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Colors of the Spirit

My Dad was a builder of homes. Much like any kid, I valued those days I rode along in the pick-up truck to a job site. The sights, sounds and smells of a new house being built can be pretty heady stuff for an eight-year old. I didn’t know it at the time, of course, but by far the most significant part of the experience was time spent with my Father. On… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american kestrel, cloudless sulphur, cypressvine, dotted smartweed, dusky pygmy rattlesnake, eastern tiger swallowtail, great egret, hairy chaffhead, narrow-leaf sunflower, narrowleaf silkgrass, phaon crescent, pinebarren goldenrod, red-shouldered hawk, tufted titmouse, virginia buttonwood

Ups and Downs of Nature

Header Image: Prairie Warbler Autumn. In many parts of the world, seasons are marked by distinct, often visible changes. Green in spring, white in winter, bright warm days of summer and colorful leaves in autumn. In our sub-tropical environment here in central Florida, we had to invent the calendar in order to keep up with what season we were experiencing. It is now (looking over at the wall calendar) “autumn”. Gini and… Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: barred yellow, blue-gray gnatcatcher, common ground dove, fiery skipper, hyacinth glider, indigo bunting, northern parula, prairie warbler, red-shouldered hawk, spicebush swallowtail, tenoroc public use area, tufted titmouse, two-striped forceptail green lynx spider

Happy Habitat

Header Image: Anhinga Miles and miles of miles and miles. That was the description of west Texas landscape we heard from more than one Texan as we settled into our new neighborhood. Exploration of the area confirmed the truth of the statement. Most of those miles, at first glance, appeared completely inhospitable. Upon closer examination, we discovered the most incredible array of life forms which had learned to adapt to what, for… Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: anhinga, belted kingfisher, bridgewater tract, northern mockingbird, rambur's forktail, red bull assassin bug, red-shouldered hawk, royal tern, spicebush swallowtail, tenoroc fma, tricolored heron, variegated fritillary

The Bugs of Summer

Header Image: Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) Excitement is hoping aloud a diminutive damselfly will arise from its blade of grass and land on your windowsill. It happened last year about this time and at this spot. Alas, not today. Gini’s disappointment was short-lived as we reminded ourselves this was only the fourth time a Seepage Dancer (Argia bipunctulata) has been observed in our county. We had little time to think about it…. Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: blue dasher, eastern pondhawk, fiery skipper, four-spotted pennant, great southern white, gulf fritillary, horace's duskywing, rambur's forktail, red-shouldered hawk, roseate skimmer, seepage dancer, tachytes, variegated fritillary, white peacock, zebra longwing

We Now Return To Our Regularly Scheduled Program

Header Image: Red-shouldered Hawk Summer is in full bloom here in gorgeous central Florida! We have high temperatures, so you won’t feel chilly, really high humidity to cleanse the pores of your skin, daily thunderstorms which are conveniently timed to coincide with your afternoon nap and plenty of the “Three B’s”: BIRDS, BLOOMS, BUGS! (A kind individual in Ulaanbaatar recently asked: “Where ya been?”. Alas, an event called a “power surge” (not… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: beetle, coffee-loving pyrausta, cypress tree, dorantes longtail, downy woodpecker, eastern pondhawk, gray squirrel, green heron, little leaf notcher, moonflowers, needham's skimmer, red-shouldered hawk, whirlabout, white-eyed vireo

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Our Natural Places

Exploring - Naturally