august 2006 along the boardwalk newsletter corkscrew swamp sanctuary

8/9/2019 August 2006 Along the Boardwalk Newsletter Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

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8/9/2019 August 2006 Along the Boardwalk Newsletter Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

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Answer: Caterpillars.When new leaves of the Alligator

Flag (Thalia geniculata) firstemerge, the leaflets are in tight rolls.

Once the leaves approach theirmature length, they begin to unfurl,right. That’s why you rarely see

small leaves on a mature AlligatorFlag plant, although small new leavesare common on plants like trees.

Alligator Flag is the host plantfor some butterflies, which meanseggs are laid and caterpillars hatch.

When the caterpillar beginsmunching on a rolled up leaf, itbores through the rolled leaf. Thenthe leaf unfurls … et voila! A neatpattern of orderly little geometricholes in the leaf.

To make acomparison that visitorscan relate to, think backto making a chain of paper dolls orsnowflakes from a sheetof paper by folding the

paper several times andmaking a few cuts with ascissors.

Unfold the paperand a nice chain of dollsor a snowflake-likesymmetrical patternmagically appears.

Nature just usesleaves and caterpillarsinstead of paper andscissors

A Florida Black Bear shuffles through thePond Cypress along the exit trail justbefore the bench (July 25).

BUTTERFLIES

Zebra LongwingGulf FritillaryRuddy DaggerwingWhite PeacockViceroyQueenBlack SwallowtailTiger SwallowtailGiant SwallowtailPalamedes SwallowtailDion Skipper Long-tailed Skipper Brazilian Skipper skipper spp.Pearl CrescentPhaon Crescentsulphur spp.Red AdmiralGray HairstreakRed-banded HairstreakQuestion Mark

BIRDS

AnhingaGreat EgretLittle Blue HeronGreen HeronYellow-crwn. Night HeronWhite IbisWood DuckBlack VultureTurkey VultureSwallow-tailed KiteRed-shouldered HawkLimpkinMourning DoveGround DoveYellow-billed CuckooBarred OwlChimney SwiftRuby-thr. HummingbirdRed-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker 

HERPS

Banded Water SnakePeninsula Ribbon SnakeBlack Racer Red Rat SnakeYellow Rat Snake

Red-bellied Turtle

Peninsula Cooter Mud TurtleSoft-shelled Turtle

Pig FrogLeopard FrogGreenhouse FrogFlorida Cricket FrogFlorida Chorus FrogNarrowmouth FrogLittle Grass FrogGreen TreefrogSquirrel TreefrogCuban TreefrogPinewoods Treefrog

 Below is the list of species spotted by volunteers during July. For frequency of the sightings, go to the Corkscrew web page (www.corkscrew.audubon.org), click on “Wildlife” and in the right column under “Sightings,” select a species

BIRDS

Hairy Woodpecker Great-crested Flycatcher Tree SwallowBlue JayTufted TitmouseCarolina WrenBlue-gray Gnatcatcher MockingbirdWhite-eyed VireoRed-eyed VireoNorthern Parula Warbler Pine Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American RedstartProthonotary Warbler Louisiana WaterthrushCardinalRed-winged BlackbirdBoat-tailed GrackleCommon Grackle

MAMMALS

Gray SquirrelCottontail RabbitBobcatRiver Otter Florida Black Bear RaccoonWhite-tailed Deer ArmadilloOpossumWild Boar 

HERPS

Alligator Green AnoleBrown AnoleFive-lined SkinkHouse Gecko

July Sightings

Scarlet Hibiscus are most noticeable atthe north lake, along the shortcut trail,and at the observation spur (July 4).

An immature Red-shouldered Hawk callsfrom a perch directly above the BuntingHouse (July 4).

In Case a Visitor AsksWhat creates those orderlylittle geometric slits inAlligator Flag leaves?