Birds | Our Natural Places

The Fog Also Rises*

We arrived at Lake Apopka just before “official” sunrise. Of course, the fog obscured the sun completely. It was now about three hours later and the marsh was awash in sunshine,...

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Photography Tags: american white waterlily, belted kingfisher, blue-winged teal, broadleaf arrowhead, bulltongue arrowhead, eastern phoebe, fulvous whistling-duck, great blue heron, lake apopka wildlife drive, mottled duck, palm warbler, purple gallinule, spatterdock, striped mud turtle, yellow warbler

On Little Bird Feet*

“At least it’s not cold.” How can I not remain in love with such an optimist? The thick fog permitted a very limited view of our surroundings. We could hear the...

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Photography Tags: american alligator, common water-hyacinth, common yellowthroat, gray-headed swamphen, lake apopka, marsh wren, northern flicker, red-bellied woodpecker, red-shouldered hawk, white ibis

Our Patch Overfloweth

Streaks of light from the sun rising above the cypress trees lit up the opposite shore of the lake where a Great Blue Heron and Great Egret were wading in search...

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: barred yellow, blue dasher, blue-gray gnatcatcher, clay-colored sparrow, common yellowthroat, eastern phoebe, loggerhead shrike, pine warbler, red-shouldered hawk, salt marsh moth larva, snail, tropical checkered-skipper, yellow-throated warbler

Ridge Redux: Birds

Driving along a dirt road in the dim light of pre-dawn is invigorating. The condition of the road demands slow speed. With the windows down it almost feels chilly, even here...

Category: Birds, Florida, Photography Tags: blue jay, blue-gray gnatcatcher, brown thrasher, brown-headed nuthatch, downy woodpecker, eastern towhee, florida scrub jay, lake wales ridge state forest, peregrine falcon, pine warbler, red-headed woodpecker, white-eyed vireo

Nature’s Very Busy Most Excellent Day

(Click images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) The Sun. The Moon. Sky, earth, water. Life. Death. Nature has it all. Spending time away from human-influenced distractions allows us to realize...

Category: Birds, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: abbot's bagworm moth, acadian flycatcher, american crow, blue-gray gnatcatcher, carpenter-mimic leafcutter bee, cooper's hawk, eastern pondhawk, four-spotted pennant, gulf frittilary, hyacinth glider, red-shouldered hawk, royal river cruiser, snail, southern skipperling, two-striped forceptail

Our Natural Places

Exploring - Naturally