An Intriguing Burrow May Mean Gopher Tortoise Arrival

 

While I was checking the third McFarlin's Lupine planting area, I discovered an intriguing looking burrow that was not there the last time I visited the area, which was last spring if memory serves.

The shape of the opening suggests it is a Gopher Tortoise burrow. There seemed to be tracks at the entrance. which indicates it is active. 

The preserve has not had a gopher tortoise population in the time I have been monitoring it. I have seen two gopher tortoises of unknown origin, but they did not persist. I found one of them dead. Not sure what became of the other one.

As noted in an earlier post, I recently found the empty shell of a Florida Box Turtle. but they do not dig burrows, so I can rule out that species as the occupant.

I will have to recheck the area from time to time to document what is happening.

.

Checking On The Lupines

 

I went out over the weekend to see if any McFarlin's Lupine seedlings had begun emerging and what the status of the existing plants were.

I did not see any seedlings and when I checked the second planting area. I found none of the seedlings from last year had survived.

In the third planting area one remaining mature plant appeared healthy and likely to bloom this spring if it survives.

I will check again in a few weeks.

The Fire Lane Becomes A Fire Lane Again

 I was pleasantly surprised  on New Year's Day to see the mowing crew had arrived recently to give the fire lane a haircut so that it becomes a fire lane again.

I was visiting to collect trash exposed in the sand after recent rains. I collected a bucketful of glass shards, cans, bottles and an old shoe. 

The mowing crew did leave the area around the first lupine planting area alone as agreed to previously.

I briefly checked on the lupines in the second planting area. A few are still surviving and appeared healthy.

I will begin checking on new seedlings  in a few weeks.

The north and south fire lanes are flanked by exotic trees. 

One thing to watch is whether they cause problems inside the preserve. These species become quite  large at maturity, so they could become an issue if they become established.

The Case of the Mysterious Dead Turtle

 

Although most of the discussion about non-aquatic turtles and tortoises in Florida focuses on gopher tortoises. I've sometimes wondered whether people were not seeing the complete picture.

Gopher tortoises have certainly declined as development has overtaken their habitat, but I still see them or their active burrows regularly when I am in uplands.

Florida box turtles are another story. If I see one every year or so, I am delighted.

I have read they were actively collected in Florida at one time for the pet trade until wildlife officials stepped in.

I don't know much about their habits except that they do not dig deep burrows like gopher tortoises and instead hollow out a shallow pit and lie among the leaves and soil when they are not active.

Recently I found an empty Florida box turtle shell in the preserve. I have never recorded this species here are far as I can remember over the past 20 years I have been on the site.  

I am assuming it was coyote predation. I see coyote scat regularly in the preserve, but that is just a guess.

Some Lupines Survived The Storms

 I made a brief visit to the north tract today to check on the lupines and see what detritus had emerged from the sand.

Four seedlings from this year's crop are still alive and appear to be healthy.

Some of the flags were missing for some reason. I replaced them with the flags next to the plants that did not make it. There is no sense in having a flag present when the plant no longer is.

I will be checking for new seedlings in a couple of months.

After checking on the lupines, I spent about half an hour with a grabber and a bucket plucking pieces of glass, metal and plastic from the trails.

I also noticed someone appears to have chopped down a Scrub Bay next to the fire lane. Very mysterious.

Still Finding Trash Inside The Woods

 

I stopped by the south tract earlier this week to see if any Ghost Pipes had popped as did several years ago after a wet fall.

No such luck.

I did find some trash, the majority of it broken beer bottles from the homeless encampment days.

I sent back in today from the point where I exited and found some of the stuff from my earlier visit, but walked astray and didn't find some of the other stuff. but stuff I had not found before.

It is more difficult to move around here because there are no internal fire lanes and a fair amount of tree fall from the storms to navigate around but eventually came out on the other side with a full bucket of debris.

I saw more on my way out. This will merit another trip.

Who knows one day I may find a set of keys I lost through a hole in my pocket 15 years ago.

Fall Arrives, But Some Wildflowers Waiting

 

Today was the first day of fall and I went out in the midday heat to find out what was blooming.

It was mostly an early purple affair. The Chapman's Blazing Star were rife in their usual spots on the preserve's west side.

In the center were an impressive array of Scrub Blazing Star. 

I saw one blooming Scrub Morning Glory and the Scrub Holly berries are emerging, but are still green.

I noticed a handful of the McFarlin's Lupin have survived their first summer, which is a sign they may survive to adulthood, but there is another summer between now and then.

Still holding off from flowering here are the Carphephorous and the Balduina, both of which are still in the bud stage.

I noticed the recent rains have turned up more broken glass and I found an intact beer bottle and wine bottle that re likely courtesy of the generosity of the neighbors.

I guess will have to return with a grabber and a bucket to remove them from the landscape.