group and Rainbow River Basin Management Action Plan Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration Water Quality Restoration Program Florida Department of Environmental Protection with participation from the Silver and Rainbow Stakeholders June 2018 2600 Blair Stone Rd. Tallahassee, FL 32399 floridadep.gov Silver Springs and Upper Silver River and Rainbow Spring Group and Rainbow River Basin Management Action Plan, June 2018 Acknowledgments The Florida Department of Environmental Protection adopted the Basin Management Action Plan by Secretarial Order as part of its statewide watershed management approach to restore and protect Florida's water quality. The plan was developed in coordination with stakeholders, identified below, with participation from affected local, regional, and state governmental interests; elected officials and citizens; and private interests. Florida Department of Environmental Protection Noah Valenstein, Secretary Table A-1. Silver Springs and Upper Silver River and Rainbow Spring Group and Rainbow River stakeholders Type of Entity Name Agricultural Producers Marion County Alachua County Lake County Sumter County Levy County Putnam County City of Ocala City of Dunnellon City of Belleview Responsible Stakeholders The Villages On Top of the World Town of McIntosh City of Williston Town of Bronson City of Micanopy City of Hawthorne Town of Lady Lake City of Fruitland Park Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Florida Department of Environmental Protection, including Silver Springs State Park and Rainbow Springs State Park, Oklawaha River Aquatic Preserve, and Rainbow Springs Aquatic Preserve Florida Department of Health Florida Department of Health in Marion County Responsible Agencies Florida Department of Health in Alachua County Florida Department of Health in Levy County Florida Department of Transportation District 2 Florida Department of Transportation District 5 St. -
Houde2009chap64.Pdf
Cranes, rails, and allies (Gruiformes) Peter Houde of these features are subject to allometric scaling. Cranes Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Box 30001 are exceptional migrators. While most rails are generally MSC 3AF, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001, USA ([email protected]) more sedentary, they are nevertheless good dispersers. Many have secondarily evolved P ightlessness aJ er col- onizing remote oceanic islands. Other members of the Abstract Grues are nonmigratory. 7 ey include the A nfoots and The cranes, rails, and allies (Order Gruiformes) form a mor- sungrebe (Heliornithidae), with three species in as many phologically eclectic group of bird families typifi ed by poor genera that are distributed pantropically and disjunctly. species diversity and disjunct distributions. Molecular data Finfoots are foot-propelled swimmers of rivers and lakes. indicate that Gruiformes is not a natural group, but that it 7 eir toes, like those of coots, are lobate rather than pal- includes a evolutionary clade of six “core gruiform” fam- mate. Adzebills (Aptornithidae) include two recently ilies (Suborder Grues) and a separate pair of closely related extinct species of P ightless, turkey-sized, rail-like birds families (Suborder Eurypygae). The basal split of Grues into from New Zealand. Other extant Grues resemble small rail-like and crane-like lineages (Ralloidea and Gruoidea, cranes or are morphologically intermediate between respectively) occurred sometime near the Mesozoic– cranes and rails, and are exclusively neotropical. 7 ey Cenozoic boundary (66 million years ago, Ma), possibly on include three species in one genus of forest-dwelling the southern continents. Interfamilial diversifi cation within trumpeters (Psophiidae) and the monotypic Limpkin each of the ralloids, gruoids, and Eurypygae occurred within (Aramidae) of both forested and open wetlands. -
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region August 2008 COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN MERRITT ISLAND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Brevard and Volusia Counties, Florida U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia August 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................... 1 I. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................. 3 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose and Need for the Plan .................................................................................................... 3 U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service ...................................................................................................... 4 National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................. 4 Legal Policy Context ..................................................................................................................... 5 National Conservation Plans and Initiatives .................................................................................6 Relationship to State Partners ..................................................................................................... -
Joint Public Workshop for Minimum Flows and Levels Priority Lists and Schedules for the CFWI Area
