5/23/09-6/4/09: Bock was milling, bottom-resting, and socializing
with one other animal in northeast Lake Dexter on Saturday, 5/23/09, and
Sunday, 5/24/09. Monica Ross was able to feel a small part of the lower side
of his belly during the observation. The belt was not excessively loose, and
Monica could feel no folds on the area of his belly she felt.
He was seen bottom-resting on Monday, 6/1/09, with one other animal in
eastern Lake Dexter on the south side of the channel. By Tuesday he had
moved into Lake Woodruff 25 feet from the northwestern shore. He was seen
milling and traveling that afternoon.
6/3/09-6/9/09: Bock was given an in-water body condition
assessment on Sunday, 6/7/09, by Melody Fischer. He appeared healthy. That
morning and later that afternoon he was seen socializing with 3 other
animals on the eastern end of Lake Dexter.
6/10/09-6/15/09:
Bock was socializing with 2 adults and 1 calf in
Lake
Dexter on Wednesday,
6/10/09, and then cavorting turned to mating. On Saturday, 6/13/09, the
other animals were no longer with him, and he was seen traveling alone along
the south side of the lake.
6/16/09-6/25/09:
Bock milled along the north edge of Tick Island Creek on
Tuesday, 6/16/09, and momentarily socialized with one other animal--Amber!
He was again seen milling in the northwest corner of
Lake
Woodruff along the
vegetation line the afternoon of Wednesday, 6/24/09.
6/26/09-7/01/09: Bock has continued his
pattern of using Tick Island Creek to travel back and forth between
Lake
Woodruff and the eastern end of
Lake
Dexter. On Wednesday,
7/1/09, he moved from
Lake
Woodruff into the northern end of
Tick
Island
Mud
Lake.
7/2/09-7/9/09: We are continuing to search for
Bock around his latest locations on the northern and western edges of Lake
Woodruff, Tick Island Creek, and Lake Dexter.
7/9/09-7/14/09: Bock's tag was recovered on
Friday, 7/10/09, along the north shore of Lake Woodruff (where Bock was last
seen milling) by Monica Ross and Melody Fischer. The tag was covered in
vegetation. It had broken off at the tether's weak link. We are attempting
to relocate and re-tag Bock as soon as possible.
7/15/09-7/21/09: Bock was located from Buddy
Powell’s plane on Saturday, 7/18/09, at the entrance to Tick Island Creek.
He was then observed with two other adults and a calf. Melody attempted to
re-tag him but he was evasive.
Bock was seen again on Monday, 7/20/09, socializing
with Amber and one other animal in the northwest corner of Lake Woodruff.
Sea To Shore is continuously attempting to re-tag him.
7/22/09 – 7/28/09: Melody attempted to re-tag
Bock on Thursday, 7/23/09, along the northwestern shore of Lake Woodruff,
but he avoided her during all attempted approaches. That afternoon he was
bottom-resting, milling, and traveling by himself. On Monday, 7/27/09, he
was observed with one other animal around the same location at the northwest
corner of Lake Woodruff traveling, milling, and feeding (finally
confirmed!). Re-tagging efforts for Bock are currently being discussed.
7/29/09 – 8/03/09: Bock was seen in the
northeast corner of Lake Dexter on Thursday, 7/30/09, milling by himself in
patches of vegetation. On Saturday, 8/01/09, he was seen traveling through
a large patch of vegetation along the northern Lake Woodruff shore, again by
himself.
8/04/09-8/10/09: Bock
was seen on Friday, 8/07/09, with 3 other animals along the north shore of
Lake Dexter where a lot of vegetation has grown up. Bock and the others fed
for nearly two hours that afternoon on vegetation in floating patches.
8/11/09-8/17/09: Bock was observed
Tuesday, 8/11/09, in the patches of vegetation in the southwest corner of
Lake Dexter, socializing with two other animals. On Friday, 8/14/09, he was
seen milling by himself in the northwest corner of Lake Woodruff.
8/18/09-8/25/09: On Sunday, 8/23/09, Buddy located Bock from the air
in Tick Island Mud Lake in Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge. On
Tuesday, 8/25/09, he traveled and milled by himself in Harry's Creek about a
mile south of Lake Woodruff.
8/26/09-9/8/09: On Monday, 8/31/09,
Bock was seen by himself milling in Lake Woodruff. He was found milling
again on Thursday, 9/3/09, in Lake Dexter near the entrance to Tick Island
Creek.
9/09/09-9/21/09: Bock
was with two other animals including Amber on Monday morning, 9/14/09,
bottom resting in Tick Island Mud Lake. On Wednesday, 9/16/09, he was
milling by himself in the creek north of Tick Island Mud Lake leading to
Lake Woodruff. Other animals were in the area at the time but he did not
socialize with them during the visual. The area is still thick with
vegetation. Bock was again with Amber on Monday, 9/21/09, in Tick Island
Creek, bottom resting and socializing.
