Wildlife

Skiwatch Wildlife.

On this page we show wildlife and plants that have been photographed here at Skiwatch Estates.

The Little Blue Herons have arrived for the warmer months. Last seen in November, these birds come back to our lakes this time of year to dine on Crawfish that are now available near the shoreline. Three Herons were seen on the shore of Lake 3, one white & two traditional blue. The white ones are the yearlings. They will turn dark blue as the year progresses.

We finally got a picture of the River Otter who has been frequenting the lakes at Skiwatch. Since the crawfish have become active, Otters have been spotted in our lakes, mainly Lakes 1, 2 and 5. This shot was taken at 6:30 a.m. April 24 in Lake 5. These otters are nocturnal feeders but are still active the first hour after dawn. The River Otter is endangered in many states but not in Florida. They require a 50-mile habitat so it isn't any wonder that development is hurting their numbers.

Most of the small warblers that Winter here at Skiwatch are known as Myrtle Warblers. They are also called "Yellow-rumped" Warblers and spend a lot of time eating the berries on the Wax Myrtle shrubs. We have hundreds of these birds so they are not hard to locate.

Seen our Pitcher Plants?

We are fortunate here at Skiwatch to have a variety of plant and animal life which includes the carnivorous White-top Pitcher Plant. Pitcher Plants are considered "Pitfall traps," a plant that traps insects and digests them. There are several places at Skiwatch where you can see them: near the water at the intersection of Lakes 5 and 4 (where that above photo was taken) and at the far end of Lake 4 near Bill and Pam Willhoit's home. Thanks to Jeff Harber who recognizes them and protects them from the lawn mower. Located west of Pensacola, the Perdido Pitcher Plant Prairie supports one of the largest stands of white-top pitcher plants in Florida (225 acres).

New Arrival (December 2006)
Recently a group of Hooded Mergansers have been spotted in various lakes at Skiwatch. They summer in the northern states and winter across the Gulf from Mexico to Florida. They eat insects, small fish and crustaceans (here it would be Crawfish). The male has a black head and a fan-shaped crest which is bordered in black. The females are a duller brown. In the groups at Skiwatch, there are males, females, and immature birds of both sexes. They take off by running on the water and are often seen "skiing" across the water upon landing. Let's hope they stay the winter.

The turtle at left is the Florida Soft-shelled Turtle. Their diet consists of frogs, snails, Crawfish, and fish. Since we have no fish in our lakes, the primary diet of this turtle is Crawfish. We see the turtles mainly in the warmer months--a few have been spotted in March and April of this year. To breath, they come to the surface and extend their necks to the surface like a snorkeling submarine .