British Columbia: 9-18

Rockslide

Steller’s Jay

The Steller’s jay and the Blue jay are the only New World jays that use mud in the construction of their nests.

Barn Swallows looking up as a Bald Eagle flew over

Glaucous-winged Gull with a starfish for dinner

Black Bear

Discover the Island: Egmont Key, 11-4-18

Gopher Tortoise

North America’s largest land turtle

Florida’s only true tortoise

Laughing Gull

Year-round resident

Greater than 1% of the world’s population nest on Egmont Key!

The only gull that nests in Florida

Approximately 40,000 PAIRS nested on the southern end of Egmont Key this season!

Monarch Butterfly on Porterweed

Hungry moose: 9-18

The word Moose is common in North America (They are called elk in Europe).  It is derived from the word “moose” (“stripper and eater of bark”) in the Algonquin language of the Indians of Quebec, Canada.

The size of adult moose always amazes us.  Especially the adult males which can weigh 1,500 pounds and are the size of a large horse!

The large, sensitive, mobile muzzle is a specialized feeding organ that allows moose to exploit large stocks of submerged aquatic vegetation in shallow lakes and streams.

She was very hungry

Moose may dive and stay up to 50 seconds underwater while feeding.

Her baby was also hungry

Even calves are excellent swimmers.

Nature’s Cleanup Crew for Red Tide: Egmont Key NWR, 11-4-18

Lighthouse under the authority of the US Coast Guard

Turkey Vulture

These birds, like other birds that feed on carrion, are protected from disease associated with decaying animals by a very sophisticated immune system.

Like its stork relatives, they often defecate on their own legs, using the evaporation of the water in the feces to cool themselves.

Unlike most birds, they have a keen sense of smell allowing it to find dead animals hidden below a forest canopy.

They tend to lay one to three eggs.

One parent remains with the young birds much of the time at first.

Both parents feed the young by regurgitation.

If young are approached in the nest, they defend themselves by hissing and regurgitating.  The young tend to fly first at 9-10 weeks of age.

Deck shots

Osprey

One of North America’s largest birds of prey

Their diet is almost exclusively fish.

Blue Jay

Downtown St Pete

Red Lily in our pond

Rain Lilies

Humpback Lunge feeding