Joint Public Workshop for Minimum Flows and Levels Priority Lists and Schedules for the CFWI Area St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) September 5, 2019 St. Cloud, Florida 1 Agenda 1. Introductions and Background……... Don Medellin, SFWMD 2. SJRWMD MFLs Priority List……Andrew Sutherland, SJRWMD 3. SWFWMD MFLs Priority List..Doug Leeper, SWFWMD 4. SFWMD MFLs Priority List……Don Medellin, SFWMD 5. Stakeholder comments 6. Adjourn 2 Statutory Directive for MFLs Water management districts or DEP must establish MFLs that set the limit or level… “…at which further withdrawals would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area.” Section 373.042(1), Florida Statutes 3 Statutory Directive for Reservations Water management districts may… “…reserve from use by permit applicants, water in such locations and quantities, and for such seasons of the year, as in its judgment may be required for the protection of fish and wildlife or the public health and safety.” Section 373.223(4), Florida Statutes 4 District Priority Lists and Schedules Meet Statutory and Rule Requirements ▪ Prioritization is based on the importance of waters to the State or region, and the existence of or potential for significant harm ▪ Includes waters experiencing or reasonably expected to experience adverse impacts ▪ MFLs the districts will voluntarily subject to independent scientific peer review are identified ▪ Proposed reservations are identified ▪ Listed water bodies that have the potential to be affected by withdrawals in an adjacent water management district are identified 5 2019 Draft Priority List and Schedule ▪ Annual priority list and schedule required by statute for each district ▪ Presented to respective District Governing Boards for approval ▪ Submitted to DEP for review by Nov. -
Florida Field Naturalist
FLORIDA FIELD NATURALIST QUARTERLYPUBLICATION OF THE FLORIDA~RNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY VOL.10, NO. 3 AUGUST1982 PAGES45-64 OBSERVATIONS ON LIMPKIN NESTING Little has been published on the nesting of the Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) (Bent 1926), although additional unpublished studies have recently been completed by Ingalls (1972) and Bryan (pers. comm.). I have long been interested in Limpkins, from the time I first heard one in 1938. In this paper I present observations on nesting that I have made since 1966, especially on Lake Pierce, Polk County, Florida. Limpkins are common in shallow water along the lake shore and along the edges of man-made lagoons and waterways nearby. The number of Limpkins has varied with water levels and food conditions. At times nearly all birds leave the lake. On 12-15 December 1969, for example, practically all Limpkins disappeared from Lake Pierce, and 23 showed up at the same time at Nalcrest, 14.4 km east of Lake Wales and 19.2 km south of Lake Pierce, an area where previously none had been present. In spring the birds reappeared along the shores of Lake Pierce. The Limpkin in the United States is primarily a Florida bird. It has been found north to South Carolina, in the Okefenokee Swamp, southern Georgia, and over much of peninsular Florida, west in the Florida panhandle rarely to Holmes, Jackson and Bay counties (Fig. 1).The region of greatest abundance is the central portion of the state (Sprunt 1954), north of the southern border of Lake Okeechobee. At Lake Pierce, where I made my observations, the Limpkin is fairly abundant. -
Parks and Recreation Master Plan
Marion County, Florida Parks and Recreation Master Plan A Ten Year Vision 2007 Marion County Florida COMMISSIONERS Charlie Stone, Chairman Jim Payton, Vice-Chairman Andy Kesselring Stan McClain Barbara Fitos COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Pat Howard PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY COUNCIL Stan Hanson, Chairman Tracy Rains, Vice-Chairman Pat Gabriel Shirley Little Bill Ward PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT Dr. Lee Niblock, CPRP – Director Don Hawkins – Operations Manager Cathy Norris, CPRP – Recreation Manager Greg Wiley – Parks & Natural Resource Manager Gina Peebles, PPRP – Administrative Manager James R. Couillard, RLA, ASLA – Parks Designer II Prepared by: Marion County Parks and Recreation Department With the cooperation and participation of the Marion County Planning Department Clean Water Program, Marion County Geographic Information Systems Team (GIS) iii Table of Contents Chapter One – Introduction Introduction – Marion County Overview ...................................1 Purpose and Methodology of this Master Plan .......................... 2 Parks and Recreation Master Plan Background And Comparison of 2003 Master Plan ................................. 3 Marion County Parks and Recreation Department..................... 5 Parks and Recreation Department Structure ............................... 7 Parks and Recreation Advisory Council (PRAC) ......................... 8 Chapter Two – Existing Conditions Parks System.............................................................................. 9 Existing Parks and Facilities .......................................................10 -
The Wild, Wonderful Withlacoochee January 18-23, 2018
The Wild, Wonderful Withlacoochee January 18-23, 2018 Start: Marsh Bend Outlet Park in Lake Panasoffkee End: Bird Creek Park on the Gulf of Mexico, just west of Yankeetown Total Distance: 57-69 miles Full Trip Fees: Includes camping, meals, and shuttle. $525/adults $500/seniors (65+) and college students $475/youth 8-17 free/children under 8 Paddle Florida Lite (4 or fewer days): $110/day (includes camping and meals, but not shuttle) Registration Deadline: January 4, 2018 or when trip capacity of 60 paddlers is reached. Official Outfitters: Rainbow River Canoe & Kayak or Aardvark’s Florida Kayak Company Shuttle Details: Paddlers will park their vehicles at the launch point, Marsh Bend Outlet Park in Lake Panasoffkee, for the duration of the trip. At trip’s end, paddlers and their boats will be shuttled back to vehicles at Marsh Bend Outlet Park. There is no week-long parking option at the trip’s ending point at Bird Creek Park. Trip Itinerary: Day Lunch Stop Lunch Miles Camp Site Daily Miles 1 N/A N/A Marsh Bend Outlet Park 0 2 Rutland Boat Ramp 5.5 Potts Preserve 12 3 In camp Variable Potts Preserve 0-12 4 Grey Eagle Boat Ramp 10 Rainbow Springs State Park 19 5 Goldendale Boat Ramp 9 Inglis Lock & Dam 17 6 N/A N/A END: Bird Creek Park 9 57-69 Day 1/Thursday, January 18: Marsh Bend Outlet Park, Lake Panasoffkee Paddling Miles: 0 Our trip begins at Sumter County's Marsh Bend Outlet Park in Lake Panasoffkee, where we’ll camp the first night. -
