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.