Shades of Green
(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.)
Spring. According to the calendar, it will be here next week, arriving precisely at 11:06 p.m. on March 19, 2024.
Nature. It adheres to it’s very own schedule, every day of the year.
I reckon it may be useful (?) to know that on the date and time above there will be an equal amount of day and night. Equinox. Plan accordingly.
So, there we were, six weeks ago, in the dead of Winter, leaving the house in the dark about an hour before sunrise. Dressed appropriately for Florida’s severe cold season (me, short sleeves and Gini with that sweatshirt just in case) we were prepared to explore what the swamp had to offer us this day.
The swamp. Yes, once again we are headed into Florida’s Green Swamp. To refresh your memory, this expanse in the west-central part of the peninsula consists of over 560,000 acres (875 square miles). The composition of the area is mostly hardwood swamp, cypress domes, sandhills and pine flatwoods. The Green Swamp is the source of four of Florida’s major rivers and below the surface is the vast limestone aquifer which contains most of the state’s drinking water.
The logging industry harvested pine and cypress here from the late 19th until the mid-20th century. Since then, better forest management practices have seen a significant return of mature trees of all species. Part of that resource management includes prescribed burns which attempt to emulate natural fires begun by lightning. Over time, flora and fauna adapted to natural fires and some species depend on periodic fires in order to thrive.
Old logging roads zig-zag throughout the swamp, some more passable than others. Many trails have been blazed along these roads, again, some more accessible than others. The good news is that we seldom see other humans during our exploration. We do see plenty of birds, blooms and bugs.
Six weeks ago, we really did not have Spring on our minds. Birds singing made us realize THEY had Spring on THEIR minds! Little Brown-headed Nuthatches are among the first birds to breed in our area and their high-pitched “rubber-ducky” squeaking filled the air. Adding to the Spring mix were the cheerful “chicka-dee-dee-dee” calls of Carolina Chickadees. Red maple trees were beginning to bud. Yellow blooms dotted the wet places and sides of the road. The sun was warm. The sky was blue.
The Green Swamp was beginning to show its true colors.
Recent rains have made walking through a pine savanna a rather damp experience.
A male Northern Cardinal added some bright color to the swamp. We heard many of them singing all morning.
One of the better-looking logging roads as we head into the sun.
The Blue-headed Vireo is a winter visitor and will head north to breed by the end of March.
One might expect to find a lot of fungi in such a wet environment. One would be correct. This one is a large shelf fungus known as Turkey-Tail (Trametes versicolor).
Throughout the fall and winter months, some wet places have an abundance of bright yellow flowers known as Smallfruit Beggarticks (Bidens mitis).
Small. Squeaky. Feisty. In Florida, the Brown-headed Nuthatch begins breeding as early as the second week of February. Hey! That’s now!
A fascinating family of plants, bladderworts are carnivorous and attractive. Interesting combination. We are just beginning to see one of their local representatives, the Floating Bladderwort (Utricularia inflata), appear on the surface of many pools in the swamp.
Small, plain, quick. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher may not sport bright colors, but they sure are fun to watch as they vacuum up bugs from every branch and leaf. This species breeds here but there are also many migrants out and about.
A couple of areas go through oak hammocks and almost form a “canopy road”.
Bits of red atop tall trees signal our Red Maple (Acer rubrum) trees are about to burst into bloom.
Another of our migratory visitors, the Yellow-rumped Warbler, arrives and leaves later than most other species. That’s okay with us. We think they’re adorable.
Some of the roadside ditches had several patches of bright yellow Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) this morning.
It seemed as if every time we stopped, we heard the calls of the Carolina Chickadee. The calendar may say one thing. These little birds sing a different tune.
Our winter day in the Green Swamp turned out to be composed of many different colors. We hope your winter has not been too severe. No matter what the calendar says, Nature may let you know it’s okay to celebrate Spring whenever you’re ready.
Enjoy your search for a natural place and come back for a visit!
Our Natural Places 
Blue-headed Vireo’s are a great find. We do not get a chance to see them at home, but luckily had a chance to tin a few down here in the south. Another bird we do not get to experience is the Brown-Headed Nuthatch which are just plain adorable right down to your perfect description of their calls. Who doesn’t smile when you hear that ring out across the pines. Not sure what it is like over there, but the butterbutts have swelled in populations over the last couple of years – I swore I wouldn’t take any more shots of them after filling up my digital cards in January, yet here I am to this day snapping them whenever I see them (which is like ALWAYS ha). You managed to catch a very colorful female. Ugh, now I can’t get that Brown-headed squeaking out of my head.
