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Transition

(Click to enlarge images, click again to zoom.) We consumed the open sky and nearly infinite tan and green-flecked prairie as if it were an addicting and healing tonic. Which it was. We lingered at our breakfast as the serenade of Meadowlarks and Yellowthroats continued unabated. Sigh. Time to move along. A splash of bright purple flashed into view and a large white bird materialized among the greenery. Water. Pickerelweed and a… Read More

Category: Birds, Fauna, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: black-necked stilt, common buckeye, crested caracara, eastern carpenter bee, florida betony, four-spotted pennant, great blue heron, great egret, limpkin, osprey, pickerelweed, raccoon, sandhill crane, southern beeblossom, three lakes wma, white ibis

Back In The Saddle Again*

Life is precious. Step outside. Breathe deeply. Tell someone you love them. (Our handlers released the latch to the door of our confinement and we furtively stepped onto the soft grass. It took a few moments for us to realize that we could once again spread our wings fully. In unison, we ran forward, flapped vigorously and were propelled into the bright blue sky. As we … “slipped the surly bonds of… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Photography Tags: black-and-white warbler, coastal plain willow, glossy ibis, lesser yellowlegs, limpkin, little blue heron, palm warbler, red-shouldered hawk, savannah sparrow, wilson's snipe, yaupon holly, yellow-rumped warbler

… And The Livin’ Is Easy

(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Summertime. Hot. Humid. Perfect. Starting early helps maintain a modicum of comfort. Until the sun rises above the tree line. Now it’s like a sauna. With bugs. Sauntering around in a sweltering swamp is, admittedly, not everyone’s cup of chai. The distant calls of Barred Owls and an overflight of a couple dozen White Ibises help take one’s mind off any discomfort. Our… Read More

Category: Birds, Fauna, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american alligator, american lotus, climbing hempvine, eastern pondhawk, grassleaf lettuce, great blue heron, limpkin, red-shouldered hawk, redwinged blackbird, sweetscent, tenoroc fma, trumpet creeper, whitemouth dayflower

Petrichor

(We are still experiencing limited opportunities to explore nature. ONE of us, who shall not be named, seems to prefer the ambience of rooms filled with busy technicians, quizzical doctors, equipment with flashing lights/beeps/boops to that of our lovely damp swamp. Due to this hopefully temporary aberration – you will now be forced to view treated to summer reruns.) (The situation described above is also responsible for our inattention to all of… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american lotus, clouded skipper, common buckeye, common tanwave, ghost bulimia, halloween pennant, limpkin, needham's skimmer, osprey, swallow-tailed kite, tenoroc fma, twin-spot skipper

Spring In Winter

(Click images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Good news and bad news. The good news: Our central Florida winter has not had any days below freezing. That means we have been pretty comfortable as we explore. The bad news: Our central Florida winter has not had any days below freezing. That means mosquito larvae have not suffered much degradation and there will soon be many hungry adults looking for a feast…. Read More

Category: Birds, Fauna, Flora, Florida, Photography Tags: bald eagle, blue-gray gnatcatcher, burmarigold, climbing aster, double-crested cormorant, eastern phoebe, indian blanket, limpkin, opossum, osprey, rosary pea, yellow-rumped warbler

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Our Natural Places

Exploring - Naturally