Archives

More Ridge Riches

(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) A symphony during breakfast is a great way to simultaneously relax and be filled with anticipation at what other treasures Nature will reveal as our quest continues. The musical richness provided by this morning’s performers was simply incredible. Loud and declarative, the White-eyed Vireo kept telling us “I’m a Vireo. I’m a Vireo.”. Clear chirps in sets of two and three notes were… Read More

Category: Birds, Fauna, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american white waterlily, bigflower pawpaw, coastal plain hawkweed, florida scrub jay, florida scrub roseling, lake godwin, lake wales ridge, maryland meadowbeauty, northern parula, rolfs' milkweed, scrubland goldenaster, sherman's fox squirrel, smallfruit beggarticks, spatterdock, spicebush swallowtail, white-eyed vireo

A Joyful Day

(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

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: bald eagle, black vulture, creeping woodsorrel, eastern pondhawk, glossy ibis, greater yellowlegs, gulf fritillary, halloween pennant, northern parula, nuttal's thistle, oakleaf fleabane, ovenbird, prickly pear, red saddlebags, red-bellied woodpecker, red-shouldered hawk, solitary sandpiper, southern beeblossom, swamp sparrow, sweetscent, white ibis, wood duck

“One of the Forever Gifts …”*

(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Here we are again. We don’t exactly know each tree by their name, but we know we are among friends. The arching branches provide shade for our late morning breakfast. A breeze by itself makes no sound, but when it rustles pine needles above our heads it gives the impression of waves breaking along the shore of our souls. No matter how ingenious… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: bahaman aster, blue-eyed grass, blue-gray gnatcatcher, carolina desert-chicory, cloudless sulphur, common ground dove, common yellow stargrass, downy woodpecker, eastern leaf-footed bug, four-petal st. johnswort, leavenworth's tickseed, little yellow, mexican primrosewillow, north american racer, northern parula, oakleaf fleabane, prairie/savanna lily, red admiral, regal jumping spider, savannah sparrow, spotless lady beetle, walter's viburnum, yellow-rumped warbler, yellow-throated warbler

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

Ordinary Days, Extraordinary Moments

(Reminder: Click to enlarge images, click again to zoom.) Gini and I tend to develop a routine when it comes to exploring. When we become familiar with a particular area through repeated visits, a pattern becomes “comfortable“. Today’s visit to one of our favorite “patches” is a perfect example. Tenoroc Fish Management Area is spread out over several geographically separated venues and consists of nearly 8,000 acres. That is a bit more… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american redstart, band-winged dragonlet, barn swallow, barred yellow, blue dasher, carolina chickadee, goldern-reined digger wasp, great pondhawk, green anole, green lynx spider, northern parula, northern waterthrush, olive-shaded bird-dropping moth, roseate skimmer, salt marsh moth larva, savannah false pimpernel, tenoroc fish management area, turkey vulture, variegated fritillary, viceroy, white peacock

1 2 3 4 »

Our Natural Places

Exploring - Naturally