Where the Bison Roam

Home from two days/three nights in Gainesville… A whirlwind visit to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and Sweetwater Preserve, plus we squeezed in a quick stop at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, and the Florida Museum of Natural History along with its Butterfly Rainforest. We had a houseful – KT, Bonnie, Tammy and Marshall Tucker came along on the trip. The days were seriously hot and humid, and the evening thunderstorms fierce. Below – a good glimpse of a Paynes Prairie Bison. Bison had roamed as far south as Florida during the time of the Conquistadors, so the thinking was to reintroduce them here. Paynes Prairie received ten of these beasts from Oklahoma in the mid 70’s. Today the herd size is kept under 60. The Preserve also is home to wild horses and cracker cattle… which we did not get close to. Also pictured, a Juvenile Purple Gallinule grazing on Alligator Flag flowers at Sweetwater Preserve.

Shorebird Class

Low tide at Bunche Beach in Fort Myers. My first shorebird class! Thanks to Meg and Elaine who really know the beach and its shorebirds…

Wildflowers

The goal is to get better at identifying wildflowers. So I’m starting to use my bird routine on flowers: photograph, go home, and identify. Yesterday, KT and Peanut and I went for a drive around the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, south of LaBelle, off Hwy 29. I was hoping for an afternoon shower, but it was clear and hot with plenty of flying insects. (Maybe insect IDs will be next.)

By far, the most plentiful, showiest blooms were the swamp rose-mallows.

The swamp rose-mallow flowers close by by mid-day.

Hibiscus moscheutos, swamp rose-mallow, later in the evening.

Pluchea odorata, saltmarsh fleabane

Two sandhill cranes in a wet field dotted with saltmarsh fleabane.

Peaceful Pond

A long time ago, in a land far away (Canada), we came across a place called Peaceful Pond. Maybe there’s something inherently peaceful about ponds, in general.

Spoonbills and Egret feed in a cove at Audubon Corkscrew Preserve

Patch and Pin

When I told people at work that I’d signed up for the Florida Naturalist Program, they asked, what do you get? A patch and pin, I replied. As pictured here, received April 30, 2018. I had a great time with the classes and field trips. This is for the wetlands series… I’ll need the coastal and uplands sections to complete the program.

It’s been three years since I added anything to this website. How fast does time pass? I was thinking about renting a cabin at Cayo Costa State Park. In the google search, I came across a blogger who was back writing after a long hiatus. She had problems with her family and her health and depression and she shared all of that in a long post. To recharge and reconnect, she spent a few days camping by herself at Cayo Costa. I think that’s one of the most powerful things about nature, like friendship and higher powers and the light that sometimes shines within us, is an enormous sense of connection, and peace. Not that nature is always peaceful. When a red-bellied woodpecker takes on all the doves in my bird feeder, it’s anything but peaceful.

But here’s to reconnection. I’m very happy to have a patch and a pin, even though I don’t know where I’d ever wear them.

For completion of the first leg of the Florida Master Naturalist Program.

Empty Nest

Back to the Venice Rookery for the third consecutive week. The Great Blue Heron nest that I’ve been watching went from three chicks to one to an empty nest. Late Monday afternoon, saw this egret swiping twigs from the Blue Heron’s nest to add to its own.

Great Egret with twigs from heron’s nest

Later, the egret flew to the near bank for a drink.

Same egret (I think) in the brighter, orange morning light.

Nesting

Bonnie and I planned to go to the Venice Audubon Rookery early Tuesday morning. It’s about an hour’s drive from my home; the goal was to get a 6 am start and arrive at sunrise. Bon woke up to find a dead car battery… so we left a half hour later… which was not such a bad thing because it was windy and wickedly cold. Not cold like Chicago and its 19-inches of snow, but windy and cold enough for here. Okay, in reality, shy of 50 degrees. But I had on three layers including a Duluth hoodie and LL Bean jacket and wished I had two pairs of socks.

The rookery is in a suburban spot. It’s a small (I’m assuming manmade) pond with a nesting island of tangled Brazilian Pepper bushes (a non-native, invasive plant). The herons like it enough. We saw multiple pairs of Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Anhingas and Cormorants. Early on, Little Blue Herons flew in and out. A flock of Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks clamored from a nearby pond in a mobile home park.

