Limpkin Page 03

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September 1, 2002, Volume 47, Issue 1

The Migrant

Doug Stuckey

The male was getting tired and hungry. It had been a long stretch of flying between the island and land. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out without resting, when he saw a shadow off in the distance to the west. He changed course slightly and angled toward the land far off. It was late afternoon and he wanted shelter before darkness closed in again. If he was fortunate, there would be food, water, and a safe place to rest.

As he approached the land, all he saw were buildings and houses with little or no cover so he continued north. Soon he saw a small green patch of thick trees and bushes where he could finally rest. He guided himself over the final few buildings and landed a few feet west of a boardwalk. He knew he was exhausted and had to eat, but he sensed fresh water so he flitted through a few more trees and found a pond behind a metal roofed one story building.

He landed near the water in a small bush and with heart beating so fast he could hear it, cautiously looked for danger. It appeared clear and with the doves eating a few feet away, he came down to the small pond. After surveying the area again, he then walked the edge of the pond and began to drink. Soon he was chest deep and throwing water all over his body, so as to cool off. It did not take too long to slow his heartbeat down to normal and now he needed food.

It wasn’t but a few yards to a large cluster of live oak and bay trees, which had plenty of food for him and the others, he noticed the hammock. He began to eat of the bounty before him in this small patch of woods with an elevated wood trail snaking through it.

As night fell, he found a nice spot to sleep in a thick cluster of branches with lots of leaves that kept him safe. The next morning he continued to eat and drink in the hammock. He had not seen very many predators and chose to stay far away from them. There were, however, several snakes and a few furry ground creatures on the prowl and he knew he had to stay on the alert. There were several people on the boardwalk. They seemed content to watch and point, with occasional shouts to each other, as the other species he had noticed earlier, were observed.

The food was plentiful and the water cool so he decided to stay one more night to rest and eat so he could continue north to mate. He even felt so good he sang a few notes during the day. He returned to his hiding place as darkness approached with no idea this decision to stay one more night would prove to be fatal.

The next morning dawned clear with a slight northeasterly wind that would aid him in continuing north to his breeding grounds. He began to eat his fill in the many trees and soon was gorged. So back to the pond for one last time before he left. As he began to drink, he had not noticed the furry creature slinking through the bushes toward him. This predator had waited patiently and had been very still for a long time when he saw the male land by the pond.

When he saw the male go down into the water, he began to creep up to him and before the beautiful magnolia warbler could react, it was too late. The cat sprung over the rocks by the pond and snared the male with one sharp-clawed foot and knocked him down by the edge of the water. The male struggled to get away so violently, he broke his wing and as he tried to run to cover, the cat snatched him up in his jaws.

Darkness caved in around the male at high noon as the cat crushed the throat of the now dying warbler and picked him up and ran over under the boardwalk with his now dead victim. He would soon find more victims as the tired migrants came into this park and thought it was safe.

This is not fiction—it is fact and it happens all the time because cat owners will not contain their pets and they continue to support feral cat colonies. As we continue to lose so many of our lovely, but exhausted, birds during their migration period, this one male warbler is but one of millions killed each year by cats. Please do your part as pet lovers—learn the truth about what terrible losses cats inflict upon our birds and become a responsible cat owner—help stop this story from being repeated again at Lori Wilson Park and thousands of other parks all across the country. Thank you. (Top)

Elderhostelers and Nation to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Pelican Island and the National Wildlife Refuge System

Elderhostelers from all over the United States will be flocking to the Treasure Coast of Florida beginning this fall, as the nation begins the countdown to the centennial celebration of Pelican Island. In 1903, President Teddy Roosevelt established Pelican Island in the Indian River Lagoon as America’s first Wildlife Refuge in order to protect the rare tropical birds of Florida that were being slaughtered for their plumage. One hundred years later, on March 14, 2003, President George W. Bush plans to visit Riverview Park in Sebastian, Florida, to commemorate this historic event. From this small beginning, has grown a National Wildlife Refuge System of over 500 refuges, encompassing over 93 million acres.

Barry University’s unique Treasure Coast Elderhostel Program (November 17–22) will enable hostelers to experience the remarkable ecological environment of the Indian River Lagoon; home to Pelican Island National Refuge, The Sebastian Inlet State Park (Florida’s busiest state park), and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. A historic overview describes the time when pirates ruled the waters along Florida’s Treasure Coast. A visit to the McLarty Treasure Museum reveals stunning original treasures recovered from the hurricane ravaged Plate Fleet, which marked the ending of the Spanish Empire and the start of the Age of Piracy.

Tales of Waldo E. Sexton, an eccentric pioneer of Vero Beach, describes the hardships he encountered in overcoming a swampy mosquito ridden environment to lay the foundation for Florida’s citrus, cattle, tourism, and real estate industries. On a tour of McKee Botanical Garden, one of Florida’s top botanical gardens, hostelers will discover the natural beauty of a tropical hammock near the Indian River Lagoon designed by William Lyman Phillips, “father” of modern tropical landscape architecture.

The Indian River Lagoon inspired the timeless works of A.E. “Bean” Backus, mentor to the “Highwaymen,” Florida’s African-American landscape Painters. The Backus Gallery and Museum exhibits Bean’s Florida landscape masterpieces, the “Highwaymen,” and other Florida artists who were inspired by Florida’s natural treasures.

A pontoon boat ride navigated by Captain Chop Lege, a fifth-generation Audubon ranger, will enable hostelers to explore the Indian River Lagoon, the world’s second most complex ecosystem and home to 4,300 kinds of plants and animals. Hostelers will learn what discoveries Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute has made in the ocean depths to improve world health and why aqua culture may hold the key to the world’s future food supply.

Famous for its citrus, the Treasure Coast has a bounty of culture, history, and natural resources waiting to be discovered by Elderhostelers. Ruth Stanbridge, Indian River County historian will lead Elderhostelers on an interpretive walk of historic downtown Vero Beach and lecture on “Pioneers and Pirates of the Treasure Coast” at the Heritage Center/Citrus Museum.

Hostelers will reside in Vero Beach at the Vero Beach Inn, an oceanfront inn with conference room, private baths, air conditioning, and pool. Meals are at the inn and in area restaurants.

Elderhostel Inc. is the world’s largest not-for-profit educational and travel program for adults 55 years and older. The Barry University School of Adult and Continuing Education has one of the most diverse program offerings for Elderhostel in the State of Florida.

For further information, contact Bob McKinlay, Coordinator, Barry University Treasure Coast Elderhostel Program at (772) 794-3846 or visit the Barry University Treasure Coast web page at www.elderhostel.org. Registration for this program is now available by calling Elderhostel at (877) 426-8056. (Top)