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Header Image: Ruby-crowned Kinglet Apparently, we did not exhaust ourselves enough during the Lakeland Christmas Bird Count so we volunteered to participate in the Green Swamp count. Twenty people. Over 500,000 acres of swamp. Challenging! Gini and I were assigned to the East Tract of the Green Swamp Wildlife Management Area which consisted of a mere 51,000 acres. The vast majority of this area is inaccessible. The Christmas census is designed to… Read More
Header Image: Burmarigold or Smooth Beggartick (Bidens laevis) Standing by the side of the road in the dark. Hands cupping our ears. Straining for the sounds of the night. “Whip, whip, whip, whip!” The loud call accompanied the sound of flapping wings passing us as an Eastern Whip-poor-will flew along with mouth open wide to inhale insects hovering above the sandy stretch of road. Ten minutes later, the surprisingly soft trill of… Read More
A few weeks ago we had a chance to escape to our patch before the dire weather predictions came crashing down around us. Sunny skies and warm temperatures – the way a Florida winter should be! For something a bit different, our trip began in mid-afternoon and we remained until sunset. We had a wonderful outing and saw more than we expected. We even spotted a few critters other than birds! When… Read More
(Header image: Buff-breasted Sandpiper) Today’s title may seem like an oxymoron, but species defined as shorebirds spend a lot of time at places other than the shore, such as mud flats, marshes, agricultural fields and even forests. During migration, shorebirds stop at historically food-rich locations to refuel and rest on their annual trek. Even commercial sod farms. Green. Horizon to horizon. Small tractors scuttled around the fields and large flatbed trucks trundled… Read More
Our Natural Places 