Sunday 2nd March, Lovers Key State Park

26C, 48% humidity
Our first full day in Florida consisted of a visit to Lovers Key State Park, a 712 acre area of land made up of a network of canals and tidal lagoons, edged by mangrove forests. 

We left the Marine Vester field station at around 9 a.m. Sunday morning, and were treated to the sight of a Bald Eagle in flight during the journey.
On arrival, we spotted a pair of Brown Pelicans flying through the park. With nesting behaviour peaking in March-April, this may well have been a breeding pair observed together.

BLACK ISLAND

One of the many waterways in Lovers Key, shortly
before the manatee was sighted

Venturing further into the park, we stopped briefly to observe one of the many waterways from a bridge, where we sighted our first West Indian Manatee - systematically breaking the water first with its head, back, then tail. 

Moving on to a more terrestrial area of the park, we followed a suggested pathway through the vegetation. Here we saw the first (of many) invasive brown anoles on the trip. The brown anole is native to both Cuba and The Bahamas, and these two subspecies (sagrei and ordinatus) have now undergone extensive intergradation and are no longer distinguishable from one another in Floridian populations. They first appeared around the major ports of south Florida, suggesting they were introduced via boats. It has been suggested that brown anoles are primarily responsible for a reduction in populations of green anoles, as they have been observed displacing them from trees, and occasionally by predating upon smaller green anoles.

Shortly after this, a native green anole was sighted soon after having caught a snail. Green anoles are opportunistic feeders - largely insectivorous, but will predate molluscs and at times may feed on grains and seeds. In this instance, the lizard may have been forced to choose a snail due to competition with the brown anole for insect prey, or the green anole may simply be taking advantage of a large population of snails in the area.

Moving on to a more vegetated tract, zebra longwing butterflies were seen amongst the lower brush. The zebra longwing butterfly is the designated butterfly of Florida, and is dissimilar to any other butterfly species within the state and so is easily identifiable. Unusually, it feeds on both nectar and pollen, and the extra nutrients provided by this behaviour allows a lifespan of several months as opposed to the usual 2-4 week lifespan of most butterflies.

Soon after, an Eastern Screech Owl was spotted in the hollow of a royal palm, a non-native tree species. They are known to be occasionally diurnal, and so it being awake at approximately 10 a.m. does not come as much of a surprise.

Opposite, a small group of red-bellied woodpeckers (approximately 5-6 individuals) were seen and heard - distinctive and loud calls were emitted.

After a short walk, a solitary white ibis was observed foraging in a small pool of still water, amongst vegetation.

Gopher tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus

Along this same track, two Gopher tortoises were seen within 5 minutes of each other. Both moved from the middle of the open walkway towards their underground burrows, the likes of which are responsible for the common name of the species. Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species, and protected under state law. This is due to the importance of the burrows created by the tortoise, which it shares with more than 350 other species.

Between sightings of the Gopher tortoises, we examined a Gumbo Limbo tree, commonly referred to as the 'tourist tree' due to its red and peeling bark. A species native to south Florida, its high salt tolerance makes it well adapted to the brackish waters found around Lovers Key.

MANGROVE SWAMP

After this, we moved to the other side of the park, towards the mangrove swamp area over a series of large wooden bridges. Mangroves belong to the genus Rhizoforasia, which includes 64 species altogether, with only 3 found within Florida. These are the Black, White and Red mangroves. Red and Black species are 'landformers', and are found closer to the sea than white mangroves, with the Red being the closest.
The term 'mangrove swamp' may refer to an area made up exclusively of mangrove species, or may refer to a habitat of brackish water where mangroves are found amongst other salt-tolerant species.
Mangroves do not NEED saline conditions to be successful, however they do outcompete other species and have an advantage in brackish water. However, one condition mangroves cannot withstand is more than a couple of days of sustained frost.