Florida | Our Natural Places

Falling Toward Winter

(Click to enlarge images, click again to zoom.) Winter solstice begins in two days. That may not mean too much, temperature-wise, to us here in central Florida, but in many areas...

Category: Birds, Fauna, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american beautyberry, carolina satyr, chapman's blazing star, colt creek state park, eastern bluebird, eastern phoebe, four-petal st. john's-wort, goldenrod, gray wall jumper, gulf fritillary, house wren, narrowleaf sunflower, northern cardinal, prairie warbler, swamp sparrow, tropical checkered-skipper, white ibis, whitetailed deer, wood stork

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: Bugs

Our excursion to Lake Wales Ridge State Forest had been typical of past visits. We encountered old friends and were treated to surprises which nature has a way of placing in...

Category: Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: ant lion, band-winged dragonlet, ceraunus blue, citrine forktail, delaware skipper, eastern amberwing, gray hairstreak, lake wales ridge, little blue dragonlet, pine savannah, queen

Our Natural Places

Exploring - Naturally