verdure
Florida Botanical Gardens – Holiday Lights
Wednesday, December 25th, 2019

glitter

christmas lights reflecting on bridge

pool

flowers

moon

black

fusia

2019, Florida | No Comments |
Paynes Prairie
Wednesday, December 25th, 2019

A large alligator lurked around the fishing dock off of Hwy 441 at Paynes Prairie State Park while a fisherman lost a channel catfish when we visited in October.

alligator

primrose willow
primrose willow

limpkin
limpkin

The road to the La Chua parking area is lined with beautiful arching oaks. The site was previously the largest cattle ranch in Spanish Florida. Organized cattle ranching on the prairie began in the 1600s, using cracker cattle, descended from Andalusian cattle brought from Spain in the 1500s. The state park manages a small heard to preserve the breed.

skink

There were more apple shells here than anywhere we’ve ever seen together. Noisy limpkins were still searching for more.

apple snail shells

limpkin on boardwalk

great blue heron

cattle egret

baby alligator

mushrooms

2019, Florida | No Comments |
San Felasco Hammock State Park
Wednesday, December 25th, 2019

It rained lightly at the start of our walk in October, leaving it hot and very humid. There is an honor pay box at the parking area (bring dollar bills).

The trail crosses the tiny, sandy Moonshine Creek, typical of Florida, which winds to a sink.

stream

great egret over sink

All the frogs and toads probably loved the humidity

frog

frog

toad

mushrooms

white fungi

Near the parking lot, it’s a bit drier and the tree cover opens a bit. There are usually several birds here, like this red-bellied woodpecker

red-bellied woodpecker

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Alligator Lake, everything else
Tuesday, December 24th, 2019

This is the same trip in October as the previous post.

mating common green darners
mating common green darners

The largest alligator we saw was at the end of our walk in a small, duckweed covered pond, after putting the camera away.
alligator

gulf fritillary
gulf fritillary

viceroy
viceroy

halloween pennant
halloween pennant

frog

roseate skimmer
roseate skimmer

2019, Florida | No Comments |
Alligator Lake, the birds
Tuesday, December 24th, 2019

We went back to Alligator Lake Park in October. It was our first visit in 5 and half years. The water level is highly variable. This time it was lower, with wide mud flats across many areas of the outer lake. Mike took all the pictures.

bluebirds
bluebirds

eastern phoebe
eastern phoebe

female red bellied woodpecker
female red bellied woodpecker

great white egret
great white egret

glossy ibis
glossy ibis

ducks, maybe mottled
ducks taking flight

great blue heron
great blue heron

male anhinga
male anhinga

wood storks
wood storks

roseate spoonbills and little blue heron. This is the furthest north we have seen spoonbills.
roseate spoonbills and little blue heron

turkey vulture
turkey vulture

2019, Florida | No Comments |
Celery Fields
Monday, December 23rd, 2019

At the end of September, there were several juvenile purple gallinules at Celery Fields

juvenile purple gallinule

juvenile purple gallinule

adult purple gallinule

dishevelled great blue heron

2019, Florida | No Comments |