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The Wakulla River in FallPosted on 3/11/2008 at 12:25 PM - 2 Comments - Post Comment - LinkAfter seeing some of the pictures that my friends have sent of the beautiful fall colors from the places they live, I've been wanting to get out and take some Fall Florida pictures. This part of Florida has some beautiful fall colors - maybe not as bright and vivid as other parts of the country, but still very beautiful. I had decided that one day this coming week, I was going to take the camera out and about, but when I woke up this morning, I had an overwhelming urge to go to Wakulla Springs and take the boat ride down the river. I am so glad I have learned to listen to my urges! It was a great day! ~ As always, there were gators: ~ And Turtles: ~ And Birds of all Kinds: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ And the colors were beautiful! ~ But what made the day special were the manatees. Last year, for the first year ever, 12 manatees spent the winter in the Wakulla River. At present are at least 18 manatees in the river and everyone at the park is hoping they stay for the winter again! Today, there were 9 of them - playing right by where the boats launch! They rolled and played and put on quite a show. It's very frustrating trying to get pictures because they move so fast and their face is only out of the water long enough for a quick breath. ~ You can see fresh wounds on the one below - no doubt from one of the many boats on the river, In the State Park, the river is protected for about 7 miles and there is no boat traffic, but the lower part of the river has a lot of boat traffic and the manatees have to cross that to get into the protected park. (Actually, there is boat traffic - the first 1 and 1/2 of the river is where the tour boats go - but believe, the rangers keep very, very close eyes out for the manatees!) ~ This guy popped up right where I was standing, but I had my big lens on and there was no way I could back up far enough fast enough to get a good clear shot...I almost fell in the water trying to get this one! ~ And then the mom and baby came to the surface. He was so small....but don't let him fool you! They say he was born in the river back in the April and then he and his mom disappeared. Finally, they were spotted all the way down at Crystal River. Don't know how far that is by river, but by car it's almost 4 hours. They snagged mom and put a radio transmitter on her and followed her back to the Wakulla - they arrived back in September. That's a lot of miles for such a little thing! ~
How I would have loved to have been able to capture that sweet little face - but all I got was the tiny nostrils! ~ I just didn't think the day could possibly be any better, but them something happened that I have waited 3 years for - a mama gator with a baby on top of her! I have wanted to see this for so long and wow....it was really something! ~ He was just the tiniest little thing - no more than 10 inches and probably just born in the last 2 weeks! ~ If you look above him to the left, you'll see another. We think there were 4-5 total, but they were deep in the weeds and hard to see. I felt extremely lucky to get these shots! ~ It was another totally awesome day on the Wakulla River!!
Panama CityPosted on 11/10/2008 at 11:36 AM - 0 Comments - Post Comment - LinkThis was the weekend we were supposed to go to the Florida Keys to swim with the dolphins, rays and sea lions. Even after 9 months of planning, my husband wasn't able to take the week off, so we just went to Panama City instead. The first thing we did was take an AirBoat ride. It was awesome! ~ After the boatride, since we were the only two on the ride, the captain asked if we wanted to hold his pet gator. ~ She was just a little thing, but still had some pretty big teeth! I got to hold her, too and she really was a sweetie! ~ I figured I should go to Ladies Room before we took off and when I walked in, I spotted the visitor in the shower! It was plastic....but so funny! The Captain said a lot of women don't see it until after they sit down! HAHA!! ~ We left there and went to lunch at a great little dockside seafood place and had great shrimp. Then on to our swim with the dolphins!! ~ It was a beautiful day and the water looked so wonderful... ~ Once we got out into the Gulf, the dolphins were there.... ~ ...but so were hundreds of big, nasty Jellyfish! ~ There was no way I was getting in the water, so we had to be content to just watch them from the boat! ~ We stayed out with them for quite a while and actually had several different pods come to he boat. Disappointing that we couldn't swim with them, but great to be able to watch them! ~ It was a great day! ~ The next day, we visited Gulf World. Lots of birds on display - my favorite was the Flamingos. Beautiful birds! ~ Even their legs and feet are pink! ~
