Friday 1 May 2015

Florida - The End



Sadly this will be my last blog post for my tour of the Florida wetlands so i thought i would conclude with a few of my own thoughts and things that i enjoyed as well as a complete species list from all days and a couple of snaps that i couldn't quite fit into the main posts.


I was incredibly lucky to be part of this trip, to see the rich diversity that florida's wetlands are able to offer as well as enjoy a couple of fun things like visiting NASA and taking an airboat ride.


I was also lucky to meet and hear speak some incredible wetland scientists such as Prof. Vymazal and Prof. Mitsch who hold a vast collection of wetland knowledge as well as various other scientists or volunteers all equally passionate and knowledgeable.


The commitment of many organisations and people to the protection and restoration of the places we visited was also very encouraging. Many wetlands across the world are facing increasing pressures and are being lost faster than any other ecosystem type but there in florida large groups of people , organisations and the government have recognised their importance and beauty and have endeavored to protect them.


My favorite part of the trip?
It would have to be the cypress swamps that we visited at disney wilderness preserve, FGCU campus and at corkscrew. I think the beauty of them will stay with me forever as well as excitement of seeing the huge biodiversity they support.


Thank you for joining me on this trip by reading through these blogs, to conclude below is a complete species list and a few more photos.


Species List

Birds

Common Name
Latin Name
Anhinga
Anhinga anhinga
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajaja
Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
Greater Yellow Legs
Tringa melanoleuca
White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Yellow-crowned night heron
Nyctanassa violacea
White Pelican
Pelecanus onocrotalus
Great White Egret
Ardea alba
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Ring Necked Ducks
Aythya collaris
Little Blue Heron
Egretta caerulea
Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens
Pied-billed Grebes
Podilymbus podiceps
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalust 
Reddish Egret
Egretta rufescens
Wood Stork
Mycteria americana
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Belted King Fisher
Megaceryle alcyon
American Coot
Fulica americana
Avocets
Recurvirostra americana
Wilsons Plover
Charadrius wilsonia
Tricoloured Heron
Egretta tricolor
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
Pied Billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps
Black Skimmers
Rynchops niger
Northern Shoveler 
Anas clypeata
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Eastern Screech Owl
Megascops asio
             MourningDove            
Zenaida macroura
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Greater Yellow Legs
Tringa melanoleuca
Yellow-crowned night heron
Nyctanassa violacea
Ring Necked Ducks
Aythya collaris
Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Painting Bunting
Passerina ciris
Grey Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Double Breasted Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinicus

Plants

Common Name
Latin Name
Slash Pine
Pinus elliottii
Saw Palmetto
Saw palmetto
Wax Myrtle
Myrica cerifera
Cabbage Palm
Sabal palmetto
Willow
Salix caroliniana
Horrible Thistle
Cirsium horridulum
Brazilian Pepper
Schinus terebinthifolius
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
Water Tupelo
Nyssa aquatica
Sawgrass
Cladium jamaicense
Spanish Moss
Tillandsia usneoides
Alligator Flag
Thalia geniculata
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Resurrection Fern
Pleopeltis polypodioides
Pond Apple
Annona glabra
Flag Iris
Iris versicolor
Strap Fern
Campyloneurum phyllitidis
Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata
Inland Leather Fern
Acrostichum danaeifolium
Water Fern
Salvinia minima
American Elder
Sambucus canadensis
Water Lettuce
Pistia stratiotes
Red Mangrove
Rhizophora mangle
Black Mangrove
Avicennia germinans
White Mangrove
Laguncularia racemosa
Cabbage Palm
Sabal palmetto
Coconut Palm
Cocos nucifera
Royal Palm
Roystonea regia
Prickly Pear
Opuntia ficus-indica
Gumbo Limbo
Bursera simaruba
Spanish Bayonet
Hesperoyucca whipplei
Century Plant
Agave americana
Beach Sunflower
Helianthus debilis
Sea Oat
Uniola paniculata
Strangler Fig
Ficus aurea
Sea Grape
Coccoloba uvifera
Water Lillies
Nymphaea odorata
Cattails
Typha domingensis
Horrible Thistles
Cirsium horridulum
Bayberry Bush
Myrica pensylvanica
Poison Ivy
Toxicodendron radicans
Bladderwort
Utricularia species
Spike Rush
Eleocharis vivipara
Swap Bay
Persea palustris
Pond Cypress
Taxodium ascendens
Black Tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica
Black Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta

Reptiles

Common Name
Latin Name
Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei
Gopher Tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
Alligator
Alligator mississippiensis
Black Racer Snake
Coluber constrictor priapus
Red Racer Snake
Masticophis flagellum
Green Anole
Carolina anole
Banded Water Snake
Nerodia fasciata

Mammals

Common Name
Latin Name
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Racoon
Procyon lotor
Manatee
Tichechus manatus
Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus

Invertebrates

Common Name
Latin Name
Zebra Long Wing Butterfly
Heliconius charithonia
Fire Ants
Solenopsis invicta
Spiny Orb Weaver Spider
Gasteracantha cancriformis
Mangrove Skipper Butterfly
Phocides pigmalion
Mangrove Tree Crabs
Aratus pisonii
Fire Ants
Solenopsis Invicta
Apple Snail
Pomacea maculata
Fishing Spider
Dolomedes albineus
Ruddy Danger Wing Butterfly
Marpesia petreus
Viceroy Butterfly
Limenitis archippus
Lubber Grass Hopper
Romalea microptera

Fish

Common Name
Latin Name
Mosquito Fish
Gambusia affinis
Mullet
Mugil cephalus
Snook
Centropomus undecimalis
Needle Fish
Tylosurus crocodilus
Large Mouth Bass
Micropterus salmoides
Spotted Garr
Lepisosteus oculatus
Mosquito fish
Gambusia affinis
Spotted Tilapia
Pelmatolapia mariae
Blue Tilapia
Oreochromis aureus
Flag fish
Jordanella floridae
African Cichlid
Pterophyllum sp.
Sailfin Molly
Poecilia latipinna
Sun fish
Lepomis auritus
Golden Topminnow
Fundulus chrysotus
Amphibians

Common Name
Latin Name
Cuban Treefrog
Osteopilus septentrionalis