Orlando Wetlands

Park Newsletter

A Publication of the Friends of the Orlando Wetlands and The Orlando Wetlands Park

Inside this issue

Around the Park ............. 2

Macroinvertebrates ....... 3

Volunteer Spotlight ........ 4

May Bird Count .............. 4

Feathered Friends .......... 5

Wildflower Corner ......... 6

Butterfly Spotlight .......... 7

Happenings .................... 8

Park Information ............ 8

Approximately 15 million gallons per day of reclaimed water is

pumped through a 17 mile long pipeline from the Iron Bridge

Regional Water Reclamation Facility (IBRWRF) to the Orlando

Wetlands Park. Along the pipeline, there is a series of air release

valves (ARV) which allow air to escape. The pipes are then able to

efficiently pump water at full volume capacity; thusly, resulting in the

City using less electricity to operate the pumps. Recently, CE James

Incorporated has been contracted by the City of Orlando to replace

31 ARVs along the pipeline. The pumps are shut off and the pipe is

drained, allowing crews to replace the valves. A series of planned 2-3

day per week shut downs have been occurring since April. You may

even see construction crews working

on the side of the roads in east

Orange County replacing the

valves. The impact of this can be

seen throughout the Park with lower

than typical water levels. Water

that is not sent to the Wetlands will

be used by reclaimed water

customers in eastern Orange and

Seminole Counties or discharged

from the IBRWRF directly into the

Little Econlockhatchee River.

—Mark Sees

June—July 2015 Volume 3, Issue 3

Editor: Rachel Kessler

Orlando Wetlands Park 25155 Wheeler Road Christmas, Florida 32709-1375 Phone 407.568.1706 Fax 407.568.1725 cityoforlando.net

Photo by Mark Pollitt

Pipeline Repairs Impact Wetland Flows

Photo: Roy Schlegel

Around the Park

Spring has sprung and a lot has been going on around the park! Here are some of the highlights. A variety of turtle species, such as softshell (Apalone ferox) and the peninsula cooter (Pseudemys peninsu-laris), have been laying their eggs in sunny, sandy areas along the berms. These nests have become visible to guests due to them being disturbed by predators, such as the raccoon.

The alligators are getting hot and bothered! Males and females have been heard bellowing and courting each other. Male alligators can be quite aggressive during this time as they defend their territory and vie for mates. After mating, a female alligator will construct a nest, lay her eggs and de-fend her nest from potential predators.

Reduced water levels at the corner of Wetlands Blvd. and Osprey Blvd. have attracted flocks of wading birds. Some observations include: Woodstorks splashing and bathing in the shallows, Roseate Spoonbills shuffling their beaks back and forth while feeling for small fish and invertebrates to snap up, gallinules striding across vegetation to peck around for food and American coots squawking and jousting to claim prime feeding territory. All this activity--just within a few hundred feet of the parking lot!

It’s nesting time at the Park. Killdeer have been seen guarding their speckled eggs in nests on the ground. Hungry Woodstork nestlings with insatiable appetites are growing rapidly in the safety of nests tucked within the trees. Downy gallinule chicks can be seen toddling after their parents to sift through vegetation for food. -Rachel Kessler

2

Woodstork

Photo: Mary Keim

Photo: Randy Snyder

Photo: Winston Russell

Roseate Spoonbill

Photo: Emily Heider

Macroinvertebrates: Tiny Wonders

3

One important component that influences the structure

and function of the Wetland Park’s marshes are the

macroinvertebrates. What is a macroinvertebrate? Simply

put, they are organisms without backbones that are visible

to the eye without the aid of a microscope. Aquatic

macroinvertebrates are organisms that live on, under and

around rocks, sediment and organic substrates at the

bottoms of lakes, rivers and streams.

The Wetlands Park is home to a wide diversity of

macroinvertebrates. However, the dominant species with-

in the Wetland’s marshes are benthic (bottom-dwelling)

crustaceans called amphipods. These amphipods are called

scuds or sideswimmers. They feed and scavenge on

decomposing plant and animal parts. Amphipods provide a

major food source for waterfowl.

Chironomid midges and mayflies are also dominant invertebrates at

the Park. The midges are non-biting insects that closely resemble

mosquitoes. They are often called “blind mosquitoes”. Underwater,

blind mosquitoes are in larval form and are often red, white or dark

green in color.

