Clay County Ditch Work

Clay County Public Works has decided it's time once again to clean out the ditch running along the entrance to the sanctuary. They made a mess of things for a while and are still not done. We had to file a complaint with the county for their sloppy work. Hopefully, all can be resolved in a manner beneficial to both parties. They have agreed to replant the banks and keep the ditch clean of invasive exotic plants, with a little help from Audubon volunteers.

The ditch up the hill from the sanctuary actually contains a seepage spring that constantly flows crystal clear water. This ditch also drains a good sized portion of the neighborhood nearby. As such, it has been lined with concrete in the past and recently re-lined for stabilization. The county really did a sloppy job as evidenced by the pictures.

This entire ditch run would be a great stream restoration project. A functioning stream/natural ditch would slow the water down and help treat it on the way down to the sanctuary swamp. Anyone interested in helping with such a project? It probably wouldn't be that hard to get grant funding. Just need the people to help organize and get it together.

Prothonotary Warblers at Crosby

Prothonotary Warblers are back as of mid May. One has been spotted in the swamp and the nest box appears active as of May 25. These beautiful yellow birds with blue wings are as pleasant to see as their sweet song is to hear! They are unfortunately listed as a declining species throughout their range of SE US and Central/South America. We are lucky to have them at Crosby!