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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

Finding Nature

Watching a sunrise is special. Sharing it with someone you love – priceless. We have an established routine at this spot. Begin near the boat ramp, walk along the lake shore until we reach the canal, check the big trees near the footbridge for warblers and vireos, traverse the open grassy area stopping again to inspect the scattered oaks, linger around the low wet area, look at the small pond for ducks… Read More

Category: Birds, Fauna, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: american alligator, american coot, american redstart, anhinga, black-and-white warbler, common gallinule, downy woodpecker, eastern pondhawk, limpkin, little blue heron, sunrise, white ibis, white peacock

Can’t See The Flowers For The Bees

“Did you see that?” “Nope.” This is a frequent exchange between my brown-eyed beauty and myself. I often must gently remind her that when two of us are present, although we have twice as much chance of seeing something, it doesn’t work that way all the time. “But how could you miss that bird on the fence post?” “Because I was looking at the butterfly on the flower on the opposite side… Read More

Category: Birds, Flora, Florida, Insects, Photography Tags: dainty sulphur, feather-legged scoliid wasp, great blue skimmer, loggerhead shrike, orchard orbweaver, poey's furrow bee, robber fly, shrubby false buttonweed, western honeybee, white peacock, winged loosestrife, yellow garden spider

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

Inhaling The Rain

Header Image: Great Egret Our current summer has caused childhood memories to flood my conscience lately. It is hot. I walk barefooted to the mailbox and as I cross the concrete driveway, my pace quickens as it seems I’m walking in a frying pan. As a kid, my feet were tough enough to walk on sandspurs without ill effect. A dish of ice cream last night (yes, I know, apparently verboten at… Read More

Category: Birds, Florida, Photography Tags: american kestrel, balsampear, blue dasher, cloudless sulphur, common buckeye, common gallinule, dorantes longtail, eastern amberwing, four-spotted pennant, great egret, green anole, green heron, needham's skimmer, rain, roseate skimmer, snails, spicebush swallowtail, summer, water moccasin, white peacock

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