Mayflies are best known for emerging

from the water in huge numbers.

Mayflies usually spend about 3-6

months underwater in the larval form.

Underwater mayflies feed on algae,

decomposing plant and animal parts.

When they emerge from the water they

typically live for very short period of

times ranging from a few minutes to a

few days.

Mayfly Larvae

Macroinvertebrates

are a food source for waterfowl, such as

these Mottled Ducks.

Photo by: Encyclopedia of Life, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario

Photo: Emily Heider

During June and July, stop in the Park’s Education Center and learn a little more about some of the

Park’s amazing macroinvertebrates. –Mark Sees

Volunteer Spotlight: Mary Keim

4

Friends of the Orlando Wetlands

The Friends of the Orlando Wetlands

(FOW) is a citizen support organiza-

tion for the City of Orlando's Orlando

Wetlands Park. Its mission is to assist

the City of Orlando employees in

providing educational opportunities

to increase community awareness,

support and appreciation of the park

and its wildlife.

May Bird Count In the wee morning hours on May 24, volunteers led by

FOW Karen Hamblett, gathered to conduct a bird sur-

vey. They were especially impressed with the number

of birds in the rookery! They observed Roseate Spoon-

bills and Black Skimmers feeding in the area after day-

break. A total of 4,383 birds were counted amidst the

cypress dome, the rookery and Cell 17. Thank you to

our volunteers for your continued dedication to the

Orlando Wetlands Park!

Black-bellied Whistling Duck 12 Tricolored Heron 127 Osprey 3

Mottled Duck 3 Cattle Egret 933 Bald Eagle 1

Woodstork 91 Green Heron 5 Red-shouldered Hawk 1

Anhinga 169 Black-crowned Night Heron 15 Crested Caracara 1

Least Bittern 2 White Ibis 799 Limpkin 2

Great Blue Heron 21 Glossy Ibis 474 Black Skimmer 4

Great Egret 570 Roseate Spoonbill 2 Barred Owl 1

Snowy Egret 617 Black Vulture 425 Boat-tailed Grackle 1

Little Blue Heron 104 Turkey Vulture 0

Daybreak at Oyler Overlook

Photo: Karen Hamblett

Mary has been with the Friends of the

Orlando Wetlands since 1991, but

considers herself a regular for the last

3-4 years. You can find her volunteer-

ing with the “garden gang” on

Wednesdays where she likes working

with all the plants and animals. Some

projects Mary has worked on include:

writing brochures; assisting in the

creation of butterfly and wildflower

guide books (available in the

Education Center); producing butter-

fly and dragonfly videos for the Educa-

tion Center; contributing photographic images. Mary was also

recently elected Secretary of the FOW Board of Officers. She is a

member of the Native Plant Society and volunteers with Orange

Audubon as their Field Trip Chair. When not playing at the

Wetlands Park, Mary works at Seminole State College teaching

Biology. Thanks Mary for all that you do for the Wetlands Park!

Photo: Randy Snyder

Birding Resources

FFWCC http://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/birds/

Florida Audubon http://fl.audubon.org/

Cornell Lab http://www.birds.cornell.edu/

eBird http://ebird.org

Feathered Friends: Summer Birding

5

Purple Gallinule

Photo: Mary Keim

Roseate Spoonbill

Photo: Emily Heider

Barred Owl

Photo: Winston Russell

Okay, so it isn’t really summer yet….according to the calendar. But

to us Floridians, it is HOT and summer is definitely upon us. How-

ever, I love the out-of-doors and have a need to get out and bird,

regardless. Orlando Wetlands Park is an awesome place to bird and

enjoy nature. I birded there quite a lot in May and decided also to

hit the park the first day of June. There are still quite a lot of good

birds in the park….and some rarities! While walking along the path

near the outflow, I found a female American Redstart. This is a

warbler, and definitely late for this region. She should have already

flown North for breeding. Walking along this path, I also had a fly-

over Barred Owl and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Back on the main trail,