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We’re in a great spot for songbird migration. Between both coasts and plenty of lakes/swamps/forests nearby. More bugs = more birds.
Don’t have any actual data to back up the butterbutt numbers, but I have the sense that we also have seen more this year than in the recent past. Like you. shutter finger has that reflex thing whenever one is spotted.
Until later – squeak, squeak.
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Congratulations on your 56th! Hope your trip is full of all the best that the wild places have to offer! I had to go look up bladderwort – I wasn’t sure whether it was the yellow flowers in your photo, or the maroon leaves – both very attractive, in any case!
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Thanks, Sam.
Just returned from our road trip. Several hundred images to sift through and process. Should keep me off the streets for a few days.
The bladderworts are interesting. Most are at least partially carnivorous.
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We think it’s cold when the breeze is out of the North here! But if the sun is shining…I’m good to go! Love the Spring flowers we are seeing and there are more small birds flitting around. Life is good! Enjoy your weekend!
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Yep. Lovin’ the sun lately. A little rain helps fill the lakes. The songbirds are getting ready to fly home. Flowers are everywhere.
You are so right, Diane. Life is good!
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Gorgeous pictures, specially of the cardinal!
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Thank you very much!
We were thankful he hopped on a branch with that blue sky in the background.
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I love seeing your swamp photos. So completely different from my usual jaunts, and yet we both manage to get out and enjoy natural places (preferably without human crowds). Hope you didn’t come across any “yucky men”!! Your comment on my blog gave me a good laugh.
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Thank you, Peter.
We’ve been fortunate to have traveled to a few far-away places (far from Florida) and as you point out, been amazed at how much we manage to find natural places to enjoy.
If we can’t laugh a little we may need to try somehing else!
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Spring on a calendar and spring in Nature are becoming two vastly different things. We saw similar activity, flora and fauna, in South Carolina a couple of weeks ago. Truthfully, the middle of Illinois has been in bloom for a week or more now. Though I haven’t seen a butterbutt up here yet. Thanks for sharing Wally.
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Happy to share any time, Brad.
Yep. Spring seems to be busting out all over the place. Which is just fine with us!
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Another post filled with wonderful info, Wally – thanks!
I’m curious. Are you able to drive through this area on the old logging roads, or do you park and hike? My old bones want to know!
Ed
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Thank you, Ed.
That area is in Sumter County and is a part of the Richloam WMA. The Little Withlacoochee River flows through it. From CR471, turn east onto North Grade Road which leads to the Florida Bass Conservation Center. North Grade Rd. veers to the left just before the center entrance. The roads are in fair shape but many potholes make driving a slow-motion affair.
Gini cannot hike, so much of our exploration is along the roadsides, although I’ll take off down a trail now and then. Check GoogleMaps and you’ll see North, Central and South Grade Roads. Be VERY careful if you visit after a heavy rain. It’s a swamp and it takes a while for the water to recede enough to see all those big potholes.
Three days ago the area was filled with blooms of all sorts.
Take care.
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Just now, I’m watching a pair of cardinals and a flutter of chickadees at the feeders outside my window; they’re among my favorites, and two whose calls and songs I can identify. Yesterday, I saw a bluebird pair just off a friends back porch. They’ve nested in a hollow fence post; I anticipate an afternoon visit with a telephoto lens in hand.
It was interesting to see your floating bladderwort. I’ve seen a couple of bladderwort species in east Texas, and have heard reports of the floating, but never have seen them. And you’ve offered up yet another species of beggarticks; I know of only a couple of Bidens species here. There may be more.
It was fun to see the turkeytail — one of the few I can identify — but it seems early for Rudbeckia, especially mixed with your red maple. I think of Rudbeckia as a May/June flower. Maybe (!) my memory is off. It does seem as though seasons overlap in your area as well as species and bloom times. What richness!
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Our feeders are overwhelmed about three specific times of the day by 30-40 White-winged Dove. The squirrels have started toting shotguns to protect their seperate little table. When the dove aren’t gorging, we’re hosting cardinals, titmice, blue jays, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers and a couple of migrant palm and yellow-rumped warblers. Occasionally, a Pine Warbler drops by.
