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April 01, 1999 - Nature: It's amazing and amusingApril 1, 1999 • The Suffolk Times • 7A Nature.* It's amazing and amusing Flamingo Campground, Everglades National Park —We arose early to take advantage of one of the morning guided bird walks that are offered here. A cheerful young female ranger guided 20 to 30 eager birders around Eco Pond, where we saw warblers and buntings, gnatcatchers and dozens of catbirds FOCU$ that must all be getting ready to ON move north, for NATURE they were every- where. All this, by Paul along with herons, Stoutenburgh egrets, bitterns and even a red - tailed hawk on its nest, made our walk an enjoyable one. Whether we traveled by pickup or on our bikes, we always carried our cameras and binoculars.. Seems everyone is so equipped down here. Just this morning we followed a hundred or more white pelicans milling in flight. They circled above the visitors' center and seemed to be collecting stragglers that might be in the area. Then this handsome group of black - wing- tipped pelicans with their large yellow bills drifted off to the north. It's a sight we'll always remember, for it is seldom you get to see that many white pelicans together here in Florida. As I write at the picnic table outside our camper, red - shouldered hawks are doing a courtship display — diving and screaming. It has been going on for the last 10 minutes. Finally one fold- ed its wings and dove in a r long glide out of sight. �► Minutes later two swal- low- tailed kites came into play and did the same sort off showing off. They were almost over our heads. Hands fumbled trying to get the right telephoto lens on the cam- era in time but the kites couldn't wait. Today is the fifth day we've been here and we wanted to photograph one of the main attractions down by the marina: the crocodiles. They are rarely seen except in certain estuaries here in south Florida. The crocodile is a cousin to the alligator and has a long narrow snout compared to the flat, broad nose of the alligator. Both look pretty "Keep your distance" to me. Tonight we're taking a sun- set cruise out on Florida Bay where we'll enjoy more of the splendor of this tropical land that was called Pa- hay -o -kee or "grassy waters" by the Seminole Indians. Often on our daily outings we see little things that amuse us and keep us fascinated with the world around us. Just the other day, when we were sit- ting outside in the shade of our camper, we watched a cattle egret hunting for insects near- by. The cattle egret gets its name from the fact that in its native land or native haunts of Africa it is usually found around animals that are graz- ing. As they graze they stir up insects that the egret moves in to capture. Of course, they never pass up an opportunity to feed in about any other areas such as pastures, open fields or roadsides that harbor insects. Near our campsite was a small patch of daisy -like flowers that somehow had been missed by the mower. This little patch of white flowers had attracted 10 or more of what looked like white cab- bage butterflies that were dancing in true butterfly fashion above the flowers. Evidently the hunting Illiga#ar wasn't that good in the mowed section of the Ile 10O�t campsite so our cattle p �lQllr egret gave it up and moved over to our patch 111@* of daisies with its d anc- ing butterflies. Then the show began. We watched in amusement as this lone cattle egret stalked, ran, jumped, wobbled, swayed back and forth and grabbed at the dancing butter- flies. At times there would be the typical heron -like stalk: slow, deliberate, the head waving back and forth and then the final javelin thrust of the bird's dead- ly beak. Sometimes a meal was secured. Sometimes the butterfly escaped. When the latter happened there'd be a mad dash after the butterfly, which usually ended up in the butterfly's continued es- cape. Yet our hunter never gave up. For Suffolk "rimes photo by Paul Stoutenburgh This photograph of an American bittern was taken on Dune Road in Westhampton. It could have been the same bird we saw in Florida wintering down here. When hiding they often stand with their bill, head and neck pointed skyward so that their brown streaked bodies blend with the marsh grass background. LET'S LOOK BACK 75 years ago March 28, 1924 Oyster land = new car: After the Suffolk Board of Supervisors had voted to purchase a new Ford closed car for the use of Miss Ruth Newman, director of the Child Welfare Board, Supervisor David Tuthill of Greenport presented a resolution, which was adopted, providing for the sale of oyster lands owned by the county. The proceeds from the sale will be sufficient to pay for the automobile. Supervisor Tuthill humorously mentioned that fact when he offered the resolution. Cutehogue news: There are rumors of a new hpuse to be built on New Suffolk Lane. Everyone hopes it is true. For sale: No. 149 Fifth St., Greenport, eight rooms and bath shingled house on plot 50' by 168'. All hardwood floors, large cellar and attic-.