Foxy Lady

Article & Images by Marvin R. Hyett, M.D.

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First light. I am standing on a narrow dirt road, facing a lightening sky to the east. The pond before me picks up and transmutes the colors of that sky, warm reds and oranges, pale blues and purples. Palm trees silhouette against the rising sun, black and still in the morning air. The only sounds are those of birds, mostly unseen, pig frogs and singing insects, and the occasional grunt of an alligator. This is Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in September. It is cool, and the dew lies so heavy that my shoes are soon soaked through. Yet in just a few hours, it will become so oppressively hot that breathing becomes a chore, and the bird calls will diminish, but not the incessant whine of the insects. With each season, Loxahatchee offers variation in numbers and variety of birds, keeping some, and trading others off to Northern climes.

The Birth of an Island

Of years spent in Florida at Ding Darling, the Dry Tortugas, the Keys, Corkscrew Swamp, and most of the other southern “hot spots,” Loxahatchee remains my favorite. It is easily accessible, lying just off US-441 west of Delray on Florida’s East Coast. Yet it is so large, at 145,635 acres, that only this small corner is accessible without a boat. The refuge headquarters is staffed by friendly and knowledgeable personnel, and the wild life is very much habituated to humans allowing close observation of behavior in an astonishing variety of ways.

By and large, the bird life of Loxahatchee is not unique, being duplicated in many other refuges, and , indeed, throughout South Florida—or what little remains of the South Florida that once was. In a state rapidly being overpopulated, overpolluted, and overpaved, the refuges like Loxahatchee are a last glimpse of a past which will never be again.

Loxahatchee has two main areas of easy access to explore. One is a Cypress Swamp stroll along a slightly elevated boardwalk, with informational signs and benches. Although Carolina Wrens, Warblers and an occasional Pileated Woodpecker may be seen I have never found the walk to be as productive as the bushes and low trees about the Visitors Center, located at the parking area at the head of the swamp trail. Here, along with alligators, seasonally you may find: gnatcatchers, warblers, flycatchers, woodpeckers, and a host of other migrants. The Visitor Center holds a panorama of the refuge, with mounted birds and reptiles, and a small but useful bookstore containing many local field guides and other such items. The refuge personnel are courteous and warm, and often able to direct the birder to areas of current activity, and to the occasional rare visitors which have been found on the refuge. These have included Cassin’s Kingbird (second Florida record in 1989) Masked Duck, and Fork–Tailed Flycatcher.

It is the marsh trail and dikes, however, which really provide access to the bird life of Loxahatchee and the Everglades. Herons and egrets are well represented, with only the Reddish Egret and Yellow–Crowned Night Heron absent, although the latter occurs a few miles away on the beaches of Delray. it is often possible, as it is at Ding Darling and Everglades National Park, to get incredibly near these waders and photographic possibilities are seemingly endless. Green Herons stalk their prey along every margin of week and marsh grass, Tricolored and Little Blue Herons are at work fishing the shallows, while Cattle Egrets patrol for insects in the sparse grass atop the dikes. The Tricolored often exhibits canopy feeding, like the larger Reddish Egret. The Great Blue Heron, so wary in the North, is ridiculously fearless, barely moving away as you approach. Least Bittern, and the less common American Bittern, are shy dwellers in the reeds, but, with patience, may be found. The Least Bittern, particularly, is a year–round resident, and the lake at the entrance road is a good site.

Anhingas soar overhead, and festoon the Pond Cypress like macabre Halloween decorations. Wood Storks are frequent guests, both adults and immatures, and allow close observation of their feeding habits, gobbling small fish and crayfish in the shallow waters. White and Glossy Ibis are common, with the former much more “tame”, and frame–filling photographs are not difficult.

Common Moorhens are everywhere and Purple Gallinules are easier to find here then almost any other place in South Florida. The outsized bright yellow feet of these birds contrasts beautifully with the purples and greens of the plumage, set off by a pale–blue shield over the red and yellow bill. Sora and King Rail are other common rails of note.