9/22/09-9/28/09: Bock
was observed on Friday, 9/25/09, with two other animals along the east side
of St. Johns River in the channel, just south of marker 23. The three were
feeding on the surface of the water.
9/29/09-10/05/09: On Wednesday, 9/30/09,
Bock was seen along the west side of the main channel of the St. Johns River
north of marker 20. He and one other animal were socializing, then feeding
for 30 minutes.
10/06/09-10/13/09: Bock was observed on
Tuesday, 10/06/09, in the northwestern part of Lake Woodruff along the
western shore south of the entrance to Tick Island Mud Lake. He was milling
by himself through a large area of vegetation. On Friday, 10/09/09, he was
again milling by himself, this time further out toward the center of Lake
Woodruff on the western side, and again he was found in a large patch of
vegetation.
10/12/09-10/20/09: On Monday, 10/12/09,
Bock was socializing and feeding in the creek
southwest of Tick Island Lake. He was with one other animal: Amber. They
fed together for about an hour. On Saturday, 10/17/09, Bock milled by
himself in the cut in the creek over to the St. Johns River. He was passed
twice by boats traveling slowly and both times he traveled away westward,
ending up in the main channel of the St. Johns River. He milled in the
channel afterward, remaining just outside the cut.
10/21/09-10/26/09: Bock was observed on
Tuesday, 10/20/09, again in the creek southwest of Tick Island just south of
the entrance to the St. Johns River. He was again with Amber, both
socializing and feeding. As he surfaced during the visual it allowed for a
good look at his head and back, and no new scars or algal growth were seen.
On Thursday, 10/22/09, he was again socializing with Amber, this time on the
north shore of Tick Island Mud Lake.
10/27/09-11/01/09: On Monday, 10/26/09,
Bock cavorted and then socialized with two other animals in the northern
half of Tick Island Mud Lake. This could possibly have been a mating herd
but it could not be confirmed. Bock was seen again on Saturday, 10/31/09,
just outside of Lake Woodruff. He was by himself and traveling
northeastward toward Lake Woodruff, then slowed down to milling.
11/02/09-11/10/09: Bock
was observed on Friday, 11/06/09, in Tick Island Mud Lake, traveling with
two other animals up to Lake Woodruff and then continuing along the western
shore. He was seen again on Saturday, 11/07/09, back in Tick Island Mud
Lake again along the north shore, again with two other animals. They milled
northwest and socialized. Plans for re-tagging Bock are underway.
11/11/09-11/14/09:
On Thursday, 11/12/09, Bock was seen alternately milling and traveling
by himself from Cross Creek just off the creek south of Tick Island Creek
out into the St. Johns River. River temperature there was 21 degrees C.
11/15/09-11/24/09: On Monday, 11/16/09, Bock was observed in the main
channel of the St. Johns River just north of marker 20. He was with one
other animal, mostly socializing and traveling north in spurts. They stayed
outside the channel on the very edge of the water the entire time. River
temperature was 23 C.
Bock was again with one
other animal on Tuesday, 11/17/09, socializing and occasionally traveling,
this time southward. They had moved north from their location the previous
day to about ¼ mile south of Lake Dexter, still in the main channel of the
river. A re-tagging attempt was planned for that day but Bock did not let
the boat within 100 ft. of him.
On Saturday, 11/21/09,
Bock had moved to the south shore of Lake Woodruff. He socialized with one
other animal and was possibly feeding but this could not be confirmed. The
water temperature there was 24 C.
11/25/09-11/30/09: On Tuesday,
11/24/09, Bock was milling and bottom-resting with one other animal along
the western shore of Lake Woodruff. On Saturday, 11/28/09, he milled and
traveled slightly northward by himself along the western side of the main
channel of the river around marker 18. He was seen again on Monday,
11/30/09, traveling and milling on the side of the channel through the
vegetation, north of marker 18 in the main channel of the river.
12/01/09-12/09/09: Bock was observed on Tuesday,
12/01/09, with 8 other animals in Lake Dexter socializing, traveling, and
feeding. A re-tagging attempt was made but was unsuccessful due to Bock
being very evasive. On Thursday, 12/03/09, Bock and one other animal
socialized, milled, and traveled along the western shore of Lake Woodruff,
where he was again too evasive to allow a re-tagging. On Sunday, 12/06/09,
he had traveled south down the St. Johns River by himself to marker 32 and
was continuing south. On Tuesday, 12/08/09, he returned north and traveled
along the southern shore of Lake Woodruff and joined one other animal.
There was no opportunity for re-tagging.
12/10/09-12/14/09: Bock
was seen on Friday, 12/11/09, in the main channel of the St. Johns River
initially traveling south with 7 other animals and then bottom-resting.
Afterwards he milled across the channel to the east side and met up with 2
other animals, then fed on water lettuce. On Monday, 12/14/09, Bock had
traveled further south to Mud Lake along the St. Johns River. He socialized
and fed on pennywort with 6 other animals.