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Blooms Among The Pines

(Gini and I have just returned from a week-long road trip to southwest Florida. We wanted a change of venue to celebrate our 56th wedding anniversary. Instead of exploring the familiar swamps near home, where else would a couple of native Floridian nature lovers go for such a momentous celebration than — bigger swamps? More to come. In the meantime, this post will be a description of our visit to a favorite… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: black-and-white warbler, blue-gray gnatcatcher, coastal plain honeycombhead, deer fly, florida toadflax, lake wales ridge state forest, lupine, netted pawpaw, northern parula, pileated woodpecker, pine warbler, pinebarren frostweed, rabbitbells, sawtooth blackberry, shiny blueberry, shortleaved rosemary, sweetscent

Ridge Redux: Blooms

Pine trees. Tall. Green. Rough, thick, scaly bark. Be careful in handling the pine cone or you may wind up with a hand full of small holes. Close your eyes and breathe in. The air of a pine forest can soothe one’s very soul. Our two souls were busy being soothed when the shriek of a Red-shouldered Hawk roused us from our reverie. Gini and I have almost come to treat each… Read More

Category: Flora, Florida, Photography Tags: coastal plain honeycombhead, dahoon holly, feay's palafox, florida alicia, florida paintbrush, grassy arrowhead, lake wales ridge state forest, lopsided indiangrass, narrowleaf silkgrass, october flower, rose-rush, shortleaf rosegentian, whitemouth dayflower, winged sumac

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 in sub-tropical Florida. Gini confirmed she was the smartest in the group (of two) by bringing a sweatshirt which was now wrapped loosely around her neck for maximum coziness. Suddenly, the day was bright and we were seeing flowers along the… Read More

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

The Ridge (4)

Header Image: Carolina Wren (Weather Note: Hurricane Idalia passed a couple of hundred miles west of us this past Tuesday and Wednesday. We experienced periodic intense rainfall and gusty winds up to about 50 mph. We are safe and had no problems. Please keep all those along the storm’s path who suffered damage and the many who are still without electric power today in your thoughts.) Our morning in the Lake Wales… Read More

Category: Birds, Fauna, Flora, Florida, Photography Tags: arbuckle tract, camphorweed, carolina wren, florida yellow flax, green anole, lake wales ridge state forest, manyflower beardtongue, stinging nettle

The Ridge (3)

Header Image: Great Crested Flycatcher We had been spotted by a gang and were soon surrounded. Either side of the path was covered with dense Saw Palmetto as far as the eye could see. Our only choice was to forge ahead and hope we would not be assaulted. Late summer in Florida. Some of our smaller avian citizens begin to form in mixed groups as they prepare for long migratory flights to… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: arbuckle tract, blackroot, blue dasher, blue-gray gnatcatcher, great crested flycatcher, lake wales ridge state forest, peelbark st. john's wort, pricklypear, sandweed, shrubby false buttonweed

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