We were the second and third photographers on scene. I used my lightweight Induro tripod, 300 mm lens and 2x extender. The shots posted here are cropped just a bit. A photographer from Arcadia (bundled in a down parka), then a dozen more folks with cameras and binoculars, soon joined us. A fellow from Massachusetts arrived wearing shorts. He admitted he was cold.

As soon as we spotted the first Great Blue Heron chick (little fuzzy ball with bright yellow eye and oversized beak), the dead battery and the wind and getting up at 5 didn’t matter at all.

Great Blue Heron, early morning

Meticulous nest-building

Mom, dad, junior

We later saw three chicks in the nest

Painted Buntings

Painted Buntings have been in Florida for several months. On our February trip to Merritt Island NWR, the information/volunteer told us buntings were at the feeders. But so were dozens of tourists, so we skipped the feeders and instead searched for Scrub Jays, Soras and Rails and other wonderful things.

Yesterday proved that some things are worth waiting for.

On my way back from Ft. Myers I stopped at the Manatee Audubon’s property, Felt’s Preserve. Arrived with the magical late afternoon light at 5 pm. I was the only person there! The grounds were lovingly maintained with literature, trails and viewing benches. I walked directly to a large bird blind that faced outward to a half dozen recently filled feeders. A squirrel had launched himself into one of the feeders. Mourning Doves fed in most of the others, plus a few Cardinals and a Gray Catbird. On the far back right, the buntings had a heavy-duty caged feeder all to themselves. Indigo Buntings flew back and forth from brush to feeder. I counted as many as a half dozen at any one time.

Then one or two male Painted Buntings flew in. This photo was taken through the bird blind’s glass window.

I left the bird blind and stood behind a sign that read something like “Photographers must stay behind this sign.” There is that urge to creep closer. But I stayed behind the sign and it turned out great, because this bunting landed on a nice weathered branch about eight feet away. I shot five or six photos before he flew off and I drove home.

A Complete Year

Bonnie and I got around as much as we could last year. We squeezed in a few days in the Everglades and a few at St. Marks NWR in the panhandle. We’ve explored new forests and returned to old favorites as often as we could. We’ve run across countless potholes. My car has started to pay the price, there’s more than one loud rattle. “It’s the hamsters under the hood,” I explain to passengers.

Among the year’s highlights:

• Spring migration at Ft. DeSoto Park. Have never seen so much color and so many new birds. Also so many birders.

• The St. Mark’s trip, and staying at the lodge in Wakulla Springs State Park. A stay at the lodge is like stepping back in time, from the creaky elevator to the historic rooms to the big band music wafting through the dining hall. One disappointment: the swim area is gated and locked during the evening and early morning hours. We’d been looking forward to seeing the springs packed with manatees, but there was no access. On the way out of the park, though, we pulled over to photograph a small spring. While we were there, a manatee drifted a few feet from the bank. I think of it as one of the “magical moments,” like when a flock of birds flies close overhead, or hearing the sound of wing beats in still air.

A manatee swims a few feet from shore at Wakulla Springs State Park

• Running across our first bobcat, on the Florida Trail.

• Discovering a family of Snail Kites in Plant City.

• Getting a photo of a Crested Caracara on a fencepost, on a day we set out to find a Crested Caracara on a fencepost.

I’ve printed the annual 2wingpictures bird calendar and sold a few photographs at the Boyd Hill Art Arbor. I’ll be displaying and selling photos at Suncoast Arts Fest, at the Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel, Florida, Jan. 19 & 20. Come on by!

I’m grateful for your encouragement and support. I’ll keep working on this photography stuff in the New Year.

4wingpictures

On Friday, Bonnie, Tammy and I spent a full day out. We drove down to Sarasota, first to Celery Fields, then to Rothenbach Park, and finally Myakka River State Park. These dragonfly photos are from early morning at Celery Fields. I think I’ve identified them correctly…

These bright purple Roseate Skimmers didn't land often, so it's not the best shot. I wanted to include one to show the vibrant color.

Golden-winged Skimmer 1

Golden-winged Skimmer 2

Golden-winged Skimmer, dewy grass

Golden-winged Skimmer in sunlight

Orange Golden-winged Skimmer

Scarlet Skimmer