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Posted by Jeff Weber on 14:29:42 01/16/06
In Reply to: Anhinga Trail, ENP posted by Rick J
I took a group of 26 business associates to Anhinga Trail last Saturday afternoon. We heard nothing about the alligator/python battle, but we did witness a monumental tug-o-war over a catfish by two cormorants. The bird that originally caught it was so enraged at being challenged that he chased and hit the other cormorant over the head with the fish. Since he presumably knew about the erectile dorsal and pectoral spines, this could be considered a rudimentary form of tool use by the winning bird.
We also saw both light- and dark-phase Short-Tailed Hawks soaring above the boardwalk. -- JW
: Spent a couple of hrs at Anhinga Trail on 1/14/06. Had not been back since we left Homestead in 1993 after Hurricane Andrew. Recent storms (Katrina and Wilma) have impacted the diversity of birds, but did see anhingas, cormorants, great blue heron, little blue heron, great egrets, white ibis, a single purple gallinule, and a single wood stork. No roseatte spoonbills, little green herons, or coots. The news of the day: a confrontation between a fully grown python (which are now breeding in the park) and a mature, nearly full grown alligator which occurred earlier in the week. The gator won the battle, but it took a couple of days for the gator to consume the python. The confrontation took place next to the trail.
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