-Two-car garage, electricity, furnace, private water supply. A very beautiful house with a view of the bay from every room. Price $7,(M for quick sale. 50 years ago April 1, 1949 . New restaurant opens: With the possible exception of dining aboard a yacht on Long Island Sound, the unsur- passed view of the sparkling waters of the Sound and the long stretch of sandy beaches is best viewed form the win- dows of the dining room of the new Sound View Restaurant. This new restaurant, which opens this over 10 minutes we watched this egret's antics until all the butterflies either were captured and eaten or they moved out of town. On our walk through Mahogany Hammock, where we once saw a barred owl right above us, we had one of the rare treats that someone else had found for us. A young man drew our attention to a 3 1/2-foot bright - orange rat snake climbing a tree. These snakes are not poisonous but, like our own black snake back home, can bite if molested. Both the rat snake and black snake live on ro- dents, small birds, frogs, etc., plus they both plunder birds' nests when in sea- son. To do this the_ y have to be expert tree climbers and we were witnessing this rat snake doing just that. It seemed to be almost glued to the tree. Its move- ment was in double slow motion as it inched itself ever so slowly, over the rough bark of the tree. No wonder it can rob bird's nests of their eggs and young as the parent birds scream and dart about trying to ward off disaster. Even though we know of the snake's bad habits we couldn't help but admire its striking color and movement. It kills its Saturday, is one of the most beautifully located eating places on Eastern Long Island. The architecture of the new building blends in with the contour of the shoreline and from its windows on a clear day can be seen across the Sound the distant Connecticut shore. 25 years ago March 28, 1974 Farm preservation plan eyed: On a day in the spring of 1974, a decade and a half's hindsight away from a time when it would have been easier and less costly, a plan was proposed that could preserve some 9,((X) acres of East End farmland at a cost of $45,0(X),000. Last Tuesday, the Agricultural Advisory Committee to the Suffolk County Legislature issued a report recom- mending county purchase, over three years, of develop- ment rights on approximately one -fifth of the East End's remaining 45,(XX) acres of farmland. State's first NJROTC: The newly established Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program in Southold High School took on a smart look this past week with the arrival of khaki uniforms for the 30 students enrolled in New York State's first high school corps. The NJROTC program was officially christened at Southold last Jan. 28. The students of naval science, including five girls, are being instructed by senior chief Joseph Conlon. prey by constricting it. That is to say they wind themselves around their cap- tive and by so doing prevent it from breathing and it eventually suffocates. Mice and rats are both the black snake's and the rat snake's favorite food. Crow dupes vulture One bit of amusement on our trek around the Everglades was when we stopped in at one of our "favorite spots" to check on the eagles that were in the area. What caught our eyes was a lone vulture and crow arguing over a meal. Being the smaller one of the two, the crow was left out of the pickings and was trying its best to sneak in and grab a bite. Time and time again the little crow would try his best but the big dominat- ing vulture would only turn and scare the crow off. Something had to be done. Finally the crow went around the back of the vulture and grabbed at the vul- ture's tail. He kept it up until the vulture became annoyed and went after the crow, leaving his prize unattended. The crow in the meantime would quickly scurry around and try to grab the prize. Back went the vulture and off ran the crow. The whole process of the tail pecking, the vulture being outraged and charging the crow was repeated time and time again. Eventually the persis- tent crow won out, and in one of its grabs when the vulture wasn't looking it took the prize and flew away with it. It was another of nature's comedies to watch. Our next move will be Sunday, when we leave for our next campsite right on Lake Okeechobee. It's about one -third of the way up the east side of the lake. On wildlife rehabbing A basic course in wildlife rehabili- tation is available for newly licensed rchabilitators or people planning to take the wildlife rchabilitators' test with New York State Department of Envi- ronmental Conservation. Topics in- clude rescue and transport of sick or injured wildlife, and the care, feeding and housing of wild birds, reptiles and mammals. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County Marine Program has scheduled the course on three Tuesday evenings, April 13, 20 and 27, from 7 to 9 p.m. at its Riverhead office. Advance registration with payment of a $60 fee per person is required. Call 852 -8660.