It is May, and we are in the last month of our dry season. This month water levels will approach their annual minimum while we await the arrival of our summer rains, which typically begin late May or June. Our surface water is now limited to rapidly drying depressions and pools, which have become hotspots for our wildlife to find drinking water and feed on fish. This resource is particularly important for wading birds who are at the peak of their nesting season and working hard to fledge their chicks before the rainy season begins.

Want more good news? Our Wood Stork colony has chicks! While they began nesting late this year, we are hopeful for successful fledges from three of the colonies we are monitoring in Southwest Florida, including the one right here inside our Sanctuary boundaries. 

During our May 4 monitoring flight, we counted about a dozen active Wood Stork nests in the Corkscrew colony (approximately 20-30 chicks), with nesting also well-underway at a colony in inland Collier County and one on the Caloosahatchee River. Yay, Wood Storks!