AUTUMN IN THE EVERGLADES

Most people don't associate Autumn with south Florida especially the Everglades.  But, we do have fall, you just have to know where to look.  These are Red Maple trees along US 29 near the north boundary of Big Cypress National Preserve.  In the fall, they do turn red, and lose most of their leaves.  Bald Cypress on the other hand, turn brown in the Autumn, due to changes in rainfall, and humidity, then loose all their leaves, that's why they're called BALD Cypress.

TAMIAMI TRAIL

Did you know, US 41 between Tampa and Miami, is known as the Tamiami Trail, so it has part of Tampa's name and Miami, in the name.  They started building it in Tampa about 1915; by 1925 they had only gotten as far as Fort Myers.  That wasn't even the hard part, they still had to go the 100 miles across the Everglades. Well along come Barron Collier (think Collier county).  Well Barron Collier had become quite wealthy from street car advertising, and was looking for ways to make more money.  He decided to invest more than a million dollars of his own money to finish the Tamiami Trail. The men worked really long days, and it was very dangerous work.  There are over 20 species of mosquito's; 4 venomous snake species, Alligator's; and it was HOT! They said it was impossible, to build a road across the Everglades, but, April of 1928 they DID complete it!

EVERGLADES RACCOONS

Did you know Raccoons are native to North America? The largest Raccoons live in Canada; the smallest Raccoons live in the Everglades. But, the Everglades Raccoons are proportionately taller, because of all the water in the Everglades. You can usually see Raccoons foraging on the edge of one of the Ten Thousand islands during low tide. Those Raccoons are very small and almost blonde in color. They're smaller because there is not much to eat on those islands, and they're blonde because of the sun bleaching their coat. The eat clams, small fish, anything they can reach during low tide. Fresh water is a problem for them, because there is no fresh water on any of the Ten thousand islands. So the Raccoons lick dew off the leaves of the trees, if there is no dew and they are thirsty, they would have to swim to the mainland. But, since moist things like clams and fish make up their diet, they require less water than you would think possible.

IF YOU WANT TO TO SEE ALLIGATORS IN FLORIDA

If you want to see alligators in Florida...

Written by an Everglades tour guide with  5 years experience......If you want to see alligators in Florida; DON'T go when the temperature is over 90 degrees. Summer is a TERRIBLE time to see Alligators  Alligators like to keep their body temperature at about 90 degrees.

  Sure wish it was simple to tell you when is a good day to see alligators, but several factors are involved.  Alligators are sun worshipers, but not if it's really hot outside, then they seek deeper cool water.  They don't like wind, or rain.  If it's been cold outside;  and the water temperature is warmer than the air temperature, then they are for the most part underwater. They don't like cloudy days.  If it's windy, they will seek shelter from the wind.  But, if it's a COOL sunny day, with no wind, or rain, there will be LOTS of Alligators.

MEET CLYDE AND NIKI BUTCHER

Big Cypress Gallery
Annual Labor Day Weekend
Open House
Saturday and Sunday, August 30-31
Meet Clyde and Niki Butcher
Clyde Butcher will be unveiling his new
photographs of Florida and available for
book signings. Special guests will be the
Big Cypress National Preserve Rangers
for the Preserve’s 40th Anniversary.
Telephone 695-2428 or visit website
www.clydebutcher.com  

FREE YOUTH FISHING CLINIC

FAKAHATCHEE
Free Youth Fishing Clinic
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
together with the Friends of Fakahatchee
will sponsor a free youth fishing clinic
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday,
September 20. Kids ranging in ages
from 6 to 17 years old are invited to
participate. Organizations are also
encouraged to partner with the
Fakahatchee and set up an exhibit booth
at the event. Deadline for agencies to
sign up is Wednesday, August 20.
Email Steven.Bass@dep.state.fl.us or
call 695-4593 for more information.

ALLIGATOR HATCHING SEASON

It's gator hatchin season! Look closely mama gator is there ready to attack anyone messin with her new hatchlings. When the baby gators hatch out, they're only about 6 inches long. If the nest is a long way from the water; sometimes mom will give them a ride in her mouth to the water. She doesn't feed them though, they have to do their own hunting right out of the egg. What do baby gators eat? Anything they can, small fish, frogs, large insects, bugs, whatever they can catch, that doesn't eat them. Plus everything eats the baby gators when they hatch, fish, birds, snakes, other alligators. So they have a very high mortality rate, only about 1 in 5 will make it breeding size, which is about 6 feet.

