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Posted by Jeff Weber on 07:33:44 04/07/06
The big spectacle yesterday in the Park was just about every alligator in Taylor Slough bellowing simultaneously, setting up a din that was probably heard way over in Florida city. it started at about 7:30 a.m. with one big gator, then most of the others took up the call. The posture they assume when bellowing is interesting, with the head thrust up and out of the water at about 45 degrees and the tail held aloft as high as they can get it. The gular pouch inflates like a basketball, and water droplets dance all around the head from the vibration as the roar is emitted. This may be a morning phenomenon, as the alligators were quiet as mice when I returned to Anhinga Trail in mid-afternoon.
Another interesting alligator behavior I saw in the afternoon visit was two gators rushing at the grassy shore and scooping up oscars sideways as they rushed to get out of the way. This could have been a territorial behavior, but it looked more to me like a fishing method. Bottlenosed Dolphins are known to do the same kind of thing. Anyway, all the alligators were a little squirrelly with mating season hormones, zooming around and splashing for no other apparent reason.
To get the word in for birds, there were some particularly fetching adult Purple Gallinules along Anhinga Trail. Swallow-tailed Kites and Northern Harriers showed up along Research Road and the main road to Royal Palm. Farther down the road to Flamingo, there were feeding Caspian Terns at Nine Mile Pond and a number of Spoonbills at Paurotis Pond. An early Eastern Kingbird was hawking insects at Paurotis. Pileated Woodpeckers were nesting in the telephone poles in the Annex past Lucky Hammock.
Best sighting of the day (for me) was a big Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake crossing the road to Royal Palm, just about 100 yards past the turnoff from the main road. I photographed him as he moved off the road into the shade under my car and from there into the undergrowth. He rattled readily, even while moving forward.
I believe Mr. Manfredi is getting ready for his big Tortugas stint, so I'll ask Trey to post a couple of photos for me, including one of the rattlesnake.
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