There was both a Dolphin and Sea Lion Show and I was pleased to see that it wasn't just animals doing tricks. They talked about conservation and gave a lot of information about the animals. ~ And it was more than obvious the trainers loved these aniamals. I just missed getting a picture of the kiss! ~ It was another great day and if you should find yourself in the Panama City, Florida area, stop and spend the day! Lots to see and do! ~ Finally the boat ride!Posted on 13/9/2008 at 12:51 PM - 1 Comments - Post Comment - LinkFinally got some clear skies and made it to Wakulla Springs for a boat ride down the river. My intention was to use my video camera to film the boat ride - I thought I was so prepared - but when the camera battery went dead and I reached in my camera bag for the extras I knew I had packed, I realized they were in my purse and not the camera bag....and my purse was in the car! Yikes! But...I did get some film clips before the death of the batteries! I hope you enjoy! ~ Going on this boat ride is one of the great things about living in this area and I don't know where else I can get so much entertainment for just $6.00! As I was buying my ticket, I asked if there were any manatees in the area - I was told there hadn't been any in this section of the river for about two weeks. Supposedly, they were down in the middle section of the river - where the boats don't go, so imagine how thrilled I was when one popped up! ~ For a short video of the ride including the manatee - go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rtiYXlWu3E ~ One of the things I love best about these rides is the variety of birds! This juvenile White Ibis wasn't the least bit concerned about the boat! ~ This little Double-Crested Comorant posed for one shot.... ~ ...then he was off! ~ A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron put in an appearance. ~ They are night-feeders, so it's always a treat to see one during the day ~ The smaller cousin of the Great Blue Heron, this Little Blue Heron is just beautiful! ~ We came upon a Mama Common Moorhen with some babies, but they were all in the weeds and a clear shot never presented itself. The little things were so precious!! They have little bald heads! ~ Just a short ways up the river, another Night Heron popped up! ~~ An Anhinga drying his wings. ~ An Anhinga, a Moorhen and a Cormorant. ~ A juvenile female Anhinga. ~ A female Wood Duck ~ And then there were the gators! ~ This guy had something sticking out of his mouth! ~ And the Shell Station! ~ It was a great ride...and the icing on the cake were the deer as I was leaving park! ~ The Tallahassee MuseumPosted on 9/9/2008 at 11:21 AM - 1 Comments - Post Comment - LinkI had the wonderful opportunity to visit behind the scenes at the Tallahassee Museum today and meet some of their wild residents. I cannot begin to tell you how great this place is and how much fun I had. There was so much more to see than I expected and now I will have to plan a visit back because I didn't get to see it all! But what I did see....WOW! I fell in love repeatedly - how many times in one day can a person lose their heart???? Plenty!! Just look these beautiful, sweet, handsome and precious faces - I know you'll understand! ~ Back behind one of the exhibits is where they keep many of the Education Animals. ~ Reuben the Red-Tailed Hawk. I am sorry to say my picture does not capture the true beauty and elegance of this bird. He was stunning! ~ However, I was able to capture the personality of this beastie - Bucket the Black Vulture. ~ He is quite a character and after he finished chasing me around, trying to get my shoes, he settled down for a nice shot! He is so beautiful! ~ Some people I know think I'm crazy because I love the gators - especially the little ones! ~ This is Cowboy - isn't he just beautiful?? ~ Gators lose their color as they get older, so you can tell he is still a young'un! ~ I was able to touch him and was very surprised how soft he was! He is one of the Education Animals and although I'm sure he doesn't enjoy it, he does tolerate being handled. (But I think he'd rather lounge in his tub!) ~ There are Turkeys galore at the Museum and after meeting and getting to know some of these beauties....well....let's just say I'm wondering what we are going to have for Thanksgiving this year! ~ This is Pipsqueak....and doesn't he just have a to-die for face? I love it! ~ Next to steal my heart was Eddie the Great Horned Owl.
