South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Snowbirds return, the kind with feathers
Wood ducks, other species a welcome sight in winter
Steve Carbol looks through his scope and sees the bird. He breathes slowly, careful to keep quiet in the uncharacteristically warm December South Florida heat. All around him are birds, bugs, bats and even gators. He doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t make a sound. The optic is not connected to a rifle — just a tripod. And the man behind it is not a hunter but a wildlife biologist.
Carbol is a senior biologist with Lake and Wetland Management, a Boynton Beach-based company that manages wetlands, waterways, wildlife and other environmental facets of South Florida life.
As the human “snowbirds” return to South Florida for the winter, so too do actual birds whose flight patterns of migration can range from Canada and New York in the warmer months to Florida in the cooler seasons.
Carbol is looking for wood ducks. While not actually made of wood, given their beauty, one might think they were carved and painted by the most talented of artists.
“Wood ducks are, hands down, one of
An American alligator swims in Bellaggio. the most beautiful waterfowl species in the world,” he said. “They are yearround residents of South Florida but we get a huge influx of wood ducks in the late fall, early winter as many come down from northern latitudes to escape the colder climate.
Among the neighborhoods the company services is Bellaggio, a 55-and-over community in Lake Worth, west of Lantana and just south of Wellington.
“So [wood ducks] come down here and they’ll be monogamous for the season — the males will try to attract a female with their beautiful and colorful plumage and bright red eyes on the males — and once they woo their lady love, they try to pick out a woodpecker hole or other natural cavity,” Carbol said.
“But since those are in somewhat short supply, here in Bellaggio, we set up a wood duck trail with human-made nest boxes. We have a total of 12 here on the property, many of which are occupied throughout the course of the winter, and the residents here love to see them.”
The neighborhood —
which sits just south of Lantana Road between Lyons Road and U. S. Highway 441 — has won numerous awards for its wildlife conservation, including the Neighborhoods for Nature Award in 2018 and 2019 and the Environmental Stewardship Award from Audubon International, an environmental organization that advises and awards communities, resorts, golf courses and other developments on wildlife management and sustainability matters.
“Audubon International’s Green Neighborhoods program engages people from all walks of life in projects that protect and enhance the land, water, wildlife and natural resources around them,” the organization wrote in a promotional flyer for the program.
“Green Neighborhoods receive educational resources and guidance to help them complete a project, and receive an Audubon Project Award for each completed project. Upon completion of three projects in one year, Green Neighborhoods receive an Environmental Stewardship Award. Neighborhood members that establish a Neighborhood Audubon Committee complete an assessment and plan, and complete at least
Wood ducks swim in Bellaggio, an Audubon International-certified “Neighborhood for Nature” west of Lake Worth, which sees numerous species of plants and animals as well as residents who seek out these neighborhoods for their conservation and wildlife management recognition.
A roseate spoonbill flies low over the water in Bellaggio.
one environmental project are awarded the Neighborhood for Nature Award, the highest Audubon International honor.”
Osprey Point Golf Course in Boca Raton and Okeeheelee Golf Course in West Palm Beach are other properties with Audobon recognition for its wildlife conservation efforts.
Bellaggio was bustling with animal life recently. In less than an hour, a 10-foot alligator, armored garfish, butterflies and a number of species of birds made appearances.
Carbol says even the animals that may initially frighten residents are vital for keeping the ecosystem in balance.
“Outside of the aesthetic value of seeing the wildlife and just the good vibes and good feelings that people get from living in close conjunction to wild animals and plants, wetland plants, their roots hold a lot of soil in place, so in the summertime, when we have our torrential storms, the soil that they’re holding acts like a sponge,” Carbol said.
“Whenever we have these torrential storms, our wetlands, held in place by our native plants, actually do a better job of retaining moisture as a stormwater basin and controlling flooding so that the residents don’t pay the price.”
To help curb some residents’ concerns about the animals, Carbol hosts information sessions at Bellaggio’s clubhouse to help educate residents on how keeping a safe distance from animals is the best way to appreciate their aesthetic beauty and their
biological contributions to their community.
“We saw a roseate spoonbill today — it’s about a 3-foot tall pink, engaging bird — it’s iconic, it’s unmistakable in South Florida. People can get on board with something like that; it’s appealing to the senses, it’s a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing animal,” Carbol said.
“It might be a harder sell for a snake or a snail, things like that, but those birds live in the same habitat that those other animals inhabit, so they all go together. People might not want to put up a bat house. There are a lot of stigmas with bats. But bats eat mosquitoes. I’d rather have some bats near my house than not be able to sit out on my porch and enjoy the evening because of a mosquito or midge infestation, so wildlife does provide services to us. There’s a lot to be enjoyed, it’s just a matter of understanding.”