Preserving Paradise

REFUGE/DDWS

The J.N.

“Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge celebrated Luminary off-island on Dec. 2 at the Bell Tower Shops in Fort Myers with other community organizations, stores and residents.

Volunteer Nancy Riley staffs the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge's pop-up stand at the Coconut Point Farmer’s Market in Estero.

DDWS reports on refuge programming and more

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's waters, lands and facilities are closed to the public until further notice due to hurricane damage. Consequently, many programs and events are canceled.

In addition, the DDWS provided the following updates: ∫ Refuge staff is structuring a new program to take Mobile Mindfulness to the island workplace and organizations. Starting with a collaboration with Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith and city employees, mindfulness guides will lead groups along a soothing trajectory to ease the stress of post-storm trauma and related issues. Interested groups can contact Ranger Toni Westland Toni Westland at Toni _ Westland@fws.gov or Ranger Jess Barry at jessica _ barry@fws.gov. ∫ The refuge will judge its annual Cartoon Contest submissions from the Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral on Dec. 19. ∫ Steps are being taken to remove the walls in the downstairs former DDWS office to begin drying it out and protecting the upstairs from further mold damage. The office has been deemed a complete loss. ∫ A hazardous material government contract has been awarded and work started last week to clean up all hazardous materials on the refuge's lands.

Shorebird numbers increase on islands, SCCF reports

November’s monthly shorebird surveys on Sanibel and Captiva revealed a noticeable spike in total bird numbers, as well as a slight increase in species diversity compared to October’s surveys, according to the SanibelCaptiva Conservation Foundation.

In October, just under 2,000 individuals and 24 species were observed. In November, the SCCF shorebird team observed 4,734 individuals and 27 species.

Compared to the previous five November surveys, total numbers of individuals have returned to their normal levels. This year’s count is the second highest number of individuals recorded in November in the past five years. The SCCF reported that the increase is partly due to many birds making their way south to their wintering grounds.

“One species of particular note that was observed this month is the Franklin’s gull, which is usually documented at least once on our surveys over the winter season, ” shorebird technician Aaron White said on Nov. 28.

Franklin’s gulls are most easily distinguished from similar looking laughing gulls by their smaller overall size, smaller bill, and thick white eye ring. He said the birds primarily nest in freshwater marshes across the central provinces of Canada and some parts of the north-central United States.

After nesting season, Franklin’s gulls migrate 4,000 to 7,000 miles — one of the longest migration distances among gull species — down the Central Flyway to spend their winters on the western coastline of South America.

“Although Florida’s not along their usual route, small numbers of Franklin’s gulls are seen in the state while on their migratory journey, ” White said. “One possible reason they turn up outside their primary migration route could be the effect of weather. ”

Winds and storms that occur within the central United States can cause migrants to go off course and seek clearer conditions elsewhere. In 2015, a west-to-east moving low pressure system with tropical storm force winds caused a massive fallout of Franklin’s gulls on the east coast of the country. Flocks of 60 or more Franklin’s gulls were spotted in some areas — a rare sight to see along the east coast.

The SCCF reported that Franklin’s gulls are known to be social during migration, often mixing with large flocks of other gull and tern species.

“Keep your eyes peeled for the Franklin’s gull next time you stumble across a shorebird flock — just be sure to give them plenty of space to regain their energy for their journey farther south, ” he said.

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Oyster reef restoration site still intact after hurricane

In May, Coastal Watch and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation's Marine Lab received state and federal permits to restore an oyster reef in the Charlotte Harbor that had experienced substantial erosion and mangrove losses, according to the SCCF. Volunteers loaded buckets of oyster substrate that were transported to the site, located near Pirate Harbor, on the SCCF’s R/V Norma Campbell.

Recently, the team re-visited the reef to measure progress by determining oyster density and shell height. It was delighted that the reef appeared to be unaffected by the strong winds and waves from Hurricane Ian and had several hundred oysters in each quadrant. Partners in the effort include the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves and Friends for Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves.

The SCCF reported that monitoring of the reef will continue in May.

SANIBELCAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

SCCF educators visit island students in Fort Myers

Sanibel Sea School Director Shannon Rivard and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation educator Richard Finkel recently visited The Sanibel School eighth-graders at the San Carlos Elementary in Fort Myers for the first time since Hurricane Ian to continue being involved in their curriculum.

Before the storm, SCCF had initiated a mangrove growth study project with the students. Although the scope of it has changed, the students will still conduct a community mangrove planting in the spring.

During their visit, Rivard and Finkel discussed hurricane impacts to wildlife, encouraging the students to take part in the SCCF’s citizen science effort to report wildlife observations. Students also tested their knowledge on the science and environmental impacts of hurricanes with an interactive Jeopardy contest.

Part of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, family, the Sanibel Sea School’s mission is to improve the ocean’s future one person at a time. For more information, visit sanibelseaschool.org.

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION SCCF: Local re-sighting aids bird conservation

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that during fall migration, thousands of shorebirds and seabirds make their way down the United States to their wintering grounds. Many of the birds are banded with unique tags that allow scientists to identify and track individuals, and a large part of the SCCF shorebird team’s work is observing and reporting the tags.

“This data furthers our understanding of the exact migration pathways birds take, ” shorebird technician Aaron White said on Dec. 5. “Conservation efforts can then be focused on protecting the locations that are most important for the survival and success of migratory species. ”

Recently, he spotted and photographed a species with notoriously difficult-to-read bands: the common tern. A medium-sized tern, it is most easily distinguished by a black marking on the leading edge of the wing, called the carpal bar.

“Bird bands come in different shapes, colors and sizes, and it takes practice and experience with binoculars and cameras to be able to accurately document bands, ” White said.

After reporting the tag, the SCCF was contacted by ornithologist Dr. Lee Harper, who banded the tern as a nestling in 2011 at Lake St. Lawrence in New York. Since the 1990s, Harper’s team at Riveredge Environmental has banded over 44,000 common tern chicks in the Great Lakes region, where several states list the species as threatened or endangered. Thanks to the efforts, as well as collaborations with other organizations and volunteers, the number of common tern nests on the St. Lawrence River have nearly doubled since the project began.

“Banding helps us identify postfledging dispersal patterns, important migration stopover points, and how long these birds live and reproduce. Re-sight reports of our living birds are especially useful to aid in our conservation efforts, ” Harper said. “I very much appreciate SCCF’s sharp-eyed technicians’ hard work in reading these leg bands. ”

The SCCF reported that Sanibel is a particularly rich location for migrating birds, providing food and rest to longterm winter residents that stay in Southwest Florida for the season, as well as short-term residents that stop before crossing the ocean to central and south America. Harper’s primary objectives with the common tern project mirror the SCCF’s work banding and monitoring snowy plovers, Wilson’s plovers, and least terns.

“If we hope to conserve and restore our respective species, we must increase the number of hatched eggs and the number of chicks that survive to fledge, ” White said. “With organizational partnerships and help from hard-working volunteers, we can all work together toward our ultimate goal — conserving wildlife.