I don't know which is more adorable; the big round eyes or those lovely ears!!! What a cutie! ~ If there would have been a way for me to sneak one animal out to bring home with me - it would have been Ollie! ~~ Ollie is an old white Skunk. Talk about a face! Just too sweet for words! ~ Ollie is a cuddler....and I had to put my camera down and get a hug from him. I can't describe the feeling of having him snuggle up under my neck! It was just incredible! ~ This little female Turkey has a fancy German name that I couldn't spell.....but it sure sounded a lot like Tootsie! She's a cutie! ~ And the baby Turkeys - Benjamin and Opal. They will be education animals, too, so they need to get used to being around people and being handled. ~ Opal is just a beautiful young lady! ~ Behind this door, is the Guest Animal Exhibit! ~ Brody and Flora are a pair of Patas Monkeys. Brody is 5yrs old and Flora is 9 years old. They are hoping Brody will spark Flora's interest and there will be babies in the future. I think he's a handsome chap....don't you? ~
There are currently two Bald Eagles on display and they have the nicest set-up. ~ As soon as Marilyn (my guide for the day) got close enough, she started to talk to them....and I was so shocked to hear the one answer!! It was very cool! ~ Their names are Morgan and Freeman - which just cracked me up! Don't remember who was who....but what wonderful birds and what a wonderful enclosure. If an Eagle can't spend its life flying high and free, this truly is the next best thing! ~ And this next one is a National Celebrity. Some of you may have heard about it on the news last year. Man was out duck-hunting. Shot a duck, picked it up, took it home and put it in the fridge. Two days later, gets the duck out of the fridge, figuring it's time to clean and cook it....only the duck MOVES! It's still alive. The man decided, after all the duck had been through, it deserved to live, and he took it to a rehab center where it recovered and was eventually sent to live out it's life at the museum! He's the one sleeping! Now...that's what you call a lucky duck!!! ~ More Turkeys! This is Blondie! ~ Isn't she gorgeous? ~ And she is very loving! ~ All of the Turkeys were great! I just loved them! I did get a video clip and will post it soon - they make the most wonderful sounds! ~ And the men are so handsome! This is Chance and can he strut his stuff! Just gorgeous! ~
They have a wonderful home! The whole place is just beautiful! ~ If you look close....there is a deer in the middle of the above picture. They have a great enclosure, too! ~ They are such beautiful and gentle creatures! Flora is the baby. ~ And she is quite athletic - she loves grapes! ~ Buddy is the young man.... ~ ...and he is quite the licker! Such a sweetheart! ~ We went into the Fox and Skunk enclosure - but the skunks were asleep in their burrows and the Fox were up resting in the trees! ~ And last...no one is quite sure what kind of Hawk this is, but one thing is certain.....he is beautiful! ~ He just recently came to the Museum and will be used as an Education Animal. They work with his everyday trying to get him used to being handled. What a job!!! ~ That ends my visit - I hope you enjoyed it! Most of the animal residents of the Museum are animals that cannot be released into the wild. Some of them even came from Chris at FWMA! I firmly believe that all animals should live wild and free, but if they can't, being used to educate people at places like the Tallahassee Museum is truly the next best thing! What a great place....and I can't wait to go back! ~ ~~~~~~ Wild Things....Posted on 13/8/2008 at 12:03 PM - 1 Comments - Post Comment - LinkI've been wanting to go to Wakulla Springs and take the boat ride for several weeks now and just haven't been able to squeeze it in. I had this brilliant idea that I would take my little video camera and film the ride! How cool would that be? Thought I would take a drive out on Bottoms Road first - since I pass right by it to go the river. There wasn't a lot of activity out there, but I did come across this darling little Least Sandpiper. ~ And just a short ways away, this beautiful Clapper Rail jumped out of the weeds.
~ I noticed quite a bit of movement in the weeds behind her and what a thrill when this little baby popped out! I think there were several in the weeds, but this is the only one that came out! What a cutie!!! ~ On the way to the Springs, it started to sprinkle! And the sky had turned dark. I know the boats run in the rain as long as there is no lightening, so I headed that way hoping the rain would hold off! As I pulled into the park, something caught my eye... ~ Wild Turkeys!! How very, very cool!! There were three of them, but only one came out for a clear shot! What a face!! ~ As I parked...it started to rain a little harder! By the time I made it to the dock, it was raining pretty good. The ranger said he would take me out if I wanted...and believe me, I was tempted, but since I would have been the only person on the boat, I declined. I just couldn't make them waste all the energy to take the boat out just for me! So...I headed out to St. Marks. The rain was moving slow and I'm still trying to get a look at the Great White Heron. No Herons, but this Great Egret was gorgeous... ~ ...and you can see he just swallowed something large! And the wind had started to pick up...look at those feathers blowing! ~ The only gator I found was this huge one - at least a 10 footer!! ~ The storm was coming and the water was rough but he didn't seem to care! ~ I was surprised to find an Osprey sitting in the same tree as I saw one in the other day. Don't know if it was the same one or not, but I never get tired to looking at them! ~ I think he was watching the oncoming storm, but then he turned at looked at me. I know some of the people reading this will know what kind of feeling that evokes! A truly magnificent bird!
