Tibet-Butler Preserve

I thought it might be nice to have a break from bird snaps at Bahama Bay - but there are more to come! I put up a post about this wildlife (p)reserve last time we went to Florida. It's just a couple of miles away from the outlet centres and Interstate, and yet it's an oasis of peace (can't beat a cliche). We tend to get there a bit late, and walking along the paths can be quite hot until you near the water.
There's a small feeding station at the preserve offices, but by this time the birds were skulking in the bushes. As was this snake. You will note the lack of head. That's because it got into the bushes too quickly for me, and as I didn't know what it was I didn't poke around too much in there! I think it's a rat snake, and quite harmless, but it was a good couple of feet long.

I've realised a lot of these pictures are insects. This is good for variety, but I don't know the names! Every few steps the path would 'PING' into life as these quite large grasshoppers would shoot up and into the bushes. Except this one which stubbornly stayed put. Considering the pictures were all handheld with a 100-400 lens I'm quite pleased with some of the results below.




Is this a cicada?

As last time my eye was caught by the unusual lichens on the ground or on the trees.




The appearance of the dragonflies was a clue we were nearing water.


Yes that is a waterlily leaf in the background ........


we'd arrived at the large ponds. Lake Tibet (or perhaps Butler) is just behind the trees swathed in the Spanish Moss. One of the trees held an osprey nest.


No turtles (terrapins) this time, but the frog appeared below the viewing platform. It was pretty chunky, so I can see why the tadpoles are big. Unfortunately there was no way to get down for a lower angle shot.
I can't ignore the birds completely - Black duck .......



and Osprey.



(Not vignetting in the first of the two shot, but the edge of the viewing platform shelter!)