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(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.) Thistles! Thrilling! I know. We’re easily excitable. Following a marathon of medical adventures, we needed to absorb as much fresh air as possible to recharge our souls. Today was a good step toward that goal. A refresher on central Florida’s Green Swamp region. Over 560,000 acres of wetlands, flatlands and low ridges are bounded by prominent sandy ridgelines. The region forms a sort… Read More
(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
“At least it’s not cold.” How can I not remain in love with such an optimist? The thick fog permitted a very limited view of our surroundings. We could hear the Whistling-Ducks whistling as they flew above us. We could hear a Limpkin crying about no sunshine. We could hear a big splash – it was close – probably just a turtle. Yeah, that’s it. A turtle. We have written about Lake… Read More
Header Image: Common Ground Dove “It’s orange!” The mistress of understatement flung her index finger toward the top of a small tree. I followed the track and located the indicated insect. It was, as described, orange. Not only that, it was something new, to us. The bright bug was a Clay-colored Leaf Beetle (Anomoea laticlavia), in the Family Chrysomelidae. There are over 1700 species in that Family, many of which have not… Read More
Header Image: Brown Pelicans Our morning at Fort DeSoto Park had been wonderful so far. Birds in the mud. Birds in the water. Now that I was clean and dry less muddy and no longer dripping, Gini and I headed for the Gulf fishing pier. The park consists of a little over 1300 acres. Although not a huge area, it is ecologically diverse and attracts a multitude of wildlife. Over seven miles… Read More
Our Natural Places 