Last week, a bluebird appeared. Gini immediately commanded – I mean, requested, that I run out and get mealy worms. A generous spread had the male bring his best girl and they have been visiting often. He has even started offering her a worm, so I reckon there may be bluebirdlings in a couple of months.
There are apparently pockets of habitat in the swamp which remain favorable for some species all year unless we have a freeze, which we have not. Rudbeckia does normally wait until about mid-April to get going, but the occasional rebel like this one helps brighten the place up early.
We were in this same area on 3/14 and it was pretty close to a riot of color. Pictures coming — well, some day.
Gini and I are off in search of bigger swamps. As true native Floridians, we’ll be gone all next week to the Big Cypress Preserve and other spots in southwest Florida to celebrate our 56th wedding anniversary. See ya!
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The Robin, the Chickadee, the Cardinal. All calls I recognize by sound alone when I hear them. I will have to pay more attention to the Nuthatch and see if I can pick up on the Rubber Ducky squeaky call!
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Gini has good hearing so she’s the “bird alert” specialist. Right now, lots of smaller songbirds are gathering in mixed species groups as they prepare for migrating northward.
Sounds like a choir group warming up as there are all sorts of sounds in the trees.
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Sure looks like spring to me, Wally, and very fine it is too. If we get much more rain, we will have a swamp here too. Our nearest to that is a floating moss which, if all goes to plan, I will be visiting in a few month’s time.
Discussions about the origins of names in the previous comments, and triggered by the Northern Cardinal in this post, had me wondering how the term ‘cardinal sin’ arose.
Your photogrpahy is as astounding as ever – thank you.
Best wishes to you and Gini – I hope that your anniversary celebrations are splendid – take good care – – – Richard
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Thank you, Richard.
The two of us live in a sort of “perpetual spring”. A few years ago, we came to the realization that we are not “normal”. 🙂
I don’t know much about cardinals without lovely feathers. Sin – well, that’s another story.
We’ll have a splendid adventure since we’ll be together. Hopefully, we’ll return with a few images of swamps, coasts, birds and who knows what.
You and Lindsay take care of things while we’re out and about.
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So wonderful to see our beloved areas color up for Spring, even swamps and marshes! I really enjoyed your landscape, flowers, and road scenes, and those awesome bird shots. ❤️
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Thank you, Donna. We enjoyed seeing them all, too!
More to come when we have a chance.
So much to see out there. So little time.
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There was a lot going on at the Green Swamp in mid-February and I wonder how much busier it must be now, with spring ready to start officially.
Happy equinox and spring to you and Gini.
Tanja
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We made another visit to a nearby spot a couple of days ago. Blinded by color! Even found plants that are new to us.
Thank you visiting, Tanja. Hope to post pics from the recent visit week after next. Road trip next week. To a bigger swamp.
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That sounds great, I look forward to seeing all that has happened since your previous visit.
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Akin to the notion of nature adhering to its own schedule is the botanist’s quip that plants don’t read field guides. And as you remarked at the close: “The calendar may say one thing. These little birds sing a different tune.”
Once again you’ve mentioned your non-Better-Business-Bureau BBB of birds, blooms and bugs. Good to see you got your share of the first two this time, plus a fungus, a lichen, and plenty of trees. Regarding blooms, some people say black-eyed susan while others say brown-; neither faction has ever discovered who the eponymous Susan was. If you find out, be sure to let us know.
You’re no doubt aware that cardinals, the birds, got named after the red robes worn by Catholic cardinals. It’s less well known that those high officials had come to be called cardinals because they were the ones on whom the success of the church metaphorically hinged (from the Latin noun stem cardin-, meaning hinge).
Enjoy the relatively cool weather while you can: summer’s a-coming.
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Schedules can play an important role in structuring our daily lives. Since retiring from actually working for a living, I tend to eschew them.
This is about as close as I could come to tracing down Susan: https://www.grit.com/farm-and-garden/in-memory-of-black-eyed-susan-sweet-william/
Your information about the cardinals went beyond what I had heard about the red robes. Very interesting.
It won’t be long before our humidity and temperature will both rise to less than comfortable levels. So, yes, we are trying to enjoy these pleasant days.
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Thanks for unearthing that hypothesis about the name of the black-eyed susan, which I’ve never seen.
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