I saw the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, which I have seen report-

ed, but not spotted myself. This was a great find for the park. Our

other resident species were out and about. I saw Roseate Spoon-

bills, many Wood Storks, and our usual other wading birds. There

are still two Blue-winged Teal hanging out with American Coots and

a Ring-necked Duck in Cell 9. Not sure why the ducks are still here,

but they also should have already flown North. There are many

Purple Martins and Barn Swallows flying high; and as you walk, you

can hear them chattering above. For the cuteness factor, there are

lots of babies around! Limpkin chicks and Common Gallinule babies

abound! I am sure we will be seeing our Black-bellied Whistling

ducklings anytime. I have been seeing the adults paired up for a

while. While birding, you can also see some great wildlife. I encoun-

tered a Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake and some Soft-shelled Turtles lay-

ing their eggs. The prints of deer, raccoon and bobcat are up and

down the main roads. So, it is HOT, but get outside and get some

nature! –Brook Rohman

As summer approaches, many wildflowers are blooming in Orlando Wetlands Park. Water

Hemlock (Cicuta maculata) is one that is in full bloom throughout the park. It is found in

the marshes and the white flowers grow in clusters of small umbels at the top of stems.

Leaf arrangement is alternate.

Water Hemlock is the host plant for Black Swallowtail butterflies, which can often be seen

flying around near the plants (See Butterfly Spotlight). Pollinators use the Water Hemlock

for nectar, but it is toxic to humans and inedible.

Look for this beautiful wildflower at the edges of the wetland cells and enjoy the myriad of

visitors that depend on it for food. - Randy Snyder

6

Wildflower Corner: Water Hemlock

Black Swallowtail caterpillar on Water Hemlock Photo: Randy Snyder

Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata) Photo: Randy Snyder

Orlando Wetlands Park is home to over

65 species of butterflies. One of the

more common species is the Black

Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), a

member of the Swallowtail Family

(Papilionidae). Swallowtails are named

for the small finger-like projections that

are present on the hindwings of mem-

bers in the genus Papilio.

The Black Swallowtail is a mostly black,

medium-sized butterfly. Besides the

tails on the hindwings, they have a

postmedian band of yellow through the

wings and some blue on the hindwings.

Caterpillar host plants include Water

Hemlock (Cicuta maculata), the featured

wildlflower in this issue (see Wildflower

Corner), and Mock Bishop’s-weed (Ptilimnium

capillaceum), which are common within the

park, and other plants in the carrot family.

At Orlando Wetlands Park, the Black

Swallowtail is typically seen flying along the

berms near its host plant or nectaring on a

variety of wildflower including Pickerelweed

(Pontederia cordata) featured in the April/

May 2015 issue of the Orlando Wetlands Park

Newsletter.

As you walk the berms, see if you can find a

male and female Black Swallowtail!

–Randy Snyder

7

Butterfly Spotlight: Black Swallowtail

Black Swallowtail (male) Photo: Randy Snyder

Black Swallowtail (female) Photo: Randy Snyder

Education Center Exhibit: Insects

The Wetlands Park Education Center will feature a seasonal display during the months of June and July titled: Insects. Stop in and visit the center. Incredible photographs by our Friends of the Orlando Wetlands will be displayed!

Come take a tour of the Wetlands! Friends of the Orlando Wet-lands will be available for tram tours each Friday from 9:30am until 3:00pm and Saturday from 9am until 4pm during June and July. The Tram Tour seating capacity is 7 people on a first-come first-served basis. No reservation required. The Tram Tours are free. Donations are welcome.

Friends of the Orlando Wetlands: orlandowetlands.org

Orlando Wetlands Park 25155 Wheeler Road Christmas, Florida 32709-1375 Phone 407.568.1706 Fax 407.568.1725 cityoforlando.net

Free Tram Tours Available

Happenings

Attract Native Wildlife with Plants!

A new Friends of the Orlando Wetlands' volunteer project, Green Venture, is developing a fledgling nursery to grow and sell native plants for wildlife to the community. This summer, the first efforts are on small scale with a limited number of native plants. The variety changes weekly, depending upon availability and what's in season. The little green plant wagon will be in front of the Education Center on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have questions, plant requests, or wish to become a volunteer, please give your contact information to staff or one of the FOW volunteers.

Green Venture's goal is to reach out to the community through education about Central Florida’s native plants and native wildlife, and to have fun viewing wildlife in backyards.

In the Education Center, the Orange Audubon's pamphlet, Bird- and Butterfly-Friendly Plants for Central Florida, offers connection of what plants attract which wildlife. Walk through the OWP Wild-life Garden with its plant signage, mesocosms, and fledgling nursery. Recommended reading is Bringing Nature Home, How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants by Douglas W. Tallamy.

Photo: Sandy Bauerschmidt