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Header Image: Anhinga The morning was cool and clear. Standing by the small lake, the silence was broken by a Limpkin calling in the distance. That served as a wake-up for several local residents. Common Gallinules gabbled from the shallow-water grass, an Anhinga squawked as it flapped from a nearby cypress branch, White-winged Dove demanded to know “Who-Who-Who Cooks For You”. We had arrived a little while before the sun rose and… Read More
Lake Apopka was essentially a dead lake in the 1960’s. Damage from pesticides and large-scale fertilizer runoff from muck farms was thought to be irreparable. To visit this area today is enough to make you believe in miracles. If we did not know the lake’s history, we would assume we were enjoying one of Florida’s premier birding locations and prime water recreation destinations. So much has been done to reclaim Lake Apopka… Read More
Header Image: Cold Front Departing How can we be “The Sunshine State” if the sun is not shining? Winter. What is it good for? Absolutely nothin’! So there we were, standing on the dock of the lake, peering into grayness. At the end of the dock were two Brown Pelicans, peering into grayness. Soon, the fog will lift and they can go fishing and we can go birding. Soon. Any minute now…. Read More
A few weeks ago we had a chance to escape to our patch before the dire weather predictions came crashing down around us. Sunny skies and warm temperatures – the way a Florida winter should be! For something a bit different, our trip began in mid-afternoon and we remained until sunset. We had a wonderful outing and saw more than we expected. We even spotted a few critters other than birds! When… Read More
Header Image: Anhinga Miles and miles of miles and miles. That was the description of west Texas landscape we heard from more than one Texan as we settled into our new neighborhood. Exploration of the area confirmed the truth of the statement. Most of those miles, at first glance, appeared completely inhospitable. Upon closer examination, we discovered the most incredible array of life forms which had learned to adapt to what, for… Read More
Our Natural Places 