SWAMP MALLOW IS BLOOMING

Rose Mallow, or Swamp Mallow, it grows wild in the Everglades, and it's blooming now! Wild Hibiscus. Swamp Mallow likes to be really wet, so it grows in abundance at Lake Trafford. Photo taken by by good friend Captain Fred Robins.

ALLIGATOR NESTS ARE FLOODING!

This is a young female Alligator; she's small but feisty! Alligator nests need to be high and dry, if the nest floods; the eggs die. If some of the eggs are located above the waterline those eggs can survive. This year the water is rising very fast at Lake Trafford (where this photo was taken), and a lot of the nests are getting flooded out; like this nest. Doesn't look good for this young female's nest. This photo was provided by my good friend, Captain Fred Robins, airboat driver extraordinaire!

ALLIGATOR NEST

Great picture of an Alligator nest.  Alligator nest's are made of mud and vegetation.  This great picture was taken by my good friend Fred Robin an airboat driver at Lake Trafford in Immokalee.

IT'S ALLIGATOR NESTING SEASON!!!

It's nesting time for the alligators. Here is a mama gator guarding her nest. The nest is directly in front of her, it's made up of dirt, twigs, grass, etc.; which is piled up, and made into a mound structure. The eggs are deposited within the mound. The temperature of the nest determines the sex of the baby gators. ( above 93° F (33.8° C) all are male, (below 86° F (30° C) all are female, and temperatures in between will produce both sexes. Mama gator lays between 30 - 40 eggs, older, mature females can produce as many as 90 eggs. In about 65 days the eggs with hatch, about a week before they hatch the little alligators start making a high pitched chirp within the egg. This signals the mother, it's time to remove the top nesting material, from the nest. That way it's easier for the baby alligators to emerge from the nest. Sometimes the Red Bellied Slider; (an aquatic turtle), will deposit their eggs in the alligators nest, (when mama gator isn't looking). Because mama turtle knows; mama alligator is guarding that nest with her life! Hence the turtle eggs will be protected.

WHERE DID THE NAME EVERGLADES COME FROM?

How did the Everglades get it's name? The evergladeslady has read two stories from the history books. Both stories credit the English map makers.....The first story said, as the English map makers were marching around mapping south Florida, in what is now known as the Everglades area, they said this is" forever glades" (glade means a grassy open place in a forest). So eventually, folks dropped the "for" and kept Ever Glades. The second story in the history books still credits the English map makers; and, says, it was a typo. On the original maps made of the area now known as the Everglades, the name was "River Glade", but through some typographical error it became "Everglades"

GHOST ORCHIDS IN BLOOM

Corkscrew Ghost Orchids          

Rod Wiley

Ghost Orchid   ( Dendrophylax lindenii )

Update:  July 3, 2014

Corkscrew "Super" Ghost Orchid

Discovered in July 2007, the Corkscrew "Super Ghost" orchid has been in the spotlight each summer since then as it continues to produce many flowers year after year.  Drawing attention from near and far as the largest ghost orchid discovered so far.  It has delighted us every year since it's discovery with multiple bloomings throughout the summer.  

This year's Ghost Orchid Activity:

Update:

July 3, 2014:   On 6/25/14 there were 20 buds spotted on the Corkscrew "Super Ghost".  Most of these buds were very small, but by June 27th two of them had bloomed...there are now 11 fresh blooms, and 1 other that is fading, there are more buds getting ready to open soon!  The Corkscrew "Super Ghost Orchid" typically produces buds on and off throughout the summer, please check back here for further updates. 

2014 Activity: 

July 3, 2014:      11 flowers in full bloom

July 2, 2014:      8 flowers in full bloom, 1 flower starting to crinkle up and turn yellow

July 1, 2014:      Morning:  Six flowers in full bloom, later in the day 3 additional flowers had started to open, and the first one that bloomed is starting to fade.

