by Linda Charlton
One day before Florida’s statewide lockdown went into effect, a handful of customers at Clermont Landing got a special treat. The popular shopping center normally has a lot of traffic and a lot of people, but with the pandemic, nothing’s quite “normal” anymore, so there were only a few people in the right place at the right to time to enjoy the visit of a little family of Sandhill Cranes as the birds strolled about, sampling bugs and grubs from one landscape island to another.
As one onlooker said, “I’ve never seen the babies before.”
Nesting season for the big cranes started in late January and goes through June, according to veteran birder Gallus Quigley, so the oldest baby cranes out and about now would be about six weeks. Quigley is a park ranger with the county and is the lead person for anything bird-related that the county does. When those periodic bird counts happen at the various county parks, He is the one leading them.
While noting that Sandhill Cranes can end up just about anywhere, Quigley also says that with the big reduction in human activity, the birds are “less stressed.”
“Nature is getting a respite,” he says.
For local birders, the situation is a mixed bag. As illustrated by the cranes at Clermont Landing, some birds may be out and about in places they would normally avoid. And the reduced stress on birds during nesting season just may lead to a bumper crop of young birds.
“It will be interesting to see how the breeding seasons play out further north,” Quigley says.
The flip side of the current situation is that some of the popular birding sites are currently off-limits. For some lucky birders, their own backyards may provide plenty of avian activity, or good sites may be a short walk or drive away. As Quigley points out, exercise is a permitted activity, even during this lockdown. Backyard birders notwithstanding, birding involves walking. It is a permitted activity.
Lake County is a popular birding destination, guided tours are popular, and Quigley does know of multiple tour cancellations. The state parks are closed (think Lake Louisa State Park) and the Lake County Water Authority facilities are closed (think Crooked River Preserve).
But the county parks and trails are open and are potential birding areas. The county park restrooms are all closed, so any potential trip does require careful planning.
The county does not operate any of the Trail restroom facilities. In south lake, those are operated by the cities of Minneola and Clermont.
All Clermont city facilities, including parks and restrooms, are now officially closed, according to city spokesperson Kathryn Deen.
“If it has a gate, we close it to help make this clear,” she adds.
The trail remains open.
Trailhead Park in Minneola remains open — though the restrooms are locked and the playground is blocked off with police tape. The city’s smaller “pocket parks” also remain open. In a similar vein, parks in Groveland are open, but restrooms facilities are closed, and “all previously scheduled Youth League games to be held at the parks are canceled,” according to a March 20 press release from the City.
(Photos by Linda Charlton)
