3rin's View…

As the common name implies, I discovered this Florida Marsh Rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris paludicola) in a riparian area the other day. The second part of the binomial also references its preferential habitat as palustris is Latin for “of the marsh”.

These strong swimmers live in the marshes and swamps of coastal regions of the southeast. I had hoped to see it swim but no such luck. Though, now that I know where it lives I will be on the lookout during my next visit.

Please forgive my partially obscured photos, this was a secretive animal and I feel fortunate to have seen it during the day as they tend to be more active at night.

Compared to the Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) I photographed a couple weeks ago, it is easy to discern the Marsh Rabbit’s smaller ears and darker, more rufous, overall coloration.

Eastern Cottontail, Dunedin, Florida March 2020

Great Pondhawk

Ebony Jewelwing

Wandering Glider – F

Wandering Glider – M

Eastern Pondhawk – M, Rambur’s Forktail

Rambur’s Forktail – M&F

Eastern Amberwing

Blue Dasher – M

Four-spotted Pennant

Halloween Pennant – F

Halloween Pennant – M

I snapped this collection of photos from a couple local parks over the past few weeks. I am always pleased to see so many of these ravenous beauties around – if not we’d be swarmed with multitudes of mosquitoes and no-see-ums! They are ferocious predators, in both their aquatic larval stage and as aerial adults.

I do wish I had better shots of a few but I still included them to show some of the diversity. Granted, this is only a small smattering of the 150+ species that have been documented in Florida. Note the colorful differences between the males and females.

Occasionally, if the light is just right, I can capture the metallic sheen of their wings glinting in the sun.

Top to bottom, left to right: Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa), Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata), Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) Female and Male, Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis), Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) Male and Female, Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis), Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera), Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida), Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina), Female and Male.

While roaming Walsingham County Park last week I saw six Southern Black Racers (Coluber constrictor priapus), though I’m sure I missed many others. Since this species is active during the day it is the most commonly seen snake in Florida. I think I saw more than usual since they are in the midst of their breeding season (March through May).

As their common name implies, their first defense is to flee and man, are they fast! It was a definite challenge to get a few good shots of these speed demons.

Non-native Channeled Apple Snail Shells

Florida Apple Snail Egg Mass

Limpkin on the Hunt

Limpkins on Nest

An afternoon at Walsingham County Park in Largo provided me with an interesting view into the life of a Limpkin (Aramus guarauna). As usual, I snapped pictures of things that caught my eye as I strolled around. It wasn’t until I returned home and did a bit of research that all the pieces slotted together.

There were empty shells of the non-native Channeled Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata) littering the edges of the pond. Since they measure in at roughly three inches and are colorful I had to risk the muck in order to photograph them. In a rare positive twist when dealing with invasive species, the native Limpkin loves to dine upon them.

Their preferred food source, the endemic Florida Apple Snail, is a bit smaller and in decline (for a wide variety of reasons). I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I caught one of their egg masses with my camera that day. Here’s hoping they all hatch and survive!

Later I was able to watch a Limpkin up close for few minutes. I was hoping to catch the snail-eating action but instead a jogger flushed my bird. I followed at a respectful distance and was rewarded with a view of shift-change at the nest. The newcomer (not sure it is possible to identify gender, no apparent sexual dimorphism that I could discern) settled in after making a few decorative changes to the foliage.

I plan to check back soon (if quarantine restrictions allow) and see if there are any hatchlings. I just never know what show nature will have in store for me!