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(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Just after sunrise, by the side of a lake, we take delight in the distant, slightly eerie calls of Limpkins. Do they know they are the only living members of their avian Family (Aramidae)? Would they care? We are fascinated with the strange call, answered by calls from several different areas. An Osprey crashes into the surface of the lake, submerges briefly and… Read More
(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) “Who would think there could be so much diversity out here?” Once again, Gini was absolutely correct. We humans are quick to assign stereotypes to our thoughts and ideas. When we first moved to west Texas, it looked so desolate. That impression was exacerbated by our military peers, who had also recently moved there, as they bemoaned the flat, brown landscape that, presumably,… Read More
Header Image: American Coot Chaos “Take a picture of THAT!” Gini doesn’t often point out potential subjects for the camera since I’m usually already clicking away, but when she issues a command makes a request, I pay attention. (That applies to all things, not just photography.) In this instance, a bit of dark clouds had just moved a bit to reveal the sun rising over the vast east coast salt marsh at… Read More
Header Image: American Alligator In the early 20th century, Florida became a magnet for anyone who wanted to escape the snow of the far north, the bustle of a big city or even the long arm of the law. Warm weather, beaches, sparkling lakes filled with fish, pine forests, no crowds. Why, you could pick an orange right off a tree for breakfast! The fourth largest lake in the state, Lake Apopka,… Read More
(Header image: Buff-breasted Sandpiper) Today’s title may seem like an oxymoron, but species defined as shorebirds spend a lot of time at places other than the shore, such as mud flats, marshes, agricultural fields and even forests. During migration, shorebirds stop at historically food-rich locations to refuel and rest on their annual trek. Even commercial sod farms. Green. Horizon to horizon. Small tractors scuttled around the fields and large flatbed trucks trundled… Read More
Our Natural Places 