Some Disturbing Nonsightings
My wife and I are at our Naples (Florida) condo for a few weeks. One of the features that appealed to us when we bought it is the 40+ acre freshwater lake literally outside our door. The first few years, no matter when we came down, the lawn between our door and the lake would be visited by a flock of a dozen or more White Ibises. Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, and Little Blue Herons would stalk the margin of the lake most of the day, and flocks of Glossy Ibises and other long-legged waders would fly overhead at dawn and dusk.
Then two years ago a large complex was begun on the land adjoining our community. There was a gradual decrease in the number of birds I would see, but the birds still showed up. The new complex drained a number of ponds (which is ironic because "Lakes" is part of its name!). This past summer construction began on the final phase, and the final lake was drained.
Since we came down a few weeks ago, I am seeing far, far fewer birds. Instead of flocks of ibises, I may spot two or three elsewhere in our community. I still see two or three Snowy Egrets each morning, and sometimes an equal number of Tricolored Herons, but I have yet to spot a Little Blue Heron or a Glossy Ibis. Even the cormorants are scarce!
Ironically, Naples boasts that the entire city is a bird sanctuary! Unchecked development aside, so many aspects of the community are hostile to birds. Start with ornamental plants: Almost every community I've been in , as well ones I've visited and the public parks I've gone to (including and especially the botanic garden), is planted almost entirely with nonnative ornamental plants. As a result, there are few host plants for insects, so there are few insects for birds to feed on. These ornamentals require a great deal of care, so the use of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides is rampant.
It's not that I don't spot things; I do. But my sightings are meaningful because they are so infrequent.
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