It is the Limpkins, however, which have really provided so many remarkable memories of Loxahatchee. Although not an uncommon bird, they have been more consistent and approachable at this refuge than almost anywhere, including those “dependable” sites mentioned in some Florida field guides. These strange birds, nocturnal in many areas, are frequent feeders about the lake between the Visitor Center and the Administration Building. They are present, often in pairs, in the early morning but occasionally throughout the day, and may even be seen standing on the grass and culverts near the roadways. You may, by moving slowly, virtually walk up to these birds as they feed on Apple Snails and fresh–water mussels, their preferred food. Their chestnut–brown coloring flecked with white, and their long decurved bills are striking in their imagery of wild Florida swamps and glades. The mournful call, once heard, is an echo of other times, and the alternate old name of “crying bird” is easy to recall.

The refuge waterways are host to several species of waterfowl including Mottled Ducks, Green and Blue–Winged Teal, Ring–Necked Ruddy, and Fulvous Whistling–Ducks. These last are beautiful in flight and at rest, often occurring in large flocks, and may be enjoyed as the feed among the water plants. Again, this refuge is the most dependable site for viewing these tropical waterfowl in South Florida.

Passerines abound during migration, and some are year–round residents. Among these are Loggerhead Shrikes, often incredibly tame, sitting at eye level on low bushes within arms length of the slow–moving visitor. They may be observed hunting their prey of insects, mice, and small birds, with large Lubber Grasshoppers a major food item in late Summer.

Smooth–Billed Anis, a declining species in Florida are not uncommon; although not always dependable. They may possibly be confused with the Boat–Tailed Grackle at a distance, but their strange, humped bills and gangly flight set them apart. Their call, a whining whistle, is unique. Anis are cuckoos, Neo-Tropical in distribution, and occur in small flocks. They often “sun,” spreading their wings like miniature Anhingas, and may allow close approach. Look for them in the low brush along the dike trail through the marsh.

The common hawk at Loxahatchee is the Red–Shouldered, the Florida race of which is smaller and paler than its northern counterpart. They are heard calling from high in the trees along the eastern dike road, or from lower perches throughout the refuge. They, too, are quite tolerant of close approach. Other raptors of Loxahatchee include Marsh Harriers, Black and Turkey Vultures, American Kestrels and an occasional Red–Tailed Hawk. In dozens of trips to Loxahatchee, I have seen the light phase of the Short–Tailed Hawk on one occasion. The Snail Kite, a bird often thought to be a Loxahatchee speciality, is rarely seen, and is much more common along the Tamiami Trail and in the interior of the vast Loxahatchee refuge, not readily accessible to the average visitor.

In addition to its array of bird life, Loxahatchee hosts an impressive list of other wildlife. Alligators in all sizes frequent the ponds and marshy areas, while turtles sun themselves on logs or on the banks. Bright butterflies, including Zebra Longwing, Queen, White Peacock, and Gulf Fritillary disport and feed along the trails, Bobcats occur, and although rarely seen, evidence of their presence is frequent enough in the form of feather and fur piles, remnants of their last meal. Marsh Rabbits and Otters are resident often in view, and enliven the scene with their activities.

To the birder visiting South Florida’s East Coast, Loxahatchee offers an astounding variety of species, with ease of viewing and studying of behavior. It is easily accessible, is open every day , and is an impressive alternate to the better known Ding Darling refuge on Sanibel Island. For those not obsessed with “listing,” but with a genuine appreciation and love of nature, Loxahatchee is truly a rare gem.

Getting to Loxahatchee:

Location

Palm Beach County. Twelve miles west of Boynton Beach, Florida.

Directions

Exit 42 off I-95, and follow SR806 west to 441. Turn right for three miles. The refuge entrance is on the left.

(407) 734-8303

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