Out on a Limb

Gosh...this handsome little fellow was tough to shoot!  Flitting from limb to limb, it barely sat still for two seconds. I could have spent hours chasing it!  Not 100 percent sure, but I believe it's a prairie warbler. Spotted at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary -- with all kinds of other songbirds zipping through the trees.  Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Quintessential Florida

Alligator reposing on a small island at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  This is quintessential old Florida at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

 

  Look at those long, sharp claws. And menacing teeth! 

Fun to observe gators in the wild...but always from a safe, healthy distance.

Strangler Fig

Back at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary! This photo has a very interesting backstory. The sanctuary was hit hard by Hurricane Irma and was closed for 3 months while crews cleared out downed trees. One of the downed trees was this cypress. When it was sawed for removal, it was revealed that a strangler fig was growing inside!  Amazing! Typically, you'll see a strangler fig growing like a thick vine around a tree. But, I've never heard -- or seen -- one growing inside a tree. A sanctuary volunteer theorized that a bird probably ate a strangler fig seed and left it behind in some scat, which made its way into a hole within the cypress trunk....and then, voila! Nature truly is amazing. More pics from the swamp to come!

Autumn in Winter

Believe it or not, this is what the cypress trees look like now at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Normally, this time of year, the trees are bare. But, look at those fall colors -- amazing! Apparently, Mother Nature is a bit mixed up since Hurricane Irma ripped through here in September, stripping away all the leaves.   They grew back -- like this -- and have stayed on the branches well past the time when they should have fallen.  New buds are supposed to start growing this month, so who knows what's going to happen! More on the affects of Irma here at Corkscrew...coming soon!

Red Shouldered Hawk

 

As a volunteer at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary led me toward the coiled up, well camouflaged cottonmouth, this big guy swooped in and landed a few yards away from me. He certainly seemed to be on the hunt and some visitors were concerned the red shouldered hawk was going to try to grab the nearby (venomous) snake. The raptor scanned and scanned the area, and even flew from one branch to another in the vicinity, but showed no interest in the snake. Makes you wonder if it recognized the cottonmouth as a potential threat.  I'll will post more pics from our Corkscrew adventure soon.  In the meantime, the SDP staff is enjoying a long weekend.  Happy Friday!

Cottonmouth

Do you see it?

Also known as a water moccasin, this cottonmouth snake is venomous and, as you can see, blends in amazingly well with its surroundings. Yikes!  I was a healthy distance away, safe and sound on the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary when I snapped this pic.  I never would've seen it, except a sanctuary volunteer led us to it.  Next post...the predator that arrived nearby and some thought it was eyeing this snake for dinner.  Enjoy the day!

Anhinga Family

 

The SDP team visited Audubon's Corkscrew Sanctuary yesterday and had a great adventure!  Most of the sanctuary is open once again after it was closed for three months due to extensive damage from Hurricane Irma. (More on that in upcoming posts.) We spent almost four hours wandering along the 2-mile boardwalk looking for birds and other wildlife. A highlight of the walk was spotting an anhinga nest -- conveniently located a few yards off the boardwalk for excellent viewing opportunities.  Here the female was spotted with one fuzzy little baby peeking out the nest. But, was that it?

 

No, it wasn't! While I was adjusting my camera settings the mom & dad switched places -- revealing two chicks!  But, wait...

 

Yep -- there was a third chick in the nest! Incredible. That's the female sitting in the nest and the male nearby. The anhinga is also known as the 'Snake Bird' because of its long neck.  When the babies stretched, they were all neck -- amazing.  This was my first time seeing an anhinga nest -- great experience watching them.

Indigo Bunting

A couple of bird feeders are strategically placed at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  One is right next to the visitor center and it attracts the real beauties of the little birds, like this guy:  an indigo bunting.  In person, the blue is so vibrant it's mind boggling.  He seemed to be in constant motion flying, eating, then darting back into the nearby brush to hide for awhile before zipping back to the feeder.  I'd never seen an indigo bunting before so this was pretty exciting.  A painted bunting also made a dramatic appearance (imagine a beautiful rainbow with wings) but it was too quick for me to capture.  Gives me a good reason to return to this wonderful place...camera in hand, of course.