Black Spring Cove, Wildlife

This is a record of wildlife observed to use Black Spring Cove as habitatThe place or set of environmental conditions in which a particular organism lives. since observation began in 1995. They are similar to those inhabiting the south Kings Bay.

Mammals.

• Manatee - feeding, resting. birthing (reduced from fifteen at one time to rarely)
• Dolphin - pack hunting and feeding (not seen recently)
• Otter - Family feeding and play (absent some five years now)

Crustaceans

• Crab - originally observed as hundreds, now rare individuals
  

Fish

• Mullet (reduced numbers)
• Bass (once celebrated as Bass Haven - reduced to ones and twos)
• Blue Gill (rarely seen now)
• Alligator Gar (nesting and laying, only fingerlings recently seen)
• Red Fish ( not seen or caught for some time now)
• Tarpon (cruising visitors, only one seen in past three years)
• Crevelle Jack (individuals and by the hundred as a hunting pack, rarely seen now)
• Sheepshead (not seen for several years now)

Water Birds

• Osprey (nesting, roosting and fishing - reduced activity now)
• Anhinga (basking and fishing- rarely now)
• Cormorant (fishing - rarely seen now)
• American Coot (flocking and feeding - in reduced numbers now)
• Scuap (feeding - fewer now)
• Mallard (mating, feeding and contesting - not for the past few years)
• Grebe (cruising and feeding - not for past few years)
• Brown Pelican (diving and feeding - now rarelysen and no catchesin cove)
• Belted Kingfisher (chattering, diving and feeding)

Fishing Waders

• Black Crowned Night Heron
• Snowy White Egret
• Great White Egret
• Little Blue Heron
• Green Backed Heron
• Great Blue Heron

Nesters

• Cardinal (flitting)
• American Robin (bathing)
• Pilated Woodpecker (hunting in and felling sections of old trees)
• Red Headed Woodpecker
• Carolina Wren (nesting and raising chicks)
• Red Shouldered Hawk (hunting and nesting)
• Tern (flying and skimming)
• Gull (visiting )
• Kyte (over flying)
• Woodstork (browsing and roosting)
• Whipoorwill (hearing)
• Red winged Blackbird
• American Bald Eagle (fly over)
• American White Pelican (fly over)
• Hummingbird (feeding at feeder and on flowers)

Numerous small unidentified birds

Snakes, Reptiles and Amphibians

• Alligator (basking)
• Southern Black Racer
• Water Moccasin
• Earth Snake
• Reddish Water Snake
• Indigo Snake
• Yellow Rat Snake
• Frogs
• Green Tree Frog
• Anoles
• Sea Turtle (egg laying on grass by east spring)