Tag: lake

Blending in

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

The yellow flowers were blooming again. From across the lake, I could see the alligator swimming around.

I’m not sure what was going on with these 2. The great egret let the alligator get pretty close. The alligator looked like he was ready to take a bite. He finally slid back down under the water and left the egret alone.

I caught this great blue heron with a fish in the bushes along the lake.

It looks like all of the alligators were trying to blend in.

A fun morning walk at Circle B Bar Reserve.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing

I’m in Oz?

On By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals, flowers and plants4 Comments

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It felt like it in late November at Circle B Bar Reserve. The entire preserve was covered in yellow. Bur marigolds bloom for a short time in late November in central Florida.

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Instead of the scarecrow and the cowardly lion, we had very aggressive alligators. One really big one was napping right up against the trail.

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Lots of other pretty plants there as well. When the wind blows, the plant in the last picture has small white flecks flying off.  You would almost think it was snowing, if you weren’t sweating in the 82 degree weather.

Here comes the sun

On By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants4 Comments

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I knew it was going to be a good morning when I walked out on the trail at Circle B Bar Reserve at 8am and this was the view.

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I had not been out here since May so it was great to get out and walk around without it being terribly hot.

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The trails were quiet except for the birds making noise. The limpkins and phoebes were loud. It felt like a lot more moss had grown on trees.

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A very large bee hive right on the trail.

I only had my 300mm lens with me so all of these were taken with my Iphone.  That bee hive was so close that I would have only gotten an inch of it with my longer lens.  I’m looking forward to lots of long walks here this winter.

SkyWatch Friday

I should have slept in.

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

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I went looking for a grasshopper sparrow that had been reported at Possum Branch Preserve before heading over to Chesnut Park. This was all I got, trees full of yellow rumped warblers.

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And pigeons flying overhead.

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And fruit that is toxic if you eat it in this state even though it’s pretty.

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Chesnut Park wasn’t much better. Palm warblers. Really? I should have slept in.

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Bees and flowers were still blooming.

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At least the squirrels were cute holding the berries in their tiny hands.

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The usual titmouse were looking for a handout.

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They get pretty close.

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The lake was full of these blooming. Bees were enjoying them.

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View from the end of the dock. You would almost think fall was here. There were a few trees turning red. It was the weekend before Thanksgiving and the high was going to be 80 degrees by noon.

I stopped at the little Possum Branch Preserve to look for the rare (in this area) grasshopper sparrow. There were 3 other birders there looking as well. No luck even though he was sighted the afternoon before. I moved on to Chesnut Park a few miles away. Not a lot of birds there but people were coming in fast. Every picnic shelter was booked and everyone was hauling in food, coolers and decorations. It was a perfect day for a family outing.