NATURE TRAILS & WILDLIFE AT LAKE AIRE

Sandy Uzpurvis • July 20, 2022

Local wildlife who either make Lake Aire their home or have passed through our property.

There are two short nature trails at Lake Aire. One is near the Office and the other one starts behind site K-1 and goes around the back of the Lake to a large Live Oak Tree.

Office Trail

Lake Trail

There are two bodies of water on the property. The pond by the Pavilion is smaller and there is a larger Lake Rantowles that can be seen from either nature trail or from the tent area. Both have catch-and-release fishing with no fishing permit required.

Picnic benches by the little pond.

The Friendly Muscovy

Much of the wildlife at Lake Aire simply make their homes among the campers and try to be friendly, especially if they get fed. Such is the Muscovy, mild mannered ducks who were introduced to Lake Aire around 2002 and have been happy ever since. They are able to fly but usually don’t go very far.

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Other ducks that love Lake Aire are the Black-bellied Whistling Duck and the Graylag Geese who love the lake. Many coastal birds feed in the marshes and wetlands near Lake Aire, so we never know who might fly in for a visit!

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White Eastern Gray Squirrel

Another resident of Lake Aire is the White Eastern Gray Squirrel. It is a white morph of the common grey squirrel; or if it has Red eyes, it is an albino squirrel. Let us know if you spot an albino.

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Wood Storks

In the past, we have seen Wood Storks. They are protected as a threatened species by the Federal Endangered Species Act. They came to feed in our lake when it was shallower than it is today. They feed in water less than 10-12 inches deep such as the shallow marshes and wetlands in our area. We dredged the lake in 2021-22 and made it deeper, so we are less likely to see them now; however, you can go down the road toward Hollywood a couple of miles to the Dungannon Plantation Heritage Preserve where they have a protected nesting colony and see them for yourself. They have very long beaks and interesting feeding patterns. They are the only native storks that live in North America! Their habitat was the Everglades; however, agricultural and domestic development decimated their habitat and they were forced to find other homes. Their prey is the raccoon. Lake Aire has adopted the raccoon logo; however, we have never actually seen a raccoon on the property.

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Birds, birds -- all kinds of birds

Birds love Lake Aire and we love the birds too--Like this beautiful Red Cardinal and Red Footed Mourning Bird. Or even a Red Bellied Woodpecker or a Downy Woodpecker. A Black-crowned Night Heron has also been spotted on the property.

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Big Birds too

We have also seen Red Shouldered Hawks, an occasional Osprey or a Great Egret.

And Whoooo would have guessed… a Barred Owl too!

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Seasonal Visitors

Some of our other visitors are more seasonal, like the Snow Birds that come to rest here for a night. Take these Canadian Geese who stop for a visit on their way to and from Florida.