Puppy pictures from 10-30-16

    It looks like he's on the hunt for shoe laces.  However, unlike most young labs neither of these two pups are the least bit interested in laces.

 Play fight time!

We all love to be hugged by Lindsay, especially me.

 Contented in Lindsay's arms.

Scratch that itch.

Queen Butterfly

Interesting internet shot (not mine, though I would love to have seen it)

North Carolina Trip videos: Sept-Oct, 2016

 

From the East Beach Turnaround at Ft Desoto

Limpkin

An unusual bird of southern swamps and marshes.  It feeds almost exclusively on apple snails, which it extracts from their shells with its long bill which is uniquely adapted to foraging on these snails.  The closed bill has a gap just before the tip that makes it act like tweezers.  The tip itself is often curved slightly to the right so it can be slipped into the right-handed chamber of the snail.  
It's screaming cry is unmistakable and haunting.



Florida is the northern limit of its range.

Sign in a restaurant window:
"Don't stand there and be hungry; come on in and get fed up."

Great Blue Herons on Bird Survey on Pinellas NWR: 10-14-16

Great Blue Herons

 Majestic in flight

The largest North American Heron

They live in both freshwater and saltwater habitats and are very widespread across the US

They will eat almost anything within striking distance, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, insects, and other birds.

 (Green Cay Wetlands from a previous trip)

A previous Bird Survey trip

 Despite their impressive size, they weigh only 5-6 pounds thanks in part to their hollow bones - a feature of almost all birds.

Thanks to specially shaped neck vertebrae, Great Blue Herons can curl their neck into an S shape for more aerodynamic flight profile and to quickly strike at prey at a distance.

 Stately

One of the earliest nesters, many are already constructing their nests.

Rearranging sticks on the nest

Suwannee River State Park: 10-23-16

We stopped and hiked a little at this small state park on our drive home from Brent's wedding in Macon, Ga.

Variegated Fritillary Butterfly

Cypress Trees with huge buttresses 

One of the springs feeding the Suwannee River

Tricolored Heron after breakfast

Rain Lilly

Brid Survey: Pinellas NWR 10-14-16

Double-crested Cormorants

Taking off is a real effort for these birds

It's certainly not rare but it is uncommon for us to see a Bald Eagle when we're doing the survey

This one hasn't quite reached its adult plumage as the white head and tail feathers take 4 to 5 years to fully develop.

 Bald Eagles from FL, TX, AZ and northern CA make northbound journeys in the summer.

There is a pair at Ft Desoto that is touching up their nest on the tower at North Beach.

Young Snowy Egret

Sandwich Tern

A very handsome tern