...Ok I missed a couple photos taken
At Tree Tops Park...
I got a better photo of a N. mockingbird...
This one didn't mind posing...
A gentle reminder (above) that...
We're not in "Kansas" anymore...
The park has this nice stand of live oaks...
To the left is a narrow 'stream'...
To the right is a man-made pond...
Several people were arriving to fish...
The pickerel weed grows in swampy areas...
After visiting Tree Tops,
We happened upon Long Key Natural Area...
(Not Long Key State Park)
A real nice, 124 acre nature 'preserve'...
Including a pond with soft shell turtles...
And pretty white pond lilies...
And what appeared to be giant swallowtails,
That wouldn't pose for the camera...
Leaving the park, we watched an osprey
Land on this branch...
I have since seen several osprey
Along I-75 while driving thru
The Big Cypress Nat'l Preserve...
Also in barren tree tops near the osprey,
Was this imm. anhinga...
At first I thought it was a cormorant...
I'm really hoping to get a good shot
Of a female anhinga eventually... (has yellow coloring)...
Also saw many of those along the BCNP...
And belted kingfishers...
And hawks...not sure what kind.
Love the waterlily, all my favorite ponds have a skim of ice. Your Black Hills fans won't be seeing their pretty selves for quite a while.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, not much danger of being nipped by an alligator.
The white pond lily looks like a painting...lovely photo, Jann! I must have been busy with Thanksgiving preps to have missed your post.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see you are exploring the area, Jann. Your turtle sighting was of the Florida softshell turtle.
ReplyDeleteCaroline & Wanda, I was really excited to find those white water lilies! Not easy to get a good photo of, the one I posted was the best of those I took.
ReplyDeleteBob, thank you for the ID help. I cannot wait to see more and more of the Birding Trail parks.