Limpkins Preyed on by Tegu Lizards at an Urban Park
Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia 26(4): 231–233. SHORT-COMMUNICATIONARTICLE December 2018 Stilts do not protect against crawlers: Limpkins preyed on by Tegu Lizards at an urban park Juliana Vaz Hipolito1 & Ivan Sazima2,3 1 Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. 2 Museu de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. 3 Corresponding author: [email protected] Received on 25 September 2018. Accepted on 26 November 2018. ABSTRACT: Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) is a long-legged wading bird that forages mostly in wetlands in the open and occasionally under tree cover. Th is large bird is cautious and frequently scans its immediate environs when active or resting. Records of adult Limpkin predators are scarce and restricted to two very large aquatic reptiles, the American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in North America and the Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) in South America. Herein we report on two Limpkins killed and eaten by Black and White Tegus (Salvator merianae) at an urban park in southeastern Brazil. One of the Limpkins was still alive when we came across the predation event, whereas the other Limpkin seemed freshly killed. Th e fi rst Limpkin was already sprawled on the ground and occasionally opened the bill, vocalised hoarsely and fl apped the wings, while the Tegu repeatedly bit the bird on several body parts, which gradually weakened the bird. Th e Limpkin died when the Tegu bit hard the bird on the head and crushed the skull. In the second event the bird was bitten on several body parts and, thus, we assume that it was also killed by the Tegu that was eating the fresh corpse. -
Food of the Limpkin 11
Food of the Limpkin 11 Changes in drainage would not have brought about the complete extirpation of this large heronry so soon but in addition to depletion of the food supply the birds suffered persecution from unscrupulous hunters. Men and boys used to go to the nesting site on Sundays and shoot herons for sport, never eating any of them, although from a few they cut the wings to be used in dusting shelves. Some of the hunters would shoot as many as twenty-five herons in one day. Even such persecution might not have wiped out the heronry entirely, for the inhabitants were not bent on getting rid of the birds, but the felling of the big cottonwoods in which they had made their nests year after year put an end to what had been, so far as we know, the largest heronry in the interior of the state, STATE UNIVERSITY, BOWLING GREEN, OHIO. FOOD OF THE LIMPKIN BY CLARENCE COTTAM Because of its peculiar distribution and unique feeding habits, the Limpkin (Aramus p&us p&us) is one of the most interesting of North American birds. In habits it seems to partake somewhat of the characteristics of both the rail and the heron. Like the rail, it runs rapidly and stealthily on the damp ground and frequents the borders of wooded streams and swamps; like the heron, it perches in trees. In distribution the bird is restricted to the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia and to Florida. Over much of its range it is absent or rare and is common only locally where the food and environment are to its liking. -
CFG Advisory Group Meeting Summary Report and Staff Recommendations
CFG Advisory Group Meeting Summary Report and Staff Recommendations The Advisory Group (AG) Meeting to review the proposed Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway (CFG) State Recreation and Conservation Area was held at the Marion County Government Services Building in Ocala, Florida on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. Mr. Greg Vaughn from Atkins (F4 Tech teaming partner) began the meeting by explaining the purpose of the AG and reviewing the meeting agenda. He then afforded AG members an opportunity to introduce themselves. Following introductions, he provided a brief overview of the Division of Recreation and Parks (DRP’s) planning process, including specifics about the comment process. He indicated that we had provided the document in advance along with a comment matrix for the receipt of comments. He also stated that we had received several comments and that the point of this meeting was to discuss substantive comments. All editorial comments can be submitted through the comment matrix and will be addressed following this meeting. All AG members who submitted comments will have responses submitted back to them. Attendees can email comments as well. Respectful debate is encouraged. INTRODUCTIONS • Mickey Thomason. Manager of CFG, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) since 2000. • Whitey Markle. Chairman of the St Johns Sierra Club and Silver Springs Alliance Board and Executive Committee of the Silver Springs Council. • Larry Wuest. Representing Florida Paddling Trail Association. • Daniel Osborn. Assistant Park Manager at Silver Springs State Park. • Jim Gross. Florida Defenders of the Environment. • Jim Couillard. Marion County Parks and Recreation Department.