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Finding Lost Lake

Header Image: Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) on Prickly Pear (Opuntia spp.) One of our birding “patches” which we often mention is the Tenoroc Fish Management Area. We mention it often because we visit it often. A few minutes drive from the house, the area consists of over 7,000 acres (2800+ hectares) and offers a fairly diverse habitat. There are 30 lakes, hardwood and pine forests, open grassy fields, wetlands and well-maintained trails…. Read More

Category: Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american alligator skeleton, apple snail, blue mistflower, brown anole, cloudless sulphur, ferns, four-petal st. johnswort, gulf fritillary, little blue dragonlet, lost lake east, mushroom, orchard orbweaver, rosy camphorweed, southern beeblossom, southern tussock moth, tenoroc fma

A Grand Day Out*

Header Image: American Alligator Pre-dawn gray slowly transformed into stunningly bright blue skies and a glance to the east risked temporary blindness as the sun announced its arrival. Every field was adorned with sparkling jewels of dew held in place by gossamer webs spun during the night. A few scrub oak and sand pine trees were scattered here and there among the weedy fields. As we turned onto the forest road, saw… Read More

Category: Birds, Fauna, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american alligator, american beautyberry, butterfly milkweed, carolina saddlebags, coastal plain yelloweyed grass, common eastern bumble bee, florida garden spider, fungi, great crested flycatcher, lake wales ridge state forest, little blue dragonlet, narrowleaf primose-willow, pale meadowbeauty, partridge pea, pipevine swallowtail, red-bellied woodpecker, red-femured spotted orbweaver, sensitive brier, spurred butterfly pea, whitemouth dayflower, zebra swallowtail

Colt Creek Critters

Header Image: Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) A pine forest is welcoming in so many ways. The unique green of the trees, the scent that has become synonymous with “fresh“, the cones on the branches as well as those littering the understory, the texture of the tree bark and the incredible diversity of life which calls the forest home. No wonder we like such a venue! Colt Creek State Park is one of… Read More

Category: Fauna, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: bar-winged skimmer, black-bordered lemon moth, colt creek state park, cuban brown anole, eastern pondhawk, great blue skimmer, little blue dragonlet, white-tailed deer, yellow garden spider

Escape To The Swamp

Header Image: Carolina Redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana) Wait. Don’t you mean “Escape FROM The Swamp”?? We review the news from around the corner and around the world. Local roads and businesses are packed with people. Drama inserts itself into our lives unexpectedly. A dirt road leads into welcoming green pine forests where we soon encounter a small stream flowing under an old bridge. Cicadas buzz in a cacophonous wave which washes over our… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: bar-winged skimmer, blue dasher, carolina redroot, delta flower scarab beetle, eastern pondhawk, fiery skipper, four-spotted pennant, fungus, green heron, little blue dragonlet, needham's skimmer, obscure grasshopper, roseate skimmer, roundpod st. john's-wort, salt marsh morning glory, scarlet skimmer, slaty skimmer, viceroy, wild turkey, yellow garden spider

Swamp Road

Header Image: Pygmy Rattlesnake Hot. Wet. Oppressive. Taking a breath almost requires effort. In the time it takes to walk from the car to the trailhead, your clothes are soaked through from the humidity. There is not even a hint of a breeze. We are in central Florida. The Green Swamp surrounds us. It is summer. Glorious! It is that time of year we simply LOVE to be outside! The stillness of… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: brown-headed nuthatch, clustered bushmint, eastern lubber grasshopper, familiar bluet, gray-green clubtail, little blue dragonlet, phaon crescent, prince baskettail, pygmy rattlesnake, richloam wildlife management area, rosy camphorweed, scarlet skimmer, swamp, tarflower, yellow milwort

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