~ The storm finally caught up to me and the rain started. I decided it was time to fly home! ~ Hopefully...the storms will pass and I can do the boatride tomorrow! St. Marks Surprise!Posted on 11/8/2008 at 7:21 AM - 1 Comments - Post Comment - LinkWent to St. Marks last Friday looking for a Great White Heron that is supposed to be spending time here. Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets are very common here, but a Great White Heron is a rare sighting and I was really hoping to get a shot (photo) of him! Unfortunately, I didn't get out there until the heat of the day had taken hold and there weren't many birds around at all, but as I was driving along, some movement caught my eye. I couldn't get a shot from where I was, so I drove the car up the road a little ways, parked, and walked to a spot where I hoped I'd be able to get shot! ~ I know we have wild boar all over place up here, but I have never seen one up close. All I have ever seen was dark bodies running through the trees, so it was a real treat to be able to see these up close! I wasn't sure how many there were and hoped if I stayed still and quiet, they would continue to come toward me! ~ As I continued to watch them, I noticed something light brown in the weeds... ~ When they finally come into view, I was surprised to see that not only was one of the piggies light brown... ~ ....but there were a total of 6 of them! ~ They didn't seem to notice me and kept coming closer! ~ They were like little vacuum cleaners sweeping across the mud! ~ Dig in one spot... ~ ...then move to another! ~ I really enjoyed watching them and was happy they came close enough for some decent shots! ~ These had to be young ones because they really weren't very big. I didn't see any larger ones, so who knows where mom and dad were! ~ They finally moved on and I just had to laugh at the cute little tails! ~ There were only a couple of other things I pointed the camera at. One was these beautiful Black-necked Stilts. ~ And the other was this beautiful Osprey eating his lunch! ~ Bats, cats, and other cool critters!Posted on 31/7/2008 at 10:29 AM - 1 Comments - Post Comment - LinkOne of my friends has become very active in Bat Rescue. She is currently fostering six of the little farts and when the opportunity to go photograph them presented itself, I jumped at it! Bats are one of those creatures that are horribly misunderstood and therefore, feared. Personally, I think they are adorable! Once again, I really could have used a good macro lens, but hopefully, you'll be able to see what cuties these little guys are! ~ Fran shares her apaertment with some other darlings as well! She has 4 ferrets....but ferrets being ferrets... ~ I was only able to get pictures of two of them...and then only because they were going through my bag! ~ This guy was ceramic....but I thought he was adorable! ~
This is Fran's precious pup! Her and I became instant friends!! ~ I could never get her to look at the camera, but did manage to catch her once laying down. ~ And the new love of my life is a cat named Mac. He introduced himself by climbing on my lap and proceeding to lick my ear! He must not have wanted to have his picture taken as he would always come too close to the camera or he would close his eyes! What a beautiful, beautiful cat! ~ I also did Youtubes of the bats and if you get a chance, you really should go and watch. In a couple of the clips, you can here the little chirping sounds the bats make - I think that's in Bats2! Pretty Cool!!
Go here: Bats1: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6i6AjjjhkXc Bats2: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8BShhkD3Chc Fran's Farts: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wkg-rqkybUc ~~~~~~~
Really Cool Bugs and Stuff!!Posted on 16/7/2008 at 11:52 AM - 1 Comments - Post Comment - LinkOver the last couple of days, I've had the pleasure to meet up with some very interesting friends! Very cool creatures. ~ As I was looking at this moth, one of the Wakulla Springs State Park rangers came up and told me some interesting info about it. I can't remember what she said it was called, but the only meal it has in its whole life is as it eats itself out of its cocoon. The female releases pheromones into the air and the male sniffs her out. They mate. He dies immediately afterward. She dies after she lays her eggs! The whole process only lasts a day or two. What a life, huh? It is a very large month - at least a 4 inch wingspan! ~ Don't know what this one is either. But he had the fuzziest-looking head and was very bright pink! ~ Blue-tailed Skink - this guy was so much bigger than he looks in the picture. From tip of nose to tip of tail, about 10 inches! And as fat as one of my fingers! ~ This guy had a very fuzzy head and body, too!! ~ Jack's Florida relatives! ~ A very cool-looking Dragonfly! ~ And some beautiful Florida Flowers. ~ This HUGE spider has taken up residence on Chris' back porch. I have no idea what he is....but he is one of the largest spiders I've ever seen in my life. Measuring across, from tip of leg to tip of leg, was easily 5-6 inches and the body was as thick as my thumb. BIG, BIG Spider! ~ I always thought these guys were large, but compared to the guy above, he was small - only 2-3 inches! ~ And last....it's Lubber Season! Jumbo grasshopper!! ~ Doncha love that face! ~ Kayking on the WakullaPosted on 1/7/2008 at 11:37 AM - 2 Comments - Post Comment - LinkEarly Sunday morning, we loaded up the kayaks and headed to the Wakulla River. It was a beautiful trip up the river with such a variety of wildlife. We watched otters playing in the middle of the river - unfortunately, they were too far for my little camera, but I did manage to capture some of the many birds, gators and turtles! It was a wonderful ride....until a thunderstorm blew in and ended the fun! But until then....the river was beautiful: ~ I tried to make a little video of the trip - caught a Double-crested Cormorant having a splish-splash and a few turtles. Go here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=aL1vn22zU2I
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Snowy Egret
Pied-Billed Grebe
Anhinga
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
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