June 30, 2014:   Five flowers in full bloom

June 29, 2014:   Five flowers in full bloom

June 28, 2014:   Three flowers in full bloom

June 27, 2014:   Two flowers in full bloom.  A few more buds look like they will open sometime this weekend and more sometime next week.  We will keep you posted with any further developments.

June 26, 2014:     One flower in full bloom.

June 25, 2014:    20 buds, the first of the season.  

Once a ghost orchid bud opens into a flower, barring any interferrence, it usually stays in bloom for about 1.5 to 2 weeks, yellowing and eventually shrivelling toward the end.  If lucky the flower will be pollinated and produce a seed pod, however this does not happen every year.

We will continue to monitor this orchid's budding and blooming and will post updates here and on our facebook site..

Additonal smaller Ghost Orchid:

On August 12th, 2012 a visitor found another ghost orchid at Corkscrew, on Landmark Tree #5.  It had one flower on it when it was found, but the first flower only lasted until Thursday, August 16th. Later there was another flower open until the first week of October last year. There were no buds or flower in 2013. 

2014 Activity:

July 3, 2014:  The flower opened up this morning on the small ghost orchid!

July 2, 2014:  The bud is large now and looks like it may bloom in the next day or two!

July 1, 2014:  One bud still, it is getting larger and has a longer nectar spur than last week

June 27, 2014:  There is still one bud on this orchid, it has grown a little larger and is starting to develop it's nectar spur.  The flower has not opened yet, but may by sometime next week. We will continue to monitor this orchid and post updates here and on our facebook site.

June 16  2014:  One tiny bud was spotted on this orchid.

If you plan to visit Corkscrew to see the ghost orchids, please bring binoculars as both are about 50 feet high in old growth bald cypress trees.  The "Super Ghost" is about 100 feet away from the boardwalk, the smaller ghost orchid is about 40 feet from the boardwalk.  They can both be seen clearly from the boardwalk using either binoculars or a spotting scope.  There are signs on the boardwalk rails identifying their locations. 

To see the "Super Ghost", you have to walk just under a mile to almost the furthest point of the boardwalk, near interpretive sign number 7. There is a small sign on the rail there to help you locate the orchid.

The smaller ghost orchid is just beyond the Super Ghost, and just past the Overlook Platform spur trail, on the Royal Palm spur of the boardwalk, it is in Landmark Tree #5.  Walk to the end of the Royal Palm spur trail and look about 50 feet up in the cypress tree that is on the left side of the royal palm tree.  The orchid is on the left side of the main trunk of the tree.  There is a small sign there with a photo to help you locate the orchid.

(article and photo provided by The National Audubon Society Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary)

A CRACKER FOR THE 4th of JULY

Since the early 1800's the term "Cracker" has 

been used to refer to folks born in Florida. The 

word came from the cracking of the whips that 

Florida cowboys used to drive cattle. They 

made a distinct "CRACK" sound that could be 

heard for miles; hence the name "Cracker". 

Pop culture has given this word somewhat of a 

negative connotation... but to true Floridians it 

is very much so a term of endearment.

HOW DID ALLIGATOR ALLEY GET IT'S NAME?

How did Alligator Alley get it's name? Rumor 

has it, that it was coined by the Automobile 

Association of America, when advising their 

members on what south Florida roads to use, 

their reply for that road was...."oh you don't 

want to drive on that, it's just an Alligator      

Alley" well thank you AAA; that road is world 

famous now, due to; that name. Now day's; 

It's the part of Interstate 75 system. Originally 

a hundred mile long, two lane road, that ran 

right through the heart of the Everglades, 

connecting the east coast of Florida to the 

west coast; it was completed in the late 

1960's. Then, in the 1980's it was four laned 

and became part of the Interstate 75 system. 

It's real name is Everglades Parkway.

FLAMINGO

About the only Flamingo you see in yards in Florida, are the pink plastic kind. But, you might get lucky and see what we call an accidental, (it got here accidently, it was blown off course during a storm); or an escapee, (it escaped from somewhere like a theme park or zoo). Flamingo are actually native to the Caribbean; the evergladeslady heard of a group of Flamingo, that had taken up residence in.........where do ya think??? Flamingo, Florida!! LOL I have included a photo of wild Flamingo in the Caribbean.

  

                                           writingbetweenfriends.com (photo)

                         WIKIMEDIA (photo)