As we looked out at
the Wakulla River, the boat captain called out the names of the various birds
sitting, flying, or swimming by. I saw a bird in some tall grass, and as I
steadied my lens and framed the shot, Karl called out to the captain “Limpkin!”
The boat captain slowed to be sure everyone saw the limpkin, and then told us a
story.
 |
| Limpkin |
He told us to look at
the original Wakulla Springs sign as we left the park. The limpkin appears on
that sign. He explained that the limpkin represented Wakulla Springs for years,
and the river became known for them. Unfortunately, they disappeared many years
ago. Occasionally one might stop by, but not the many who called the area home.
That day in March, 2017 we saw two limpkins, and the captain mused out loud
that he hoped they were coming back.
Intrigued by the story, I did some research on the limpkin
and Wakulla Springs. Susan Cerulean, a well-known Florida writer, wrote “The
Silence of the Limpkins” which appears in the 2004 book she also edited “Between
Two Rivers: Stories from the Red Hills to the Gulf”. Her essay asks if the
hydrilla which appeared there in 1997 and quickly spread contributed to the
bird’s disappearance. Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) is a water plant
imported into the United States for the aquarium trade. Unfortunately it found
a welcoming home in the wild in our rivers, streams, and ponds where it crowds
out the native vegetation and clogs the waterways.
Cerulean quotes a 1997 bird count which found only one bird
when normally the birders see, or more likely with the limpkin hear many more. A
2016 article in the Tallahassee Democrat by
James Call puts the disappearance of the Apple Snail on which the limpkin feeds
at around the year 2000. This article
talks about nitrates in the groundwater contributing to the decline of the
Apple Snail. No Apple Snails mean no limpkins.
Along with the boat captain, here’s to hoping that the
sighting of two during that hour long boat ride is a sign of a comeback.
Further Information:
No comments:
Post a Comment